Obanazawa City is home to Hanagasa Matsuri, the 'flower hat festival' in which thousands of dancers flood the streets in a parade that goes all afternoon and well into the night.
The music and the dancing in Hanagasa Matsuri is said to have originated with the rice farmers of old and now ranges from complex and precise to wild and joyful.
Every year in early August, people from all across the region come to Obanazawa to celebrate Hanagasa in its birthplace.
Every dancer wears a colorful happi coat to represent their group, and a wide straw hat adorned with bright fake flowers.
As well as the dancers, there are floats, taiko drummers, and countless stalls selling food and drink.
Hannah Warren @hannah.warren
Hannah lives in Sydney and spends most of her time dreaming of being somewhere else. She loves karaoke, hates making plans in advance, and will probably never be able to read a map.
