The Kanonji Zenigata Festival, the biggest summer event for Kanonji, Kagawa Prefecture, took place in mid-July, with the marquee Zenigata Yosakoi dance performed by a total of 2,600 people from 60 groups on the event's second day.
The July 13-14 festival, held for the 59th time, took place as a two-day event for the first time in five years, following the last such event in 2019 before the coronavirus pandemic.
Put on hold similarly because of the pandemic, the dancing event also returned for the first time. The performers -- from elementary school pupils to adults from within the prefecture and elsewhere -- displayed their dances at six different venues, including near the city's Civic Hall and in shopping streets.
Performances were divided into three formats: street dancing, on-the-spot dancing and stage dancing.
Despite being rained on occasionally, participants from each group, wearing matching outfits, performed their dance routines, and their rhythmical steps and dynamic moves thrilled the spectators filling the streets.
The dancers gathered at the stage venue from around 8 p.m. to perform for one last time.
During a section devoted to Zenigata Odori, a beloved local Bon dance that has been performed to the song of the same name, families were seen joining the dancers.
A student music festival was also held as part of the larger event. Twelve groups, including choirs, marching bands and brass bands, consisting of over 400 children from elementary school to high school, performed.
During a music event dubbed "Zenigata Live," amateur rock bands got the chance to play on stage, with high school bands drawing particularly enthusiastic reactions from the audience.
The Young Entrepreneurs Group of the Kanonji Chamber of Commerce and Industry hosted an event named "Let's talk! Let's scream! Kanonji!" Ten groups, including those consisting of junior high school students in Kanonji, expressed their passion for the city.
As officials such as Mayor Akihiro Saeki looked on, the young participants suggested promoting the city through movies and anime.
Garibenzu Yano, a Kanonji native and comedian serving as the city's promotional ambassador, appeared as a special guest, taking part in a comedy session and other onstage events as he bustled around the venues and interacted with visitors.
The Kanonji Zenigata Festival had opened with fireworks on the evening of the first day. Around 4,500 fireworks were launched from the mouth of the Saita River. The pyrotechnic show, dubbed "Zenigata Fireworks," involved 50 percent more fireworks than last year. They were set off to the sound of pop music, giving a new zing to the summertime spectacle.
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