Celebrations for the futon daiko and danjiri festivals in Sakai are held throughout the city in autumn. The brilliant, stirring parading of festival floats is a sight to see during the futon daiko festivities, while the exhilarating pace of the danjiri floats' high-speed turns as well as their intricate decorative carvings are a thrill to see. Both celebration types represent the history and traditions of Sakai that its citizens hold so dear, and during the fall they infuse the entire city with their stirring, exciting, resplendent sights and sounds.

The Takaishi City Danjiri Festival is unique in that it uses four different 4-wheeled carts representing the four historical eras of Meiji (1868–1912), Taisho (1912-26), Showa (1926–89) and Heisei (1989-2019). Because the floats are wheeled by Takaishi Station on the Nankai Main Line, you can hear the traditional festival instruments and see danjiri floats going by just as you exit the train.
The final day of the festival features a large-scale parade, so make sure to put this event on your calendar! Danjiri floats can also be viewed near city hall and in other off-course locations as well.

During the Izumiotsu Danjiri Festival, danjiri floats are pulled by representatives from 20 different neighborhoods. These include the eight neighborhoods generally situated on the side closest to the bay from the Nankai Main Line tracks which pass through the middle of town, known collectively as the Hamahachi-cho (lit. “eight bayside districts”) These neighborhoods' danjiri, known as kami-danjiri (“upper danjiri”), are rammed into one another in contest. The other 12 neighborhoods, collectively called the Juni-cho (lit. “twelve districts”), comprise 4 neighborhoods from Anashi area and 8 from the combined Sone–Sukematsu area, and are generally on the side of town near the mountains relative to the same Nankai tracks. Together, the Juni-cho danjiri are called the shimo-danjiri (“lower danjiri”), and these floats are maneuvered at high speeds around sharp corners in impressive fashion. Finally, all neighborhoods from these three separately administered Shinto shrine sections of town come together for a large parade to complete the festivities.

The Izumi Danjiri Dairengo will host a large parade put on by multiple neighborhoods from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, October 7.
As for the Shinoda Rengo, the danjiri floats and mikoshi portable shrines will be all brought together at the local shrine on the same day. On Monday, October 8 (a national holiday), a combined parade will be held from 1 to 5 p.m.

he Tadaoka-cho Danjiri Festival is believed to have started during the Edo Period (1603–1868). It is a stirring Shinto festival held every October in prayer for abundant harvests and safety, wherein four danjiri floats—known as Donocho, Hamanocho, Nakanocho and Shonocho—are navigated in daring fashion down the town's narrow lanes. The pre-festival pulling of the floats, the combined parade, and the taking of the floats into the main shrine are all impressive parts of the Tadaoka-cho Danjiri Festival. Tadaoka-cho is the smallest municipality in Japan in terms of land area, but during this festival it transforms itself into Japan's liveliest town by far! You won't be disappointed!

The Kishiwada Danjiri Festival has approximately 300 years of history and tradition behind it. It dates back to 1703, when Kishiwada was its own feudal domain ruled by Okabe Nagayasu. After installing a branch shrine of Kyoto's Fushimi-Inari Shrine in the Sannomaru section of Kishiwada Castle, Okabe held an Inari Festival in prayer for abundant crop yields; this is said to be the first incarnation of the Kishiwada Danjiri Festival. Based on the slogan “Independent Operation, Independent Regulation, Independent Defense,” 80 danjiri floats are run throughout Kishiwada City. They are raced through the streets in thrilling fashion during the daytime, taking corners at breakneck speeds which have earned this particular danjiri its fame. After nightfall, the danjiri are decorated with around 200 lanterns, creating enchanting and gorgeous spectacles. Amidst the flickering lantern-light, the floats are driven more slowly through the streets this time.

Held to celebrate the abundance of the fall season, the Kaizuka Danjiri Festival is said to have originally used small, lightweight danjiri floats known as hikidanjiri, which were adorned with decorations called tsukurimono on top and pulled through town. Today, the festival is held over a two-day period, with parades, ceremonies and other events held in three different sections of town. Each part of town competes with the others to achieve the most impressive spectacles, and the high-speed navigation of danjiri around corners presents some of the festival's most awe-inspiring moments.

On October 9, eleven danjiri floats from the Ujiko district of Kumatori-cho depart for the tree-shrouded Omori Shrine, and at 1 p.m. they put on an impressive show with three thunderous trips around a stage inside the shrine grounds.
The next day from 1 p.m., the floats are raced through the streets (primarily around JR Kumatori Station) while the persons chosen as daikugata for each danjiri create stunning spectacles by dancing energetically on the roofs of their fast-moving vehicles. Ceremonies for each festival district are carried out in the station-front traffic circle.

Izumisano City parades three types of floats throughout town during their festival: danjiri wheeled floats, yagura tower-like structure, and ninaite danjiri which are similar to danjiri but are carried rather than wheeled.
The danjiri portion of the festival includes 15 floats, the yagura portion 2 floats, and the ninai danjiri portion 3 floats, all raced resplendently throughout town.

In Tajiri-cho's festival, it's possible to see both danjiri floats (Kashoji district) and yagura floats (Yoshimi district) together during the same festival. These danjiri and yagura are lined up side-by-side in front of the town hall, making for a rare site.

Yagura festival floats with roofs both large and small and fitted with two large wheels each are pulled up and down hills and through narrow streets in Hannan's yagura festival. Float teams take advantage of the unique float wheel design to bring each yagura up seven stone steps to enter Hata Shrine as part of the festival route. Coming in person is the only way to truly experience the thrilling sounds, vibrations and sensations of this festival.

As part of this festival in prayer for good autumn harvests, 20 yagura floats that preserve local tradition and culture are pulled energetically through Sennan's streets.

Note: From 1 p.m. on Sunday, the day of the festival, at the Tarui district's main shrine (near Tarui Station on the Nankai Main Line), the yagura floats and mikoshi portable shrines are led with children into the shrine to transfer sacred Shinto objects. There's nothing quite like the stirring sight of yagura-led mikoshi and the adorable little children accompanying them.

Yagura festivities are carried out in three districts of Misaki-cho using eight festival floats in total: five for the Tannowa district, two for the Fuke district, and one for the Tanagawa-Koshima district).