The Yamagata Hanagasa Festival is one of Yamagata Prefecture’s most famous summer festivals and is also widely recognized as one of the major festivals of the Tohoku region. Held annually for three days on August 5, 6, and 7, the festival fills the main streets of central Yamagata City with spectacular parades of dancers dressed in colorful costumes and carrying traditional hanagasa hats while dancing to the rhythm of Hanagasa Ondo, the festival’s traditional folk song.
The energetic calls of “Yassho, Makasho!” and the powerful sound of hanagasa drums create an exciting atmosphere as large crowds gather along the streets. The sight of countless colorful hanagasa moving together in unison is especially impressive and has become one of the defining images of summer in Yamagata.
The hanagasa, which gives the festival its name, is a traditional straw hat decorated with colorful ornaments inspired by the safflower, the official flower of Yamagata Prefecture. Dancers hold these decorated hats in their hands while performing in elaborate traditional costumes.
When hundreds of dancers move together, the scene is spectacular. The hanagasa are raised and swung in time with the dancing, creating a colorful wave of hats when viewed from the roadside.
The combination of vibrant costumes, flower-decorated hats, powerful drums, energetic calls, and synchronized dancing creates the distinctive atmosphere of the Yamagata Hanagasa Festival.
Hanagasa dancing includes several different styles, each with its own choreography and characteristic movements. One of the best known is “Seicho Hanagasa Odori – Kunpu Mogamigawa”, which features elegant and graceful movements. It is commonly known as the “women’s style” because of its flowing choreography.
In contrast, “Seicho Hanagasa Odori – Zaozan Gyoko” is characterized by powerful and dynamic movements. Often referred to as the “men’s style,” this dance adds a vigorous energy to the festival with its bold choreography.
There are also kasamawashi-style dances that have been preserved particularly in Obanazawa, which is regarded as the birthplace of hanagasa dancing. Dancers dramatically swing and rotate their hanagasa as they perform. Various regional styles and original choreographies can also be seen during the festival.
Different communities throughout Yamagata Prefecture have preserved their own distinctive versions of hanagasa dancing, with approximately 10 different styles of choreography said to exist.
These include “Seicho Hanagasa Odori – Kunpu Mogamigawa,” which was created as a style that anyone could easily learn and enjoy, as well as more vigorous dances incorporating powerful movements.
In 1999, “Seicho Hanagasa Odori – Zaozan Gyoko” was established as a style emphasizing strong and energetic movements. In Obanazawa, meanwhile, the kasamawashi-style hanagasa dance, in which performers dramatically swing their decorated hats, continues to be passed down as a distinctive regional tradition.
The origins of Hanagasa Ondo, the folk song performed during the festival, are associated with several theories. One widely accepted explanation connects it with tsuchitsuki-uta, traditional songs sung in the Obanazawa area during construction work in the middle of the Taisho period to help workers coordinate their movements.
During the early Showa period, the song spread as a folk tune and gradually became known as Hanagasa Ondo. In 1963, choreography was created specifically for dancing in a parade, and a Hanagasa Ondo parade was launched as part of the Zao Summer Festival.
Another theory points to similarities between the opening lyrics of Hanagasa Ondo and those of the Hakata Iwai-uta. This has led to the possibility that the song may have roots in Ise hayashi-ondo, a traditional musical form that may have spread through pilgrimages to Ise and other forms of travel during the Edo period.
The modern Yamagata Hanagasa Festival traces its origins to the Hanagasa Ondo Parade, which began in 1963 as part of the Zao Summer Festival.
In 1965, the event became an independent festival and developed into the Yamagata Hanagasa Festival known today.
Centered on Hanagasa Ondo and hanagasa dancing, the festival gradually became established as one of Yamagata City’s most important summer traditions. Today, large numbers of visitors from both within and outside the prefecture come to experience the region’s traditional culture and the excitement of a major Japanese summer festival.
The festival held in Yamagata City is known as the Yamagata Hanagasa Festival and normally takes place on August 5, 6, and 7. The parade travels through the center of Yamagata, including areas around Prefectural Route 19 Yamagata-Yamadera Line and National Route 112, extending from the area near the front of Bunshokan toward the southwest and passing through the Nanokamachi shopping district.
Dancers advance along the streets in large groups, filling the city center with the sound of Hanagasa Ondo, drums, and enthusiastic calls. From the roadside, visitors can watch the dancers’ colorful costumes and the many different styles of hanagasa dancing at close range.
The Yamagata Hanagasa Festival has become known throughout Japan and has also been presented overseas on several occasions.
In 1970, the festival was featured as a Japanese traditional festival at Expo ‘70 Osaka. In 1972, it was invited to perform at the carnival in Nice, France. Performances followed at the Wine Festival in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, in 1974 and the Geneva Festival in Switzerland in 1979.
Through these international performances, hanagasa dancing and Hanagasa Ondo have been introduced to audiences outside Japan as distinctive examples of Japanese festival culture.
Today, the festival centers on the spectacular hanagasa dance parade and features a variety of additional events, including performances by guest singers and parades of decorated floats.
Numerous groups participate, each presenting its own costumes, choreography, and style. This means that even when watching the same basic hanagasa tradition, visitors can experience a wide range of performances and atmospheres.
Hanagasa Ondo is also familiar outside the festival grounds. At JR Yamagata Station, the song has been adopted as a train departure melody, allowing one of Yamagata’s most recognizable sounds to be enjoyed throughout the year.
The Yamagata Hanagasa Festival brings together colorful hanagasa hats and costumes, powerful drums, energetic calls, and a wide variety of traditional dances to create one of Yamagata’s signature summer celebrations.
It is also an excellent opportunity to experience Hanagasa Ondo and its associated dance traditions up close. For travelers interested in Japanese festivals and regional culture, the festival offers a vivid way to experience Yamagata’s traditions, local identity, and the lively atmosphere of a Japanese summer celebration.