Alongside Sendai’s Tanabata Festival and Aomori’s Nebuta Festival, Akita’s Kanto Matsuri is known as one of the three great festivals in the Tohoku region. For an evening of impressive performances that light up the night, make your way to Akita from August 3-6.
Festival History
Photo by: iStock/ petesphotography Listen to the flutes as the parade marches on.
The origins of the Akita Kanto Matsuri lay in the middle of the Edo period (1603-1868). One of the earliest mentions of the celebration comes at the end of the 18th century in a document describing the festival’s connection to bountiful harvests and artistic production.
Today, the Akita Kanto Matsuri takes place on a one-kilometer stretch of road between Nichomebashi Bridge and Sanno Jujiro Crossroads. Although you can still enjoy artistic performances during the festival, its main purpose is to ensure a good grain harvest. At night, a massive parade of glowing lanterns is accompanied by flutes, while competitive performances are held during the daytime.
Kanto Poles
Photo by: iStock/ petesphotography Kanto are the long bamboo poles central to the festival’s performances.
While hearing the word kanto often brings to mind the Kanto region of Japan, the kanto referred to in this festival are the long bamboo poles central to the festival’s performances. The main attraction of the festival is a parade of nearly 300 kanto poles each holding as many as 46 lanterns. Kanto come in a variety of heights and number of lanterns. The shortest, for example, measures about five meters tall, carries 24 lanterns and weighs about five kilograms. At the other extreme, the tallest pole is 12 meters in height, holds 46 lanterns and weighs a staggering 50 kilograms. The paper lanterns are lit up with real candles. As they’re raised into the air, people believe that bad luck and evil spirits are driven away. And adding to the impressive illuminated displays parading down Kanto Odori is the fact that a single individual holds each pole.
During the night parade, you’ll want to have a good vantage point for the climax of the parade. Synchronized to the sound of flutes, more than 200 kanto are raised to the night sky simultaneously.
The fun doesn’t end when the night does, however. During the day, there are several attractions to enjoy. Check out competitions between individuals and groups who perform their best moves with a kanto. Sit back and be thrilled while watching the towering bamboo poles move from palms to shoulders to backs and more. Set to music, these carefully choreographed displays highlight the performers’ outstanding balance and strength.
