Festival

[Yamagata Prefecture] I went to the Hanagasa Festival! A photo book and an introduction to Yamagata Prefecture's festivals that you can still enjoy

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The Yamagata Hanagasa Festival began on August 5th, so we arrived early and saw the photo panel exhibition commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Hanagasa Festival, which added to the excitement

This time, we will introduce the Yamagata Hanagasa Festival with lots of photos, including photos from the retrospective panel

We will also introduce five summer festivals in Yamagata Prefecture that you can still attend in time

Please read to the end with a festive mood

Let's take a look at the history of the Hanagasa Festival!

Festival in Yamagata Prefecture ishave begun in 1921 (Taisho 10). It is believed to have started as an umbrella dance offered at the summer festival of the Suwa Shrine in Obanazawa Honmachi, in the year that Tokura Lake in Obanazawa City, Yamagata Prefecture, was completed.

Lake Tokura was created as a reservoir for rice paddy cultivation.became the origin of the Hanagasa OndoIt is said that

In 2010, it was selected as one of the 100 best reservoirs in Japan


This year, the Hanagasa Festivalits 60th anniversary. A retrospective panel exhibition was held to commemorate the 60th anniversary, so I took some photos and will share them with you along with explanations.

Did that famous group also dance the Hanagasa?

The dancers are as beautiful as you can see from the photos, and in fact they are from the Takarazuka Revue and Shochiku Revue

to be performed by professional dancersHanagasa dance must have been popular enough.

Representing the Hanagasa Festival, the Hanagasa Dance Troupe and the Yamagata University Hanagasa Club performed at the New National Stadium Opening Event

That's a huge crowd! The spectator seats created for the Hanagasa Festival are also impressive

Hanagasa Dance has many different patterns

The local junior and senior high school students leading the procession were also quite heroic

The dancers are full of youthful energy, and the movement of the umbrellas is full of dynamism

from Yamagata Universitythe Hanagasa (flower hat) circle "Shimen Soka". They come from various regions to attend Yamagata University, and we hope that participating in Yamagata's traditional events will create wonderful memories of it as a second home!

Seeing their big smiles and gait makes me happy too

It is a graceful and feminine dance style reminiscent of Japanese dance

It was well-equipped and very beautiful

, who gave us a magnificent performance of umbrella twirlingthe Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's 20th Infantry Regiment.

They also demonstrated the skill of throwing the pole of the leading umbrella decoration into the air and catching it

sharpI couldn't helpand coolbut stare, and then I realized the front row was full of female officers! I was once again captivated by how cool they were.

People from various countries who were there for international exchange also participated and enjoyed the Japanese festival, Yamagata Hanagasa Festival

Everyone seemed to love their colorful kimonos and danced with joy. They seemed to be enjoying the festival, waving their hands to the spectators along the road

Celebrities who are regular participants in the Hanagasa Festival

The woman riding this float and waving with a smile is actress Manami Hashimoto. It seems that Manami Hashimoto came to Yamagata with her child

Enjoy your summer vacation with your children! I'm sure you all enjoyed the Yamagata Summer Festival

It is no exaggeration to say that Eri Watanabe is Yamagata's promotional ambassador; she is a wonderful person who makes everyone smile

He also danced on top of the float and seemed to be enjoying himself

Eri Watanabe, who participated in the Hanagasa Festival for two consecutive days, snapped a smiling photo with Tetsu and Tomo, who also participated on the second day!

Eri Watanabe, who said she would dance more on the second day, danced and jumped around despite being unsteady on the float

Introducing 5 summer festivals in Yamagata that you can still attend!

Higashine Festival

The Higashine Festival is a great time to see a variety of dance competitions, including hip hop, Yosakoi, and hula, but the highlight is the spectacular "Mikoshi and Mikoshi" performance, where four portable shrines collide, which gets visitors excited

URL:https://higashine-shikisai.com/h-fes/

Suigo Oe Lantern Floating Fireworks Festival

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the oldest fireworks festival in Yamagata Prefecture, and it is planned to launch around 4,000 fireworks

*The event may be subject to change depending on the weather

URL:https://oekanko.jp/tourou/

Mamurogawa Festival

The Mamurogawa Festival is colored by the Mamurogawa Onsen Parade and the brave mikoshi (portable shrine) carried by young people

At the finale, fireworks will be launched upstream of the Mamuro River and reflected on the river's surface, creating a spectacular sight

*The event will proceed even if it rains lightly. Depending on the weather, the event may be postponed to the following day, August 18th

URL:https://matsuri-no-hi.com/matsuri/10527

Murayama Tokunai Festival

The Murayama Tokunai Festival will be held for the first time in three years. The festival is usually held over three days, but this year it will be shortened to two days and the Tokunai Bayashi Parade will be held in a straight line

Although the scale has been scaled down, why not come out and embrace the joy of being able to hold a festival?

URL:http://www.murayamatokunai.jp/

Obanazawa Hanagasa Festival

This is a summer festival held in the birthplace of Hanagasa Ondo (Hanagasa Festival). It's a great opportunity to see this traditional dance that has been passed down for generations!

On the final day, many dancers will parade around the town, dynamically spinning flower hats

URL:https://matsuri-no-hi.com/matsuri/9426

Let's soothe your sorrows and blow away your bad moods with a summer festival!

For the past three years, we have been forced to endure many restrictions. This year, the long-awaited Hanagasa Festival was held without incident and everyone was able to enjoy it, but there was localized heavy rain until the day before the festival, causing extensive damage in some areas. However, the weather improved from the evening of the previous day, and we were blessed with good weather until the very end

In these times of criticism due to COVID-19 and natural disasters,I hope that those who couldn't participate in the festival this time can at least find some solace in these photos. While there's no guarantee that future festivals will be held,summer festivals that you can still attend, so I hope this is helpful.

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