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The Nebuta Festival

Aomori is the northernmost city on Japan’s main island of Honshu. In fairness to the city, it’s never made more than halfhearted attempts at becoming a tourist center. Around the city, there are some fascinating Jomon era archaeological sites, a good food market, and several regional museums that might interest some visitors.
But Aomori is quite justly proud of its one real claim to fame.
The Aomori Nebuta Festival is, unquestionably, one of the most visually dramatic, energetic, and well attended festivals in all Japan.
The Nebuta Festival runs, officially, from August 1st to the 7th, but if you plan to attend the real event comes after dark on the 2nd to 6th. Huge, elaborately constructed floats of paper and wire, illuminated from within by hundreds of lights, are wheeled through the streets of the city, interspersed with costumed locals performing dynamic dances to the accompaniment of bamboo flute and drums.
The floats are incredible. Including design and construction, they take a full year to prepare, and consequently plans for next year’s themes and floats begin immediately after each festival. Usually taking the forms of legendary warriors, gods, kabuki actors, and other figures, the floats almost invariably depict human shaped figures crouching or lunging in dramatic poses, often with raised weapon.
The most popular account of the festival’s origins claims that the semi-legendary ninth century General Tamuramaro built the first large, glowing figures to draw out and frighten rebels in the area, quite possibly Ainu. In old days, the floats were built over frames of bamboo and lit with candles. Now, they are mostly wire, with between 600 and 800 small interior lights illuminating the fantastic paper characters, all meticulously drawn, painted and hung by hand. Finished, they can be as much as five meters above street level. As they are carried along, the bearers spin them this way and that, frequently raising screams from children as they suddenly charge the crowd lining the street.

With the music, the dancers, and the high spirits of the spectators it really is an amazing atmosphere. And best of all, you’re encouraged to join in. There are a number of places around town where you can rent the traditional Haneto dancer’s costume, and after that you just show up at the assembly circle about a half hour before the parade begins.
The Nebuta Festival is so well known that cities around the world have begun requesting that floats be made for their own festivals. In recent years, Nebuta floats have been invited to festivals in Denmark, Hungary, England, China, Korea and the U.S. If you’re interested in festivals, or trying to build a trip to Japan around the summer season, this may be the one event you absolutely can’t miss!

>>Place
Area around JR Aomori Station

>>Date
Early August

>>Rental Costume
Fee: about 5,000 yen

>>Website
Aomori Nebuta Festival (English, Korean)

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　-Matt Mangham

>>Hotels and Ryokans in Aomori prefecture