Every July 17th in Kyoto, Japan, gorgeous floats are paraded downtown during the Gion Festival, whose origins are in a 9th century appeal to the gods for protection against a city plague. The largest floats, called hoko, weigh about ten tons and have a tall spire. They are pulled through a simple downtown route, going east, then north, west, and south. The intersections where they change course are popular spots to watch from, and the crowds are thick. The glass panels in the foreground are skylights for underground facilities.