Yatsuo is on the outskirts of Toyama city.

In centuries past it was a travel hub with a flourishing trade in raw silk.

Late August.

The local matsuri is coming up and people are busy rehearsing.

Local people dance, sing and play instruments.

They are amateurs, rather than professional performers.

This year is special.

The festival was called off twice because of COVID-19, and now it will be held for the first time in three years.

To prevent infection, spectator numbers will be limited and markings are used to help keep people apart.

Etchu Owara-Kaze-no-Bon takes place on September first to third.

Typhoons are common at this time of year, and some believe the matsuri began as a prayer not to be hit by stormy winds.

Eleven districts participate.

Each has its own style of performance.

Owara-Kaze-no-Bon has a history of about three hundred years.

The music, Etchu-Owara-Bushi, features the shamisen,

another stringed instrument called kokyu, and a characteristic way of singing.

Its movements have a long history.

The women are elegant and alluring.

In many cases, a dancer's face will be hidden by her hat,

and this has become one feature of the matsuri.

The men's movements are more exaggerated and dynamic.

The song called Etchu-Owara-Bushi is frequently performed throughout the festival.

Each parade covers an entire neighborhood.

Music, dancing, and singing continue as performers move through the streets.

Throughout the preparations this time, COVID-19 was a source of anxiety.

I'm so glad we made it!

Knowing we could hold the matsuri
in any form was such a relief.

It's great that once again, we have
this chance to dance together in parades.

When dancers turn 25, they retire and turn to singing, playing instruments, or working behind the scenes.

It's a vital part of life
for people in Yatsuo.

So important.

Owara-Kaze-no-Bon is a prayer for bountiful harvests and lasting prosperity.

Once again, the event's elegant music and dancing grace the streets of Yatsuo-machi.