The float bearers briskly shouting “Enya! Enya! Enya!” to the rhythms of flutes and drums, the spectators applaud and cheer for the floats approaching. Karatsu Kunchi Festival is an autumn festival held at Karatsu Shrine in Karatsu City, Saga Pref. It takes place annually from November 2 to 4. The festival starts with the ceremony to thank the deities for the year’s rich harvest and success of business. During the three days of the festival the whole town is in a festival mood and approximately 500,000 visitors come to see the festival. It is one of the Three Kunchi Festivals in Japan. It is a nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. Normally an inevitable accompaniment to a festival is a mikoshi (portable shrine), but at Karatsu Kunchi Festival the 14 huge floats called Hikiyama parade through the town. Hikiyama, which are topped with a large decoration in the form of samurai helmets, sea bream, and other fantastical creatures, are made by Icchobari lacqering technique (lacquering over the wooden base covered with hundreds of sheets of washi paper). Assets and the Hikiyama event is a designated National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Asset. The sea bream Hikiyama joined a carnival in Nice in France in 1979. Hikiyama floats are displayed and open to public all through the year.