Morioka Sansa Odori Festival - Traditional Dance Festival Representing Tohoku's Summer

Held in the heart of Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture, the Morioka Sansa Odori is one of Tohoku's hallmark summer dance festivals. To the rhythms of taiko drums, bamboo flutes, and hand gongs, lines of dancers in brightly colored yukata and happi coats parade down the main boulevard in a breathtaking display, their powerful drumbeats and spirited calls lighting up the summer night.

The festival is said to trace its origins to the legend of the "demon's handprint" at Morioka's Mitsuishi Shrine. From dusk into night, a grand parade unfolds as drummers carry their instruments high across their chests, the clear tones of the shinobue bamboo flute and the bright ring of handheld kane gongs layering into a vibrant, pulsating sound that fills the city. For the finale, visitors are invited to join a circle dance; once you learn a few simple steps, anyone can jump in and dance alongside the locals.