The Hakata Dontaku Festival is a dynamic celebration of traditional dance and music held annually on May 3 and 4 in the heart of Fukuoka City. This article introduces the energetic parades that weave through the city, including the So-Odori dance, where everyone is invited to join, and will show you how to make the most of the experience. Plus, it’ll feature some recommended restaurants to try the local culinary specialty of motsunabe, a flavorful offal hotpot perfect for refueling after a day of dancing.
The History of the Hakata Dontaku Festival - A Reflection of Fukuoka's Heart and Soul
The Hakata Dontaku Festival, whose full name is the Hakata Dontaku Minato Matsuri, is celebrated each year on May 3 and 4 in Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture. It is one of Japan's largest festivals, bringing in a total of two million spectators.
Dontaku is derived from the Dutch word zontag, which means Sunday or day of rest. The festival dates back 840 years, with roots in Matsubayashi, or Pine Tree Music, which marked the new year by welcoming the Deities of Fortune. During the Hakata Dontaku Festival, the Three Deities of Fortune are paraded through the city on horseback, accompanied by dancing children in ceremonial costumes, to spread blessings throughout the community.
Highlights of the Hakata Dontaku Festival
Be sure not to miss the main Dontaku-tai parade, where performers, each dressed in their own unique and vibrant costumes, parade along the 1,270-meter Dontaku Plaza route on Meiji Dori Street, from Gofukumachi Crossing to Tenjin.
You’ll also spot performers holding shamoji (rice scoops) and clapping them together like musical instruments. This unusual tradition is said to have started when a merchant’s wife was cooking as the parade passed, and was so enraptured that she joined the festival with a rice scoop still in hand!
Maximizing Your Time at the Hakata Dontaku Festival
The official website offers machine translations in English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, and Korean.
The dance is slow and easy to follow, and professionals will demonstrate it at Dontaku Plaza and other key locations prior to starting, making it a breeze to learn on the spot. Once you’re in the circle, let yourself go to the rhythm and tap along with a rice scoop if you have one!
The Best Places to Enjoy Motsunabe - Fukuoka City’s Local Specialty
This popular hotpot contains beef offal simmered in a flavorful broth of soy sauce or miso and enriched with garlic, garlic chives, and cabbage.
Below are two recommended motsunabe restaurants conveniently located near the Hakata Dontaku Festival!
Hakata Motsunabe Yamanaka Main Branch (Ohashi)
While miso-based broth is common today, back when the restaurant first opened, motsunabe was typically seasoned with soy sauce. This restaurant pioneered a new broth made with a unique blend of several types of miso, kick-starting a now-standard trend.
The restaurant is also distinguished by its impressive facade of a traditional Japanese warehouse. Inside, the spacious interior contains Japanese tatami floor tables, presenting a tranquil ambiance reminiscent of tea rooms and Japanese-style inns.
Hakata Motsunabe Yamanaka Main Branch
Closed: Tuesday
Average price: [Dinner] 5,000 JPY
Access: Approximately 10 minutes walk from Ohashi Station on the Nishitetsu Omuta Line, and 15 minutes walk from Takeshita Station on the JR Kagoshima Main Line
Address: 2-2-12, Mukaino, Minami-ku, Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka Map
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Hakata Motsunabe and Horse Sashimi Yuzu Motsunabe Matsuba (Yakuin Odori)
Plus, instead of the typical finishing dish of champon/udon noodles or rice, you can opt for [Vietnamese Pho] (380 JPY). These rice noodles are a perfect match for the fragrant yuzu-flavored motsunabe broth.
Hakata Motsunabe and Horse Sashimi Yuzu Motsunabe Matsuba
Closed: Wednesday
Average price: [Dinner] 5,000 JPY / [Lunch] 5,000 JPY
Access: 3-minute walk from Yakuin-odori Station on the Fukuoka City Subway Nanakuma Line, or an 8-minute walk from Yakuin Station on the Nishitetsu Tenjin Omuta Line.
Address: 102, Estate More Josui-dori, 4-18-5, Yakuin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka Map
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