North Honshu (Tohoku) Festivals

Kamakura Snow Festival, Yokote [February 15-16]

The kid holiday happens in several places with the most famous one in Yokote, the Akita prefecture. Named after snow mini-houses, kamakura, built then - kids sit inside around braziers with boiling sweet sake they offer to anyone.

Chagu Chagu Umako (Horse Festival) [June 15]

Morioka breeders and sellers bring out fancy horses to bless them at the Onikoshi-Sozen-jinja shrine.

Aomori Nebuta Matsuri & Hirosaki Neputa Matsuri [August 1-7]

A gigantic lantern parade in Aomori and Hirosaki at once.

Akita Kanto Matsuri [August 4-7]

Held in Akita and culminating in a parade of men carrying huge poles decorated with lanterns. The participants make the poles balance by propping them up on their arms, shoulders, chins and heads.

Namahage [December 31]

In the Oga semi-peninsular, the Agita Prefecture demon-disguised people visit homes knocking at their doors to say "Any scammers here?" In this custom hosts treat to "demons" with cakes and sake.