Festival Float Archive
Introducing festival floats across Shizuoka Prefecture, centered on the Enshu region
- 1,838 floats documented
- Covering 48 former municipalities in the prefecture
- 60 years of photography
Floats from Morimachi, Fukuroi, Iwata and Kakegawa — one new float added every week.
31 floats found (Region: Morimachi)
The 2026 Mori Festival begins at Mishima Shrine
With the previous day's rain cleared away and a crisp, clear autumn sky on the 6th at noon, 14 festi...
Morimachi Float: Kajigaya, Kajimorisha
It was named "Kajimorisha" in the hope that the Kajigaya neighborhood association of Morimachi would...
Morimachi Float: Wakamiya, Wakamiyasha
A neighborhood survey was held to decide the float's name. It was named "Wakamiyasha" after the Waka...
Morimachi Float: Higashigumi, Shinonomekan
"Shinonome" is an old Japanese word for the sky turning madder-red just before the sun begins to ris...
Morimachi Float: Nishigumi, Hosensha
It is said that Hosensha's float was built with money from selling standing trees, a local "treasure...
Morimachi Float: Ichiba, Asakusakan
"Asakusakan," the festival float of Ichiba in Morimachi. The Kannon statue next to Honryuji Templ...
Morimachi Float: Shimo-Iida, Miyamotosha
It was named "Miyamotosha" because it stands at the foot of Yamana Shrine. The carvings inherit t...
Morimachi Float: Naka-Iida, Honjokan
The "Tenno Festival" of the Iida district of Morimachi, held on Saturday, July 19 and Sunday, July 2...
Morimachi Float: Kami-Iida, Oumeikan
The "Tenno Festival" of the Iida district of Morimachi, held on Saturday, July 19 and Sunday, July 2...
Mori Festival 2025 (Morimachi) – Floats Face to Face
At the Mori Festival, floats glare at each other at intersections and "fight." On the night of da...
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Mori Festival 2025 (Morimachi) – Day 2 Procession
Scenes from the Owatari (procession) on the second day of the 2025 Mori Festival. Because rain was ...
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Mori Festival 2025 (Morimachi) – November 7
A scene from the Mori Festival on November 7, 2025. The Mori Festival is known for 14 gorgeously ...
Mori Festival 2025 (Morimachi) – Day 3 Maigo-gaeshi
Day 3 was rainy from the morning... In the evening comes the climax, "Maigo-gaeshi": the traditiona...
Mori Festival 2025 (Morimachi) – Day 1 Departure
At noon on day 1, the floats gathered at Mishima Shrine set off!! After school let out at noon, e...
Morimachi Ichinomiya: Katase, Hachimensha
"Hachimensha," the third-generation float of Hachimen Shrine in Ichinomiya, Morimachi. Hachimen Shr...
Morimachi: Children's Float
What is generally called a dashi (festival float) is called a yatai in this area. The float is re...
Morimachi Festival: Yamana Shrine "Tenno Festival"
The "Tenno Festival" of Yamana Shrine is held every July. Its highlight, the "Yamana Shrine Tenno Fe...
Morimachi Float: Nakayokocho, Hiunsha
For the current float, a float construction committee chaired by Seikichi Oba was launched in Septem...
Morimachi Float: Shinmachi, Hokugaisha
It was named "Hokugaisha" because it was located at the northernmost point of Morimachi village. A d...
Morimachi Float: Daimon, Hounsha
When the district became independent from Honmachi (Suisaisha) in 1978 (Showa 53), names were solici...
Morimachi Float: Tenkyu, Gaiseisha
It was named "Gaiseisha" after the triumphant return (gaisen) celebrated nationwide in 1895 (Meiji 2...
Morimachi Float: Mukaitenkata, Keiunsha
The name is thought to come from "kei" (慶), meaning heartfelt joy and good fortune, and "un" (雲), th...
Morimachi Float: Sakae-cho, Tounsha
At Kanamori Shrine in the town stands a large camphor tree over 400 years old, wrapped by a wisteria...
Morimachi Float: Shimojuku, Sosuisha
A strange legend remains: long ago in China, a great drought dried up plants and crops, and people s...
Morimachi Float: Towata, Bokueisha
When the society was founded in 1903 (Meiji 36), the place was called "Mutsumi-cho, Iida Village," a...
Morimachi Float: Kawaramachi, Enkaisha
The Ota River was full of water until the early Meiji period, and boats loaded with cargo traveled b...
Morimachi Float: Minamimachi, Yusuisha
The center of the town was once crossed by the Ota River, and springs could be seen everywhere until...
Morimachi Float: Nishikocho, Ryuseisha
It was named in the hope that, like a dragon ascending to heaven, the district will develop in many ...
Morimachi Float: Meiji-cho, Meikaisha
It was named "Meikaisha" after Meiji-cho, a town name that came with the opening of the area during ...
Morimachi Float: Honmachi, Suisaisha
One theory is that the name comes from the saying "where a spring wells up, water is the source." It...
Morimachi Float: Shiroshita, Tanimotosha
The name comes from Tanimoto Shrine, the tutelary shrine of the Shiroshita district. With its harmon...
Stories Carved into Festival Floats
Go deeper into the floats and carvings of Morimachi
Our sister site records 56 floats and 916 carvings of Morimachi, based on three books by Masashi Iwamoto.
Open the sister siteGallery & Materials
A collection of materials on festivals, including photos of festivals and traditional events in the Enshu region
and writings by Masashi Iwamoto.
Float photography and commentary
Masashi Iwamoto
Festival enthusiast and former elementary school principal
Documenting the festival culture of the Enshu region for 60 years
"Festival floats have great power to bind a hometown and its people together.
I believe this feeling and spirit is something we should especially cherish in modern society.
Please feel the power and bonds of the local community!"
Career
- 1937 (Showa 12)
- Born in Morimachi
- Education
- After Mori Elementary and Mori Junior High School, graduated from Mori High School (prefectural) and the Faculty of Education, Shizuoka University (national)
- 1960 (Showa 35)
- Began his teaching career at Okochi Elementary School in Morimachi
- 1998 (Heisei 10)
- Retired after serving as principal of Iida Elementary School in Morimachi (38 years in teaching)
Books
Exhibitions & Education
About the "Festival Float Photo Exhibition"
(Masashi Iwamoto)
The "Festival Float Photo Exhibition" was held irregularly, once every few years. In 2023, as the culmination of my photography, I was able to hold the exhibition "Festival Floats of Shizuoka Prefecture! – 1,838 floats from Totomi, Suruga and Izu, all together –" at the Morimachi Cultural Hall. It was made possible with the help of people in the community, and of my children and grandchildren. Thank you. What is shown here is a selection of the works displayed at that time. The collection covers 48 former municipalities in the prefecture, with one representative float recorded for each area. From now on, I will gradually upload more to this archive, together with the episodes I remember. I would be grateful for your patience.
About This Archive
This archive preserves and publishes, in digital form, the photographs, records, writings and other materials of Masashi Iwamoto, a festival enthusiast who has photographed floats in the Enshu region for 60 years. Through records and commentary on floats in each area, we share the appeal of Enshu's festival culture.
We hope this archive helps you feel the community solidarity that is fading in modern society, and the meaning of the traditions our predecessors carefully protected.