Issaki Hoto Festival 石崎奉燈祭

Festival with a parade of 10-meter-tall lantern floats called kiriko

The Issaki Hoto Festival in Nanao features towering lanterns called kiriko. Kiriko are central to summer festivals across the Noto Peninsula. The lanterns are around 10 meters tall and can weigh up to 2,000 kilograms.

On the first Saturday of every August, local fishermen gather at the festival grounds to hoist up six kiriko. At night, the kiriko are lit and paraded around the town in a spirited procession accompanied by impassioned chanting.