船鉾
Fune Boko – The Ship Float “Fune” means ship and this ship-shaped float is much beloved for its unique form. It refers to the legendary voyage that Empress Jingū made to the Silla Kingdom (the present-day Korean peninsula) in the third century. The Ōfune Boko represents the same ship, on its journey back to Japan. Empress Jingū is a fascinating and controversial personage. While her title is “Empress,” in those ancient times she would have been more of a shamanistic tribal leader. The tale of her voyage to Silla is full of divination (one such scene is depicted at Urade Yama) and the interactions between gods and humans.