GIFU -- Popular actor Takuya Kimura drew cheers from spectators Sunday as he took part in a cavalry parade dressed as 16th-century warlord Oda Nobunaga, as part of the Gifu Nobunaga Festival in Gifu City.
Expecting large crowds, the Gifu prefectural police deployed about five times more police officers than usual in the wake of the recent fatal crowd crush in Seoul.
It was the first time in three years for the annual autumn event to be held, following cancellations due to the pandemic.
Hideaki Ito -- an actor who hails from the city -- played the role of a subordinate warrior as he and Kimura paraded through the streets on horseback. Spectators waved and took pictures as the procession passed along a 1-kilometer section of Kinkabashi Street, one of the city's main thoroughfares.
A lottery was held to determine who would be allowed into the official viewing spaces, and about 960,000 people -- more than twice the city's population -- applied for one of the 15,000 tickets.
The prefectural police deployed about 500 police officers on the day, including so-called DJ police who guide the public from the top of a car.
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