This great hall houses the six parade floats (Yamaboko), which go up and down the streets during the Hita Gion festival that has been celebrated around July 22 for nigh on 300 years. In most of Japan the floats are on wheels and drawn by hand, but here, they are hoisted up onto shoulders. Each float, measuring up to 10m/32ft high and weighing some 4t, is decorated according to a theme with puppets, lanterns, cloth, flowers, bamboos..., giving rise to an event that is worthy of a walking art museum.