Editing Fukuoka (section)

====Yamakasa====
{{nihongo||山笠|Yamakasa}}, held for two weeks each July,<ref name="yamak">[http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/indepth/history/traditionalevents/a32_fes_yamakasa.html Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110218070703/http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/indepth/history/traditionalevents/a32_fes_yamakasa.html |date=February 18, 2011 }}. Japan National Tourist Organization. Retrieved March 19, 2008.</ref> is Fukuoka's oldest festival with a history of over 700 years. The festival dates back to 1241 when a priest called Shioichu Kokushi saved Hakata from a terrible plague by being carried around the city on a movable shrine and throwing water.<ref name="cog">[http://kyushu.com/fukuoka/features/yamagasa_1/ The Yamakasa] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181120002501/https://kyushu.com/fukuoka/features/yamagasa_1/ |date=November 20, 2018 }}. Cogito Kyushu Networks. Retrieved March 19, 2008.</ref><ref name="web">[http://web-japan.org/atlas/festivals/fes22.html Hakata Gion Yamakasa] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071007160523/http://web-japan.org/atlas/festivals/fes22.html |date=October 7, 2007 }}. WebJapan. Retrieved March 19, 2008.</ref> Teams of men (no women, except small girls, are allowed), representing different districts in the city, commemorate the priest's route by racing against the clock around a set course carrying on their shoulders floats weighing several thousand pounds. Participants all wear ''shimekomi'' (called ''[[fundoshi]]'' in other parts of Japan), which are traditional loincloths.

Each day of the two-week festival is marked by special events and practice runs, culminating in the official race that takes place the last morning before dawn. Tens of thousands line the streets to cheer on the teams. During the festival, men can be seen walking around many parts of Fukuoka in long ''[[happi]]'' coats bearing the distinctive mark of their team affiliation and traditional ''[[geta (footwear)|geta]]'' sandals. The costumes are worn with pride and are considered appropriate wear for even formal occasions, such as weddings and cocktail parties, during the festival.
<gallery class="center">
File:Yamagasa uniform 1.png|The uniform used during the ceremonies and preparation
File:Yamagasa uniform 2.png|The uniform used during the competition
</gallery>