Tohoku Region Showcases Culture, Recovery At Osaka Expo 2025
KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 (Bernama) -- The six Tohoku prefectures, in collaboration with the Tohoku Tourism Promotion Organization and the Tohoku Kizuna Festival Executive Committee, successfully hosted the 'Tohoku Four Seasons & Tohoku Kizuna Festival' at the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, from June 13 to 15.
In a statement, the organisers said the event served to express gratitude for the international support received following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and to highlight the region's recovery and development.
The festival aimed to promote the appeal of the Tohoku region, both domestically and internationally, showcasing its natural beauty, traditional culture, local cuisine, cutting-edge technology and warm hospitality, with the goal of attracting more visitors to the region.
An opening ceremony was held on June 13, with the participation of the governors of the six Tohoku prefectures, other regional officials, local mascots, and MYAKU-MYAKU, the official mascot of Expo 2025. The event included a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a special showcase of signature festivals from each of the six prefectural capitals.
The Tohoku Kizuna Festival, which featured summer festivals from Aomori, Morioka, Akita, Sendai, Yamagata and Fukushima, was initially scheduled for June 14 and 15; however due to inclement weather, performances on June 14 were moved indoors, while two outdoor parades were successfully held the following day.
The Tohoku Kizuna Festival is a successor to the Tohoku Rokkon Festival, established to honour the memory of lives lost in the 2011 disaster and to support the region's reconstruction. While it is usually held within the Tohoku region, this year's edition was specially organised at the Osaka Kansai Expo.
The six festivals represented were the Aomori Nebuta Festival, Morioka Sansa Odori Festival, Akita Kanto Festival, Sendai Tanabata Festival, Yamagata Hanagasa Festival and Fukushima Waraji Festival. The venue also featured large Nebuta and Tanabata decorations.
Approximately 550 dancers participated in the parades, enthralling visitors with vibrant and powerful performances.
Meanwhile, the 'Tohoku Four Seasons' event ran concurrently over the three-day period, featuring promotional booths from each prefecture, stage presentations, traditional craft workshops and local food tastings and sales—all contributing to a lively showcase of the region's rich heritage and tourism potential.
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