Takayama (鷹山)

Seen in a parade during the Gion Matsuri Festival in Kyoto, Takayama is one of a "yamaboko," which is a festival float mounted with a decorative long-handled sword.

This festival is held in present day Koromonotana-cho, Sanjo-dori Muromachi Nishi-iru, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto City. Takayama originated before the Onin War, and it was a giant-float parading the streets of Kyoto before "Ofuneboko" (a different yamaboko), but in 1826 the ornaments of Takayama become grossly stained from the raindrops of a hard shower, so parading the float stopped and in 1864, a big fire broke out at "Hamagurigomon no Hen" (the rebellion at the Hamaguri Gate) and burned the float except for some of it's ornaments and "Goshintai" (object of worship in Shinto). At present, the Goshintai and ornaments that survived the fire are on display in Koromotana-cho just in "Yoiyama" (the pre-parade event), and the display is called "Imatsuri."

[Original Japanese]