Interview: Return of Akita Kanto

This past August saw the return of Akita prefecture’s biggest festival: the Akita Kanto matsuri! A form of tanabata summer celebration with teams of taiko players and Kanto performers, the festival features around 200 bamboo pole lanterns ranging from five to twelve meters long, weighing up to fifty kilograms, and balanced on the palms, shoulders, or even foreheads of the participants. This precarious balancing act is shown by night in Akita city, where the hundreds of lantern lights form a spectacular orange thicket above the bustling crowd. Seeing the poles occasionally fall on the crowd adds to the “splash zone” excitement of the event.

Kanto was canceled for the last two years due to the pandemic, and predictably, this had its effects on the Akita community, which relies on the festival to keep businesses and culture alive, as well as passing on the tradition to the younger generation. I saw the Akita University team perform, where my

friend Ben Grafstrom played the taiko drum. I knew Ben from a mutual friend during my childhood in Hokkaido, and he was very kind to answer my questions about the Kanto matsuri and its various ties to local people:

Q: Please introduce yourself!

My name is Ben Grafstrom. I'm a lecturer/assistant professor at Akita University. Along with the prerequisite English language classes, I teach some writing, Japanese culture, and literature classes. I'm from Philadelphia (USA) and have been living in Japan for 13 years. I have a Master's degree in Premodern Japanese Literature and Culture from the University of Colorado, Boulder. I first came to Japan as a JET Programme ALT (Rausu, Hokkaido), where I lived for 3 years before coming to Akita. I am now working on a PhD in Cultural Anthropology—the focus of my research is Akita's folk religious festivals.

Q: How did you get involved with Kanto?

I've been a member of Akita University's Kanto Team for 8 years. When I first came to Akita, I really had no idea about what kind of place this was—I really didn't know its history, its traditions, or anything. I heard "Kanto festival" and thought "Kanto region"—I was really bewildered about what the connection might be!

One day I was in my office and all of a sudden I heard these thunderous sounds coming from outside the window. I looked and saw that it was the Akita University Kanto Team practicing with their taiko (drums) and flutes. Then I saw the members practicing how to balance the tall bamboo poles and lanterns. I'm a drummer, so I was immediately drawn to the taiko. My "office neighbor," Hosokawa-sensei, was a taiko player, so I asked him about the festival and playing taiko. The following year, he remembered my interest and invited me to practice with them. As a drummer, I thought it would be easy to play taiko, but it was actually kind of difficult. Getting down the technique and timing was really a challenge.

Q: What was the preparation like?

Kanto preparation is really timeconsuming. Some festivals don't require too much preparation, but for Kanto we begin practicing 2 months in advance! Practices are about 2 hours long. In June we practice twice a week and in July we practice 5 times a week, along with some special performances at neighborhood parties, schools, and hospitals.

Q:Why is Kanto important to local people and businesses?

This is a difficult question to answer briefly, but historically Kanto is an agricultural festival, so it is inherently tied to the local people (rice farmers) and businesses (rice merchants, sake brewers, etc.). It is also a folk festival, so it's connection to the land (and the people on it) is really important to acknowledge. The festival was traditionally held right after rice planting was done, while the farmers waited for the crop to grow. It was a way to celebrate the work they did as well as provide some entertainment during the hot summer months when people tend to be lethargic.

In modern times, the folk festival has become commodified and is a major source of income for the local economy, drawing large numbers of tourists from (quite literally) all over Japan (estimates put the number of tourists at over a million each year!). Everyone from flute sellers, paper lantern makers, hoteliers, bento shop owners, Kanto-uniform salesmen, and more, all depend a great deal from the festival for their livelihoods, so the 3 years it was canceled these people really took a large hit, financially.

Q: Were people relieved after the past Covid hiatus? How was this year different?

Another tough question! We practiced for 2 months before the festival, so when practice was canceled I was able to spend my time doing so many other things, like going to the beach after work, camping, hiking—I thought, "Wow, this is great!" I almost feel guilty admitting that. On the other hand, Kanto team members are often good friends (and are married or otherwise related) so doing Kanto together is really a fun time for them, so yes, they were really happy to re-start Kanto.

One way it was different this year is this: folk festivals survive by continuously passing on the knowledge of the festival to the younger generation. Let's just say (as an example) that children start participating in their 1st grade of elementary school. The festival was canceled for 3 years, which means that this year was the first year for all 1st through 3rd graders to participate.

Another important thing I'd like to share is that Akita University's Special Education School has a Kanto team. Most of the students who participate have severe mental and developmental issues that preclude them from participating 100% in their communities, so participating in the Kanto festival each year is a CRUCIAL way for them to be visible in the community and for them to make positive, happy memories that will stick with them for the rest of their lives. Sadly, the COVID hiatus took this experience away from many of the school's graduates.

Q:How has being involved in Kanto helped you feel closer to the community?

Yeah, this has been a major impact on me. I've taken a lot of time to learn about Akita's folk culture, specifically the Kanto festival's history. Sometimes I have the feeling that people see me as just a "guest" at the festival, but when I tell them about the festivals' nuances or when they see me actually play taiko, I think they see me as a legitimate member of the community.

Also, I have become friends/acquaintances with members of other teams and with some of the local merchants who sell Kanto gear.

When I see them throughout the year, they stop and say hello and chat with me.

Countless times I've been in situations where locals didn't seem too eager to meet me, but when the topic of Kanto comes up and they learn I do it, I definitely sense that I am building respect and rapport with them.

Q: Akita city was the most crowded I've ever seen it!Are you hopeful for events and local culture to stay active in the future?

This touches on the topic of my PhD research. Commodifying local culture certainly brings a lot of benefits (economic, social, etc.), but there is also the risk that the true purpose of the festival is lost.

Let's not forget that these festivals (inlcuding Kanto) have religious ties and despite being "festive" still deserve some reverence.

Since Kanto is such a major festival, I don't think there is any worry of it going-away in the future. There are, however, dozens of local festivals all over Akita that I am NOT hopeful will survive. Even within the next 10 years I suspect many of Akita's rural folk festivals will go extinct. There needs to be a fundamental shift in how companies, local governments, and schools in Akita and the rest of the country manage their human resources, so as to not drain the rural regions of valuable residents, who are needed to keep these important traditions robust.