Feel the Spirit of Northern Japan at the Tohoku Kizuna Festival

Miyagi, Iwate, Fukushima, Yamagata, Akita, and Aomori. On a typical day, these six prefectures in the northernmost Tohoku region of Honshu are calm and quiet encapsulations of nature, culture, and history.

However, as the summer sun beats down, some of the biggest and best festivals in all of Japan turn up, transforming the quiet northern countryside into a land of lights, laughter, and lasting memories.

The Sendai Tanabata Festival, The Morioka Sansa Odori Festival, The Fukushima Waraji Festival, The Yamagata Hanagasa Festival, the Akita Kanto Festival, and the Aomori Nebuta Festival are considered the six great festivals of Tohoku, and are all held at the beginning of August in their respective prefectures.

Choosing just one or two of these festivals to see during your limited time in Japan can feel like an impossible task – so why pick and choose when you can have all six rolled into one?

Welcome to the Tohoku Kizuna Festival, a celebration of all things Tohoku and a testament to the resilience of this incredible region.

What is the Tohoku Kizuna Festival?

At 2:46 PM on March 11, 2011, life in northern Japan changed forever. A 9.0 magnitude earthquake followed by a tsunami measuring over 10 meters high came down on Japan’s north-eastern coast, claiming the lives of an estimated 20,000 people.

A tragedy of epic proportions, the people of Tohoku rose from the ashes to rebuild, recover, and reclaim the beauty, heritage, and pride of their homeland. As a way to unite the affected regions, in July 2011, the first Tohoku Kizuna Festival was held in Sendai. Originally called the “Tohoku Rokkon Festival” (Tohoku Six Souls Festival), in 2017, the name of the festival was changed to the “Tohoku Kizuna Festival” – “Kizuna” meaning “bonds” or “ties” as it’s an event that brings us all closer together.

While it has been over a decade since the tragic events of March 11th, Tohoku continues to face difficulties to this day. Largely rural and only home to 7% of Japan’s population despite encompassing nearly 18% of Japan’s total land area, Tohoku faces higher rates of population decline and aging demographics than any other region of Japan. That is why, now more than ever, uniting the six prefectures as one and celebrating what makes them shine is so important, and what will hopefully contribute to making their legacies last forever.

When and where is the Tohoku Kizuna Festival?

The Tohoku Kizuna Festival is held each year on a rotating basis in each of the six prefectures. While the dates change from year to year and depend on the prefecture, the festival typically falls between late May and mid-June.

The festival lasts two days, and the confirmed host city for the following year’s festival is traditionally announced in the spring, one year before the event. In 2024, the Tohoku Kizuna Festival will take place in Sendai, Miyagi, on June 8th and 9th.

Additionally, it was announced that in 2025, for the first time the Tohoku Kizuna Festival will not be held in Tohoku. Instead, it will be held in Osaka on June 12th and 16th during the Osaka World Expo, as a way to rally and bring the charms of Tohoku to the world! The main parade will be held on June 14th and 15th, but Tohoku-themed festivities will carry on for a five-day duration.

What Happens at the Tohoku Kizuna Festival?

Song, dance, food, and friends. What more could you want from a festival? Although the actual events and layout of the festival change each year depending on the location, good times and unforgettable memories are guaranteed!

Food stands from all over Tohoku flock to the festival site to boast their local specialties. Why not try some giant Matsushima oysters from Miyagi? Or what about a melt-in-your-mouth wagyu beef skewer from Yamagata? And who could refuse the massive crisp apples all the way from Aomori that, with one bite, will have you never wanting apples from any other part of Japan ever again!

One of the best parts of traveling around Japan is getting to experience the hyper-local food culture that is unique to each prefecture, city, and village and can’t be found anywhere else. At the Tohoku Kizuna Festival, sample and chow down on all sorts of delicious dishes and delicacies from across the region, giving you a true taste of Tohoku.

Various cultural events, such as performances, dances, and cultural experiences, will also occur throughout the day. Care to take your picture with a samurai from Fukushima? How about trying tea served from a traditional Nanbu ironware tea kettle? And don’t think of trying to leave without saying “konichi-wan” to one of the adorable Akita Inu dogs who have come all the way down from Akita Prefecture to show everyone just how amazing (and cute) their home can be!

Tohoku Kizuna Festival 2024 Lineup

In 2024, the Tohoku Kizuna Festival will take place in Sendai, Miyagi, on Saturday June 8th and Sunday June 9th, with events and activities from morning to evening on each day.

While the main events are held at the Nishi Park stage area and culminate in a parade down the city center on the second day, there are various activities held across the city during both days of the festival. On both the 8th and 9th, visitors are invited to Aobayama Park to try their hand at making Sendai Tanabata streamers and write their wishes to be displayed during the main parade, among other traditional craft activities. This year, visitors are asked to write messages of encouragement to those affected by the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake that hit Ishikawa, Toyama, and Niigata in January, with the hope that the messages will reach everyone impacted by the tragedy.

Food trucks and stands will be stationed across Aobayama Park and Nishi Park offering specialties from all six of the Tohoku prefectures, from Fukushima peach ice cream to steaming bowls of Akita kiritanpo to Yamagata’s distinctive spicy miso ramen. One of the most popular stands offers gigantic fresh oysters, scallops, and craft beer from Matsushima in northern Miyagi – yum!

Grab your treat of choice and sit down in front of Nishi Park’s main stage by 11:30am on June 8th and 10:30am on June 9th for the opening ceremony featuring a performance from the popular Oushu Sendai Welcome Squad “DATE Bushotai”, a samurai acting troupe that introduces and promotes attractions of Sendai City and Miyagi Prefecture, and an introduction to each of the six great festivals of Tohoku including a performance from each group.

After the opening ceremony on June 8th, there will be a small parade down the Vlandome Ichibancho Arcade, featuring performers from the Sendai Tanabata Festival, Fukushima Waraji Festival, Yamagata Hanagasa Festival, and Morioka Sansa Odori Festival.

On June 9th, the main parade featuring hundreds of performers from each festival will take place from Jozenji-dori Avenue to Higashi-Nibancho-dori Avenue, from 1:30pm to 4:00pm. After traveling once down the parade route, the performers will perform again in reverse, so onlookers can enjoy each performance twice! Thousands of visitors flock from all over Japan to enjoy the festival, so we recommend heading to the parade route well in advance to secure a spot.

The Six Great Tohoku Festivals

The festival’s main event is the parade, which features all six of the Tohoku Festivals in one massive show of local pride and Tohoku comradery. Each festival on its own is completely unique and out of this world, but the Kizuna Festival is a great way to get a sample of and experience a slice of what makes Tohoku so great! Each of the actual festivals take place in August, so if you find one you like at the Kizuna Festival, why not make another trip north and experience the full thing?

The Sendai Tanabata Festival (August 6th – 8th)

Few tales are as tragic as the one of star-crossed lovers Orihime and Hikoboshi. The legend goes that once upon a time, there was a beautiful weaving princess named Orihime, who was the daughter of Tentei, the Sky King. Orihime was renowned as the most skilled weaver in all the sky and would spend her days weaving cloth by the banks of the Amanogawa (the Milky Way). While her work was exquisite, she eventually grew lonely, so her father introduced her to Hikoboshi, a cowherd who lived on the other side of the Amanogawa.

It was love at first sight, and the two were soon married. When Orihime and Hikoboshi met, they fell in love instantly and were soon married. However, infatuated by her new husband, Orihime neglected her weaving, and Hikoboshi allowed his cows to stray all over the heavens. This angered Tentei, who decided to separate the lovers by placing them on opposite sides of the Amanogawa and forbade them from meeting.

Orihime was heartbroken and pleaded with her father to let them see each other. Tentei, moved by his daughter’s tears, allowed the couple to meet once a year as long as Orihime completed her weaving and Hikoboshi properly tended his cows. On this day, if the weather is clear, a bridge of magpies forms over the Amanogawa, allowing the lovers to reunite and marking the start of the Tanabata Festival.

The Sendai Tababata Festival is the largest and most famed Tanabata Festival in Japan, drawing over two million visitors annually who come to see the large streamers strung throughout the city to celebrate the celestial reunion. The giant colorful streamers are handmade by local shops, schools, and community groups, displaying decorations such as paper cranes and handwritten wishes from festival go-ers, which are said to reach the heavens and come true. Before and during the festival, visitors can try their hand making their own small streamers out of washi paper and writing their wishes to be offered during the parade. Streamers lead the way for the main dancing performance during the parade, the Sendai Suzume Odori, or “sparrow dance”, named for the lively dancers’ resemblance to sparrows looking for food.

The Morioka Sansa Odori Festival (August 1st – 4th)

Ton, ton, ton! Hear that? That’s the sound of taiko drummers banging on their drums as they march up and down the streets of Morioka, the capital city of Iwate, during the Sansa Odori Festival. With 35,000 dancers swaying to the beat of the drum, not only is this one of the largest dance festivals in all of Japan, but it is actually the world-record-holding largest Taiko drum festival in the entire world!

The festival’s origins go back long before anyone can remember when a demon named Rasetsu terrorized the local people of Morioka. In their desperation, they prayed to the deity Mitsuishi-kami to rid them of the demon. The divine goddess heard their prayers and captured Rasetsu. To ensure the demon would never trouble the people again, Mitsuishi-kami made Rasetsu leave his handprint on the rocks at Mitsuishi Shrine as a pledge. Rejoicing at the demon’s dispelling, the villagers joyfully danced around the stone, shouting, “Sansa, Sansa!” thus sparking Iwate’s most famous festival.

This legend, known as “Oni no Tegata” (Demon’s Handprint on the Rocks), not only explains the origin of the festival but also explains the origin of the name Iwate (岩手), which combines the characters for “rock” (岩) and “hand” (手).

Every year during the Sansa Odori Festival, a group of young women clad in colorful red and orange kimono known as the “Sansa Taiko Group” leads a 1km-long street parade along Chuōdōri Street in Morioka. The girls in this group are voted in by the local public for their beauty and talent at taiko, bamboo flute, dancing, or singing and their passion for Sansa Odori is a truly moving sight. Following the women are various community and school groups of all ages, each performing their own style of Sansa Odori.

The parade takes place on each day of the 4-day-long festival each year, with ample opportunities for visitors to join in as well! During the parade, look for the Sansa Odori teacher gesturing for onlookers to jump in and join the general participation section, or join in the “wa-odori” (circle dance) that starts in front of the city hall after the parade. While no prior experience is necessary, you can also take free classes at Iwate-ken Kōkaidō Grand Hall each day of the festival to hone your Sansa Odori skills!

The Fukushima Waraji Festival (First Weekend of August)

If you think you have big feet, think again! During the Waraji Festival, a giant 12-meter-long, 2-ton straw sandal is paraded through the streets of Fukushima, accompanied by music, dance, and a slew of larger-than-life sandals that will have you walking all day and night!

Compared to the other Tohoku festivals, the Fukushima Waraji Festival is actually quite young, tracing back only 50-some years. Feeling a need to bring people in Fukushima together, the festival was created to complement a similar tradition with a history of over 400 years, where a massive sandal is brought to Haguro Shrine on Mt. Shinobu each February.

In 1970, the Waraji Festival came into existence, and to complete the pair, the festival sees the creation of yet another giant sandal, which is an offering for strong and healthy legs and a stable gait. Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2019, the festival underwent a significant transformation, evolving into an event featuring live performances and singing, which continue to be a central part of the festivities today.

Held over three days during the first weekend of August, the modern Fukushima Waraji Festival is a spectacular display of tradition and community spirit. On the first two days, local companies and community groups perform the ‘Waraji Odori’ dance, accompanied by live traditional drums and flutes, as they parade the giant waraji down the main street while chanting “Wasshoi, Wasshoi!” One person balances atop the sandal as it is paraded from side to side and occasionally tipped over to greet onlookers cheering by the roadside. On the third day, the festival culminates with the offering of the giant straw sandal to Haguro Shrine on Mt. Shinobu.

The Yamagata Hanagasa Festival (August 5th – 7th)

There is so much to love about Yamagata Prefecture. The stunning nature and the UNESCO-recognized food culture – and who could forget Yamagata Sake? But one thing that really makes Yamagata glow is the folk culture that permeates part of the prefecture and is not just a traditional aspect of culture, but a way of life.

The Yamagata Hanagasa Festival attracts over one million visitors each year in a 3-day long celebration of folk culture and hometown pride. The main event is a parade of over 10,000 dancers that strut down the streets of Yamagata City to the beat of the Hanagasa Ondo song, shouting “ha yassho makasho shanshanshan!” as they twirl safflower-clad straw hats in the air with both grace and passion.

Everywhere in Yamagata has its own version of the Hanagasa dance, from tiny mountain towns that have passed it down through the generations to large companies where senior members teach it to new employees. Schools have their own versions, as do local community groups. Even dance studios incorporate modern non-traditional dance elements such as hip-hop and hula into the dance! Over the course of the festival, Yamagata City transforms into a place where the people of Yamagata can all show off what makes them unique and why they are proud to live in Yamagata.

Visitors can enjoy local street food such as Yamagata wagyu beef skewers, don don yaki, hearty imoni soup, and more while watching from the roadside, and more adventurous onlookers can even join in during the “jump-in corner” that takes place twice each day during the parade. On any day of the festival, head to the opening ceremony in front of Yamagata City Hall by 6:10PM to grab a free hanagasa fan and join in the opening dance, or look for one of the Miss Hanagasa dancers holding a “飛び入りコーナー” (“jump-in corner”) sign toward the caboose of the parade and jump in with the other participants behind her! No special costume or practice necessary – just bring a smile and copy the dancers around you!

Akita Kanto Festival (August 3rd – 6th)

Can you imagine training for a festival? Well, if you want to participate in the Akita Kanto Festival, then you better start hitting the gym! During this 270-year-old festival held to pray for bountiful harvests and prosperity ahead, lantern bearers must compete to see who can balance and hold the tallest and heaviest poles mounted with as many as 46 lanterns to claim the title of festival champion.

The tall, wavering lantern poles that can reach heights of 12 meters and weigh 50 kilograms are called “kanto”, and light up the Akita night sky as nearly 280 of them make their way down Akita City’s Kanto Odori street during the night parade held on each day of the festival. Collectively, the poles are estimated to hold over 10,000 individual lanterns lit by real candles. Not only are they tall, cumbersome, and heavy on their own, but lantern bearers will balance them single-handedly, on their shoulders, backs, and even on their foreheads during the performance! After the parade, audience members are invited to take pictures, talk to the performers, and try their hand at picking up one of the monstrous kanto.

During the daytime, various kanto competitions are held in front of the Akita Museum of Art, where experienced performers display their skills to music, and the general public is invited to participate in activities such as lifting miniature kanto poles and other events in Agora Plaza in front of the Seibu Department Store.

Delicious street food and onlookers chanting “dokkoisho, dokkoisho” in encouragement of the pole bearers have cemented this as one of the most iconic festivals in all of Japan. For those who are inspired by the skill and power of the performers, you better start training, as next year’s festival will be right around the corner!

Aomori Nebuta Festival (August 2nd – 7th)

Light up the night with Tohoku’s brightest festival! As the sun sets and dusk flickers out, out comes the Nebuta – the dynamic glowing lantern floats that bring the stories and folklore of Aomori to life as they promenade all across the city until the late hours of the night. There are several theories for the start of this festival, including the floats being inspired by Tanabata lanterns or epic samurai battles, but the true origins remain shrouded in mystery. One thing for certain is that it attracts the most visitors of any festival in the Tohoku region, with up to 3 million people coming from far and wide to enjoy the excitement each year.

The largest of the Tohoku Festivals, over two dozen light-up floats are built by local professionals to take Aomori City by storm, with the monstrous Nebuta floats averaging 9 meters wide, 7 meters deep, and 5 meters high! Pushed around the streets of Aomori during each night of the festival, hundreds of dancers called “haneto” (jumping people) chase after the procession, chanting “Rassera, Rassera!” as they dance and leap to great heights to the lively sounds of drums, flute, and cymbals.

On the last night of the festival, the Nebuta floats are placed on boats and paraded around Aomori Bay accompanied by a huge display of fireworks for an exciting finale that cannot be missed!

Taken by the spirit of the festival? Join in! As long as you buy or rent the traditional haneto dancing costume from a nearby shop or stall, anyone can hop in the fun! The dance is easy to learn and people come from all over to participate, so you’re guaranteed to make some new friends. All you need to do to participate is wear a haneto costume and come to the meeting area before the parade, where groups of haneto dancers will gather each night before their performance. There is no registration of any kind required, so join any one of the waiting groups, and you’re good to go!

Can’t pick a Favorite Festival?

Still can’t figure out which of the great Tohoku Festivals to go to? Then hit them all with the Tohoku Kizuna Festival! Only 1% of all international visitors coming to Japan make their way to the Tohoku Region. Veering off the beaten path and visiting one of Japan’s most well-hidden gems is a great way not only to get an authentic Japanese experience but to support the people of Tohoku as well. At the Tohoku Kizuna Festival, the spirits of six prefectures come together as one, and the people of Tohoku are waiting to welcome every visitor with open hearts and arms, with the hope that the beauty of northern Japan reaches the whole world.

Written by:

Alexander Litz

Alexander Litz moved to rural Yamagata at age 15, and even after completing his studies across Seoul, Tokyo, and Taipei, he returned to Yamagata to share his love of northern Japan with the world as a freelance writer and translator. Having explored all 47 prefectures, Alexander transitioned to a career in tourism and now is the Director of Inbound Tourism at Expedition Japan, where beyond planning and leading unique trips in rural Japan, he does inbound consulting for local and regional governments as well as travel media to help show the world the charms of a Japan less traveled. He is a Nationally Licensed Tour Conductor, holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations and Asian Studies from Temple University Japan, and is a Boren Scholar at National Taiwan University. Website: www.expedition-japan.com. Instagram: @goldfisho.

Written by:

Sarah Dean

Sarah Dean is a tourism professional with over 6 years in Japan, 5 of which spent living in and exploring the Tohoku region. Passionate about connecting off-the-beaten-path destinations in Japan with the rest of the world, she served as Coordinator for International Relations in Yamagata for four years, later transitioning to Director of Inbound Promotion at Expedition Japan. She has visited 33/47 prefectures and counting, and collaborates with local government bodies in the development of tourism infrastructure in rural areas. She is a Nationally Licensed Tour Conductor, certified highest level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (N1), and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Japanese from Western Washington University. Website: www.expedition-japan.com. Instagram: @seira__moon.