Hakata Gion Yamakasa
The Floats. The floats, called Yamakasa, are divided into two groups. The Kakiyama are the smaller, carryable floats, that are raced through the town, while the Kazariyama are stationary floats, that are built up to 13 metres high and often depict historic or mythical events of Japanese culture. Originally the Kakiyama and Kazariyama were one and the same, with the large floats being carried through the city. However the Yamakasa were split up in 1898 when the electrical power lines in Hakata became too common for large Yamakasa to be carried through the streets. Hakata districts. Hakata , once its own city, merged with Fukuoka in 1876. The festivities are mostly based in Hakata. Hakata was divided into seven districts by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1586/1587. Some of these districts have changed names and exact boundaries multiple times; they still see themselves as the original seven districts. Soon after the division, carrying the Yamakasa through one's own district became a competition for speed. Today, the main event, the Oiyama, is a race between the districts. The districts are Higashi-nagare, Nakasu-nagare, Nishi-nagare, Chiyo-nagare, Ebisu-nagare, Doi-nagare and Daikoku-nagare.