Mechanical spiders march in parade

YOKOHAMA , Japan, April 20 (UPI) -- A parade celebrating the 150th anniversary of a Japanese port's opening included a pair of 40-foot-tall mechanical spiders.

The spiders, operated by French performance art group La Machine, walked Sunday by raising and lowering each of their eight mammoth legs in turn and sprayed water from their mechanical mouths, the Kyodo news agency reported Monday.

The parade, which celebrated the 150th anniversary of Yokohama port, was attended by an estimated 500,000 people, organizers said.