Things to see at the festivals

The Hirosaki Neputa Festival is designated as an important intangible folk culture asset of Japan. In the festival, about 80 floats, featuring images of glorious heroes and warriors from works of classical Chinese literature like The Romance of the Three Kingdoms and The Water Margin, march through the streets of this castle town shouting "Yaa ya do!"

In January 1980, the festival was designated as an important intangible folk culture asset, and today, novel ideas are incorporated such as neputa for children and advance lanterns. The heroic themes of the kagamie, or framed pictures, at the front of the floats, contrast with the simple elegance of the ogi-neputa or fan-shaped back-facing theme and the traditional kumi-neputa with their magnificent three-dimensional constructions. As the floats are carried through the town, musicians provide a unique air to the festivities with their flute and drum accompaniment.

Please note that events are subject to change.

Things to see at the festivals

The Aomori Nebuta Festival is counted as one of the three great Tohoku festivals, and it attracts some three million people from around Japan and other nations each year. In 1980, the Aomori Nebuta Festival was designated by Japan as an important intangible folk culture asset. The nebuta is a magnificent float made by attaching Japanese washi paper to a wire frame. Dancers called haneto weave among the nebuta, dancing and yelling out their trademark "Rassera!" call in a loud voice. There are a number of shops where the proper attire for a haneto dancer can be obtained, so visitors can also dress up and take part in the dancing.

During the parade, a series of gigantic nebuta, some as large as 9 meters wide, 5 meters tall and 7 meters deep, pass through the town, one after the other. The internally illuminated nebuta seem to float in the air through the dark night like something from another world.

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Things to see at the festivals

The neputa of Goshogawara Tachi neputa are about the same as those in the Aomori or Hirosaki festival, but they are much taller. Called tachi neputa, these gigantic floats rise to some 22 meters high and can weigh up to 17 tons. As the parade winds through the streets of Goshogawara City, everyone cheers "Yatte-mare, yatte-mare!"

When power lines and utility poles were put up around Goshogawara Station, the tachi neputa would get caught every year, causing power outages, so the lines were buried underground.

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Things to see at the festivals

The best thing about the Morioka sansa odori or dance is the synchronous Japanese drum (taiko) performances, listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest drum parade in the world.

On the final day of the festival, all of the participating drum groups form the greatest drum parade in the world with nothing but drums, and mark the end of the festivities with circle dancing, open to participants and spectators alike. This is a great opportunity to create a memorable trip.

Please note that events are subject to change.

Things to see at the festivals

One of the three great Tohoku festivals and the largest in Akita Prefecture, the Akita Kanto Festival brings together wishes for a bountiful harvest and the neburi nagashi rite, passed on from the days of yore, for purification and protection from evil spirits. To the cheering of "Dokkoisho!" performers carry out feats of strength and skill while balancing lantern poles weighing 50 kilograms on the palms of their hands, their forehead, shoulders, waist and more.

Akita Prefecture is known for growing the best rice in the Tohoku area, and the lantern poles that hang heavily with a total of 250 or more lanterns made to resemble bales of rice lined up along Kanto Odori is a scene that conjures up the image of the sun hitting rice plants bent over with the weight of ears of ripe rice.

One of the best events is the daytime feats of skill "Myogi-kai", where performers compete in six-meter rings.

Please note that events are subject to change.