Akita Kantō
akita kantō 秋田竿燈まつり japanese festival celebrated – august akita city akita prefecture hope good harvest around two hundred bamboo pole five twelve metre long bearing twentyfour fortysix lantern topped gohei weighing fifty kilogram carried street night palm forehead shoulder lower back celebrant festival first referred travel diary road snow fall 雪の降る道 one main festival tōhoku along tanabata festival sendai aomori nebuta matsuri festival yamagata hanagasa festival yamagata akita kantō festival designated important intangible folk cultural property festival originated neburi nagashi held ridding illness maliciousness summer already existed horeki period – middle edo era yuki huru michi road snow written soan tsumura regarded oldest document described neburi nagashi describes neburi nagashi held july lunar calendar introduced original tradition akita also neburi nagashi annual event pray good harvest artistic progress neburi nagashi around akita city people decorated silk tree bamboo grass strip paper written wish walked around city floated downstream neburi nagashi people combined candle lantern instrument neburi nagashi became called kanto present official name event first used tetsusaku okubo suggested idea entertaining meiji emperor kanto performance charge hosting emperor visit akita since lunar calendar changed solar calendar kanto festival compelled held one month earlier however number kanto dramatically decreased due change festival’s schedule site number kanto participated kanto festival situation made future festival uncertain emperor taisho visited akita appreciated kanto performance also soft drink factory started advertise beverage kanto’s lantern two event helped restoration kanto festival festival’s schedule changed lunar calendar avoid rainy season number visitor increased kanto society managed kanto skill festival myogikai founded although kanto festival canceled due second world war resumed war kanto festival executive committee established kanto society managing kanto skill festival kanto festival executive committee charge operation kanto festival triggered first kanto performance overseas san diego u kanto began performed various country date festival changed three time present kanto festival held august every year kantō literally mean pole lantern made bamboo pole rice paper lantern hang horizontal bar kantō invented lantern hung garden convert portable lantern dwarf bamboo used lantern leg replaced longer bamboo main bamboo pole kantō called oyatake bamboo used main pole kantō produced japan quite thick also regulation thickness space joint root strict thus people pick bamboo must select suitable bamboo produce kantō combined bamboo main bamboo called yokotake number lantern suspended yokotake bamboo added lengthen oyatake extend height kanto performance called tsugidake kantō classified four category oowaka chuwaka kowaka youwaka size height weight regulated table technique kanto collectively called myogi category myogi nagashi hirate hand koshi hip kata shoulder hitai forehead performing group consisting member show technique one time nagashi performer support kanto performer add tsugitake keep palm balance finger hirate hand performer hold kanto higher add tsugitake keep palm koshi hip performer hold kanto finger move palm onto hip bend upper part body toward side balance leg kata shoulder performer keep kanto palm dominant hand make straight line pivot leg kanto lift higher hitai forehead performer hold kanto finger move palm put forehead keep posture arm spread contest compete technique kanto called myogikai daytime kanto aim myogikai improving skill kanto whole showing society member skill public studying others skill following aim performer maintain unification systemization kanto festival upgrading skill myogikai consists team individual competition performer clear preliminary reach final although judged different way compete accuracy skill beauty posture stability kanto since skill competition complemented musical performance rule performance strict time constraint imposed skill performer must perform circle diameter meter competition winner competition awarded prize kanto executive committee night performance main event kanto festival held kanto oodori one main street akita city night performance performer dont compete skill entertain visitor showing skill illuminated kanto kanto raised time sound flute matsuri important intangible cultural property japan list important intangible folk cultural property akita kanto matsurinhk