Yamagata announces details for 38th Imoni Festival

Organizers of the 38th annual ‘Japan’s Number One Imoni Festival’ in Yamagata have announced details for the upcoming event scheduled for September 20. To address recent bear sightings, the festival will implement enhanced safety measures, including using fireworks to deter bears starting four days before the event, rather than just the day before.

Despite rising costs for labor and ingredients, ticket prices will remain unchanged from the previous year, with advance tickets priced at 600 yen and same-day tickets at 700 yen. The festival plans to prepare approximately 30,000 servings of imoni using a 6.5-meter diameter pot. While previous years faced taro shortages due to weather, producers report that current crops are in good condition.