Looming up in the darkness, the kanto bamboo poles waver like ears of rice plants

Dates:August 3rd -6th
Place:Kanto O-dori
(between the Sanno Jujiro Crossroads and Nichomebashi Bridge)
City:Akita City, Akita Prefecture

Together with the Sendai Tanabata Matsuri (Sendai City), the Aomori Nebuta Matsuri (Aomori City) and the Yamagata Hanagasa Matsuri (Yamagata City) this major Akita summer festival praying for an abundant harvest of the five grains, namely wheat, rice, beans, foxtail millet and Chinese millet, is one of the three main festivals of Tohoku (Fukushima, Miyagi, Iwate, Aomori, Yamagata and Akita prefectures). A kanto is a bamboo pole eight meters high with a number of cross poles attached which have 46 paper lanterns shaped like rice bales hanging from them, and is decorated at the very top with thin shreds of paper between wooden sticks. They act to drive away evil spirits through prayers offered to Shinto and Buddhist deities. Kanto weighing 60 kg are called o-waka and smaller versions are called chu-waka, ko-waka and yo-waka in diminishing order. All these kanto are in the shape of Akita cedar or of the ears of rice plants.

At the festival, energetic youths dressed in short jackets, hachimaki headbands, white tabi socks and zori straw sandals take turns in hoisting up the kanto one at a time to the sound of flutes and drums. Then they parade through the town while ensuring that the lights of the paper lanterns do not go out. Hands are not used to support the kanto. The men prop the poles upright on their hips, shoulders or foreheads and change their postures while shouting stoically as they try to outdo each other. The origins of this festival lie in the serene Tanabata ritual, from an annual festival held on the evening of July 7th to worship stars, which is called neburi-nagashi for wiping out diseases and malicious energy inviting illness. This ritual came to be performed in grand style around the time of Satake Yoshimasa (1775-1815), who ruled as Lord of the Akita Clan.

Nasu-onsen-kyo Hot Spring Village
It is believed that a deer was witnessed healing its wounds in this hot spring about 1400 years ago. Seven hot springs are spotted on the slope of Nasu-dake Valley. Its main hot spring, Nasu-Yumoto-onsen, includes a historical spot called "Sessho-seki," a stone that is believed to be the transformation of a legendary fox with nine tails, while a communal bath called "Shika-no-yu (deer's bath)" still maintains the atmosphere of a traditional therapeutic bath. Santogoya-onsen is a secluded hot spring in a deep mountain area that you can reach only on foot. Yahata-onsen is a popular sightseeing spot especially in mid-May to early June, when the azaleas bloom.

Address: Nasu-machi, Nasu-gun, Tochigi
Directions: 50 min ride from JR Nasu-Shiobara Station (Tohoku Shinkansen Line) by bus for Nasu-Yumoto.

Kinugawa-onsen Hot Spring
Kinugawa-onsen is a hot spring village filled with nature, located along the Kinu-gawa River which runs through Nikko National Park. Since early times, people have loved this hot spring saying, "Kawaji-onsen for wounds and Kinugawa-onsen for burns." It is conveniently located and takes only about two hours travel from Asakusa, Tokyo. There are also a number of theme parks and skiing areas nearby. If you go a little further, you can also enjoy a visit to Nikko to see Nikko-tosho-gu Shrine, a world heritage site, as well as Nikko-Futarasan-jinja Shrine and Rin-o-ji Temple. This is what makes Kinugawa-onsen one of the most popular destinations in Japan.

Address: Kinugawa-onsen, Nikko, Tochigi
Directions: Exit at Kinugawa-onsen Station (Tobu Kinugawa Line).

Ikaho-onsen Hot Spring
Ikaho-onsen is a hot spring town that has been popular among people since the period of Manyo in the first half of the 8th century. People of cultural eminence, such as Yumeji Takehisa and Roka Tokutomi, also embraced this place with its stone steps that symbolize the town. After walking up 360 stone steps, through a number of inns and souvenir shops, you can find Ikaho-jinja Shrine. Further along, you will see hot water escaping from the dome-shaped glass at the spring. The water is a brownish-red color, unique to Ikaho, and is directly taken from the spring. It works for neuralgic pains and for backaches, and is famous as "the water to be blessed by children." Some say that Onsen-manju (hot spring cake) was first made in this town.

Address: Ikaho-machi, Shibukawa, Gunma
Directions: 25 min ride by bus for Ikaho-onsen from JR Shibukawa Station (Joetsu Line) to the final bus stop, Ikaho-onsen.