Lavish Floats Herald Arrival of Spring in Iwate City; Traditional Event Offers Prayers for Fire Prevention

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:22 JST, April 27, 2025

Lavish floats carrying girls in kimono and musicians playing flutes, taiko drums and shamisen parade along streets in a traditional event heralding the arrival of spring in Oshu, Iwate Prefecture. The Hitaka Hibuse Matsuri (Hitaka fire prevention festival) is said to have started more than 300 years ago when the lord of Mizusawa Castle, who witnessed a great fire in Edo, now Tokyo, created the festival as a prayer for fire prevention. Crowds filled the streets, entertained by festival music at the climax of the event Saturday evening.