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Balance Bamboo Poles at the Akita Kanto Festival
Published by Vanessa Boiser
Country: Japan 
The Experience
When you travel to the Tohoku region of Japan in the summer season, you can witness several cultural festivals that display the beauty and heritage of Japan. One of four large festivals, the Akita Kanto Festival in Tohoku, Akita City, is celebrated yearly to pray for a good harvest and for divine protection from illnesses and evil spirits. It started in the 19th century when men marched through the streets, each of them balancing a kanto (bamboo pole) to display their strengths.
At present, the Akita Kanto Festival is considered a “national important intangible folk cultural heritage” where hundreds fly to Japan annually to witness local performers balance bamboo poles topped with hanging lanterns that resemble stalks of rice. When you travel to Japan to take in this Bamboo pole balancing festival, you will witness a spectacular display of Japanese heritage.
The Akita Kanto Festival performers use the palms of their hands without gripping the poles. It may sound or look easy, but an Akita pole bearer also balances as many as 46 candle-lit lanterns that weigh as much as 50 kilos. The paper lanterns hang from cross-poles at the top of the bamboo poles, and resemble the ears of rice plants. Some of the Kanto performers may even use their foreheads and the small of their backs to steady the heavy kanto bamboo poles while moving to the rhythm of the flutes and drums in the background.
Competitions are held every year to determine which performers from outside Akita will be featured in the festival. These dazzling performances led to the creation of a competition that awards the most skilled bamboo pole bearers at each Akita Kanto Festival. It is a stunning sight to behold, and becomes more dramatic as the locals sing a chant while the performers gracefully march through the streets.
While the Akita Kanto Festival dazzles in the evening, it might also interest you to go out and experience balancing your own bamboo pole in the morning. Visitors may interact with the performers and may test their own strengths in steadying bamboo poles with hanging lanterns. The performers may gradually increase the height of your poles as you become more comfortable. Lessons are also offered to children, who learn to balance smaller bamboo poles. During the day, practices and competitions are held for the performers, and this is an opportunity to see the details of the artwork in the daylight, and take lots of photos.
At present, the Akita Kanto Festival is considered a “national important intangible folk cultural heritage” where hundreds fly to Japan annually to witness local performers balance bamboo poles topped with hanging lanterns that resemble stalks of rice. When you travel to Japan to take in this Bamboo pole balancing festival, you will witness a spectacular display of Japanese heritage.
The Akita Kanto Festival performers use the palms of their hands without gripping the poles. It may sound or look easy, but an Akita pole bearer also balances as many as 46 candle-lit lanterns that weigh as much as 50 kilos. The paper lanterns hang from cross-poles at the top of the bamboo poles, and resemble the ears of rice plants. Some of the Kanto performers may even use their foreheads and the small of their backs to steady the heavy kanto bamboo poles while moving to the rhythm of the flutes and drums in the background.
Competitions are held every year to determine which performers from outside Akita will be featured in the festival. These dazzling performances led to the creation of a competition that awards the most skilled bamboo pole bearers at each Akita Kanto Festival. It is a stunning sight to behold, and becomes more dramatic as the locals sing a chant while the performers gracefully march through the streets.
While the Akita Kanto Festival dazzles in the evening, it might also interest you to go out and experience balancing your own bamboo pole in the morning. Visitors may interact with the performers and may test their own strengths in steadying bamboo poles with hanging lanterns. The performers may gradually increase the height of your poles as you become more comfortable. Lessons are also offered to children, who learn to balance smaller bamboo poles. During the day, practices and competitions are held for the performers, and this is an opportunity to see the details of the artwork in the daylight, and take lots of photos.
When to Go to Akita Kanto Festival
The Akita Kanto Festival is held in August during the summer season when other festivals are also held almost every week. The humidity in Akita during summer is high, but it is much more tolerable than in other places during the summer. The other two festivals that may be seen during August are the Nebuta Matsuri Festival and the Awa Odori Festival, which are held within the first 15 days of the month. Being the grandest and the most popular of the three, the Akita Kanto festival, held on August 3–6, is best seen during nighttime when literally hundreds of hanging candle-lit lanterns line the whole festival street for as long as an hour and a half.
Odds n' Ends
If you want to take part in an old spectacular Japanese tradition, the Akita Kanto Festival is a great Japanese travel destination. Aside from the festival, you should visit the museum close to the competition square, and learn about the history of the Akita Kanto Festival. If you choose to venture to other tourist spots in the morning, be sure to check out the doll-makers in the Akita area, and ask for directions at the tourist information centre near the train station. Wear light clothing to prevent yourself from sweating and getting dehydrated in the summer heat. Temperatures could reach as high as 104°F during the Akita Kanto Festival.
Wear shoes that you can slip on and off because you will be required to remove them when going inside buildings and museums. You might also want to bring an umbrella because it could rain anytime. Bring plenty of cash since not all establishments accept ATMs and credit cards, and if ever you needed to ride the train, it is advisable to keep the ticket until you arrive at your destination. Prepare to do a lot of walking and don’t forget to sample the delicious shabu-shabu (hotpots) along the way. Book now! You might want to check out the Hotel Metropolitan as it is very near the train station and the airport
Wear shoes that you can slip on and off because you will be required to remove them when going inside buildings and museums. You might also want to bring an umbrella because it could rain anytime. Bring plenty of cash since not all establishments accept ATMs and credit cards, and if ever you needed to ride the train, it is advisable to keep the ticket until you arrive at your destination. Prepare to do a lot of walking and don’t forget to sample the delicious shabu-shabu (hotpots) along the way. Book now! You might want to check out the Hotel Metropolitan as it is very near the train station and the airport
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