Fukuno Yotaka Matsuri 2024

福野夜高祭り（Fukuno Yotaka Matsuri）is a traditional festival held annually from May 1st to 3rd in the urban area of Fukuno in Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture. This festival is part of the spring festival of the Fukuno Shinmei Shrine, which has been ongoing since the mid-Edo period, and it is designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Asset of Toyama Prefecture.

The evening festival takes place on May 1st and 2nd, featuring the “Yotaka Andon” lantern procession. Lanterns crafted by seven neighborhoods are sequentially brought to the Fukuno Shinmei Shrine in the evening, and then, accompanied by flute and taiko drum music, participants sing songs while parading through the town. The highlight is the 7-meter tall “Oandon” lantern moving through the streets, accompanied by the beating of the Yotaka Taiko drums, and performances of Yotaka-bushi songs and Yotaka dances.

One of the most significant events occurs around 11:00 PM on the 2nd, known as “Hikiai” or a lantern collision, where young men engage in direct physical contact, using their hands and feet, to break each other’s lanterns as they pass by. The intensity of this event is often likened to a martial arts competition.

The main festival on the 3rd features the procession of four floats and one float-like structure called “Iori Yatai.”

 

 

 

 

Event Summary

Fukuno area, Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture

Period
May 1, 2, 3, 2024

Official Web：Click Here