Japan autumn parade

A traditional autumn parade has wowed the crowds at a shrine in Kashima City, East of Tokyo for the first time in four years. The event at Kashima Shrine in Ibaraki Prefecture is held to pray for a rich harvest and good health.

Fourteen groups of people carried 8-meter-tall bamboo poles adorned with more than 300 paper lanterns. They are designed to resemble the stem and grains of a rice plant. The poles were then placed in a bonfire.