The history of one of Hakata’s best known festivals, the Hakata
Gion Yamakasa held in July, dates back more than 700 years. It
is a compelling sight to watch loincloth-clad men run at full
speed through the city with the elaborately decorated floats on
their shoulders, shouting Osshoi, Osshoi. This festival is
conducted by organizations called nag are. The nagare originated
in the urban redistricting conducted by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in
1587 to promote the recovery of a Hakata devastated by civil
strife. The city was reorganized into several blocs, and those
units were called nagare. The seven nagare still conduct the
Yamakasa today. They are Ebisu, Daikoku, Doi, Higashi, Nishi,
Nakasu, and Chiyo. The geographical organization of the nagare
is based on the street layout, which is unusual for a Japanese
community today. In the normal Japanese urban district, the
people who see each other from across the street every day may
be part of a different community. Organizing the communities by
street enables people who