Have you gotten a sense of how a huge Deka-yama float squeezes through narrow street blocks? Ninety electric poles stand along the deka-yama’s route. Normally they would stand 10 meters high but around here, they reach 13 meters in height to allow the deka-yama floats to pass under the power lines connecting them. You’re probably thinking “why don’t they just clear the poles and bury the power lines?” To that, we posit that watching the deka-yama barely squeeze under power lines is the best spectator sport.
The enormous deka-yama has no rudder and no brakes. Changing its course involves a giant seven-meter long lever used to turn the float at 90-degree angles. Manning the giant lever are ten strong men who pull it to hoist the front wheels off the ground. The smaller jiguruma wheels come down, and the float is rotated with a grind.
Now, how does a deka-yama float navigate through utility poles or narrow S-curves? For that, there are people who exclusively man “inner” and “side” levers. Known as the float’s “guards”, they slip beneath the cartwheels to physically skid the float sideways to change its direction. Becoming a guard takes many years of exclusively manning the levers, as they have to quickly pull the levers and navigate tight power lines. It’s exhilarating to watch, and you can hear people cheering the guards on as they work.
“Stoplevers” replace traditional brakes on a deka-yama float. The stop lever technicians come down in front of the two-meter long cartwheels. If that sounds life-threatening, you would be right; manning the levers on a deka-yama requires agility to jump in and out of the float when it gets too dangerous, no matter the conditions.
If you go to one of these festivals, we recommend joining in on pulling the float. Those colossal floats won’t move without audience participation. You will feel the entire weight of the deka-yama once you take up the rope. You will pull and pull to seemingly no avail until suddenly it rolls forward. The accomplishment you feel in that moment will make you feel like the strongest person on Earth as if you’re moving a mountain all on your own.
Naturally, that’s not the case - it takes the strength and leadership of many people to move this mountain. Maneuvering around power lines requires precise coordination between the guardians. Festival day cultivates unity of mind, breath, activity, and purpose between the presenters and the spectators
