From September 8th-10th, Hanamaki City will celebrate it's first full-fledged town festival since the pandemic! With a history spanning over 430 years, the Hanamaki Festival offers the chance to view traditional dances that have been preserved and passed down from ancient times such as the fascinating “kagura gongen-mai” (sacred lion dance) and the “Hanamaki-bayashi-odori” (Hanamaki’s original music and dance).
The highlight of the festival is a majestic parade of over 100 portable "mikoshi" shrines which not only has achieved a world record for the largest display of its kind, but is also accompanied by beautifully adorned floats and lights dancing in the night sky, creating a mystical atmosphere reminiscent of old Japan!
The Hanamaki Festival is held each year for three days in early September in Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture and allows visitors to immerse themselves in traditions distinctive to the city that you wouldn’t be able to experience anywhere else in Japan!
More info can be found on Hanamaki's Official webpage:
EN: Hanamaki Tourism Association Official Website
JP: 花巻まつり【岩手県花巻市】 ｜
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