Summer Festival Season: July 1-15, 2010

The first in a multi-part series, this post covers the festivals in Ishikawa from July 1-15, 2010.

1. Yamanaka Onsen Tanabata Matsuri 山中温泉七夕祭り, Kaga, July 1-8

2. Abare Matsuri (Fire and Violence Festival, or Rampage Festival) 暴れ祭り, Ushitsu, July 2-3

3. Isurugizan Founding Festival 石動山開山祭, Nakanoto, July 7

4. Nanao Gion Matsuri 七尾祇園祭, Nanao, July 10

Details after the cut.

Noto Abare Matsuri 暴れ祭り (Fire and Violence Festival)

This guest post is by Ginny Middleton, a second-year ALT working in the Noto. This festival is one of Noto’s most famous, so if you aren’t taking the July 2010 JLPT (Levels 1-3), plan to attend!

Noto Abare Matsuri 暴れ祭り(Fire and Violence Festival)

Photo thanks to gazoo.com

Arguably the best festival in the Noto, Abare Matsuri (the Fire and Violence Festival) will take place from 9 am on the first Friday and Saturday in July every year (2^nd and 3^rd July 2010 – same weekend as the JLPT)–although most of the best parts are after dark. The festival is held in the rural town of Ushitsu　宇出津 in the northern Noto peninsula and has been running for 350 years!