92nd Ishinomaki River Festival Held

The 92nd Ishinomaki River Festival took place over two days from July 31 to August 1.

The festival began to both pay tribute to Mr. Mogobei Kawamura who built the foundation for Ishinomaki’s development by improving the estuary of the Ishinomaki River in the Edo Era and hold a memorial service for those who fell victims to accidents in oceans or rivers.

The city of Ishinomaki has undergone multiple disasters including tsunami triggered by the Chile earthquake, the Miyagi earthquake, the Great East Japan Earthquake, and so on, but never called off the festival even in the year when it was hit by these disasters because the festival has been the source of emotional support to its people.

【A press photo of the memorial service for Magobei Kawamura splashed on the Ishinomaki Nichinichi Shinbun】



【A press photo of the memorial service for the Great East Japan Earthquake victims splashed on the Ishinomaki Nichinichi Shinbun】



The first day of the festival started off on a ceremony for remembering Mr. Magobei Kawamura and was followed by a service to commemorate the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake, in which service a total of 5,000 paper lanterns were floated down to comfort the spirits of the victims and fireworks were set off with wishes for recovery from the disaster.

The second day continued to follow a pattern of exciting events such as the parade featured by marching bands, the dedicatory tug-of-war competition to the god of Nawabari shrine, Magobei-boat rowing match and so on, as many as 6,000 fireworks being set off to wrap up the festival.

【A press photo of the parade splashed on the Ishinomaki Nichinichi Shinbun】



【A press photo of the dedicatory tug-of-war competition to the god of Nawabari shrine splashed on the Ishinomaki Nichinichi Shinbun】



The number of visitors from inside and outside Miyagi prefecture during the two-day festival rose to 226,500, increasing year after year.

Four years and five months after The Great East Japan Earthquake, Ishinomaki’s citizens want more and more people to come and see what’s going on in disaster affected areas and remember the disaster not to forget the lessons they learned from it.

JEN will continue supporting the disaster victims’ efforts to cheerfully get along with their lives.

【A press photo of the Magobei-boat rowing match splashed on the Ishinomaki Nichinichi Shinbun】



【A press photo of the display of fireworks splashed on the Ishinomaki Nichinichi Shinbun】

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