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 ...
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