240,000 people attend traditional karatsu kunchi festival in Japan

Approximately 240,000 people gathered in Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, for the main event of the Karatsu Kunchi autumn festival.

Participants and spectators watched as about 4,600 people pulled heavy floats toward the Otabisho shrine. The festival reached its peak when 14 floats successfully entered the shrine grounds amidst traditional music and rhythmic chants. Visitors traveled from other regions to witness the event, including a man from Aichi Prefecture who visited with his wife to see her hometown traditions.

The Karatsu Kunchi float events are designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan and are listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.