NIHONMATSU, Fukushima Prefecture -- Massive floats bedecked in lanterns lit up the night in this northeastern city on Oct. 4 as locals went ahead with a 360-year-old local festival despite concerns about fallout from the Fukushima nuclear accident.
NIHONMATSU, Fukushima Prefecture -- Massive floats bedecked in lanterns lit up the night in this northeastern city on Oct. 4 as locals went ahead with a 360-year-old local festival despite concerns about fallout from the Fukushima nuclear accident.
Young people wearing traditional "happi" coats banged "tsuzumi" hand drums and "kane" gongs as the procession featuring 11-meter-tall floats moved through the streets at the start of the "Nihonmatsu no Chochin Matsuri" (Nihonmatsu lantern festival).
The event was designated as an intangible folk cultural asset by the Fukushima prefectural government in June this year, but there was concern that children were at risk from radioactive materials leaked from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, which is only about 57 kilometers away.
Ahead of the event, there was a major effort to remove radioactive materials from shrines, community halls and surrounding roads where children practiced "hayashi" festival music.
"The feeling of solidarity among local people is strong in Nihonmatsu. This lantern festival is a symbol of the city. We believe that giving a boost to the festival will lead to the recovery of Fukushima," said Takashi Aihara, 31, chairman of a local young people's association.
The festival is scheduled to last until Oct. 6.