Akita Kanto Festival
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What's this? Akita Kanto Festival photos by Philbert Ono. Held during August 3-6 in Akita.

The Akita Kanto Matsuri (Aug. 4-7) is perhaps the most anxiety-provoking festival. Men in happi coats balance these tall paper lantern-bedecked bamboo poles, called kanto, on their foreheads, shoulders, hand palms, or hips. While watching, you can't help thinking, "Will it fall?" or worse, "Will it fall on me?" The candle-lit paper lanterns contrasted nicely against the dark sky.

The largest kanto is 12 meters high, weighs 50 kilograms, and has 46 paper lanterns. The smaller kanto are 5 and 7 meters high. The kanto symbolizes a ripe rice plant with unhusked golden grains (the paper lanterns). The festival is therefore a prayer for a good harvest.

The festival is held along a straight, 800-meter section of San'o Odori Road, a 20-min. walk from Akita Station.

During the festival period, several events are held in the daytime. One is the "Kanto Challenge Corner" where the first 100 applicants on each day can try balancing the smaller kanto. Each participant receives a "Kanto Master" certificate. There is also the Kanto Myogi (Stunt) Contest where group and individual participants compete to be the year's best kanto technician.

In the evening, the main event starts at 6:38 p.m. with a taiko drum-beating performance or minyo dancers on a 800-meter section of San'o Odori Road, a 20-min. walk from Akita Station. At 7:17 p.m., some 200 kanto are carried into the street to the sound of flutes and taiko drums. At 7:40 p.m. following a brief address by the city's mayor, the performance begins as the kanto are raised all at once.

The objective is to balance the kanto steady enough so that the candles in the paper lanterns don't go out. The performer has to move about deftly whenever there is a gust of wind or when the pole starts to bend over. After attaining a steady balance, the skillful technician shifts the pole to other parts of his body while his surrounding colleagues clap and shout "Dokkoisho! Dokkoisho!"

Occasionally, someone loses his balance and the pole and lanterns come crashing down on the power lines, safety ropes, or right on the crowd. When I was there, one came crashing down on the crowd I was in. We all screamed. But it was surprisingly harmless. All the lanterns flamed out and some lanterns had holes. The lanterns were just relit and raised again. Falling kanto added real drama.

The kanto's paper lanterns and the performers' happi coats are emblazoned with the crest of the respective city block. Thirty-seven city blocks were represented. There were also corporate logos on some lanterns.

Right photo: Notice that a kanto in the background has fallen (usually onto a power or telephone line).

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Last modified: 2004-06-16