Minami Sanriku Summer Festival Experienced by a Taiwanese College Student

When you think of summer events in Japan, the first thing that comes to mind is probably summer festivals.

When you think of summer festivals, candy apples, chocolate bananas, takoyaki, and yukata come to mind.

For adults, of course, cold beer is also indispensable.

At the Shizugawa Bay Summer Festival, which I participated in this time, there are plenty of local gourmet dishes that go well with sake! Everyone from children to adults can enjoy it.

Tokoyassai, a participatory experience for locals

At the Shizugawa Bay Summer Festival, the local dance "Tokoyassai", which has been popular for a long time, will be danced and a contest will be held.

The choreography and shouts unique to Minamisanriku will liven up the festival.

Tokoyassai was born in 1996 and has been loved by many townspeople since before the earthquake as a dance that anyone can dance casually.

Before the earthquake, the parade started from an area called "Matsubara Park" and paraded along the road.

It was so popular that it was a big event with more than 1,000 participants.

Due to the earthquake, it was forced to suspend temporarily, but volunteers from Shizugawa high school at the time said, "I want to revive the summer tradition!"

There is a theory that the origin of Tokoyassai comes from the shout "Yassai!" when fishermen row the oars.

This year, the corona misfortune has finally calmed down, so we have resumed Tokoyassai for the first time in a few years!

Shizugawa Junior High School, Kokuryu-kai, a creative dance group, Social Welfare Council, Minami Sanriku Police Station, and Chiayi Senior High School, who are visiting from Taiwan on an educational trip, also participated in Tokoyassai.

Each group wore matching happi coats and danced in unison to beat the heat, shouting "Tokoyassai! Yassai! Yassai!" A big applause was sent from the spectators who filled the roadside.

Enjoy the classic summer festival food stalls

Speaking of summer festivals, food stalls are the standard.

Drinks with motifs of Minamisanriku's character "Octopus-kun", local Thai restaurants, summer classics "shaved ice" and "chocolate bananas", masks that match yukata, yo-yos, etc.

Fireworks rising from the sea like a fisherman's town

The highlight is Tokoyassai, other than the food stalls, the biggest point of the summer festival is the fireworks!

In addition to the standard skyrocket, fish-shaped, scallops, etc. with motifs of Minamisanriku specialties.

What will you see next just by looking at it? I was so excited.

The fireworks that were set off to the sound of Omori Sosaku Taiko drums, a local traditional performing art, were a wonderful Japanese sight that was a bit different from the fireworks you see in other places.

In Taiwan, there is a night market almost every day, but in Japan it seems to be rare to see street stalls lined up.

In Taiwan, there aren't many things that are held as "festivals", so I was able to enjoy Japanese festivals by eating, watching, and dancing!

If you invite your grandpa, grandma, father, mother, brother, sister, and of course your friends to the summer festival, I think it will be the best memory.

About the details of the Shizugawa Bay Summer Festival

Information about the Shizugawa Bay Summer Festival, which is held every year, is available on the Minamisanriku Tourism Portal Site!
Please check it out!

Check events in Minamisanriku