Huge festival in Yamagata, drawing 300,000 people to this little city with a population of only 250,000. The festival showcased the local summer festival dances of the six prefectures that make up the northern part of Japan. Three of which were severely effected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The event was made to help cheer up and revive this part of Japan. And cheer everyone up it well did! It was wonderful on many levels, but for me just seeing so many people out and about in the streets looking happy and peaceful was the best.
