Tohoku is home to a wide variety of festivals, including the summer Kanto Festival in Akita, the Hanagasa Festival in Yamagata, the Nebuta Festival in Aomori, the Sansa Dance Festival in Morioka, and the Tanabata Festival in Sendai.
Noshiro City is located in northern Akita Prefecture, bordering the Sea of Japan on the west side and with a population of approximately 47,000 (as of December 2024, according to Noshiro City data). The Yoneshiro River, a Class A river, runs east to west through the center of the city...
Yurihonjo City is home to "Honkai Shishimai Bangaku," a folk performing art that has been passed down for generations and designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan. "Honkai Shishimai Bangaku" is...
In the past, horses were an inseparable part of people's lives, used in farming, warfare, and transportation. The Tohoku region is home to many excellent horse breeding areas, and their legacy is naturally reflected in the traditional crafts of each region. Yawata Horse...
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Located in the center of Sendai City, about 2 km south of JR Sendai Station, across the Atago Bridge, on a cliff along the Hirose River, stands an archaeological site dotted with strange caves. The Atagoyama Yokoanabogun (Atago Mountain Cave Tombs)...
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When you use Tsugaru dialect on a daily basis, you'll notice a surprising number of onomatopoeias that aren't found in standard Japanese. The abundance of onomatopoeia adds richer nuance to conversations and helps convey them intuitively.
Namahage is a visiting deity that is said to exist around the Oga Peninsula in Akita Prefecture. Shinzan Shrine, the current center of this legend, holds the annual Namahage Purple Lantern Festival, which is held in celebration of the...
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Oga City, Akita Prefecture, is the sacred ground of Namahage, arguably the most famous visiting deity in Japan. Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT: Why do Namahage carry knives and punish people?.
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The water-sprinkling ceremony in Yonekawa, Towa-cho, Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture, is a nationally designated important intangible cultural property, and was designated as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage site on November 29, 2018. It is a visiting deity event.
There was a warlord named Nikaido Moriyoshi from the Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods who was based around Sukagawa City in the central Nakadori region of Fukushima Prefecture. Even if you're a fan of Japanese history, you may not know him...
