Overview of 2025 event

calendar_month Date

Tuesday, August 5, 2025 - Thursday, August 7, 2025

location_on Venue

Yamagata City Center Straight Line Course (Tokamachi/Honmachi/Nanakamachi Street ~ Bunshokan-mae)

footprint Access

Railway → Approximately 10 minutes walk from the east exit of JR Yamagata Station to the venue
Car → Yamagata Expressway: Approximately 10 minutes from Yamagata Zao IC towards Yamagata Station

Festival trivia

A spectacular group dance of safflowers

Approximately 9,800 dancers dance while holding flower hats decorated with safflower, the prefectural flower of Yamagata Prefecture, with energetic chants. Their charming dancing makes Yamagata's summer even more exciting. This festival, which is usually held over three days on August 5th, 6th, and 7th, features a ``dance parade'' in the center of Yamagata City, led by a float of the enshrined deity Zao Daigongen.

The festival song is "Hanagasa Ondo," a folk song representative of Yamagata Prefecture. There are various theories about its origin, but it is said to be based on ``Dotsuki Uta (Dontsuki Uta)'', which was sung during the construction of Lake Tokura during the Taisho period, and it is said that the musical words ``Yassho, Makasho'' and the prototype of the Hanagasa dance, in which a hat is twirled, were also born with this song. In the early Showa period, Hanagasa Ondo was accompanied by the lively accompaniment of shamisen, shakuhachi, and taiko drums, and took on its current form as a folk song.

There are also changes in the lyrics and dance of "Hanagasa Ondo"

The first memorable event was held in 1968, and at that time it was called the "Hanagasa Ondo Parade." At the time of the event, the public solicited new lyrics for the Hanagasa Ondo, and the song was revised to its current content, which ``sings about the famous places and specialties of the Mogami River basin.''

By the way, over 100 lyrics were collected from inside and outside the prefecture during the open call for submissions, and the current lyrics consist of 15 lyrics, including the 2 existing lyrics and the 13 selected lyrics.

The choreography was also revised at the same time as the lyrics. Previously, there were about 10 different types of dances for each region, such as ``hand dances with hats on'' and ``dances performed by holding and spinning hats in the hands,'' but the idea was to unify them in order to maintain the collective beauty of the parade. At this time, the ``Shocho Hanagasa Odori~Kunpu Mogamikawa~'' (commonly known as Onna Odori) was born, which was based on the hand gestures of Japanese dances and made anyone danceable. Nowadays, a variety of other dances have been added, such as the valiant "Shocho Hanagasa Odori - Zao Gyoukou" (commonly known as Otoko Odori), which is danced firmly on the ground, the "Kasawashi-type Hanagasa Odori" from Obanazawa, the birthplace of Hanagasa Odori, and the "Creative Hanagasa Odori", in which participants create their own ideas.

You can only enjoy it by participating!

Actually, the fact that there are various types of ``experience menus'' available is also a nice factor for tourists. All events do not require advance application, and participation is free and walk-ins are welcome, so if you have a chance, please come and join us.
For example, at the ``Enjoy Daytime Hanagasa Festival'', you can enjoy a formal Hanagasa dance performed by the Hanagasa Dance Troupe, a hat mawashi dance performed by Yamagata University Hanagasa Circle Shimen Souka, and a chance to experience the formal Hanagasa dance performed by a Hanagasa dance instructor.

There are also two dance experience corners at the night parade venue. The first is the ``Opening Hanagasawa Odori Corner,'' which is held for about 30 minutes immediately after the parade starts. All participants will receive a simple flower hat (hanagasa fan), and even beginners can have fun participating by watching and imitating the dance teacher's example. The second is a "jump-in corner" led by Miss Hanagasa at the end of the parade. Here you have the chance to actually be part of the parade and march through town. The landmark is the "Walk-in corner" placard. Jump onto the parade course and experience the festival for yourself.

Learn more about and enjoy Yamagata Hanagasa Festival