Held every mid-February in Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture, Hachinohe Enburi is a traditional festival with more than 800 years of history. The event is dedicated to praying for a rich harvest in the coming year.
The highlight of the festival is the dynamic performance by dancers wearing colorful costumes and distinctive eboshi headpieces shaped like a horse’s neck. Their energetic movements—especially the signature head-shaking gesture called suri—symbolize the act of tilling the soil and awakening the fields from winter. Accompanied by drums and flutes, the rhythmic and powerful dance fills the city with vibrant energy.
Groups perform throughout the city, offering visitors an up-close look at one of Tohoku’s most captivating winter traditions.
