Kurosaki Gion Yamakasa (Float) Festival is a traditional event which has been passed down for about 400 years in the Kurosaki area, a subcenter of Kitakyushu. The festival features magnificently gorgeous floats snaking their way through the streets while being spun round and round on an axle and handled so roughly that they are called “battle floats”. Another unique aspect of the festival is the use of conch shells in the music. At the Yamakasa competition on the 20th, eight decorative floats gather on the street in the front of JR Kurosaki Station.