The Konoura Cod Festival JACOB FAGAN
Konoura Elementary School students do a drum performance (technically kagura not taiko) to start things off. Then a bunch of local business as well as 3rd graders from the elementary school each carry a cod through the town for about 30 minutes to the Konoura Yama Shrine where the cod are offered to the kami, and the priest does a blessing. It’s all over
Konoura is a small town in Nikaho, in
by about 11am.
southern Akita. Konoura only has a population of about 5000,but it isn’t
One of the big draws of this festival
that isolated because it’s right next to
is the cod soup. Despite there being only
route 7 and the Tohoku expressway; both
a few hundred people there on the day, it
major roads. Every year on the fourth of
was still close to a 35 minute wait to try
February it celebrates cod.
some. It was ok, maybe a bit sweet which sounds strange,but it was. There are a few
The
Cod
Festival
(鱈祭り Tara
other food vendors and they wrap up by
Matsuri) started over 350 years ago. It was
about 1 PM, so it’s a very short festival,
originally a month and a half earlier and
but it’s nice.
held at a different shrine. It was moved to its current date and place during the Meiji
Period (1868 - 1912). These days it starts
please come and check it out. Also, just
at 10am at a fishery warehouse on the
come to Konoura anyway.
coast. After someone greets the crowds,
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If you get the chance next year,
...
