Noda City's festival season returns in 2023

For the first time in four years, Noda City's "daradara matsuri", the endless festival, has returned. The festival is actually many small and large ones that stretch for about a month, culminating in a mikoshi parade on July 29th and Tanabata dance festival on August 5th and 6th.

This weekend, the events start with the Mikamachi festival in Noda's town center with parades of floats with images unique to Noda City. You'll see a giant frog effigy that brings rain and swallows floods. 

The frog's eyes are lights that strobe to the rhythm of the drums

The sound of the matsuri is unique, too. Tacked to the frames of the mikoshi are large aluminum soy sauce cans, a tribute to the soy sauce brewing industry of Noda City.

The huge lion float's aluminum can drum

Nearly every day there are shrine events or mikoshi processions in a half dozen neighborhoods across the city.