車山とからくり
寺内町の車山
◆老松（ろうしょう）
中山の正面に金の鯱(しゃちほこ)を付けているのは、車山十三輌中で唯一のものである。又、百五十年振りに復元新調された 水引幕は躍動感溢れる霊獣を四面に配しての出来映えで異彩を放っております。 からくり「淡路島」は日本誕生の物語です。糸からくりの変身人形で二本合わせて五十五本の糸を有し犬山一番の本数を誇っております。それゆえに他には出来ない繊細な動きをします。
◆Rosho Yama (Jinaicho Precinct)
Only this yama has a pair of golden killer whales, shachi, on the front of the middle deck. Its elaborate tapestry was restored for the rst time in 150 years. It vividly depicts sacred creatures on all four sides. This yama’s karakuri is the story of the birth of Japan. The two puppets employed are controlled by 55 strings, the most of any karakuri in this festival, and are capable of very delicate movement. The upper deck is a decorated by a pine tree which is a remnant of the Rosho Karakuri that once was here. Pine is a welcoming symbol to the gods.
寺内町のからくり人形
◆淡路嶋（あわじしま）
からくり「淡路島」は、能楽の謡曲「淡路」に因み、出典は古事記によります。伊邪那岐命と伊邪那美命が、鉾で海をお探りになり、海水の雫が凝り固まって日本最初の島、淡路島となりました。さらに大八洲（おおやしま）日本国をお創りになられました。
最初、巫女と神人に動きがないのは、まだ何もない大海を表現します。そして静かに巫女舞が始まり託宣を知らせるために神がかりな舞になります。ついに神の意志で大海の中に、日本最初の島が鳥居となって現れます。それを静かに見ていた神人は意を決して動きが激しくなり、神人は化して社殿になります。
この社殿こそ伊邪那岐命がこの地（淡路嶋）に忘じたその幽宮（かくりのみや）なのです。からくり「淡路嶋」は、まさにその神話の物語なのです。能を思わせる優雅な舞から一瞬にして巫女と神人が鳥居と社殿に変化するところが見所です。熊野町の「住吉・白楽天」同等あやつり糸の本数が多く操作が難しいからくりです。
◆Awajishima (Awaji Island)
The karakuri performance is named Awajishima and is based on the Noh play Awaji. The story of Awaji first appears in a collection of stories written in 712 in the Kojiki which is the oldest written record in Japan.
The mythological story is based on Izanami (mother of the gods) and Izanagi (father of the gods) who are searching the ocean before any land exists. While searching they drop something into the sea and the first island of Japan, Awajishima, is formed.
The karakuri play is performed by Miko (a shrine maiden) and Jinin (a godlike person). At the beginning they stay still which evokes the empty ocean. Miko begins quietly dancing but an oracle forces her to dance harder and harder. She eventually transforms into the gate of a shrine representing the first island of Japan.
Initially Jinin simply watches before also dancing wildly and transforming into a shrine. The shrine is called Kakurinomia which is located on Awaji Island and is where Izanagi lives out the rest of his life after creating Japan.
The highlight of the show is the quickness of the puppet’s movements and their transformations. They are controlled by 55 strings, the most of any karakuri, making them very difficult to operate but also capable of very delicate movements.
The name of the float Rosho comes from the decorated pine tree on the upper deck.