Kanto Matsuri is a lantern festival that takes place at the beginning of August in Akita city. By carrying 8 meters long bamboo poles with 46 paper lanterns weighing about 60 kg (which resemble the ears of rice plant), they pray for a good harvest of rice, millet, wheat and other grains. There are five ways to carry the kanto (pole) at the sounds of drums and flutes. Akita. Tohoku. Japan.