A festival in Hachinohe City, the Hachinohe Sansha Taisai features parades with large, mechanically expanding floats. The event also includes a rare form of traditional polo.
A traditional summer festival featuring a procession of 80 massive, illuminated fan-shaped lanterns painted with warriors, accompanied by rhythmic taiko drums, flutes, and chanting.
A summer festival in Aomori City, the Nebuta Matsuri features parades of large, illuminated floats depicting mythical figures, accompanied by haneto dancers.
A harvest festival in Akita, the Kanto Matsuri features performers balancing large, lantern-adorned bamboo poles on their bodies without using their hands.
A dance festival in Yamagata City, the Hanagasa Festival is a parade from August 5-7. Ten thousand participants dance using safflower-adorned straw hats.
A 300-year-old summer festival honoring ancestors, culminating in an intense spectacle where participants ram massive, lantern-lit wooden houseboats together on a bridge beneath fireworks.
A UNESCO-recognized summer festival preserving Edo-period culture, featuring ten intricately carved floats accompanied by continuous traditional flute melodies and rhythmic taiko drumming.
