Morimachi Float: Shinmachi, Hokugaisha

It was named "Hokugaisha" because it was located at the northernmost point of Morimachi village. A distinctive feature is the railing in front of the blind, which opens at the front like a gate; during "Maigo-gaeshi," the climax of the festival, the sight of the maigo (child dancer) riding in it is especially striking. • Joinery by Uchiyama Tategu-ten (Shinmachi) • The first float was made in the late Edo period. In 1863 (Bunkyu 3), a fight between the young men of Honmachi and Shimojuku at the Mishima Shrine festival grew into a lawsuit at the magistrate's office and a disturbance across the town, so the float parade was cancelled and Shinmachi's float was sold to Datekata, Kakegawa City • The second float was made between 1887 and 1907 (Meiji 20–40) and sold to Kumagiri, Haruno-cho in the spring of 1930 (Showa 5) • The third had a well-balanced form and became the model for many later floats. It was sold to Iida, Morimachi (Wakamiya housing area); the current float is the fourth Builder: Shokichi Okano (Shinmachi), Rokuro Okano (Shinmachi), Shimpei Naito (Shinmachi), and others Carving: Risaburo Hayase (first-generation Asaun, then living in Kakegawa) Painting: Sadasuke Muramatsu (Kawaramachi) Wheels: Kenjiro Morita (Kawaramachi)