Yamagata Hanagasa Festival
yamagata hanagasa festival 山形花笠まつり yamagata hanagasa matsuri one four major japanese festival tōhoku region held capital city yamagata yamagata prefecture hanagasa headpiece shaped like flower traditionally dyed red locally grown safflower yamagata hanagasa matsuri annual summer festival last august august friday saturday sunday first weekend august first celebrated parade part zaō summer festival event attract tourist yamagata prefecture success parade grew time one four major festival tōhoku region ten thousand dancer dance hanagasa ondo song parade song creation attributed worker constructing embankment along lake tokura city obanazawa northeastern yamagata prefecture song created worker compacted dirt embankment would rhythmically chant yassho followed response makasho following completion embankment community built held parade wore sedge hat dyed red safflower crop region red sedge hat called hanagasa became focal point parade hanagasa festival still held smaller town city throughout prefecture including obanazawa largest festival take place city yamagata parade follows city main street national route honcho district parade run nanukamachi district downtown yamagata city end bunshokan prefectural museum former prefectural office yamagata hanagasa festival operates normal year absence pandemic japan portal