Stories Carved into Festival FloatsA Guide for First-Time Visitors
This website is an archive of the carvings found on the traditional festival floats of Enshu Mori, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. Through photographs and explanations, it invites you to explore the carvings one by one.
What is this website about?
At festivals in Mori Town, each neighborhood has its own traditional float, which is pulled through the streets. These floats are adorned with numerous carvings depicting subjects from mythology, legends, and historical stories. In Mori, these carvings are traditionally called *horimono*.
During the festival, the floats are in motion, the streets come alive, and the atmosphere is full of excitement. Yet there are few opportunities to take a close look at each individual float and its carvings. This website was created to offer a different way to experience them: starting with photographs, you can discover what is depicted, why particular subjects were chosen, and gradually explore the stories behind the carvings, the skills of the craftsmen, and the feelings of the local people.
The content of this website is based on three books written by Masashi Iwamoto, a devoted festival enthusiast, drawing on decades of float photography and materials collected through field research (Volume: Mori, Volume: North, and Volume: South). Together, the books document 56 festival floats and 916 photographs of their carvings.
The original text from the books is reproduced here, with the source volume and page number provided. Research continued after the books were published, and the archive now spans more than 60 years of documentation. In the future, we will gradually add the author's personal memories and recollections.
The website and its materials are being organized and maintained by Masashi Iwamoto's family, at his request.
What is the "Mori Festival"?
As defined in the books, the "Mori Festival" refers specifically to the festival centered around Mishima Shrine in Mori Town.
There are many other festivals throughout Mori Town, each featuring its own traditional floats. For this reason, the floats from the northern areas (Amagata and Mikura) are covered in *Volume: North*, while those from the southern areas (Iida, Sonoda, and Ichinomiya) are covered in *Volume: South*. Together, the three volumes document 56 floats.
The Mori Festival takes place every year on the first Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of November (November 6–8 in 2026). At the time the books were written, the festival dates were recorded as November 1–3.
Festival dates and shrines Explore the maps Find Mori Town on Google Maps ↗
The Thoughts of the Author, Masashi Iwamoto
The following are the author's own words, reproduced from the introductions to his books.
A festival is the culmination of a culture nurtured by the soil of a community. It is the visible expression of the spirit and pride that generations of people living in that place have cultivated over many years.
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— Masashi Iwamoto, *The Story of the Festival Floats of Enshu Mori*, Introduction (October 1991)
In order to pass down the traditional culture of the Mori Festival faithfully from one generation to the next, and to help it flourish further, I felt it was necessary to document and preserve it in books and other forms. For more than twenty years, I had been collecting materials, primarily photographs.
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— From the same introduction
There are many ways to enjoy the Mori Festival. You can admire the floats, take part in pulling them, or join in the lively festival procession. But it is also enjoyable to take your time and examine each float carefully, from one end to the other.
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Looking closely at each individual carving — traditionally called *horimono* in Mori — and asking yourself what it depicts and why that particular subject was chosen, is fascinating in its own right. As you do so, you begin to sense the spirit of the master carvers and the pride of the skilled craftsmen who helped create the floats.
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— From the same introduction
I would be very happy if those who read these books would go on to tell their children and grandchildren about what they have learned, in their own words and in a way they can understand. I believe this will help increase the number of people who cherish and carry forward our shared heritage: the Mori Festival.
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— From the same introduction
I believe that festivals are "vitamins for the local community" and "the heart of our hometown."
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— Masashi Iwamoto, *The Festivals of Enshu Mori: The Story of the Festival Floats*, Volume: South, Introduction (October 1994)
Read the full introductions and afterwords of all three books
How to Explore This Website
- Explore the Floats — Start by viewing the floats as a whole. There are 56 floats in the archive.
- Explore by Subject — Compare carvings depicting the same subjects across different floats, including the twelve zodiac animals, the Seven Lucky Gods, and the eight-headed serpent (22 subjects).
- A Guide to the Carvings — Learn about the different parts of a float where carvings can be found, such as transoms, side panels, and decorative wooden brackets, with the help of diagrams.
- Maps — Find the locations of float garages and explore maps of the different districts.
- Memories and Stories — Read personal recollections from the author's years of research, gradually being added to the site (0 entries).
About the Content (Please Read Before Exploring)
- Sources: Explanations and other information include references to the book volume and page number. The original Japanese text has been transcribed from the books. Some entries have not yet been proofread.
- Photographs: Images labeled "Scanned from book (temporary)" are taken from printed pages of the books and are in black and white. They will be replaced with the original photographs as they are found. Where possible, historical and present-day photographs will be displayed side by side.
- Verification: Entries that have not yet been fully checked are marked "Under Research." They will be marked "Verified" as the information is confirmed.
- English Version: English translations will be published gradually as they become available.