[Yamagata Prefecture] It's summer! It's festival time! The Hanagasa is back! | Introducing information about the long-awaited Hanagasa Festival 2022

The pandemic (COVID-19) has forced many things to be scaled back or canceled

Although not yet fully recovered,summerfestivals,back in operationa quintessential part of Japanese culture, are finallywe'll focus on the Hanagasa Festival, a representative festival of Yamagata Prefecture. We'll provide details about the dates and other information as far as we know.

Please read to the end while thinking about the festival

The Tohoku festival "Hanagasa Festival" that has been patiently waited for is now going ahead!

Each of the six Tohoku prefectures has its own historic summer festivalThe Tohoku Rokkon Festival is a festival held in each of the six Tohoku prefectures, praying for the repose of the souls of those affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 and for the recovery of the area(Aomori Nebuta Festival, Akita Kanto Festival, Iwate Sansa Dance, Miyagi Tanabata Festival, Yamagata Hanagasa Festival, Fukushima Waraji Festival)The event was held in a different location each year, and is still held in May as the Tohoku Kizuna Festival

Festivals were held in each prefecture, but they have been canceled for the past three years due to the coronavirus

It was eagerly awaited not only by the people of Yamagata Prefecture but also by fans across the countryThe Hanagasa Festival will resume in 2022It was decided.

Yamagata City is already bathed in the colors of the festival. With less than a month until the Hanagasa Festival, the faces of people walking around the city seem to be brighter than ever

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A post shared by [Official] Yamagata Hanagasa Festival (@hanagasa_official)

This is the Yamagata Hanagasa group who participated in this year's Tohoku Kizuna Festival (held in Akita in May). Their smiles beneath their masks seem to shine

2022. What are the dates for the Hanagasa Festival? Who are the guests?

While it's not yet a complete revival, the venue will remain the same as before. The event will be slightly scaled down, with fewer participants, and there will be no impromptu entries; viewing will be limited to those watching from the roadside.There will be no paid seating, andit will be held as a free-viewing event.

Hanagasa Festival Schedule

Date	August 5th-7th, 2022 (3 days)
Venue and time	Yamagata City Tokamachi - Honmachi - Bunshokan 18：00～21：30
Weather on the day	The event will be held rain or shine (flexible measures will be taken in the event of heavy rain, etc.)
Parade starting position	The race starts in front of Tohoku Electric Power Company in Tokamachi (300m shorter than usual)
Viewing location	Free viewing (viewing from the roadside, no entering the dancers) No walk-ins allowed

*In previous years, people were able to join in and enjoy the Japanese dance at the end of the Hanagasa Dance parade, but this has been cancelled as a countermeasure against the coronavirus

Festival guests (planned) *Titles omitted

August 5th (Friday)	Fumio Otsuka
	Manami Hashimoto
	Ayano Kudo
8/6 (Sat)	Fumio Otsuka
	Eri Watanabe
	Tetsu and Tomo
8/7 (Sun)	Fumio Otsuka
	Saya Asakura
	Tsukasa Mogamigawa

Fumio Otsuka is a singer representing Yamagata Prefecture, and will be performing for three consecutive days. Other Yamagata talents, including familiar faces on TV like Manami Hashimoto and Eri Watanabe, and comedians Tetsu and Tomo, are also expected to liven up the Hanagasa Festival

Highlights of the Hanagasa Parade | What types of dances are there?

If you know the highlights and dances of the Hanagasa Dance Parade, you can enjoy it in a wider range of ways. We will introduce it based on the order of the parade every year. We will also touch on the women's dance, men's dance, etc

Must-see highlights of the Hanagasa Dance Parade

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A post shared by the 59th Miss Hanagasa (@ms.hanagasa59)

The parade is scheduled to take place from approximately 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM.
Leading the parade will be the Mayor of Yamagata and Miss Hanagasa on the 5th, the Executive Committee Chairperson and Miss Hanagasa on the 6th, and the Vice Chairperson of the Council and Miss Hanagasa on the 7th.

On all three days, Miss Hanagasa leads the procession, setting a glamorous start. Following her, each participating company group parades through the streets with their own unique and elaborate dances.

What type of dance?

The Hanagasa Ondo, part of the Hanagasa Dance, is said to have originated as a song sung to keep time during the construction of the irrigation pond at Lake Tokura in the Murayama region

Later, choreography was added based on the rice planting dance, and it began to be danced. The way of dancing varied depending on the region, but it has become a style that continues to this day as a women's dance and a men's dance

The "Umbrella Spinning" dance, which has been passed down since ancient times in the Obanazawa region, is said to have originated from the gesture of fanning an umbrella to send wind during the construction of an irrigation pond

The dance paradeunique style, from fast-paced umbrella twirling and graceful female dances to powerful and sharp male dancesoffers a variety of performances, with each group showcasing their own

Graceful and powerful! Come see the Hanagasa Festival!

Although there are still concerns about infection, as this is an outdoor festival, you should take proper infection control measures and take precautions against heatstroke while watching the festival, and blow away the daily gloom and scorching heat, even if just for a moment. Enjoy a summer day at Yamagata's proud festival, the Hanagasa Festival

I will be there on the day of the event and will report on it later. Please look forward to it!