The Akita Kantou Matsuri is held every year from August 3rd to 6th on Kanto Odori Street in Akita City, Akita Prefecture. A kanto is a long bamboo pole with many tiers of paper lanterns suspended from it. The largest ``Oowaka'' is approximately 12 meters high, weighs approximately 50 kilograms, and has 46 lanterns. The highlight of the festival is the skill of balancing the lantern on the forehead, waist, shoulders, or palms. It was designated as a national important intangible folk cultural property in 1980.
🌾 竿燈の意味と構造
Kanto lanterns symbolize ears of rice, and paper lanterns symbolize bales of rice. The Kanto Festival is a festival to pray for a bountiful harvest, and Kanto festivals depict the appearance of heavily ripened rice ears swaying in the wind.
Kanto are divided into four types depending on their size: Owaka, Chuwaka, Kowaka, and Yowaka. Owaka are handled by adult men, and young are handled by children under elementary school age. The bamboo poles have a ``tsugidake'' structure, and the height may be increased by adding additional poles during the performance. The lanterns are lit with candles, and if the lanterns fall over due to strong winds or incorrect operation, the lanterns may catch fire.
Sashite (the person who manipulates the kanto) has five techniques: ``nagashi'', ``forehead'', ``waist'', ``shoulder'', and ``palm''. The skill of holding a 50 kg kanto in the palm of one hand and keeping it balanced as it sways 12 meters high is acquired through years of training.
Viewing points
- Night performance:From August 3rd to August 6th, around 19:25 to 20:35, about 280 kanto lights will be lit all at once on Kanto Boulevard (Sanno Crossroads to Ni-chome Bridge). The sight of Kanto lanterns standing in the night sky amidst chants of ``Dokkoisho, Dokkoisho'' and musical accompaniment is a spectacular sight.
- Hirukantou (Myogikai):During the daytime (around 9:00-15:40) from August 4th to 6th, a ``Takugi-kai'' will be held in the Nakaichi area of Nakadori, Akita City, where people will compete in kanto skills. If you want to see individual techniques up close, we recommend the daytime session.
- Fureai Kanto:After the evening performance, there is a ``Fureai Kanto'' time on Kanto Boulevard where the audience can experience holding a kanto. You may be given a small kanto (kowaka or yowaka) to hold.
- Paid seats:Paid box seats will be set up along Kanto Odori Street. Sales start from early June every year. If you are standing, viewing from the roadside is free, but good spots fill up early.
- access:Approximately 15 minutes walk from the west exit of JR Akita Station to Kanto Odori Street. From Tokyo, take the Akita Shinkansen "Komachi" to Akita Station, which takes about 3 hours and 50 minutes.
🥁 東北の夏祭りを巡る旅程
The Akita Kanto Festival (August 3rd to 6th) coincides with the Aomori Nebuta Festival (August 2nd to 7th), Sendai Tanabata Festival (August 6th to 8th), and Yamagata Hanagasa Festival (August 5th to 7th). These are collectively known as the ``Tohoku Three Great Festivals'' or the ``Tohoku Four Great Festivals,'' and there are many tourists who travel around the Tohoku region and see multiple festivals during this time. Akita and Aomori are approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes on the Ou Main Line, and Akita and Sendai are approximately 2 hours and 10 minutes on the Akita Shinkansen.