A local youth dressed as an ogre dances to the lively rhythm of a Japanese drum and flutes in the Hama-Kawachi district of Sado Island, Niigata Prefecture, on Saturday. Traditionally held every spring at Kawachi Shrine to pray for a bountiful harvest, the event was cancelled last year due to the pandemic. Well-rested ogres made a spirited return at this year's festival, which was streamed online for remote revelers unable to return to their hometown in person. Organizers said the festival had helped to lift the spirits of viewers, who left comments such as, "It's the highlight of spring."
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