Kazuno: History, Markets and Festival Culture

When looking for hotels in the destination of Kazuno, you can also explore the markets and cultural attractions of Kazuno City (Kazuno-shi) in Akita Prefecture. Offerings in Kazuno City (Kazuno-shi) include Hanawa Morning Market, archaeological sites and traditional customs. Check recurring market and festival dates and tour times for the year of your trip.

Hanawa in Kazuno City (Kazuno-shi): Orientation, Market and Festival

Hanawa is a central area of Kazuno City (Kazuno-shi) in northeastern Akita Prefecture, near the border with Iwate Prefecture. In Hanawa, the town area extends around Hanawa Station on the JR Hanawa Line. According to the city, Hanawa Morning Market, in a central area of Kazuno City (Kazuno-shi), takes place on calendar dates that end in 3 or 8. Hanawa Morning Market in Kazuno City (Kazuno-shi) offers seasonal vegetables, wild mountain vegetables, clothing and hardware. The range of goods at Hanawa Morning Market in Kazuno City (Kazuno-shi) also includes fruit from Kazuno, fish and goods made by blacksmiths; the selection may vary by market day. Confirm market details before your trip.

Hanawa Bayashi is the festival performance for the Festival of the God of Good Fortune at Inari Shrine in Hanawa, a central area of Kazuno City (Kazuno-shi). According to the city, Hanawa Bayashi takes place every year on August 19 and 20. During Hanawa Bayashi, ten lavishly decorated festival floats make their way through the streets of Hanawa all night, accompanied by music. Check the program for the year of your trip. The Hanawa Bayashi float procession was added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2016.

Festival Floats and Historical Collections

The Hanawa Bayashi Festival Exhibition Hall in Hanawa, a central area of Kazuno City (Kazuno-shi), is next to Michi-no-Eki Kazuno roadside station and displays the festival floats year-round. The exhibition hall in Hanawa also has a taiko drumming experience station. The exhibition hall offers a close-up look at the floats and their design, while the nighttime procession brings the festival to the streets of Hanawa.

The Kazuno City (Kazuno-shi) Museum of History and Folklore is housed in a former public meeting hall in the Kazuno District. The wooden museum building in Kazuno City (Kazuno-shi) was built in September 1916 and designated a tangible cultural property of the city in 1991. Western-style features of the museum building in Kazuno City (Kazuno-shi) include exterior weatherboarding, sliding windows and plant motifs carved into the capitals of the entrance columns. The museum’s pseudo-Western architectural style is considered unique in Kazuno City (Kazuno-shi).

The collection at the Kazuno City (Kazuno-shi) Museum of History and Folklore includes folk materials from the Meiji period through the early Shōwa period, as well as household items, agricultural tools and barrels from sake breweries. The museum in Kazuno City (Kazuno-shi) focuses both on the architectural history of the former meeting hall and on objects from everyday life and work. Check the current opening hours before your visit.

Archaeology and Traditional Culture

In Towada-Ōyu, in Kazuno City (Kazuno-shi), lie the Nonakado and Manza stone circles, which are part of the large Ōyu archaeological site. The two stone circles date from the late Jōmon period and are about 4,000 years old. The Ōyu Stone Circle Center in Towada-Ōyu, Kazuno City (Kazuno-shi), offers tours of the site and exhibition hall six times a day. As the schedule may change, check tour times before you arrive.

Dainichidō Bugaku is one of the traditional customs of Kazuno City (Kazuno-shi): it has been passed down for about 1,300 years and is designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan. The main building of the Old Sekizen Sake Brewery in Kazuno City (Kazuno-shi) was built in 1905 and registered as a tangible cultural property. These examples from Kazuno City (Kazuno-shi) bring together traditional performing arts, preserved buildings and archaeological remains.

Local Cuisine

At Hanawa Morning Market in Kazuno City (Kazuno-shi), you can find fish and goods made by blacksmiths as well as vegetables and fruit; the selection varies by market day. At the Kiritanpo Hall at Michi-no-Eki Kazuno roadside station in Kazuno City (Kazuno-shi), you can spread tanpo with special walnut miso and grill it. Confirm before your visit whether this experience is available on your chosen date.

Discover more destinations: Oga, Yurihonjō, Fujisato, Semboku, Yokote, Akita, Ōdate, Noshiro

For the broader travel overview: Akita Prefecture.