Recognized as one of Japan’s Three Big Fire Festivals, the Aomori Nebuta Festival is renowned internationally and is designated as a significant intangible folk cultural asset of Japan. During the festival, more than twenty large nebutas – large lantern floats decorated with human figures – are wheeled along the parade route in the city of Aomori. Ahead of each float, Nebuta dancers called haneto dance wildly to the hayashi music of the Nebuta Festival,making the summer night festival lively and exciting. The fantastic view of lantern-lit floats and the dancers’ shouts of “rasse rasse” are overwhelming. It certainly is a genuine fire festival of Japan. The Aomori Nebuta Festival attracts as many as 3 million tourists a year. A story goes that the Aomori Nebuta Festival originates in the purification rite of toro-nagashi (the placement of lantern offerings on the water), performed during the Tanabata Festival (the Star Festival of July 7) at many places in Japan. Some documents describe the first Nebuta as a giant lantern 360 cm on each sides that was created in the Muromachi era by the feudal lord Tsugaru Tamenobu to surprise people in Kyoto during the Lantern Festival, an event to welcome the spirits of departed ancestors.   Candles for lighting lanterns were replaced by electricity, and wire is now used instead of bamboo for lantern frames. Since 1980, when the Aomori Nebuta Festival was designated a significant intangible folk cultural asset of Japan, the event has been recognized around the world as characterizing Japanese festivals. Nebuta attracted world attention in 2001 when the British Museum in London featured it in a special exhibition. ▲To the top of this page    Okuri-e (the design on the rear of the float) Kingyo Nebuta (goldfish nebuta) Kodomo nebuta and Chiiki nebuta (children’s nebuta and neighborhood nebuta) Teburi-gane (hand cymbals) Nebuta-shi (nebuta maker) Haneto (nebuta dancers) Hikite (nebuta float operators) Sensu-mochi (leader with a fan)   Okuri-e (the design on the rear of the float) The design on the rear of the float. Because viewers gaze at each float as it passes by, the back image is also called miokuri (parting view) or okuri nebuta (parting nebuta). The sight of an okuri-e vanishing into the nighttime darkness makes the viewer feel sad to realize that summer is passing. Kingyo Nebuta (goldfish nebuta) A lantern in the shape a goldfish. It is said that a shop selling artificial flowers made the first kingyo nebuta lanterns as a side job. The goldfish is spherical, has rough scales, and looks comical because its eyes are wide apart. Many kingyo nebuta lanterns are displayed at railway stations and in front of shops during the festival. Kodomo nebuta and Chiiki nebuta (children’s nebuta and neighborhood nebuta) Small lantern floats produced by neighborhood associations, children’s associations and schools. The parade of these small Nebuta floats starts prior to the parade of the large nebuta floats, which are built and operated by corporations and other larger groups. The Chiiki Nebuta’s Parade, which represents a primitive form of the Aomori Nebuta Festival, takes place at many places between early July and the third week of August. The number of neighborhoods having a local parade has increased to more than 70 in recent years. Teburi-gane (hand cymbals) Small cymbals, also called jagari, which make a clear “shan-shan” sound to the rhythm of the music. The sound and the performance of children and adults happily striking teburi-gane cymbals adds to the liveliness of the festival. Nebuta-shi (nebuta maker) A nebuta-shi creates a nebuta float over the course of a year. Immediately after the festival, every nebuta-shi begins to develop an idea for the following year’s festival and completes a rough design for a new float between winter and spring. Nebuta-bayashi (Nebuta Festival music) Music essential to the Nebuta Festival. It’s played with taiko drummers keeping rhythm, flute players playing the melody, and hand-cymbalists adding characteristic musical accents. As the festival approaches every year, citizens hear the sounds of nebuta-bayashi being rehearsed here and there in the city and can hardly wait for the festival. Rasse, Rasse The shout endlessly let out during the parade. Haneto dancers shout “rasse, rasse” while dancing and thrashing wildly. Haneto (nebuta dancers) Dancers jumping and dancing to the nebuta-bayashi and shouting “rasse, rasse.” Anybody in haneto costume can join in the parade. Wearing yukata summer kimono, a hanagasa hat and a tasuki sash, haneto dancers perform wildly to enjoy the festival to the fullest. More information is available below for those who want to be haneto dancers. Hikite (nebuta float operators) Important festival participants, they move floats. They not only draw the floats forward but also move them from side to side under the direction of the sensu-mochi so that the figures depicted on the floats look as if they’re moving on their own. Sensu-mochi (leader with a fan) The leaders who controls the movement of a float. Floats operated in sync with the leader’s instructions move vigorously as if alive. Taiko (drums) Taiko drums keep rhythm for the nebuta-bayashi. The strong sound of drumbeats doesn’t stop until the parade ends. Baketo (disguised performers) Performers dressed in various funny costumes who entertain viewers. Fue (flute) A musical instrument playing nebuta-bayashi melodies. As the festival approaches, rehearsals of nebuta music on flute are heard throughout the city. The nebuta-bayashi consists of seven different melodies, and it is not easy for flute players to master all of them. The continuing efforts and progress of the flute players make the performance of the nebuta-bayashi more profound and beautiful. Mae-nebuta (the lead float) The lead float ushers the parade of large nebuta floats. Mae-nebuta floats of various shapes are inspired by TV cartoon characters, commercial goods and the like, parading for the purpose of giving publicity to the Nebuta Festival and to the groups, corporations, etc. that have produced the floats. Miss Nebuta The Miss Nebuta helps to liven up the festival. A contest for choosing Miss Nebuta girls for the year is held in June. They engage in promotional activities, taking part in various events on behalf of the city of Aomori. Men (faces depicted on a float) The men is the most important part of the float. The individuality and enthusiasm of each nebuta master is reflected in the face of the figure created by that master. Taiko (drums) Fue (flute) Miss Nebuta Baketo (disguised performers) Men (faces depicted on a float) ▲To the top of this page
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