What is the Hirosaki Neputa Matsuri?
In the first week of August, the cities of Aomori Prefecture, at the northern tip of Honshu, light up their summer nights with giant illuminated floats. In Aomori city, they are the nebuta, sculpted warriors. In Hirosaki, the old castle town an hour away, they are the neputa: huge, fan-shaped lanterns of painted paper, glowing from inside, pulled through the streets to the beat of enormous drums.
The Hirosaki Neputa Matsuri is said to have grown out of nemuri nagashi, a summer ritual to drive away the drowsiness that threatened farmers in the busy farming season, in which lanterns were floated away. Over the centuries, the lanterns grew into the magnificent floats seen today, and in 1980 the festival was designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan. It draws more than a million visitors every year.
About 80 neputa take part, from small floats pulled by children to giants several metres tall. Most are fan-shaped. On the front of each is a kagami-e, a dramatic painting of warriors in battle, taken from Japanese and Chinese legends. On the back is a miokuri-e, a softer and more elegant image, often of a beautiful woman. Local people say that Aomori's Nebuta is the warriors setting off to battle, while Hirosaki's Neputa is their quieter, triumphant return.
Each float is pulled by its neighbourhood group, accompanied by flutes, cymbals and taiko drums, and the giant Tsugaru Joppari Odaiko, a drum over three metres across, leads the parade.
The festival is part of a remarkable week in the Tohoku region. In the first days of August, Aomori, Hirosaki, Akita, Sendai and Yamagata all hold their great summer festivals, and many travellers move from one to the next by train, seeing several in a single trip.
What to expect
The festival runs for seven days, from August 1 to 7, with evening parades on the first six days and a daytime parade on the last.
August 1 to 4
Dotemachi parades
From 7pm, the illuminated floats parade along the Dotemachi course in the city centre, with drummers and flute players.
August 5 and 6
Station parades
The evening parades move to the course in front of Hirosaki Station.
August 7
Nanukabi
The festival ends with a daytime parade along the Dotemachi course from 10am.
A neputa painting up close
Photo by Rosino / flickr · CC BY-SA 2.0
Planning your trip
Getting there
From Shin-Aomori, on the Tohoku Shinkansen from Tokyo, the Limited Express Tsugaru takes about 30 minutes to Hirosaki. Buses run from Aomori Airport in about 55 minutes. The parade routes are a short bus ride or a 30-minute walk from the station.
Where to stay
Hirosaki has a limited number of hotels, which fill up for the festival. Many visitors stay in Aomori city, which has its own Nebuta festival at the same time, and travel to Hirosaki for an evening.
What it costs
Watching the parades is free, with reserved seats along the Dotemachi course for about ¥1,800 for adults. Hirosaki is more affordable than Japan's big cities.
Go like you know
- See both Hirosaki Neputa and Aomori Nebuta on the same trip; they run on the same days.
- Learn the chant "Yaa Yado!", shouted by the float pullers.
- Arrive early for a spot along the Dotemachi route, or book a reserved seat in advance.
- Listen for the Tsugaru Joppari Odaiko, a giant drum over three metres across that leads the parade.
- Visit the Tsugaru-han Neputa Village, a museum where you can see neputa up close and try the drums, any time of year.
- Combine the trip with Akita's Kanto Festival, held in the same week.
- Visit Hirosaki Castle and its park, famous for cherry blossoms in spring.
- Try Hirosaki's apple pies and ciders; the city is in Japan's apple country.
- Aomori's Nebuta Festival parades giant sculpted floats in early August.
- In spring, Hirosaki hosts the Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Hirosaki Neputa Matsuri?
Every year from August 1 to 7. The evening parades run from August 1 to 6, starting at 7pm, and the festival ends with a daytime parade on August 7. The dates are fixed, so in 2027 the festival runs from Sunday, August 1 to Saturday, August 7.
What is the difference between Neputa and Nebuta?
Hirosaki's Neputa floats are mostly fan-shaped, with paintings of warriors on the front and elegant figures on the back. Aomori's Nebuta floats are three-dimensional sculptures of warriors and creatures. Locals say Nebuta shows warriors going into battle, and Neputa shows their return.
Can visitors join the parade?
Some neighbourhood groups and tour operators offer places for visitors to pull floats or join as dancers, usually by arrangement in advance. Check with the local tourist office. Most visitors watch from the streets or from reserved seats along the route.
