Every year at the end of summer, the quiet post town of Iburibashi in Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture, comes alive for the Guzu-yaki Festival, a three-day celebration featuring giant floats, traditional dances, fire rituals, and fireworks.
The festival takes its name from the guzu, a large type of goby fish, and is based on a local legend. The tradition is believed to ward off disasters and bring a good harvest.
One of the festival's most dramatic sights is a giant float departing from Furihashi Shrine and being pulled through the town's narrow streets by young people. After dark, large guzu figures appear around Iburihashi Station before being carried to Furihashi Shrine, where they are burned as prayers are offered and a dance takes place around the flames.
The festival program also includes lion dances, mikoshi (portable shrines), festival stalls, and other traditional celebrations throughout the town.
The final evening features a fireworks display, weather permitting, followed by the Kaga Ohara Ring Dance. Watching fireworks light up the night after the day's unusual guzu rituals makes for a memorable end to the festival.
With its local folklore and dramatic nighttime celebrations, the Guzu-yaki Festival offers a fun glimpse into one of Kaga's lesser-known summer traditions.
