Towering lanterns, traditional balancing skills, and a special anime collaboration make this an unforgettable Japanese festival experience.

There are many famous summer festivals in Japan, but the Akita Kanto Festival is one of the most magical and awe-inspiring. Held in Akita City every August, this festival features fantastical lanterns that sway to represent rice stalks, held aloft by people who balance the enormous structures on their hips, shoulders, palm, chins and foreheads in an amazing display of dexterity and teamwork that draws thousands of spectators.

Now the festival is drawing more than spectators, it’s drawing anime characters too, with the popular manga and anime series Golden Kamuy making an appearance at the event. This tie-up with the festival is particularly apt as Akita Prefecture is the birthplace of Genjirou Tanigaki, one of the characters from the series, and the region’s history and culture have strong links to the world depicted in the story.

▼ Anime characters balancing the lanterns on their forehead and shoulder, just as performers do at the real-world festival.

The event, which runs until 26 August, consists of two main parts: an exhibition of character panels featuring newly drawn visuals and a pop-up shop, all being held at Atrion, a multi-purpose complex located about a five-minute walk from JR Akita Station. Fans of the series will want to head to Atrion during the day so they can view the large character panels, featuring the cast dressed in Kanto Festival outfits.

The displays are impressive in scale, with the characters appearing almost life-sized. Combined with the Kanto lantern poles, some of the displays reache more than three metres (9.8 feet) tall, recreating the awesome sight of the real-world festival.

The characters of Sugimoto, Asirpa, and Shiraishi are shown as members of the “hayashikata”, the musicians who provide the festival’s traditional sounds.

While the people who physically balance the Kanto poles, known as “sashite”, have traditionally been men, women have participated as musicians since the late Showa period (1926-1989). These days, visitors to the actual festival can see many female performers taking part in this important role.

▼  Lanterns decorated with Golden Kamuy character names recreate the look of the famous Kanto displays.

The same floor is also home to a pop-up shop selling collaboration goods, including acrylic stands, keychains, T-shirts, towels, and other items featuring the festival theme.

▼ The designs capture the personalities of the characters perfectly, and the Akita dog costumes are incredibly cute.

The Golden Kamuy event is a great way to get into the mood of the festival, which is best enjoyed at night, when the lanterns light up the sky as they tower over the crowds, swaying from side to side, and occasionally crashing down by accident before being picked up again. The night event, which runs from 3-6 August, is worth hanging around for, and while you wait there are plenty of things to see and do around Akita City.

▼ Just across from Atrion is Senshu Park, a public park built on the former grounds of Kubota Castle.

During summer, the park’s moat is covered in blooming lotus flowers, creating a beautiful sight that feels worlds away from the busy city streets.

Visitors should also keep an eye out for Akita’s famous summer treat, babahera ice cream. The colourful ice cream is shaped into rose-like designs by skilled vendors using quick movements that are almost like a performance.

During the day there are some events to give you a taste of what’s to come at night, and when you see the Kanto poles in person you can get a sense of why the festival is considered a true test of skill. The largest poles, known as “Owaka”, measure around 12 metres (39 feet) long and weigh approximately 50 kilograms (110 pounds). Moving them into position requires teamwork, but the real challenge begins when performers balance them on different parts of their bodies.

The techniques, known as “myogi”, include balancing the pole on the palm, shoulder, forehead, and hip. Watching performers hold the massive structures steady using various parts of their body is an incredibly impressive sight to behold.

▼ The hip technique is considered one of the more advanced moves, requiring years of experience and incredible body control.

When darkness falls, the main streets stretching from JR Akita Station toward Akita City Hall are transformed into a pedestrian-only festival area.

One by one, the giant Kanto poles are raised into the night sky, and the warm glow of hundreds of lanterns begins to float above the streets as traditional music plays and performers move with careful concentration beneath the towering displays. From a distance, the lanterns look like stars drifting through the city, while up close, the skill and concentration of the performers creates a completely different kind of spectacle.

Sometimes the poles collide, and sometimes they fall, giving you a sense of just how heavy and difficult they are to control. Sometimes, performers manage to save a pole from falling, regaining control at the last minute, eliciting cheers of delight and applause from the crowd.

Beneath the beauty of the lanterns lies years of skill and team effort, and watching it all unfold up close is all part of the magic of the festival.

At the western end of the festival venue near Akita City Hall, visitors can also find a food village filled with local specialties, including Yokote yakisoba, Hinai chicken ramen, and Akita sake.

This year also saw a new addition to the festivities, with a drone show filling the sky above the city. Unlike fireworks, drones can perform directly above urban areas, acting like a giant moving canvas above the festival crowds.

▼ One of the cutest displays was the giant representation of an Akita dog, a symbol of prefectural pride.

Towering lanterns, incredible performers, local food, and a touch of Golden Kamuy magic makes this year’s Akita Kanto Festival one of the best events of the year. The festival is much more than a parade, it’s a display of skill and a traditional performing art, and it’s easy to see why it remains one of Japan’s most unforgettable summer celebrations.

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