Tohoku Tabi: Nebuta Matsuri (Aomori)
A demon disguised as a beautiful woman, waiting to assassinate her former-prince lover under the cover of fall leaves ー
a sorceress and her skeletal sidekick working together to avenge the murder of her father ー
a boy with superhuman strength, raised by a mountain-witch, sumo-wrestling with larger than life carp ー
Every summer from August 2nd – 7th at the Nebuta Matsuri in Aomori City, you can see these images (and more!) come to life in moving, roving three-dimension.
The Nebuta Matsuri is one of the Three Great Festivals in Tohoku along with the Kanto Matsuri in Akita City and Tanabata Matsuri in Sendai. It is an unique version of the Japan-wide Tanabata festival. Local groups led by master craftsmen make illuminated paper floats picturing action-packed mythical and historical scenes. These washi-paper floats can weigh up to ten tonnes which are paraded and pulled by community groups throughout Aomori City. The floats are also accompanied by a band of energetic taiko drummers, musicians and dancers who stir up energy in the entire city.
The Nebuta Matsuri is one of the ultimate festivals to see and experience in Japan. I was fortunate enough to be able to make the journey from Tokyo to experience the Nebuta Matsuri this year. I’ve picked up some tips and tricks along the way, and in this guide, I’m going to introduce the history of the Nebuta Matsuri and share with you how I planned the trip and tips on how to enjoy the festival!
Nebuta Matsuri Guide
History
The Aomori Nebuta Matsuri is undoubtedly one of the most famous matsuri in Japan, but it is not the only area that has a “nebuta” style festival. Other cities in Aomori prefecture also have their own versions of it. In Hirosaki City, just 40 minutes away from Aomori City, their version of the festival is called the Neputa Matsuri (not a typo, it is nePuta, not neButa) and in Goshogawara City, they make nebuta floats that stand up to 7 feet high!
The word “nebuta” refers to the float itself, and it is widely accepted that the nebuta style of celebration is a combination of the Chinese Tanabata festival with local Aomori customs that widely featured lanterns and fire.
However, there are some different ideas as to the origin of the word, “nebuta.” A commonly accepted theory regarding the etymology of “nebuta” originates from the early Heian period (794 – 1185). A Shogun known as Sakanoue no Tamuramaro used the guise of taiko, flutes and dancing to lure his enemies into battle.
There is also another explanation of the origins of nebuta that has a darker history.
Sakanoue no Tamuramaro (ST) had plans to conquer the northern Tohoku area; however, a general named Aterui united the people in the area to resist him. But they were unsuccessful and ultimately, defeated. Aterui was killed. Those who were loyal to Aterui were subsequently, forced to dig their own graves and buried alive. Those who surrendered to ST were made slaves, ordered to cover up these graves, and use their feet to stomp the ground burying their former comrades. The kanji characters that make up the word, “nebuta,” (根蓋) possibly verify the origin of this story. The characters mean “root,” to return to the roots of the world of the dead, and “to put a lid on, cover,” covering their comrades with dirt. After the subjugation of the people of northern Tohoku, ST then enacted festivals where his followers would carry floats in his honor while stomping and dancing on the ground.
Quite dark, eh?
This is just one theory regarding the origin of nebuta, and other theories are definitely not as dark! In Hirosaki, where they celebrate the Neputa Matsuri in a similar way with illuminated paper floats, it said that its origins lie in the Nemuri Nagashi. In Hirosaki, legends tell of a demon that would encourage this summer slumber to disrupt farm work at it’s most crucial time. The Nemuri Nagashi was created to fight this summer sleepiness and fatigue. The Nemuri Nagashi then evolved into the modern day Neputa Matsuri where “neputa” is said to be a corruption of the word “nemuri.”
Planning the Trip
Basic Information
When
August 1 (Nebuta Pre-Festival)
August 2 – 6 (Nebuta Night Parade)
August 7 (Nebuta Afternoon Parade and Harbor Night Parade/Fireworks)
Hours
August 1 (18:00 – 21:00)
August 2 – 6 (19:10 – 21:00)
August 7 (Afternoon Parade 13:00 – 15:00)
(Harbor Parade and Fireworks 19:15 – 21:00)
Where
Aomori City. The parade route starts about an 8 minute walk from JR Aomori station.
Admission
Free (Sidewalk Seating)
3000 yen (Reserved Seating for the Parade)
Accommodation
Every summer from August 2nd – 7th, millions of people will descend upon Aomori City during the Nebuta Matsuri. When traveling throughout Tohoku this year, I had been in Aomori City since July 28th. For the days preceding the festival, the city was like a ghost town. At times, I found myself doubting whether the festival was happening or not due to the lack of tourists in the city. Suddenly, on the evening of the second, people started to appear out of nowhere to crowd the streets (and hotels!) for the festival.
There are several ways that you could enjoy the festival – you can definitely enjoy it spontaneously or obsessively plan the trip at least 6 months in advance. I’m the type to obsessively plan, (if you couldn’t tell already!) but no matter which way you do it, here are some tips that I learned while planning the trip.
Pre-Planning: BOOK 6 MONTHS IN ADVANCE!
You will want to make reservations for accommodations AT LEAST 6 months in advance if you are hoping to stay in Aomori City. I recommend 6 months in advance if you are hoping to stay in the city, as that is when hotel reservations usually open, but you may be able to book even earlier.
Aomori is not a big city, and all of the hotels are usually at maximum capacity during the festival. You may get lucky as there are usually some hotel cancellations leading up to the festival; however, hotels will be charging at least 4 – 5 times more than the amount outside of festival season.
If you are driving or are OK with not staying in Aomori City, it is possible to stay in nearby cities such as Hirosaki during the festival. However, the first week of August is when most cities in Tohoku have their largest and most famous festivals, so it will most likely to be difficult to find a hotel last minute in the first week of August.
I recommend using Booking.com to book accommodations as they offer free cancellation services. You can book early so as to secure a place to stay, and if plans change, you can always cancel your reservation.
Spontaneous Stay: Internet Cafes and Karaoke Booths to the rescue!
We stayed in Aomori City from July 28 – August 2 this summer, which was just in time for the first day of the Nebuta Matsuri. I would have loved to stay for the entire duration of the festival, but I was one of the ones who planned the trip too late! There were no hotels left in the area when I started planning the trip three months in advance.
So, we opted to enjoy the first night of the Nebuta Matsuri and then… see where the night went. No hotel, no hostel, no Air BnB, no real plan. Except to try and find an internet cafe or karaoke booth to stay in.
Staying in a karaoke booth or an internet cafe, is a great option for a short term stop in to experience the Nebuta Matsuri!
In Japan, staying in an Internet Cafe or Karaoke Booth are not exceedingly grim options. Internet Cafes often have showers you can use; karaoke booths are private boxes that you don’t need to share with strangers; both are relatively clean places that give you a roof over your head!
As soon as the festival ended, we went in search of a karaoke booth that would give us shelter and found a clean Joy Sound Karaoke near the station that offered 3500 yen/person for “free time” which meant we could stay in a private karaoke room from 8PM – 4AM. We were planning to take the first train out from Aomori City to Akita City for the Kanto Matsuri in the morning anyways, so we weren’t fussed to leave early.
So if you find yourself on a spontaneous trip to the Nebuta Matsuri, and just want a temporary roof over your head, here are some options for you:
Internet Cafe
Karaoke Booth
All Nighter (hardcore option!)
Enjoying the Matsuri
We only experienced the Nebuta Matsuri on the opening day for one night. Based on my experience, this is my suggested one day itinerary as I believe it will allow you to enjoy the festival in depth from multiple perspectives that include history, craftsmanship, and community.
Wa Rasse Land
Wa Rasse Land is a permanent museum that is dedicated to showing visitors the history and legacy of the Nebuta Matsuri. They have detailed exhibits that tell the history of the festival (all in Japanese, however) and most stunningly, they also display previous Grand-Prix winning nebuta floats.
You can also participate in interactive activities such as taiko drumming and haneto dancing to experience what it’s like to participate in the parade. There are also chances to try making a nebuta float yourself.
Visiting Wa Rasse Land before viewing the parade is a fantastic experience as allows you to feel the depth and dedication that the local community and master craftsmen put into the Nebuta Matsuri.
Nebuta Festival Eve
If you can, try to come on August 1st to experience the Nebuta pre-festival.
Right on the harbour are large tents where the local groups along with craftsmen have been constructing their nebuta floats for an entire year. At the pre-festival, each group opens up their tents and reveals what they have been working on before the floats are set in motion.
You can see the nebuta floats up close and in detail which would be hard to catch while they are in motion. You can also chat up some of the groups and craftsman if you catch one of them taking a quick break from the drinking parties that they hold in front of their finished floats.
This is also the best time to snap a picture of your favorite float.
The atmosphere is infectiously energetic with tonnes of food stalls hawking their dishes and the thunder of taiko drumming reverberates in the background. The pre-festival caps off with fireworks as well!
Everyone comes for the parade, not everyone comes for the pre-festival eve festivities. Be one of those that do come on Nebuta Matsuri Eve.
Parade Route
I’ve whipped up a Google Maps of the places with the best FREE viewing spots for the Nebuta Matsuri.
Please feel free to share the Google Map to any friends or family who may be visiting Aomori City for the festival!
TIPS: Viewing the Parade
Go Early, Claim a FREE spot on the sidewalk. You do not need to pay for reserved seating to have a good view of the parade. As long as you go early (and scout along the parade route, you’ll be able to find a spot to claim for yourself. We walked around the parade route around 10am and there were still some prime locations available, but scouting the area from as early as 8-9am would be best.
Bring (or Buy) masking tape. We weren’t sure if we would be able to claim a spot while scouting, but we slowly started to notice areas on the pavement that were taped off with masking tape with people’s names taped on the ground! We only had a tarp in hand, but as soon as we went into a convenience store, we saw masking tape, tarps, string, scissors and other essentials needed to claim a spot to view the parade. That was when we realized this *must* be a thing that people do at the Nebuta Matsuri. When in Aomori, do as the Aomorians do, eh?
You can leave your spot and come back later. We walked around a bit, before deciding that front and center at a large intersection would give us the best view of the parade. We taped down our tarp, and taped down Andrew’s name in big letters lest anyone tried to take our spot! We also snapped a picture of me on our spot, lest anyone tried to take it! Spoiler: no one did. Japan is a very honest country and no one will try to steal your spot once you claim it.
Bring something to sit on, or buy a cheap chair from the Daiso in the city. Your butt is going to hurt from sitting on the pavement for so long, a little bit of relief feels good!
Be open to amazing things happening to you.
Sometimes you just get lucky and you meet amazing people.
When it came to thirty minutes before the parade was due to start, a very kind gentlemen who was sitting near us with an army of comfy lawn chairs, offered us his chairs! He gave us his chairs that he had been saving since the morning as some of his guests were unable to make the parade! It was an amazing act of kindness that I will never forget. It really made our night to be able to sit on comfy chairs and take in the Nebuta experience knowing that super nice people exist!
Thank you again super kind Aomori gentleman!
Participating
If you are inclined, you can directly particpate in the Nebuta Matsuri!
As long as you wear the traditional haneto costume which can be bought and rented from several places in the city (you won’t miss it, the stores are EVERYWHERE). From what we saw, prices to rent ranged from 3500 – 5000 yen while purchasing the outfit was about 7000-10,000 yen. Once you have the costume on, you can theoretically just enter the parade!
At least, this is what the tourism office and pamphlets promote! Andrew and I did not actually participate in the parade itself as we were happy to just watch and take it in.
For me, the best way to feel like we were participating in the Nebuta Matsuri was to stay in Aomori City for the days leading up to the festival and see the transformation from sleepy town to an explosively energetic community embracing their cultural legacy. We were able to talk to some local people in the days leading up to it and see their excitement as well of the festival.
Whatever way you decide to enjoy the Nebuta Matsuri, there is no doubt in my mind that you will love it. It is impossible to not feel positively affected by the infectious positive energy of the city during the festival and to feel inspired by the incredible craftsmanship of the floats.
This is a special festival, and you need to go there next year!
