66. Oni Matsuri
The Oni Matsui (Devil Festival) is held on the nearest Saturday to February 7th at Takisanji temple in Okazaki, Aichi.About 35 men (who were born in the sign of the Chinese zodiac of the current year) are selected to perform a fire ceremony to scare devils away before the spring.
67. Soma Nomaoi Matsuri (Soma Wild Horse Chase)
A recreation of a 1,000 year old battle held at the end of July in Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture. In 2011, about 1,500 residents of Minamisoma lost their lives in the Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami.The city lies 25 kilometers from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. Much of the city has been evacuated. It's hoped that this festival might resume sometime in the future.
68. Fujisaki Hachimangu Festival in Kumamoto
A 5 day festival in Kumamoto on the island of Kyushu. The highlight of the festival is the chasing of the horses — about 17,000 people chase 67 decorated horses shouting "Dookai Dookai".The festival is related to ancient Buddhist traditions of letting domesticated animals experience the freedom of being wild. The horses do indeed go wild when chased by 17,000 shouting people. Chasers are often injured by the horses.
69. Yamagata Hanagasa Festival
A early August festival in Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture. The highlight is a parade that features 10,000 dancers holding hanagasa (flower hats). It attracts more than 1 million visitors each year.
70. Yonabaru Great Tug of War in Okinawa
A mid August festival in the town of Yonabaru, Okinawa that's been held for more than 400 years. The two day festival peaks with a huge tug-of-war that pits the east and west side of town against each other.
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