The Konoura Cod Festival JACOB FAGAN

Konoura is a small town in Nikaho, in southern Akita. Konoura only has a population of about 5000,but it isn’t that isolated because it’s right next to route 7 and the Tohoku expressway; both major roads. Every year on the fourth of February it celebrates cod.

57 The Cod Festival (鱈祭り Tara Matsuri) started over 350 years ago. It was originally a month and a half earlier and held at a different shrine. It was moved to its current date and place during the Meiji Period (1868 - 1912). These days it starts at 10am at a fishery warehouse on the coast. After someone greets the crowds, 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 by about 11am.

One of the big draws of this festival is the cod soup. Despite there being only a few hundred people there on the day, it was still close to a 35 minute wait to try some. It was ok, maybe a bit sweet which sounds strange,but it was. There are a few other food vendors and they wrap up by about 1 PM, so it’s a very short festival, but it’s nice.

If you get the chance next year, please come and check it out. Also, just come to Konoura anyway.