Hakata Gion Yamakasa float doll

There are several large festivals in Japan featuring decorated floats, complex works of art built by skilled craftsmen.

At the Kushida-jinja in Fukuoka the floats, called yamakasa, are over 10 meters tall and their decorations are extremely detailed. Photographed here is one of the samurai dolls featured on a yamakasa, an imposing character surrounded by flames and wearing a hannya Noh mask.