The Kanto Festival, the celebrated summer event in Akita, is held to ward off evil and pray for a bountiful harvest, using bamboo poles fitted with bale-shaped lanterns made to look like large ears of rice.The event is said to have its origin as a Star Festival event in the Edo period designed to drive away the sleepiness during midsummer and evil spirits, it has been passed down by the townspeople of Kubota Castle of the Akita Domain. In the evening, Kanto Odori St. is lined with large bamboo poles (12 meters high weighing 50 kilograms fitted with 46 lanterns), medium poles, and children’s poles, and the performers display their feats of skill accompanied by music from  Japanese drums and wooden flutes. During the day, neighborhood and company teams get together to display their special feats. Kanto Festival has been designated a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.

【Night Main Event】Kanto Street

• 6:15 p.m.: Traffic control starts
• (6:00 p.m. at Akita Chuo Doro (Central Tunnel) Station East Entrance)
• 6:50 p.m.: Kanto enter (tentative)
• 7:25 p.m.: Kanto performance
• 8:35 p.m.: Time to try Kanto
• (take photographs/try Kanto)
• 8:50 p.m.: Kanto leave
• 9:30 p.m.: Traffic control ends

【Gourmet festival of local foods】

• Across from E-Hotel Akita
• August 3-6／3:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

【Kanto Myogikai (“Display of Special Feats”)】

• Nigiwai Hiroba, Area Nakaichi
• August 4-6 9:00 a.m. – around 3:40 p.m.

【Kanto Yatai Mura (food vendors)】

• City Hall venue
• August 2-6／3:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
• Central venue
• August 3-6／3:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

※Schedule the above is subject to change.

[Contact] Akita City Kanto Festival Executive Committee

TEL018-888-5602 (Akita City Tourism Promotion Department)

Website http://www.kantou.gr.jp/english/index.htm

［Kanto Festival Grandstand Seating Reservation Center］ TEL 018-866-9977

Name:

Akita Kanto festival

Date and Time:

August 3-6

Venue:

Kanto Street