Catch your own salmon! ! The Charm of Omoto Salmon Festival in Iwaizumi Town

Cindy

On October 29th 2023, the “20th Annual of Nanatsumai’s Hometown Omoto Salmon Festival” was held in Iwaizumi Town, Iwate Prefecture, Tohoku Region, in Japan.

The festival is divided into two parts, including performances, vendors, and activities during the daytime, and a fireworks display in the evening.

Part ONE
1000～Opening Ceremony
1015～Omoto Kindergarten Children’s Performance
1030～Oushinai NANATSUMAI Dance
1100～Catch-a-salmon by your hand
1140～Free salmon soup (300 servings)
1200～Misaki Kanazawa’s Song Show
1300～Nakano Nanatsumai Dance
1330～MOCHI-SPILLING (some with prizes)

Part TWO
1800~20th Salmon Festival Anniversary Fireworks Display

On the stage,Nakano Nanatsumai dance, which is the traditional dance in Iwaizumi Town, song show by Kanazawa Misaki, Omoto Kindergarten children’s performance, Oushinai Nanatsumai and other performances will allow you to appreciate the various aspects of Iwaizumi Town at once. Among them, my personal favorite is Nakano Nanatsumai. This is a Kagura (God-entertainment) dance left over from the Tenpō era that was created to entertain the gods. It’s really cool and fun! The Nanatsumai Dance is a very precious dance performance, and many fans come from far away to enjoy this dance, especially in Japan.

The most popular activity of the entire festival is undoubtedly the Catch-a-salmon by your hand event. It’s a pity that only elementary or junior high school students can sign up to experience it! This is a super special experience that people nowadays have ever tried before. Even adults like me want to do it! Everyone is welcome to bring your children to join it.

This year (2023), 40 elementary and junior high students is selected by lottery to participate. Among these children, some catch the salmon within 5 seconds, while others can’t catch it very fast. Watching these cute children trying hard to catch the salmon makes the bystanders smile knowingly.

＊Participation fee: 1,000 yen/person ※According to the capture conditions, the event may be canceled or the price may change.

There are also many local delicacies available for tourists to enjoy and purchase. For example, Iwaizumi Town’s classic charcoal Horumon (pork intestine hotpot, chicken, tofu, ets), fried salmon strips, BBQ Denkaku tofu and fried noodles are all served hot that are perfect for today’s chilly weather from various vendors. It goes without saying that the most popular delicacy is the protagonist today: salmon soup. It is only served 300 bowls for free. If you want to try it, it is recommended that you line up as early as possible!

Freshly caught salmon is also sold at a very-low-price, so if you are interested, it is recommended to buy it as much as you can finish it! The salmon may be a sea salmon caught from the “Sukudong fixed shore net” or a river salmon caught from the “Omoto River”! You can ask the sales staff to know where the salmon come from!

Among the vendors nearby, there are a diversity of sweet and delicious desserts for everyone to choose from, including daifuku, taiyaki, red bean dango, Ryusendo yogurt (highly recommended), and my favorite Japanese crepe (crust is soft).

Ｍatcha fresh cream crepe

This is a red bean dango. The dango is made in Iwaizumi Town.

The Omoto Salmon Festival is held near “Seaside Station: Omoto Aitokan”. This is a great place to eat seafood rice bowl and buy fresh fish or processed seafood as well.

Before the end of the festival, they hold a “Mochi Maki”(Mochi-spilling) activity, and some people come specifically for this reason.

That aunt, that uncle, those old ladies over there, and that child all look so energetic and excited that they can catch more mochi than anyone else! Please pick up more Mochi without injuring yourself or others and ensuring your safety! ! Since there may be some prizes inside the mochi, so be sure to check it out before leaving. Don’t miss your prize!

Finally, there is the second part of the firework display at 6 p.m., which lasts about 20 minutes! After watching the fireworks decorate the sky, I feel like I can continue to be a happy wage slave again.

This is a photo I took last year! Reflected in the river, it looks like two fireworks blooming at the same time, as gorgeous as you and me! At that time, I put a camping chair on a bridge and sat there. Eating oranges and candy while enjoying the fireworks made me feel perfect!

This is the photo I take this year! I watch the fireworks warmly from the third floor of the building at Sanriku Railway Iwaizumi Komoto Station. The fireworks were a perfect ending to the festival!

The Omoto Salmon Festival is one of my favorite festivals in Iwaizumi Town! We are looking forward to seeing you at Iwaizumi Festival next year. Hope seeing you soon!