May 2nd, 2011

Hakata Dontaku Port Festival highlights the spring of Fukuoka with parades of local citizens and foreign delegates which go on for entire two days, along with stages allocated all over the city’s center featuring both amateur and professional performers.

Dontaku started as a shinto ritual “Matsubayashi” in which a parade troop dressed like gods makes visit to the city’s temples and shrines, as well as merchants’ houses to bring in prosperity and good health for the people.

During this festival, where the old tradition and the new cosmopolitan energy of Fukuoka meet, we receive about 2.5 million visitors on total every year from all over Japan and overseas which consitutes the biggest turnout of the season nationwide.

Please find out more about Dontaku at Fukuoka City’s tourism promotion site YOKANAVI: http://www.yokanavi.com/eg/theme/detail/55