Owara Kaze-no-Bon Festival (2018) in Toyama Prefecture

Owara-Kaze-no-Bon Festival is held from September 1st to 3rd every year in Yatsuo, Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture. Originally, the festival was for praying for a good harvest in typhoon season.

Owara-Kaze-no-Bon Festival is famous for the melancholic sound of Chinese fiddle. Chinese fiddle is rarely used for other Japanese folk songs and music, so the sound provides a better atmosphere for the festival.

During the festival that has a history of 300 years, about twenty five hundred thousand visitors come to the small town in the mountains, Yatsuo. And the visitors don't interrupt the dancers, and watch the dance of Kaze-no-Bon calmly. Seeing that, I think that people want them to continue Kaze-no-Bon from now on also.

In this video, the daytime dance, the special dance at a shrine and the evening dances can be seen. (The video was taken on September 1st, 2018)

A historical street in Yatsuo

The dancers are preparing.

The Suwa Hon-dori Street, where is the main street of the dance, is chosen as one of the 100 famous Japanese roads.

Nostalgic tofu shop

The inn feels as if time has slipped back in time.