 Last additions - Yamagata Hanagasa Matsuri Festival 2009 山形花笠まつり |
My video of Yamagata Hanagasa Matsuri in Aug. 2009.Aug 29, 2020
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Sometimes we see floats.Aug 12, 2009
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Aug 12, 2009
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Photogenic Yamagata hanagasa dancer.Aug 12, 2009
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Aug 12, 2009
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By 5:30 pm, a good crowd of people lined the parade street stretching for 1.2 km. The parade route is a 10-15-min. walk from Yamagata Station. It was lot more crowded than the first time I saw this festival years ago.Aug 12, 2009
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This is one of the main and best dance groups. They all dance to a song called "Hanagasa Ondo." A recording of the song is repeated continuously through the loudpseakers. 花笠音頭Aug 12, 2009
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Actress Eri Watanabe in Yamagata Hanagasa Matsuri on Aug. 7, 2009.Aug 12, 2009
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Military-style male dancers.Aug 12, 2009
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The parade starts at 6 pm, and it took about 10 min. to reach where I was.Aug 12, 2009
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Aug 12, 2009
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Yamagata maikoAug 12, 2009
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Aug 12, 2009
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It's possible to stopover in Sendai and take a day trip to Yamagata to see this festival. However, if you want to stopover in Yamagata during the Hanagasa Festival, make reservations early especially for budget hotels. Aug 12, 2009
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Yamagata Hanagasa MatsuriAug 12, 2009
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Aug 12, 2009
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Aug 12, 2009
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It was a good size crowd despite the drizzling rain, but it wasn't not horrendously crowded. It was pretty easy to get around and find a new spot to watch the parade.Aug 12, 2009
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Aug 12, 2009
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Amateur hanagasa dancers.Aug 12, 2009
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Aug 12, 2009
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When I arrived during lunch time on Aug. 7, 2009, a group of hanagasa dancers held a PR demonstration right inside Yamagata Station as you see here.Aug 12, 2009
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Yamagata Hanagasa MatsuriAug 12, 2009
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Female taiko drummers on trucks.Aug 12, 2009
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Cop cars block the parade road.Aug 12, 2009
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Miss Hanagasa 2009.Aug 12, 2009
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I don't mind advertising, but I was upset to see a 100-meter long dance group advertising a phone company. They thus took a long time to pass by. (No photos of them here.)Aug 12, 2009
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Aug 12, 2009
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Lovely Yamagata hanagasa dancer.Aug 12, 2009
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An average of 300,000 tourists watch the parade per evening. Aug 12, 2009
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Paper lanterns written with "Yama-gata-hana-gasa-ma-tsu-ri."Aug 12, 2009
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School kids were also in the parade.Aug 12, 2009
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Yamagata maikoAug 12, 2009
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This is actress Eri Watanabe (b. 1955) who is from Yamagata. She gave a memorable performance in the 1996 movie, "Shall We Dance?"Aug 12, 2009
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"See you next year." The parade ends at around 9:30 pm at the end of the parade route. But it ends earlier if you are at the midway point instead. There was enough time for me to catch the last train back to Sendai at 9:46 pm.Aug 12, 2009
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Aug 12, 2009
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A total of about 120 groups (10,000 people) dance over the three evenings. If you want to see a certain group, you'll have to check the parade schedule. Also, a different celebrity guest also dances each evening.Aug 12, 2009
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Then there was this group of sexy Yamagata hanagasa dancers. Holy smoke, look at that cleavage, something you never see with a yukata.Aug 12, 2009
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Miss HanagasaAug 12, 2009
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The final group was led by the four Miss Hanagasa. Anybody could dance in this final group.Aug 12, 2009
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The first few groups of dancers were the best.Aug 12, 2009
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Aug 12, 2009
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It was drizzling off and on, so the road was wet. The shiny road made the shot look more dramatic together with the backlight.Aug 12, 2009
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Miss Hanagasa 2009. There are four of them. Aug 12, 2009
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Cheerleaders tooAug 12, 2009
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Many dance groups were sponsored by large companies, and the company name or logo was prominently displayed on the clothing. It really is a long advertising parade.Aug 12, 2009
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Aug 12, 2009
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Miniskirted yukataAug 12, 2009
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It is a folk dance characterized by the hanagasa, or flower hat, which is held with both hands and swung left and right, above the head, etc. The festival originated as a rice-planting prayer for a good harvest.Aug 12, 2009
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This is at the end of the parade route which had a nice illuminated gate overhead.Aug 12, 2009
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Aug 12, 2009
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The artificial red flowers on the hats symbolize the safflower, the city flower.Aug 12, 2009
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They dance to the beat of taiko drums and the prerecorded folk tune of Hanagasa Ondo singing, "Yassho, makasho!" Aug 12, 2009
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Miss Hanagasa 2009.Aug 12, 2009
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Yamagata Station's exit has hanagasa (flower hat) decorations.Aug 12, 2009
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Held since 1963, the Yamagata Hanagasa Matsuri festival is held annually during Aug. 5-7. It is an evening parade of dancers using a hanagasa (flower hat) held during the three evenings from 6 pm to 9:30 pm.Aug 12, 2009
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You can buy your own hanagasa and join in the festival.Aug 12, 2009
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Yamagata Station also has a Hanagasa info counter set up during the festival. You can pick up a map of the parade route.Aug 12, 2009
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During early Aug., JR Yamagata Station has a Hanagasa Matsuri billboard above the turnstile as you get out.Aug 12, 2009
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