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To a din of cheering crowds, rhythmic chanting and taiko drums, hundreds of people haul massive wooden floats through the streets of Osaka \u2014 while running as fast as they can. This chaotic spectacle is one of the Japanese prefecture\u2019s \u201cdanjiri matsuri,\u201d or float festivals.<\/p>\n
Held over a few weeks in October, they\u2019re considered one of the most dangerous events on Japan\u2019s festival calendar. The floats weigh several tons, and accidents sometimes occur while navigating them around sharp corners. They can even be deadly, especially for those who ride on top of the moving danjiri, known as \u201cdaikugata.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDanjiri sometimes fall over or collide, and I\u2019ve seen daikugata fall,\u201d says Shinya Ogura, a six-time danjiri rider at one such festival in Osaka\u2019s Otori region.<\/p>\n
For Ogura, the view from the top \u2014 and the thrill of staying up there \u2014 is part of what makes the experience so addictive.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s a very rewarding position,\u201d he says. \u201cMy grandfather and father have participated since I was a child, and I\u2019ve followed them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Passed down over generations, some estimate the festivals began around 300 years ago as a way for local communities to ward off illness and bad luck or to pray for a rich harvest.<\/p>\n