Matsuri festivals, traditionally held throughout Japan to ward off bad luck and pray for a bountiful harvest, have long been canceled due to the effects of COVID-19.
At this year's festival, the first in about four years, there was a whirlpool of enthusiasm as people danced, shouted, and engaged in friendly competition with each other as if to release the energy that had been building up like a magma.
A dancer came out from the center of the whirlpool and said, "Today is a memorable day that marks the dawn of a long day".