10. Etchu Owara-Kaze-no-Bon: Yatsuo-machi

Overview

Etchu Owara-Kaze-no-Bon is a 300-year-old matsuri held in Yatsuo, Toyama Prefecture. Eleven neighborhoods choose their own routes, dances and parade styles, all of which feature elegant music, dancing and singing. Originally a prayer for bountiful harvests and lasting prosperity, it is a community event in which only local people dance and perform. With the threat of COVID-19 receding, the festival went ahead in 2022 for the first time in three years, to the great delight of Yatsuo residents.