Hakata Dontaku Festival

The Hakata Dontaku festival, celebrated annually on May 3-4 in Fukuoka, Kyushu, is one of Japan's most prominent Golden Week (holiday period in late April/early May) festivities. The streets are taken over by elegantly costumed dancers, many of them carrying the festival's signature wooden "shamoji" spoon, as well as gorgeously painted "hana jidosha" floats, throughout the festival.

The word "dontaku" is thought to come from the Dutch word "zondag," which means "Sunday" or "holiday." During the Meiji Period (1868-1912), the name was first used in Japan to refer to the first and sixth days of each month, which were designated official holidays between 1868 and 1876.

In Hakata Dontaku festival, there are currently around 650 Dontaku groups with over 30,000 performers and up to 2 million spectators!

Location: Fukuoka

Date: May 3rd - May 4th