Crowds of people crammed the streets of Kishiwada in Osaka Prefecture, western Japan, to see a festival featuring massive carts being pulled through the streets at breakneck speed.

The Kishiwada Danjiri festival, which dates back more than 300 years, kicked off on Saturday. It is held to ensure a good harvest.

A total of 34 decorated "danjiri" carts from districts across the city took part. Each stands 4 meters high and weighs about 4 tons.

Teams of men wearing traditional "happi" coats hauled the heavy carts through the streets at high speed. Their shouts were accompanied by the sounds of flutes and drums.

Spectators cheered each time a danjiri cart turned a corner, with a man perched on top shouting a command. The performance is called "yarimawashi."

A man in his 70s who came from Osaka City with his wife says he is attracted to the festival's energizing power, and has been coming to see it for over 20 years.

A man in his 40s who acted as a commander says it feels great when he completes a successful yarimawashi.

He says he wants to put on a good performance and hand down the tradition to many children who want to become commanders.

The festival runs through Sunday.