Festival · Akita
Akita Kanto Festival
秋田竿燈まつり
In Akita city each August, performers balance bamboo poles up to 12 m tall and hung with 46 lit lanterns on their palms, foreheads, shoulders and hips. About 280 poles rise along one avenue at once.
When
3–6 August every year
- 2027 dates
- 3 – 6 Aug 2027
- Cost
- Free; seats ¥3,500–4,500
- Crowds
- Heavy, but the avenue is long
- Time needed
- Evenings; roads close 18:15–21:30
- Nearest station
- JR Akita Station, a short walk
In short
- The night show runs on Kanto Odori, an 800 m avenue in the city centre. Roads close from 18:15 to 21:30.
- Seats in the central reservation cost ¥3,500–4,500, and a six-person box is ¥28,000. Children pay the adult price unless they sit on a lap.
- After the main show, the performers often let visitors try lifting a smaller pole. Ask politely.
- By day on 4–6 August, watch the skills contest at Area Nakaichi, about 10 minutes' walk from Akita Station.
- Combine Akita with Aomori's Nebuta (2–7 August) and Sendai's Tanabata in one northern Japan summer trip.
What happens when
| Date | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 3–6 August, evening | Night performance: about 280 poles raised together | Kanto Odori |
| 4–6 August, daytime | Myogi skills contest, team and solo | Area Nakaichi plaza (indoor arena if it rains) |
What the Kanto Festival is
A kanto is a long bamboo pole with crossbars hung with paper lanterns, shaped to look like a heavy ear of rice. The festival grew out of an old summer rite to drive away sleepiness, sickness and bad luck, and was already described as unique to Akita in 1789.
There are four sizes. The biggest, the owaka, is 12 m tall, weighs about 50 kg and carries 46 lanterns. In all, about 280 poles and some 10,000 lanterns go up on each night, carried by 38 neighbourhoods and more than 70 groups.
The five balancing techniques
Performers balance the pole on the palm, the forehead, the shoulder and the hip, and pass it between each other while extra bamboo sections are added to make it taller. The hip balance is the hardest and the crowd's favourite.
Watch the poles bend in the wind and the performers fan themselves while holding them, all to the sound of drums and flutes. When a pole falls, the crowd gasps, then cheers the team that raises it again.
Where it happens
Questions
When is the Akita Kanto Festival?
From 3 to 6 August every year, in the evenings on Kanto Odori in Akita city.
Does it go ahead in rain?
Yes, as a rule. The show may be shortened, but it is not cancelled.
Can I see the lanterns in the daytime?
Yes. The skills contest runs in the daytime on 4–6 August at Area Nakaichi, about 10 minutes' walk from Akita Station.
More festivals in August
Plan around it
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.
Facts checked 24 October 2026