Two great tastes that go great together! Karakuri means "clockwork automaton" and yokai means, well, yokai! But it isn't every day that you get to read about both in the same article.
Every August, the city of Yokkaichi in Mie prefecture holds the Yokkaichi Matsuri festival, in which a massive clockwork rendition of a yokai called the Onyudo is rolled out for the crowds. The six-meter monstrosity, which is operated by a crew of people inside the figure, features swinging arms, tapping feet, and -- best of all -- a snake-like neck that extends the head out another three meters from the body, blinking and sticking out its tongue all the while. It's a Twentieth-century reconstruction of a karakuri that debuted in 1869, according to local sources.
Japan has a long tradition of clockwork automata performing in festivals, but few have survived into the modern era. Yokkaichi Matsuri is one of the few places you can see one today. The festival is held on the first Sunday of every August.
slap a wig on that thing and "Is that you Orochimaru?"
Posted by: Iamnotatwit | July 21, 2011 at 09:11 PM
King Dark yori kowai.
Posted by: Tonchi_books | July 23, 2011 at 04:46 PM