"Sawara Grand Festival" is held every year in Katori City (formerly Sawara City), Chiba Prefecture. It is known as one of the three major festivals in the Kanto region. A summer festival is held in July and an autumn festival in October, but particularly magnificent is the autumn festival that takes place in the Shinjuku district, on the west bank of the Onogawa River that runs through the city. 14 Floats, each weighing four tons and carrying large 4m-high dolls in the form of historical figures, are paraded through the town. A highlight along the way, referred to as "kyokubiki," is when the floats are manipulated in various ways, and every year the venue is enveloped in the steaming heat of the crowds.