Hanawa Bayashi

Hanawa Bayashi is the festival music of Sakiwai Inari Shrine, held every August 19th and 20th in the Hanawa district of Kazuno, Akita Prefecture. Counted among Japan's "three great festival musics" (hayashi), it is a representative summer festival of the Tōhoku region, known for its magnificent and ornate floats and the spirited music played through the night.

The stars of the festival are ten gorgeously ornate floats (yatai) gleaming in gold. Lavishly finished in lacquer and gold leaf, the floats are called "moving splendor," and at night, illuminated by countless lanterns, they shine all the more brilliantly. Atop these floats, emotionally rich festival music played on flute, drum, shamisen, and gong is performed almost continuously over the two days. The musical pieces of Hanawa Bayashi number more than a dozen, and their variety and refined melodies boast high artistry.

The greatest highlights are the "station-front event," in which all floats assemble before the station, and the procession through the town from late night into dawn. The scene woven by the golden floats emerging in lantern light and the music trembling the night air is dreamlike, captivating all who visit. Hanawa Bayashi was designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan in 2014, and in 2016 registered as part of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage "Yama, Hoko, Yatai float festivals in Japan." It is a precious festival culture conveying the pride and spirit of Kazuno-Hanawa, which flourished as a mining town.