A summer festival of songs and dances brightening the streets of Mizusawa
Oshu Mizusawa Summer Festival
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Early August / Every year
- Location
- Mizusawa City Ekidori, the banks of the Isawa River, and other locations
- Area
- Iwate Prefecture・Oshu City(From Tokyo: approx. 2 h 10 min–2 h 40 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
Oshu Mizusawa Summer Festival was a local summer festival where visitors could enjoy singing and dancing, as well as original performances by yakudoshi groups, in the streets of Mizusawa. Starting in 2022, it was reorganized with other events and held in central Mizusawa as the “Oshu Autumn Festival.”
About Oshu Mizusawa Summer Festival
Oshu Mizusawa Summer Festival is a local festival that has been held in summer in Mizusawa, Oshu, Iwate Prefecture.
Main streets such as Ekidori were closed to traffic and used for events including the “Mizusawa Zattsaka Festival” of singing and dancing, and “Eto-wa,” original performances by yakudoshi groups.
Starting in 2022, it was reorganized with other events and held in central Mizusawa as the “Oshu Autumn Festival.”
Source: 奥州水沢夏祭り - Wikipedia
Festival highlights
A highlight was the large-scale community event centered on Mizusawa songs and dances.
At the “Mizusawa Zattsaka Festival,” more than 2000 people are said to have filled the streets, dancing as they walked.
Other highlights included original performances called “Eto-wa” by successive yakudoshi groups, and a fireworks display that once served as the summer festival’s finale.
A summer festival of songs and dances brightening the streets of Mizusawa
What to expect
In the past, events featuring dancing, drumming, , and festivities took place around Ekidori and other parts of central Mizusawa, followed by a fireworks display.
One of its central performances, “Mizusawa Zattsaka,” is described as a festival where anyone can enjoy dancing.
Today, it is no longer held in the form of the traditional summer festival, but is treated as the “Oshu Autumn Festival,” reorganized with other events.
Source: 祭・イベント詳細： 夏の暑さを吹き飛ばす“水沢夏まつり”｜（一財）都市農山漁村交流活性化機構（まちむら交流きこう）
How to take part
The former “Mizusawa Zattsaka Festival” was presented as a festival where anyone could enjoy dancing, and large-scale dances involving the whole community were held.
However, in 2023, the Mizusawa Zattsaka Preservation and Support Association decided to cancel the festival and dissolve the association.
Location and access
- Venue and address
The former venues included Mizusawa City’s Ekidori and the banks of the Isawa River. The listed address is 4 Mizusawa Higashimachi, Oshu, Iwate Prefecture.
The event takes place at multiple venues in the city, including Ekidori, so it does not have a single facility address.
- Train and bus
It is a 1-minute walk from Mizusawa Station on the JR Tohoku Main Line.
- By car
It is a 12-minute drive from Mizusawa IC on the Tohoku Expressway.
- Parking
The Mizusawa Station Square Municipal Parking Lot (100 spaces), among other options, is listed.
Address 4 Higashimachi, Mizusawa, Oshu, Iwate Prefecture
Dates and season
- Season
Early August
- Frequency
Every year
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 Iwate Prefecture / Oshu City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
えさし藤原の郷
岩手県奥州市江刺にある平安時代のテーマパーク
写真：Kano / Public domain(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·
奥州市牛の博物館
岩手県奥州市前沢にある博物館
写真：Okayamakunio / CC BY 3.0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·
胆沢城
岩手県奥州市にあった古代城柵
写真：Saigen Jiro / CC0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·
菊田一夫記念館
岩手県奥州市にある資料館
写真：Ty19080914 / CC BY-SA 4.0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·
駒形神社
岩手県奥州市にある神社
写真：Saigen Jiro / CC0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·Origins and History of Oshu Mizusawa Summer Festival
The “Mizusawa Zattsaka Festival” is said to have begun in 1976, when Shinyukai, a group of 42-year-olds observing their yakudoshi year, presented the original dance “Mizusawa Zattsaka” to Mizusawa City.
The name comes from the Mizusawa dialect, and the festival grew as an event where anyone could enjoy dancing.
In 2022, the summer festival was reorganized with other events, and in 2023, the cancellation of the Mizusawa Zattsaka Festival and the dissolution of its Preservation Support Association were decided.
Official information
The Oshu City official website explains that, starting in 2022, the “Oshu Mizusawa Fireworks Display” changed its timing and location and has been held as the “Oshu Fireworks Display,” rotating among areas across the city.
In addition, Oshu City’s 2026 summer events feature does not list “Oshu Mizusawa Summer Festival” in the Mizusawa area.
Source: 奥州の花火大会／奥州市公式ホームページ / 【2026】夏が来た！奥州市の夏イベント特集！（8月）／奥州市公式ホームページ
Oshu Mizusawa Summer Festival at a Glance
Oshu Mizusawa Summer Festival is a summer festival held in the streets of Mizusawa, featuring singing and dancing, performances by yakudoshi groups, taiko drumming, mikoshi, fireworks, and more.
A particularly distinctive feature was the “Mizusawa Zattsaka Festival,” where more than 2000 people danced through the streets.
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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