The Kishiwada Danjiri Festival is renowned for the high energy of its participants. (The Asahi Shimbun)

Photo/Illutration A danjiri float swiftly turns corner at the Kishiwada Danjiri Festival in Kishiwada, Osaka Prefecture, on Sept. 16. (Nobuhiro Shirai)

KISHIWADA, Osaka Prefecture--The Kishiwada Danjiri Festival, famed for the boisterous tactics of its participants, kicked off here early Sept. 16.

Accompanied by spirited shouts of “Sorya, Sorya,” a total of 34 danjiri floats from various neighborhoods raced through the narrow city streets.

The participants are renowned for the way they fearlessly challenge tight corners as they haul the massive floats.

Around 6 a.m., danjiri floats weighing approximately 4 tons were rolled out.

The highlight was the “yari-mawashi,” where the floats are swiftly maneuvered. “Daikugata” roof dancers performing atop the approximately 4-meter-high floats use signals to point the way.

Loud cheers erupt from spectators lining the roadside each time a maneuver is executed with gusto.

A “miyairi” procession to a local shrine is scheduled on Sept. 17.

In 2020, the parade was voluntarily suspended for the first time in 75 years due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year, after a six-year hiatus, paid seating areas made a comeback, attracting a bustling crowd of spectators.

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