Furukawa Matsuri

Overview

The Furukawa Matsuri is the largest summer festival of the Furukawa area, held every summer in Furukawa, Osaki City, Miyagi Prefecture. Officially called the "Osaki Furukawa Matsuri," it has a history dating back to 1947 (Showa 22). Colorful, beautiful Tanabata decorations adorn the main streets, and a variety of events unfold over three days: a spirited portable-shrine (mikoshi) procession, the locally handed-down Furukawa Odori dance, powerful Furukawa Festival drumming, and a fireworks display. Created jointly by citizens and shopping districts, the festival turns the whole town into a sea of celebration, drawing large crowds from within and beyond the Osaki area. Note that although its name resembles the "Furukawa Festival (Okoshi-daiko and float event)" held in April in Hida City, Gifu Prefecture, the two are entirely different festivals.

History and Origins

The origins of the Osaki Furukawa Matsuri go back to 1947 (Showa 22). It is said that in that year, when Emperor Showa visited Furukawa during his postwar tours, the people of the local shopping district welcomed him with Tanabata decorations, and from then on it came to be held every year as a summer festival. In a period of recovery from postwar turmoil, the townspeople's expression of welcome through handmade decorations grew into the major festival that continues today.

At first it was an event centered on Tanabata decorations, but over the years a portable-shrine procession honoring the local guardian deity was added, along with spirited drumming derived from the drums that announce the start of the festival, the locally transmitted dance, and fireworks coloring the summer night sky—combining into the comprehensive summer festival seen today. Reaching its 77th edition in the 2020s, it is a traditional event representative of Osaki City, carried on by the community for more than 70 years. Its origin in the welcoming spirit of the shopping district is deeply linked to the fact that the festival is still supported chiefly by citizens and shops.

Highlights

The greatest highlight is the gorgeous Tanabata decorations that fill the main streets. The streamers, handmade with ingenuity by the shopping districts and citizens, flutter in the wind and color the townscape—a symbol of the Osaki Furukawa Matsuri that conveys the richness of Tohoku's Tanabata culture, akin to the Sendai Tanabata. Simply walking beneath the vivid decorations envelops one in the festival's excitement.

The portable-shrine procession parading through the town adds valor to the festival. With the bearers' chants ringing out and the shrine advancing energetically, the scene is full of impact. In the locally transmitted Furukawa Odori, dancers form groups and dance their way down the streets, with spectators joining in the excitement. The powerfully struck Furukawa Festival drums, said to derive from the wake-up drums announcing the start of the festival, raise the festive mood at once with their resonance. Furthermore, a fireworks display is held during the festival period, with fireworks coloring the summer night sky and adding splendor to the celebration.

Event Information and Access

The Osaki Furukawa Matsuri is held over three days, generally in early August. In recent examples, a fireworks display is held on the first day (around August 2), followed by displays of Tanabata decorations, the portable-shrine procession, the Furukawa Odori, and the Furukawa Festival drumming over the next two days (around August 3 and 4). The venue is the central downtown and shopping district of Furukawa, Osaki City.

For access, the nearest station is Furukawa Station, served by the JR Tohoku Shinkansen as well as the Tohoku Main Line and Rikuu East Line, and the central downtown venue is within walking distance of the station. Because the Shinkansen stops here, access is good from the Sendai area and the metropolitan region. During the festival, traffic restrictions are imposed around the venue and it becomes very crowded, so using public transportation is convenient. For the latest dates, event times, and traffic information, it is best to check official announcements by Osaki City, the local tourism association, or the festival organizing committee.

Around the Area

Osaki City is a core city in northern Miyagi Prefecture, blessed with rich nature and history. Within the city lies Kabukuri-numa marsh, registered under the Ramsar Convention, known as a haven for migratory birds where great numbers of white-fronted geese arrive in winter. The Naruko Onsen hot-spring resort, famous as a producer of kokeshi dolls, is also within Osaki City; with the Naruko Gorge known for its deep ravine beauty and hot springs of varied qualities, it is one of Tohoku's leading tourist areas.

The Furukawa area is also known as fine rice country, a region celebrated for cultivating "Sasa"-type rice. Savoring the local rice and cuisine along with the festival is one of its pleasures. A little farther afield, the area offers easy access to Hiraizumi (Iwate Prefecture), home to World Heritage sites and historic landmarks, and to Sendai, associated with Date Masamune, making it a convenient base for travel through Miyagi and Iwate.

Related Information

The latest information on the Osaki Furukawa Matsuri can be found in official announcements by Osaki City and the local tourism association and festival organizing committee. In the Tohoku region, festivals related to Tanabata are held in summer in many places, beginning with the Sendai Tanabata Festival, and the Osaki Furukawa Matsuri is one festival that carries on this Tanabata culture. At the same time, it is distinctive in having developed into a comprehensive summer festival combining portable shrines, dance, drumming, and fireworks, and together with its warm origin in the welcoming spirit of the shopping district, it has become a festival deeply rooted in the community. Note that the "Furukawa Festival" of Hida City, Gifu Prefecture, is a festival of okoshi-daiko (wake-up drums) and float events held in April as the annual festival of Keta Wakamiya Shrine (a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage), and is an entirely different festival from the Osaki Furukawa Matsuri of Osaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, in both origin and content.

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