"Sendai Aoba Festival" will be fully revived for the first time in 4 years

May is the month when the zelkova trees on the streets begin to bud in earnest and the city regains its ''Mori no Miyako'' feel. The Sendai Aoba Festival is a seasonal tradition, but for the past three years it has been forced to be canceled or scaled back due to the novel coronavirus.

However, in 2023 (Reiwa 5), ​​when the new coronavirus was classified as Category 5 under the Infectious Diseases Act, we were finally able to hold it at a normal scale.

The "Sendai Aoba Festival" is usually held on the third Sunday of May and the Saturday before. At the Yoi Matsuri on Saturday, over 4,000 dancers belonging to over 150 festival affiliated groups perform the ''Sparrow Dance,'' in which they wave fans with both hands while making rhythmic footwork. The way the fan flutters back and forth in time with the light music sounds like a sparrow flapping its wings. They perform a harmonious dance while changing formations and moving along the zelkova tree-lined streets of Jozenji-dori, the symbol of Sendai City.

The next day, on Sunday, is the main festival, and a picture scroll of the period appears in which a procession of warriors in armor parades through the city, accompanied by gorgeous yamaboko. At the same time, a ''Mori no Ichi'' event will be held at Kotodai Park, in honor of Date Masamune, who was also a gourmet foodie, and will feature an array of gourmet food stalls from the cities, towns and villages of the former Sendai domain.

Enjoy the two days when the city center is filled with the excitement of the festival.