Hirata, Gifu

Hirata (平田町, Hirata-chō) was a town located in Kaizu District, Gifu Prefecture, Japan.

Travelers visit Ochobo Inari every weekend to pray for success in business, and a street festival is held on the last night of every month.

For several weeks before the event, the people of the town prepare special bamboo "dashi" (floats) measuring up to several meters high.

They are then arranged onto wooden frames for carrying, and within the bamboo are placed items such as New Year's poems, pictures, and Japanese flags.

On the day of the festival the floats are carried to the town center by volunteers, and are then burned in front of hundreds of onlookers.