Name: Tsutsuko-hiki Festival
Date: Sunday, March 6th
Area: Date City, at Ikutsushima Shrine (厳島神社)
Address: 1-1 Miyajimacho, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture 739-0588
Details: In this annual festival, a group of men clothed in fundoshi brave the cold winds to compete in a tug-o-war struggle for a large bag 3 meters in length, 1.5 meters in width and weighing 800kg filled with steamed glutinous rice. The festival is held to pray for bountiful harvests, good business and good health. It is a designated Intangible Folk Cultural Asset of Date City and considered one of the top festivals in the prefecture.
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Name: Equinoctial Lion Dance (Higan Jishi Mai)
Date: Thursday, March 17th
Area: Aizuwakamatsu City, Aizu Region
Address: Aizu 3-13 Sakaemachi, Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture 965-0871 (Shinmei Street)
Details: This dance is held in various locations around Aizuwakamatsu and Bandai to welcome spring and say goodbye to winter. The dance serves as a prayer for household safety and a bountiful harvest.
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Name: Equinoctial Lion Dance (Higan Jishi Mai)
Date: Friday, March 18th
Area: Bandai Town, Aizu Region
Address: Near Bandai Station (Exit 1)
Details: This dance is held in various locations around Aizuwakamatsu and Bandai to welcome spring and say goodbye to winter. The dance serves as a prayer for household safety and a bountiful harvest.
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Name: Equinoctial Lion Dance (Higan Jishi Mai)
Date: Sunday, March 20th
Area: Bandai Town, Aizu Region
Address: Uchikitsutate Akaeda, Bandai-machi, Yama-gun, Fukushima-ken 969-3303
(磐梯町赤枝地区内)
Details: This dance is held in various locations around Aizuwakamatsu and Bandai to welcome spring and say goodbye to winter. The dance serves as a prayer for household safety and a bountiful harvest.
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Name: Bandai Shrine Fune-hiki Festival and Shrine Maidens’ Ceremonial Dance
Date: Sunday, March 20th
Area: Iwahashi Shrine in Bandai Town, Aizu Region
Time: Starts from 12pm (noon)
Address: 6199 Nishimine, Inawashiro-machi, Yama-gun, Fukushima-ken 969-3102
〒969-3102, 福島県耶麻郡猪苗代町字西峰6199
Details: This festival is carried out every year to predict the crop quality for the following year. Fune-hiki is a tug-o-war contest that is carried out three times. If the team on the west side wins, there will be a bountiful crop that year, and if the east team wins, the price of rice will rise.