[Akita Prefecture] Before enjoying Akita's representative summer festival "Kanto Festival" in Tohoku! Introducing the history and trivia you need to know

The Akita Kanto Festival is one of the most representative summer festivals in the Tohoku region, and there may be many people who would like to visit it but don't know what kind of festival it is.

In this article, we will explain the history and trivia of the Akita Kanto Festival that you should know before going to see it.

What is the Akita Kanto Festival ?

The Akita Kanto Festival is a festival held in Akita City, Akita Prefecture from August 3rd to August 6th every year, and was designated as a national important intangible cultural property in 1980.

Many people also know that it is considered one of the three major festivals of Tohoku, along with Aomori Prefecture's Nebuta Festival and Sendai's Tanabata Festival. It is also famous as one of the ``Six Great Festivals of Tohoku,'' along with Yamagata's Hanagasa Festival, Iwate's Sansa Odori, and Fukushima's Waraji Festival.

History of Kanto Festival

The Akita Kanto Festival has a long history, and its origin is said to be ``Nemuri Nagashi,'' a Tanabata event in which summer sleepiness was treated as impurity and was washed away in Katashiro.

Nemuri Nagashi is held all over the country, but it is especially popular in the Tohoku region. Not only do the three major festivals in Tohoku all have their origins in Nemuri Nagashi, but also within Akita Prefecture there are Nemuri Nagashi in Noshiro and Nemuri in Yokote. It is famous for its sink.

People who live outside Akita City feel that the Akita Kanto Festival is a festival of Akita Prefecture, and many people feel that Noshiro's Nemuri Nagashi and Yokote's Nemuri Nagashi are local festivals. Probably because it is being done.

The Kanto Festival first appeared in literature in 1789, when a picture similar to the current Kanto festival was drawn in volume 4 of ``Yuki no Furu Michi'' written by Shuan Tsumura, a Japanese scholar, and was based on the lunar calendar. The Neburi Nagashi held on July 6th is introduced.

It is said that later on, as candles and lanterns gradually became popular with the common people, they took on their current form.

Reference: National Diet Digital Collection Shuan Tsumura “Snowy Road, Volume 4”

I want to know! Trivia about Akita Kanto Festival

Here are three things you should know before seeing the Akita Kanto Festival.

[Trivia 1] Learn about the highlights of Kanto on YouTube

The highlight of the Akita Kanto Festival is an online workshop.

• History and highlights of Kanto
• Kanto technique <sashite>
• Kanto technique (accompanied by musical accompaniment)

Three of them are available on YouTube.

It provides detailed explanations of the history and behind-the-scenes stories leading up to the current Kanto Festival, how to hold the Kanto, and even the music that uses drums and flutes, so if you want to know about Kanto in advance, be sure to watch the video. Please take a look at it.

Reference: Kanto Online Workshop “Charm of Kanto”

[Trivia 2] There are events where you can see Kanto outside of Akita.

Kanto can be seen in its majestic form even in areas other than Akita.

For example, in Tokyo, you can see them perform at the Akita Kanto Asakusa Festival and the Ueno Summer Festival Parade.

The latest event participation information will be posted on the Akita Kanto Festival official website, and once the event is over, you can see images from that time on the ``Desu Kanto Compilation'' page, so if you are interested, please take a look.

Reference: Akita Kanto Festival official website

summary

The Akita Kanto Festival has been designated as an important intangible cultural property of the country, and is considered one of the ``Three Great Festivals of Tohoku'' and the ``Six Great Festivals of Tohoku,'' along with Aomori Prefecture's Nebuta Festival and Sendai's Tanabata Festival. Please use this article as a reference to deepen your knowledge of the Kanto Festival and visit the venue.