The Akita Kanto Festival (Preview!)

While sightseeing at Tokyo's Sensoji temple a few weeks ago, Little TF, a friend, and I stumbled upon a treat- an advertisement for the Akita Kanto Festival.  This wasn't just any old advertisement, though.  We were given a full-scale performance!

A man balances a lantern-laden bamboo pole...on his forehead.

In amazing feats of strength and balance, men (all the performers of the group were men) hoisted monstrous bamboo poles rigged with lanterns, and balanced them on various, bodily locations...a shoulder, chest, hip, or even forehead.  These incredibly unwieldy contraptions weighed over 100 lbs!  We all stood there, mouths agape, as each successful performer finished his turn and passed the swinging lanterns to the next man.  Not a single bamboo pole touched the ground!

The mini performance completed, the admiring gawkers crowd around for photos.

The Akita Kanto Festival is one of the Tohoku region's three great summer festivals (Sandai Matsuri), along with Aomori's Nebuta and Sendai's Tanabata festivals.  With swinging lanterns hoisted high, this festival seeks to drive away the disease of mid-summer, while also celebrating the region's wishes for a bountiful harvest.  Akita's weather is said to create the perfect conditions for growing rice.  Look carefully!  The shape of the lanterns is said to resemble the harvested bags of grain.

For the real festival in August, a massive parade of these lanterns will flood the evening-darkened streets of Akita with light.  If you are able to go, I'm sure the Akita Kanto Festival will rank high on your list of favorite summer festivals!



The 2012 Akita Kanto Festival will be held from August 3-6. Akita can be reached from Tokyo via Shinkansen.  The festival will be held within walking distance from Akita Station.  JR Railway's website offers directions and Shinkansen timetables.  For more information on sightseeing in Akita, check out Akita's tourism website here.


Disclaimer:  I do my best to make sure all my information is accurate.  However, details may change or I may just be flat-out wrong.  Please let me know if something needs a correction.  Thank-you!