A festival celebrating summer’s farewell, where festivals from across Japan meet in the streets of Noshiro
Onagori Festival
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- September second Saturday (period when it was held in the past) / Every year (through 2019)
- Location
- Hatamachi-dori
- Area
- Akita Prefecture・Noshiro City(From Tokyo: approx. 3 h 40 min–4 h 10 min · bullet train)Prefecture-level estimate to a main station or airport, not the venue. Airport access, check-in and onward travel are extra; remote areas and islands can take much longer.
- Features
- Highlights and activities
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
Onagori Festival was an event where festivals from across Tohoku and elsewhere gathered in central Noshiro for parades and local activities. It was held from 1988 to 2019, with the 32nd festival in 2019 being the last.
About Onagori Festival
Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Marho File:Onagorifestival F.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Marho File:Onagorifestival Tsuzureko2.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Marho File:Onagorifestival S.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.Onagori Festival was an event held every September in Noshiro, Akita Prefecture, from 1988 to 2019.
Famous festivals, mainly from across Tohoku, gathered in Noshiro and held parades to bid farewell to the passing summer.
Daytime activities also included local product fairs, a village, dancing, and live performances, making it an event where visitors could enjoy a wide range of festival traditions in central Noshiro.
Source: おなごりフェスティバル - Wikipedia
Festival highlights
The main highlight was the parade along Hatamachi-dori, where festivals from various regions appeared one after another.
Visitors could see performances by a diverse range of groups all at once, including Akita Kanto Festival, Aomori Nebuta, Morioka Sansa Odori, Hanawa Bayashi, and the Asakusa Samba Carnival.
During the day on Yanagimachi-dori, there were product fairs, a yatai village, a kindergarten parade, dancing, and live performances, followed by fireworks at the end.
A festival celebrating summer’s farewell, where festivals from across Japan meet in the streets of Noshiro
What to expect
The event was divided into daytime and evening activities.
During the day, visitors could explore the product fair and yatai village on the pedestrianized Yanagimachi-dori, and enjoy a kindergarten parade, dancing, live performances, and more.
From evening onward, festival groups from various regions paraded along Hatamachi-dori, offering a succession of different festival atmospheres.
Fireworks were launched toward the end to conclude the festival.
Location and access
- Venue and address
The main venue is Hatamachi-dori, and daytime activities take place on Yanagimachi-dori in Noshiro.
- Train and bus
A 5-minute walk from Noshiro Station on the JR Gono Line.
- By car
From Noshiro-minami Interchange, travel about 6 km along Route 7 toward Odate, then take Route 101 toward Happo for about 10 minutes.
It takes about 20 minutes from Noshiro-higashi Interchange.
- Parking
Information indicates that free parking is available at various locations in the city.
Source: 祭・イベント詳細： おなごりフェスティバルｉｎ能代;｜（一財）都市農山漁村交流活性化機構（まちむら交流きこう）
Event venue 秋田県能代市 畠町通り
This map uses the venue name. Check the official guide for the event area and entrances.
Dates and season
- Season
September second Saturday (period when it was held in the past)
- Frequency
Every year (through 2019)
Accommodation and hotels PR
Showing nearby accommodation.
Prices and availability are current at the time of retrieval. For multi-night stays, only the first night’s price is shown. Confirm the final price and directions to the venue with the booking provider. Select your dates again when using the area search link. Search area: within 3 km of Central Akita Prefecture / Noshiro City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
Noshiro City’s Former Ryotei Kaneyu was a venue for daytime events at past Onagori Festivals.
The address is 13-8 Yanagimachi, Noshiro, and the facility is introduced as a nearby location connected with festival activities.
The Shirakami Mountains are also listed as a nearby tourist attraction, but no distance or travel time from the festival venue is provided.
Source: おなごりフェスティバル能代の祭りは贅沢！有名な祭りを一夜で堪能 | cocomama研究室
井坂記念館
秋田県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
写真：掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·
能代市子ども館
秋田県能代市にある教育施設
写真：掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·
金勇
秋田県能代市にある観光交流施設
写真：掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·Origins and History of Onagori Festival
Onagori Festival began as a welcome event for the Junior Chamber International Tohoku Convention held in Noshiro in 1984.
A parade featuring leading summer festivals from various regions proved popular, and the predecessor event, “Kassei Noshiro,” was held in 1987. It took its current name the following year, in 1988.
After the 32nd festival in 2019, it ended following financial difficulties, the burden on the people involved, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, among other factors.
Onagori Festival at a Glance
Onagori Festival was a parade event that brought together festivals from across Tohoku and elsewhere in central Noshiro.
Highlights included daytime product fairs, a yatai village, dancing, and live performances, as well as festival parades and fireworks from evening onward.
The 32nd festival in 2019 was the last, and no event is scheduled that visitors can attend in 2026.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
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