東北の夏祭り集結、公道パレード　復興願う「絆まつり」―仙台

　東日本大震災からの復興を願う「東北絆まつり」で、東北６県の夏祭りが一堂に会する公道パレードが９日、仙台市中心部で行われた。約１０００人の参加者が１キロほどの公道を往復して練り歩き、踊りや山車などを披露した。
　同市での開催は７年ぶり。今回初めて「仙台七夕まつり」の高さ約３メートルの吹き流しがパレードの隊列に加わった。秋田市の「竿燈（かんとう）まつり」や青森市の「ねぶた祭」などの演者が次々と登場すると、沿道の観客は写真を撮ったり、手拍子をしたりした。（2024/06/09-18:19）

A parade uniting major summer festivals across the Tohoku northeastern Japan region was held in the Tohoku city of Sendai on Sunday to pray for recovery from the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster.
   About 1,000 participants paraded along about 1 kilometer of public roads, showcasing dances and floats. Sendai, the capital of Miyagi Prefecture, hosted the Tohoku Kizuna Festival, which brought together festivals in Tohoku's six prefectures including Miyagi, for the first time in seven years.
   Notably, windsocks about 3 meters high from the Sendai Tanabata Festival made a debut in the parade procession. As performers from Akita's Kanto Festival, featuring giant lanterns, and Aomori's Nebuta Festival, known for big colorful floats, followed one another, spectators lining the street took pictures and applauded.
   "I came here for the first time because I learned I could see Tohoku summer festivals all at once. Every festival was powerful," said Makoto Aoki, 49, a company employee from Yokohama, eastern Japan.
   A company employee, 37, of Sendai visiting the venue with her family said she and her family came to see the parade also seven years ago. "I want to see this again, so I hope the event will continue."