No rain on this parade

Just keeps getting crazier

At least, no rain this day.  Northern Japan, so close to the ocean, gets a considerable amount of precipitation, though, and it is overcast most of the time, with the clouds often hanging very low.  Kinda sorta like the Seattle area, but moreso.  On Thursdays, if the clouds are very low, you can smell the sickeningly-sweet aroma of the crematorium — virtually everyone in Japan is cremated when they die.  Or, perhaps, you're enjoying the odor of the hog slaughterhouse; I'm not certain.

Note the loudspeaker on this float.  Sometimes a person would walk along with the float and shout things into a microphone, something akin to "Rah, rah, siss-boom-bah!" or the equivalent in Japanese, I assume.

Torii gate on float

This is the same float from the back.  Note the torii gate, a sort of Japanese version of a door to an alternate reality.

Samurai battle at sea

This is one of the more elaborate floats, at least as far as the Misawa City Festival is concerned.  You'll see bigger, more elaborate floats at the Aomori Nebuta Festival, but a lot of work went into this one, too.

Battle at sea

 

The battle at sea continues

All these boats remind me of the TV miniseries, Shogun, from back in the '80′s.

Little helper

This cute little Japanese girl wearing her red hapi coat is doing her part.

Mayhem at the matsuri

Looks like all heck is breaking loose on this float.  That cart looks like it's about to roll over on the flute players.