Akita / Kanto matsuri
The athletic performance of the Kanto Matsuri (秋田の竿灯) in the Tōhoku region in Akita is something that needs to be seen to be believed. The festival is held every year from August 3 to 6, with various activities throughout the day. The highlight is the nightly parade, where 230 poles are carried through the streets to the accompaniment of taiko drums, flutes, and other music and dancing. Each pole is adorned with up to 46 paper lanterns in a pattern resembling rice plants. The top of the pole has a piece of cut paper called a gohei, which is an offering to the Shinto gods. Dancers balance the poles on their palms, shoulders, hips, or forehead, then pass it to the next person in the team. This feat is amazing to behold, especially when you realize that the longest poles reach up to 15 meters (49 feet) tall, and weigh up to 50 kilograms (110 pounds) with the lanterns attached.
The purpose of the festival is to drive away disease and bad spirits, but the exact origins are not known. The first literary reference is in the travel journal of Tsumura Soan, “The Road Where the Snow Falls,” in 1789, though it was well established by that time. Probably it is related to Tanabata celebrations.
The parade route along Chuo-dori is about 1 kilometer (.62 miles) long. There is space to sit along the sidewalk, and there is also reserved seating available for 2000-2500. The parade runs from 7 pm to 8:40 pm. Chuo-dori is about a 15-minute walk from Akita Station. Other activities include free taiko and dance performances during the day in front of the Seibu Department Store in Agora Plaza. There is also a Kanto Museum which is fun to visit.
Akita City is in Akita Prefecture in the north of Japan. The easiest way to get there from Tokyo is to take the Kamachi or Super Kamachi shinkansen (which debuted March 16, 2013); total travel time is about 4 and a half hours.
http://www.kantou.gr.jp/english/index.htm
photo by:
macchi
