Throngs of people show up in Gifu to catch a glimpse of actor Takuya Kimura dressed as a feudal lord for a historical procession held Nov. 6. (The Asahi Shimbun)

Photo/Illutration Takuya Kimura posing as feudal lord Oda Nobunaga lets out a battle cry as the parade gets under way in Gifu on Nov. 6. (Takeshi Iwashita)

GIFU--Fans poured into this central Japan city to catch a glimpse of popular actor Takuya Kimura dressed as a renowned feudal lord from the 16th century in a traditional festival held Nov. 6.

Kimura posed as Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582) in the Gifu Nobunaga festival, along with fellow actor Hideaki Ito, both on horseback. 

Nearly 1 million people applied for spots to view Kimura leading the parade.

Loud cheers and applause erupted when Kimura, looking stern and raising his right hand with a folding fan, shouted, “Everyone, time to go into battle.”

The two actors led the procession for about 1 kilometer along Kinkabashi-dori street in central Gifu. Students from local junior and senior high schools dressed as his subjects in period costume.

Kimura acknowledged fans with a wave then they called out his name.

Local authorities said 966,555 people applied for spots in the main viewing area after it was announced that Kimura will feature in this year’s parade. The figure was about 64 times the number local officials had expected.

A woman in her 50s who had traveled from Yamanashi Prefecture with two friends was beside herself after she caught a glimpse of Kimura, even though she did not win the lottery to make it to the viewing area.

Instead, she kept walking the street and eventually managed to secure a spot in the front row at a crossing. She had been waiting since 9 a.m. for the parade, which got under way at 1 p.m.

“I am so happy and feel energized,” said the woman, a diehard fan of 30 years.

Kimura will play Nobunaga in “The Legend & Butterfly,” a film portraying Nobunaga and his wife, Nohime, for release in January.

“Nobunaga is a special historical figure with whom I have been long fascinated,” the actor said in a statement sent to the city government prior to the event. “I am honored to take part in a traditional festival at a site where he aspired to unite the nation under him.”

Nobunaga overthrew the Ashikaga Shogunate (1338-1573), bringing an end of feudal wars and unifying large swaths of regions. He was based in Gifu.

Ito will also star in the film.

As the event came just days after a deadly crowd surge in South Korea that claimed more than 150 lives, prefectural police and city officials were in a state of high readiness to prevent any accident.

A central divider along Kinkabashi-dori street allowed the lane going north to be allocated for the parade.

The opposite lane was separated into 16 blocks as viewing areas, where winners of the lottery watched the procession.

Huge numbers of spectators who did not win the lottery also showed up near the viewing area, keeping police busy with traffic control.

The parade ended a little after 2 p.m. without disruption.

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