Ishinomaki Kawabiraki Festival

The Ishinomaki Kawabiraki Festival stands as the most significant annual event in Miyagi's second-largest city, marking over a century of local history. Founded in 1916, it commemorates Kawamura Magobei Shigeyoshi, the engineer credited with transforming Ishinomaki into a prosperous merchant town through innovative flood control. The festival serves a dual role: it expresses gratitude for the river's resources and provides a space to honor those lost to the water, including an annual memorial for the victims of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.

The celebration begins on a Friday with shrine rites and a poignant lantern-floating ceremony called ryuto, where approximately 1,000 lanterns are released onto the river. Saturday's highlights include competitive races featuring ten-meter wooden Magobei-bune boats, mikoshi processions, and an aerial display by the Blue Impulse flight team. The day concludes with a massive fireworks show held downstream of the Kaihoku Bridge.

On the final day, the festival moves into the town center for a grand parade featuring marching bands and the traditional Oryo odori, or "big catch dance." Most activities are conveniently located within walking distance of Ishinomaki Station. Due to heavy road closures and limited parking, organizers strongly recommend using public transportation, such as the JR Senseki or Ishinomaki lines, to access the various riverside and downtown venues.