A Guinness record-holding festival in Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture, famous for its hot springs
Hanamaki Festival is an event held every year on the second Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of September in Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture. It is a popular festival not only among Hanamaki residents but also among tourists, and attracts many people from outside the prefecture.
The Hanamaki Festival is an event that originates from Kita Shosai, who is said to be the founder of Hanamaki Town. It is said that the Hanamaki Festival began in 1613 when Hanamaki residents built a float in honor of Kita Shosai's personality and walked it through the town.
The more than 100 mikoshi that gather at the venue are a unique attraction of the Hanamaki Festival. The shrine mikoshi are the mainstream, but mikoshi from the town and workplaces are also included. The Hanamaki Festival, which is called the "world's best mikoshi parade," broke the Guinness World Record in 2015.