Many People Participate the KishiwadaDanjiri Festival

Crowds of people crammed the streets of Kishiwada in Osaka Prefecture, western Japan, to see a festival featuring massive carts being pulled through the streets at breakneck speed.

The Kishiwada Danjiri festival, which dates back more than 300 years, kicked off on Saturday. It is held to ensure a good harvest.Teams of men wearing traditional “happi” coats hauled the heavy carts through the streets at high speed.

Their shouts were accompanied by the sounds of flutes and drums. Cheered each time a danjiri cart turned a corner, with a man perched on top shouting a command. The performance is called “yarimawashi”, and the festival runs through Sunday.