This is a float or “yatai” being displayed for the spring matsuri festival in Takayama, Japan. The festival is held for two days twice a year. Once in spring and once in autumn.  If the weather is good, the yatai are taken out of their storehouses and paraded around town.  There are several floats, all are beautiful and ornate.  Some are very old and look like they are about to fall apart! They are very heavy and need quite a few men to pull and push them around.

They made it out for an hour or two when we were there.