SHIGA –
The Otsu Festival, certainly one of Shiga Prefecture’s three main conventional festivals, was held in Otsu City on October eleventh, that includes a procession of 13 elaborately embellished floats carrying conventional mechanical puppets via the streets, following the competition’s addition to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage record in December final yr.
The competition’s hikiyama floats, adorned with luxurious embroidered curtains and complex ornaments, paraded via the town accompanied by conventional competition music. Each float options karakuri mechanical puppets, which carry out elaborate actions utilizing mechanisms developed by Japanese craftsmen centuries in the past.
The float procession is the centerpiece of the Otsu Festival, an annual celebration related to Tenson Shrine that dates again roughly 400 years. The competition is thought to be certainly one of Shiga Prefecture’s three main festivals and is understood for its richly embellished floats and distinctive mechanical puppet performances.
The competition’s float procession was added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage record in December 2025, recognizing its cultural significance and the preservation of conventional Japanese craftsmanship and competition customs.