Float of the Hakata Gion Yamakasa Matsuri

The floats used for the Hakata Gion Yamakasa Matsuri in Fukuoka are complex structures adorned with dolls and miniatures, made by skilled craftsmen from paper, silk, wood and metal.

They depict characters from the Japanese folklore of from old Shinto legends, like the one photographed here, showing the Shinto god Susanoo fighting with the Yamata no Orochi dragon.