Hakata Dontaku Port Festival to be held without restrictions due to new coronavirus type 5 | NHK Fukuoka News

The Hakata Dontaku Port Festival, one of Hakata’s three major festivals, begins on the 3rd, and the venues and streets of Fukuoka City are crowded with spectators.
The “Hakata Dontaku Port Festival” is a festival that is said to have its origins in “Hakata Matsubayashi”, which has a tradition of over 800 years, and this year marks the 63rd time.
This is the first time the event has been held since the new coronavirus moved to Category 5, and at the opening ceremony, the chairman of the organizing organization, Hiromichi Tanigawa, said, “This year, there will be no restrictions at all at Dontaku, and I hope everyone will cheer for the parade and other events.” Let’s bring some energy and have fun together,” he said.
Stages were set up at around 30 locations in Fukuoka City for the festival, and at Kushida Shrine in Hakata Ward, local children performed the local Hakata Niwakaya Taiko drumming.
A 125-meter long stage was set up on the main street in front of Hakata Station, and each group’s elaborate performance received applause and cheers from the packed audience.
A man in his 40s from Higashi Ward, Fukuoka City, said, “I’ve been enjoying Dontaku for the first time in a while since I was a child.I hope it will continue as a festival in Fukuoka.”
The “Hakata Dontaku Port Festival” will be held for two days until the 4th, with 675 organizations and over 26,400 people participating.