A collective term for ornate ceremonial floats of various kinds in the shape of a boat, shrine or mountain, used at festivals. Dashi come in various sizes and are carried or drawn by a vehicle. Their design may be derived from the earlier shimeshi-no-yama or 'marking mountains', miniature decorated mountains of earth which indicated the place where the kami should descend to taste the offerings of new rice at the daijo-e (see daijosai). The most spectacular are seen at the Gion matsuri (July 17-24) where the hoko type is 24 metres high and is pulled by about 50 men. Other names for the dashi are yamaboko, hikiyama, mai-guruma, odori-guruma and yatai.
A Popular Dictionary of Shinto. Brian Bocking.