Japan Photo Guide

Like Nebuta and Tachi Neputa, Neputa is a giant float festival in Aomori Prefecture. Neputa takes place in the city of Hirosaki from August 1st to August 7th. If you want to see all 3 of the float festivals, Hirosaki isn’t a bad place to stay because it is kind in between the two other festivals (it is kind of a long trip from Aomori City, where Nebuta is, to Goshogawara, where Tachi Neputa is).

There are a couple of differences from the other two festivals. The main one being of course the shapes of the lanterns, which are large fans. Also, this festival is for the kids and you will see a lot of young children pulling the floats. Lastly, instead of going in a circular route, the parade basically makes a straight line. I found that the the further back I went in the parade route the fewer people where there. So if you want a lot of space, head towards the end. Just be sure to check with the tourist information center at Hirosaki Station to find out where the route is as it is not really obvious.

This was the first of the 3 lantern festivals I went to, so maybe I was more impressed because of it, but I really enjoyed Neputa Matsuri. The floats aren’t as impressive as the other two, but still pretty amazing to me! You can find a little more information here.