Yamagata’s Hanagasa Festival opens with a parade of dancers adorned in flower hats

YAMAGATA — Women in kimono and hanagasa (flower hats) dance through the streets of Yamagata on Monday, the opening day of this year’s Yamagata Hanagasa Festival.

The festival is a popular summer event in the city of Tohoku. About 4,300 dancers participated in the parade, shouting “Yassho, makasho” and twirling with their flower-decorated straw hats.

They danced and walked about half a mile down the main street of the town.

The festival runs until Wednesday and approximately 9,700 dancers in 135 groups are expected.