page_title: Fukushima Prefecture
section_title: Notable festivals and events
hierarchical_section_title: Fukushima Prefecture / Notable festivals and events
caption_attribution_description: 二本松ちょうちん祭り
context_page_description: Fukushima Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Fukushima Prefecture has a population of 1,848,257 and has a geographic area of 13,783 km². Fukushima Prefecture borders Miyagi Prefecture and Yamagata Prefecture to the north, Niigata Prefecture to the west, Gunma Prefecture to the southwest, and Tochigi Prefecture and Ibaraki Prefecture to the south.
  Fukushima is the capital and Iwaki is the largest city of Fukushima Prefecture, with other major cities including Kōriyama, Aizuwakamatsu, and Sukagawa. Fukushima Prefecture is located on Japan's eastern Pacific coast at the southernmost part of the Tōhoku region, and is home to Lake Inawashiro, the fourth-largest lake in Japan. Fukushima Prefecture is the third-largest prefecture of Japan and divided by mountain ranges into the three regions of Aizu, Nakadōri, and Hamadōri.
context_section_description: Sōma's Nomaoi Festival (相馬野馬追, Sōma Nomaoi) is held every summer.
  The Nomaoi Festival horse riders dressed in complete samurai attire can be seen racing, chasing wild horses, or having contests that imitate a battle. The history behind the festival and events is over one thousand years old.
  Fukushima's Waraji Festival (わらじまつり, Waraji Matsuri) is held on the first weekend of August
  During the Waraji Festival, a large (12-meter, 38-ft) straw sandal built by locals is dedicated to a shrine. There is also a traditional Taiwanese dragon dance, or Ryumai, performed by Taiwanese visitors.
  Aizuwakamatsu's Aizu Festival (会津まつり, Aizu Matsuri) is held in late September
  The Aizu festival is a celebration of the time of the samurai. It begins with a display of sword dancing and fighting, and is followed by a procession of around five hundred people. The people in the procession carry flags and tools representing well-known feudal lords of long ago, and some are actually dressed like the lords themselves.
  Taimatsu Akashi Fire Festival
  A reflection of a long ago time of war, the Taimatsu Akashi Festival consists of men and women carrying large symbolic torches lit with a sacred fire to the top of Mt. Gorozan. Accompanied by drummers, the torchbearers reach the top and light a wooden frame representing an old local castle and the samurai that lived there. In more recent years the festival has been opened up so that anyone wanting to participate may carry a small symbolic torch along with the procession.
  Iizaka's Fighting Festival (けんか祭り, Kenka Matsuri) is held in October
  Nihonmatsu's Lantern Festival (提灯祭り, Chōchin Matsuri) is held from October 4 to 6
  Nihonmatsu's Chrysanthemum doll exhibition (二本松の菊人形, Nihonmatsu no Kiku Ningyō) is held from October 1 to November 23
  Kōriyama City's Uneme Festival (うねめ祭り）is held early August in honor of the legend of Princess Uneme. The festival features a large parade through the city center with thousands of contestants annually, with several festival floats and a giant taiko-drum.
  Date City's Ryozen Taiko Festival (霊山太鼓祭り) is held in August and features multiple troupes of taiko drum players as well as other musical and comedic performances.
caption: Nihonmatsu Lantern Festival on October
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