Yamagata · Yamagata
Yamagata Hanagasa Matsuri
山形花笠まつり
Safflower-decked straw hats spun in formation down the main avenue.
Next
5–7 August 2027
286 days away
Every year, 5 August, for 3 days
Future dates: 5 August 2027 · 5 August 2028 · 5 August 2029
Origin
It grew out of work songs sung while tamping earth during irrigation construction in the Taishō era — a comparatively young festival born from labour rather than religion. The safflowers on the hats declare the region's signature crop.
What to look for
There are regional schools of hat-spinning, so the evening alternates between the force of a hundred dancers in unison and the looser, showier styles. An open section anyone can join runs twice each night, free of charge.
How to watch
Stay behind the roadside line. There are two ways in: the opening dance in front of City Hall, and the open section at the tail of the parade, which you can join anywhere along the route by looking for the placard. Watch one full cycle of the person in front before you start — you will fit in immediately.
Where
Tōkamachi to Nanokamachi, Yamagata
Yamagata, Yamagata
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