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Morioka City was selected as one of the "52 places to go in 2023" by the New York Times. The Morioka Sansa Odori Festival, .
Mitsuishi Shrine in the center of Morioka City . This is the place from which Iwate Prefecture gets its name. For more details, please see the article below.
In this article, we will introduce information about the Morioka Sansa Odori Festival in 2024
Morioka Sansa Odori 2024 Schedule
The Morioka Sansa Odori Festival will be held for four days from August 1st to 4th, with the main venue being Chuo-dori in the center of Morioka city, and is billed as a collaboration between a "festival to show off" and a "festival to participate in."
Main venue (Morioka City Chuo-dori)
The main venue is Chuo-dori in the center of Morioka city, and the parade will take place from in front of the Iwate Prefectural Public Hall to Cinema Street
August 1st to 4th: A parade will be held from 6:00 PM to around 9:00 PM, followed by a circle dance that anyone can join in on
Sub-venue (Morioka Civic Cultural Hall)
The sub-venue will be Morioka Civic Cultural Hall (Marios), where a traditional Sansa Dance Competition will be held on stage, featuring the traditional Sansa Dance that has been passed down since the days of the Nanbu domain
August 1st to 4th, 2024: 13:00-16:00 (doors open at 12:00) * Closing time may vary slightly depending on the day
Admission is paid, so please check the official website for details on how to purchase tickets
1-day ticket (all seats unreserved) 2,000 yen
Contact
Name: Morioka Sansa Odori Executive Committee
Address: 14-12 Shimizu-cho, Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture, 020-8507 (inside the Morioka Chamber of Commerce and Industry)
As the title suggests, "A festival to captivate" and "A festival to participate in," there are many ways to participate in the Morioka Sansa Odori!
Participate as an individual
If you are participating as an individual, there are several ways to do so
Join in the circle dance
After the parade on each day, there are six locations within the venue where people can freely join in the circle dances, so you can even join in on the day. Dress code is also available, so this is the most casual way to join the Sansa Dance
Participate in the Morioka Junior Chamber of Commerce floats
You can participate in the parade by joining the Morioka Junior Chamber of Commerce float (the final group of the parade). I couldn't find any detailed information about this, but I don't think there's a dress code, so if you'd like to participate, please contact the organizing committee
Apply for participation through the general public call for organizations
This is the most serious application method. Participating groups already registered with Sansa Odori may open up a public call for participants, and you can apply for this. Since you will also need to attend practice sessions, this is the recommended method for people who "want to participate seriously and have fun."
Groups that are recruiting are also listed on the Sansa Odori official website, so you might want to look there
This group is made up of serious people, mainly locals. You can apply to participate by forming a "group" of 30 or more people
Since you will have to provide your own drums, flutes, etc., it will cost you a certain amount of money, and of course there are rules and conditions that you must follow, so please contact the Morioka Sansa Odori Executive Committee for more information
The highlight is the world's largest drum parade that takes place on the final day!
The biggest highlight of the Sansa Odori the "World's Largest Taiko Parade" held on the final day, August 4th .
In an attempt to commemorate the reclaiming of the world record for "simultaneous Japanese drumming" in 2014, only Sansa Taiko drummers will be selected from each participating group to form a grand parade of only Sansa Taiko drummers. The grand ensemble of drums that resonates deep within your body is definitely worth seeing!
summary
Morioka Sansa Odori is a summer festival in Morioka that you can not only watch but also "participate" in
Details of the Sansa Odori dance and chants are also introduced in the article below
Morioka City was selected as one of the "52 places to visit in 2023" by the New York Times, so it's possible that in the future, circle dancing will spread beyond national borders, including to foreign tourists!
Contact
Name: Morioka Sansa Odori Executive Committee
Address: 14-12 Shimizu-cho, Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture, 020-8507 (inside the Morioka Chamber of Commerce and Industry)
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