Yamagata’s Hanagasa Festival Opens with Parade of Dancers, Decked in Flowery Hats

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:11 JST, August 6, 2024

YAMAGATA — Women wearing kimono and holding hanagasa (flower hats) dance down the street in Yamagata on Monday, on the opening day of this year’s Yamagata Hanagasa Festival.

The festival is a popular summer event in the Tohoku city. About 4,300 dancers joined in the parade, calling out “Yassho, makasho” and spinning their straw hats decorated with flowers.

They danced and walked down the city’s main street for about 800 meters.

The festival runs through Wednesday and is expected to see participation from about 9,700 dancers in 135 groups.