Three Major Festivals of Tohoku | Kanto Nebuta Tanabata Festival | A Must-Visit Once in Your Life

The three major Tohoku festivals are a major summer event in Tohoku.

Every August, the three major Tohoku festivals are eagerly anticipated: the Aomori Nebuta Festival, the Akita Kanto Festival, and the Sendai Tanabata Festival. These three major festivals attract not only locals but also countless international tourists. In 2017, they attracted over two million visitors, making them a must-see for experiencing traditional Japanese culture.

What are the three major Tohoku festivals?

#AomoriNebutaFestival   2019 Dates: August 2, 2019 - August 7, 2019

The Nebuta Festival is a festival celebrated in Tohoku, Japan, on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. People construct bamboo or wooden frames, glue paper onto them, and depict historical figures, warriors, birds, and animals. Lights are lit inside, and floats are placed on parades through the streets. There are various theories about the origins of the Nebuta Festival. The most common theory is that due to the hot summers in Aomori Prefecture, people banished sleepiness and laziness, which hindered their work, to the rivers and seas, where they were washed away by the currents. This is a reference to the "Neburi River." The most distinctive features of the Aomori Nebuta Festival are the large group lanterns and the "jumping people" dance. The so-called "Kumitaton" features colorful, three-dimensional lanterns depicting samurai figures such as Ushiwakamaru and Benkei (Ushiwakamaru was the nickname of Minamoto no Yoshitsune, a general of the Minamoto clan from the late Heian and early Kamakura periods; Benkei was a renegade monk who was tamed by Yoshitsune and became his retainer). The "Tiaoren" large group dance is a spectacular group dance performed while marching to drum beats and music. In contrast, the "Hirosaki Grand Lantern Festival" features over 60 large and small "fan-shaped lanterns" (fan-shaped lanterns) depicting stories from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Water Margin. These floats parade through the streets of Hirosaki until dusk (as the army returned victoriously in the evening), creating a spectacular spectacle worth observing and savoring.

#Akita Kanto Festival     2019 Dates: August 3rd - August 6th, 2019

The Kanto Festival, a celebration to pray for a good harvest, is a representative summer festival in Akita Prefecture. A Kanto (kanto) is a bamboo pole about 8 meters long, with several horizontal poles attached. Forty-six lanterns shaped like rice bags are hung from these poles, and a talisman (paper strips cut into thin strips and strung together on wooden sticks) is tied to the top to ward off evil spirits. A Kanto weighing approximately 60 kilograms is called a "Daowaka," while smaller ones are called "Chuwaka," "Kowaka," and "Owaka." Their shapes are similar, with some saying they resemble Akita cedar (a cedar tree native to Akita) or "rice ears."

During the festival, young men, adorned with happi coats (short-lapeled jackets), cloth scarves tied around their heads, and white Japanese socks and straw sandals, parade through the streets, each bearing a striking presence, taking turns supporting the lanterns on their shoulders to the sounds of flutes and drums, carefully guarding the flames. They never use their hands to support the lanterns, but instead use their waists, shoulders, and foreheads to hold them upright. Accompanied by spirited shouts, they practice various techniques to see who can outperform the others. The Kanto Festival originates from the solemn Tanabata Festival (an annual ritual dedicated to the stars on the evening of July 7th), which is held to ward off summer illnesses and evil spirits. This festival is also known as the "Neburi Ryu."

#SendaiTanabataFestival        2019 Dates: August 6th - August 8th, 2019

The Sendai Tanabata Festival is held in Sendai, the central city of the Tohoku region. During the festival, colorful bamboo trees, framed by bamboo and Japanese washi paper, appear throughout the city, including in the shopping district in front of Sendai Station.
While Tanabata, a national holiday, is typically celebrated on July 7th of the Japanese calendar, Sendai's Tanabata Festival is still held in August according to the lunar calendar. Among the Tanabata festivals held nationwide, Sendai's is the most famous. In addition, Sendai's unique "Shichijo," "tansho" (rectangular pieces of colored paper), "kamae" (kimonos made of Japanese washi paper), "origami" (cranes folded from square paper), "kinzaku" (small, tight-fitting paper bags), "tsuna" (paper fishing nets), "wasaburo" (paper baskets), and "funa" (flowers made of colored paper with long wind streamers attached to them) all convey people's aspirations for advancement in learning and calligraphy, family well-being, health and longevity, business success, a thriving fishing industry, and a bountiful harvest.