Day 2: Morioka Sansa Odori

If you've ever heard the drum of a taiko drum, you know that it reverberates through your chest. Now imagine 10,000 of them beating in unison. That's the Sansa Odori! Over 10,000 drummers, flutists and dancers dance their way through the streets of Morioka as they play and yell "Sakkora choiwa yasse", meaning "bring in good luck" in very old Japanese. What's most impressive about it is that the dance is pretty complicated, yet the drummers perform it perfectly while also carrying their 7kg drums around their necks! The parade lasts for about 2 hours, and everyone looked like they were having the best time, even right up until the end!

Legend has it that the festival began when a wicked demon was terrorising the town of Morioka. The townspeople prayed for their safety and a god called Mitsuishi answered them. He shackled the demon to one of the large rocks in the shrine and made him swear to never commit an evil deed again. As part of his promise to the god, the demon stamped his hand into the rock and disappeared, leaving the town in peace. The townspeople rejoiced and began singing and dancing around the rock, and thus the Sansa Odori was born. They even named the prefecture "Iwate", meaning "rock hand", which they say you can still see at Mitsuishi shrine after a rain fall. But you’ll have to go and see for yourself!