Sanriku, Ofunato Summer Festival

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[When]                  Early-August (First weekend of August, 2 days)
[Where]                 Ofunato Kyassen Area, Ofunato Bay Area
[Address (Eng)]     Chayamae, Ofunato-cho, Ofunato, Iwate 022-0002
[Address (Jap)]     〒022-0002 岩手県 大船渡市 大船渡町茶屋前

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One of, if not the most bustling days in Ofunato where thousands of people come to watch the main attraction that is the FIREWORKS!! Almost all of Ofunato Kyassen Area is setup to celebrate this festival, and as such, multiple spots within the vicinity will open food stands and souvenir shops to welcome guests from both in and outside of the city.

 

There are 3 main attractions during the course of two days aside from the food stands which I would like to list below:

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1. Special Live Performance Stage Atop Ofunato-maru: During this festival Ofunato city sets up a special live stage a top a decorated boat (Named: "Ofunato-maru") to attract both customers and performers alike. You might have guessed, but the picture posted at the top of this page is exactly that! The boat is decorated with lights and several flags which represents Ofunato City's abundance in fishery industry. You can see live performances on this stage throughout the day, and can act as a great spot to rest with all the food you bought at the food stands! 

2. Ofunato's Douchu Odori: So you may have heard of Bon-Odori which is a performance where people crowd around a semi-tall post with a Taiko drum and flutes during summer festivals in many parts of Japan. In Ofunato, they perform the "Douchu Odori" meaning "on the road dance", but is held right by the bay area to share the festive atmosphere to their ancestors as well as those who lost their lives during the Tsunami. The dance is performed by local businesses, communities, city hall members, town groups and more with a total of over 100 people and goes on for a whole hour!! Due to Covid Measures they had stopped the audiences from joinin in but before the pandemic, in the last 15min people would join in the dance to break a sweat!!

3. Sanriku, Ofunato Fireworks Show: Last and definetely not least, the main attraction of the fesummer festival is the fireworks that brightly lights up the summer sky with a bang. It almost goes without saying that a summer festival isn't a summer festival without fireworks. In recent years, firework shows have develop to a stage where the fireworks will be shot in collaboration with traditional and even hit-chart music to further entertain customers!

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It's been a little over a year since my arrival here in Ofunato, but without a doubt I would say that this was the first time I've seen so many people in Ofunato at the same time. The festive atmosphere throughout the area made me realize why these events occur and are looked forward to. Although it is understood that summer festival events take place to bring positive economical effects to the city, I feel that its also necessary to bring the whole community together to become one and just enjoy.

 

Summer festivals are held throughout Japan, so even if you are unable to come to the one in Ofunato, I highly recommend you to visit one held near where you'll be staying as this is a great way for you to envelop yourself in the great culture that is Japan.