Kanto(竿燈) is a 10-meter-long bamboo pole with 40 lanterns. They weigh 50 kilograms.
Kanto holders balance them on their foreheads, shoulders and hips.
As with Nebuta festivals, this festival comes from a folk event to drive off the demon of drowsiness.
An ancient literature written in 1789 described the folk event that people paraded along the street holding a long pole to which horizontal poles with lanterns were attached.
The shape of kanto represents ears of rice and straw rice bags to pray for a good harvest.
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