Overview
- The annual Hanagasa Festival began in Yamagata City with evening processions of dancers parading through the streets carrying safflower‑decorated hats known as hanagasa.
- Performers in bright kimono called the traditional chant “ヤッショ、マカショ” as they rotated and waved their hanagasa in time with the music.
- This year featured public use of wagakki—such as shamisen, shakuhachi and horizontal flutes—to accompany the dance, bringing new timbres into the street performances.
- Attendees praised the coordinated shows and the added instrument sounds for strengthening the match between music and movement and for energizing crowd response.
- The festival is presented as one of Tohoku’s representative summer events and serves as a visible expression of regional culture through its costumes, chant, and folk instruments; reporting on the opening was published by Nishinippon (paywalled).