On a recent trip to Akita I managed to catch some Japanese university students practising for a Kanto festival held in Akita.
During the festival the lanterns are lit and the pole is carried down the road and passed from one participant to another. As you can see from the practise the poles are not just carried but they are usually balanced on one part of the body (head, arms, shoulders).
There are traditionally 46 lanterns on the bamboo poles that are said to symbolise golden ears of rice and constitute prayers for a good harvest. The length of a traditional Kanto pole is 12 meters and the weight around 60 kilograms.
These students had both an experienced and beginners pole. As you can see the lanterns on the beginners pole (in the background) had spent a lot of time on the ground.
During the festival the lanterns are lit and the pole is carried down the road and passed from one participant to another. As you can see from the practise the poles are not just carried but they are usually balanced on one part of the body (head, arms, shoulders).
There are traditionally 46 lanterns on the bamboo poles that are said to symbolise golden ears of rice and constitute prayers for a good harvest. The length of a traditional Kanto pole is 12 meters and the weight around 60 kilograms.
These students had both an experienced and beginners pole. As you can see the lanterns on the beginners pole (in the background) had spent a lot of time on the ground.
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