Yatai (food cart)

[4] Though the practice of mobile food stands dates back to the 17th century,[5] yatai became popular and widespread in the Meiji period (1868–1912) and were two-wheeled pushcarts constructed of wood.

[2] Yatai were popular during and following World War II, but Japanese authorities imposed regulations ahead of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, citing health concerns.

[10] Historian Hiroaki Ichikawa has said the origins of contemporary yatai are in the Tokugawa period, during which dignitaries of the court would often travel between the capital and their homes.

Kobayashi Kurasaburo, a far-leftist radical, condemned the rise of yatai carts as a product of industrialization eradicating traditional Japanese food culture.

[5]: 84  However, city officials grew wary of health risks posed by the traveling food stands and, ahead of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, new regulations were created which led to a decline in yatai.

[5]: 86  Scholars suggest this was the product of limited independent options for Japanese men in the time on account of a widespread salaryman system of lifetime corporate employment.

Satomura Kinzo wrote a short story about a yatai operator in 1933 titled "Chronicle of Starting a Shina Soba Shop."

In contrast to the human-borne floats common to most Japanese festivals, they consist of elaborately-decorated wheeled carts, some of which also contain intricate mechanical puppets which perform during their procession.