*Ø* Blogmanac October 16-18 | Niihama Drum Festival, Niihama, Ehime, Japan

A festival going back more than three centuries. Each drum float, or Taiko-dai, decorated with cloth woven with gold and silver tassles, weighs about two tons. It is carried by teams of over 150 men called Kakifu. More than 30 drums and their Kakifu teams parade throughout the town, and competitions are held at three places of the city.