A list of curious facts

One: Float parades are generally tame affairs—except for the Japanese float festival Danjiri Matsuri—which is considered one of the most dangerous events on Japan’s calendar. Around 35 neighborhood teams race their nearly 4-tonne danjiri (wooden float) through the streets of Kishiwada in Osaka. The 300-year old festival is extremely hazardous to their health:

The floats weigh several tons, and accidents sometimes occur while navigating them around sharp corners. They can even be deadly, especially for those who ride on top of the moving danjiri, known as ‘daikugata.’ “Danjiri sometimes fall over or collide, and I’ve seen daikugata fall,” says Shinya Ogura, a six-time danjiri rider at one such festival in Osaka’s Otori region. For Ogura, the view from the top — and the thrill of staying up there — is part of what makes the experience so addictive.

But it makes for a grand spectacle—as you can see in the lead image and the clip below. (CNN)

Two: Moving forward to 21st century Japan, the government will soon unveil the coolest thing in logistics since the bullet train. Meet the “conveyor belt road”—a 320-mile, automated highway designed to carry cargo between Tokyo and Osaka, 24/7, no human drivers required. Or trucks for that matter. Imagine robotic pallets zooming across a dedicated lane, moving tons of goods without a single vehicle in sight. The even better news: This system will solve Japan’s truck driver shortage and cut carbon emissions at the same time. Check out the concept video below. (Futurism)

Three: Worried your next tweet could get you canceled? Samphire Risk has you covered with their new 'cancel culture' insurance policy called Preempt. But this policy doesn’t pay out money if you’re ‘canceled’. The name of the game is ‘reputation recovery’:

You’ll get 60 days of comms work after your inciting offense that will work to negate negative coverage both on social media and in traditional media. You’ll also get access to a 24/7 hotline, in case you fire off a tweet at 3 am while you’re buzzing off an Ambien and need someone to step in before the markets open. Additionally, the policy provides a team of researchers and analysts who can identify any potential reputational issues that you may need to get out in front of. 

Sounds reassuring except who needs insurance in the era of Donald Trump—and best bud Elon Musk. These days, even a Nazi salute can’t get you canceled. (Gizmodo)

Bonus fact: Yes, it’s official. We now have thigh-high boots for men. Yves Saint Laurent’s creative director Anthony Vaccarello’s who says “it could be interesting to see a woman’s sexy shoes on a guy”—a la YSL muse Betty Catroux:

Yes, but only if he’s wearing a mini-skirt, dear. Slapping them on top of trousers, rather defeats the purpose—as you can see below. (New York Times)