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August Festivals of the Tōhoku Region
Japan’s Tōhoku Region, in the north of Honshu Island, is where traditional culture thrives. Tōhoku’s festivals (known as “matsuri”) are known for their paper lanterns, parade floats, and fireworks. Hives of activity buzz day and night and offer local Japanese delicacies, grand processions and most importantly, invaluable cultural experiences. The creators of the festivals, in particular those who build the floats, work for weeks preparing for the short festival.
Held at the beginning of August every year, it reflects the region’s history, traditions, and characteristics. No summer is Japan is complete without attending a few of these matsuri.
Among the many August festivals in Tōhoku, are the following:
- Akita Kanto Festival (August 3~7)
- Aomori Nebuta Festival (August 2~7)
- Hirosaki Neputa Matsuri (August 1~7)
- Goshogawara Tachi Neputa Festival (August 3~8)
- Morioka Sansa Odori (August 1~4)
- Sendai Tanabata Festival (August 6~8)
- Yamagata Hanagasa Festival (August 5~7)
Tōhoku Festival Travel Tips:
- The JR East Pass (Tōhoku Area) offers incredible value for unlimited rides all over Tōhoku. The pass is valid in the Tōhoku area, as well as for the Shinkansen, Narita Express and Tokyo Monorail, and even allows rides on some non-JR trains in the Izu and Nikko areas. Buy online or from a travel agent BEFORE arriving in Japan. It is only available to overseas visitors holding a non-Japanese passport who plan to enter Japan as a Temporary Visitor.
- Book accommodation several months in advance as the festivals are very popular among locals and international visitors alike.
- VIP seats can be prebooked, though it is not necessary to have a seat. Walk along the road with the floats. You can even rent the necessary clothing and participate in the processions.
- It is hard to say which one is the best. They are all good in their own way. I personally found the lanterns of the Akita Kanto Festival very special. Each section of lanterns has a special meaning. The sounds of drums, flutes and chanting of “dokkoisho, dokkoisho” create an unforgettable experience. The fireworks on the last night of the Aomori Nebuta is very impressive!
- Some festivals, if not all, have daytime and nighttime parades.
- COVID19 UPDATE: Note that most, if not all, the Tōhoku Festivals have been cancelled for 2020
Below are photos of the first four festivals:
Akita, Aomori, Hirosaki, and Goshogawara.
Kantō Matsuri, Akita
Celebrated every year from August 3rd to 6th or 7th, the Akita Kantō Matsuri (“pole lantern festival”) originated as the Neburi Nagashi in the early 18th century. The present name was first used by Tetsusaku Okubo in 1881 in his effort to entertain the Meiji Emperor. Kantō literally means “a pole with lanterns”. The poles are from bamboo and bear rice paper lanterns. Poles are normally eight to twelve metres high with a number of cross poles attached which can have as many as 46 paper lanterns shaped like rice bales hanging from them. They can weigh as much as 60 kg.
The poles with lanterns are carried downs the streets to the rhythm of drums, flutes and onlookers chanting “dokkoisho, dokkoisho”. Each kanto is hoisted up by a single performer, often with the much-needed help of others, who balance the pole using various techniques. The performers change every few minutes and gradually add extensions to the pole until the kanto are at their maximum height.
The nearly one kilometre-long night parade is held along Chuo Dori street in the center of Akita City. Various performing groups, carrying nearly 250 kanto poles, line up down the street, and when a signal is given, the poles are all raised up at once and the performers show off their skills. The parade lasts about 90 minutes, and at the end of each night, there is a 15 minute session during which the audience is invited to talk to the performers, take pictures and try their hand at hoisting up a kanto. Truly a spectacular event!
Daytime events (not necessarily a parade) are mainly held at Agora Plaza in front of the Seibu Department Store which from 10:00 to 17:00 on all days of the festival. One of the activities that visitors can participate in is lifting miniature kanto poles which is quite a pleasant event to witness.
Tip: The ends of the closed off-road offer a particularly spectacular view but is therefore also more crowded. The median of the road offers paid-reserved seating but is not essential as there are plenty of places to sit and stand on the sidewalk along the route.
Access: JR Akita station
Website: http://www.kantou.gr.jp/english/index.htm
Nebuta Matsuri, Aomori
The Aomori Nebuta Matsuri is held in Aomori City every year from August 2 to 7. It is one of the most popular, and largest, festivals in the Tōhoku region. “Nebuta” refers to the float of a brave warrior-figure carried through the city by a group of dancers.
There are various types of nebuta floats which differ in size and grandeur: The largest floats require a small group of men to move them and are therefore often only paraded from the 4th to the 7th of August. The smaller floats, including the kids’ nebuta, are paraded from the 1st to the 3rd of August. Note that the dates are not fixed in stone and appearance of the floats vary.
The floats are constructed of painted washi (Japanese paper) draped over wire and bamboo frames. The paintings depict various mythical characters and creatures, historical figures and kabuki actors.
While floats are paraded during the daytime, the best experiences are at night when the floats are lit up, and accompanied by a full set of parade dancers and musicians. A show not to miss! During the off-season, the floats can be viewed at the Nebuta Museum Wa-rasse in Aomori.
It can take an entire year to design and construct the floats. Floats measure up to nine metres wide and five metres tall.
Access: JR Aomori station (5-min walk to festival area)
Website: https://www.en-aomori.com/culture-038.html
Neputa Matsuri, Hirosaki
The Hirosaki Neputa Matsuri is held every year from August 1st to 7th in the old castle town of Hirosaki. This festival reputedly originates from the Nemuri Nagashi, a traditional event to banish the invisible sleep demon who makes people drowsy during the summer when farmwork is at its busiest. The use of lanterns and lights is thought to have stemmed from Nemuri Nagashi, but since evolved into the current neputa.
The parade of about 80 neputas – large fan-shaped floats, parade through the town towards the call of “Yah-Ya-Doh” by the participants accompanied by flute and taiko (Japanese drums) players. The floats are decorated with paintings of epic images of warriors and Samurai figures. The key feature of a neputa is the contrast between the gallant kagamie (front picture) and the elegant miokuri (back picture). Built around a bamboo structure, neputa floats can reach up to twelve metres high and are transported through the streets by pure arm strength.
One of the highlights of the Hirosaki Neputa is the ōdaiko – a large traditional drum. The sound of the ōdaiko is so profound that spectators can feel the vibrations to their core. At this festival are three ōdaikos. One of them is called the Tsugaru Joppari Ōdaiko which was recreated in 1970 based on the myth around the Third Tsugaru clan lord, Nobuyoshi. The word “Joppari” is an expression in Tsugaru dialect meaning “the stubbornness of people from Tsugaru”. The Tsugaru Joppari Ōdaiko is 3.3 meters (10 feet) in diameter and weighs 2 tons (4,000 lbs). It uses one uncut cow hide for each side of the drum and natural cedar from Akita for the body. The other two ōdaikos are known as Tsugaru Go Joppari Ōdaiko and Dotten Daiko. Such an incredible feeling to hear these drums!
Access: JR Hirosaki Station (10-min bus ride to festival area). Hirosaki lies some 40 km to the southwest of Aomori. The Ou Line-Limited Express (JR Line) takes 2.5 hours from Aomori to Hirosaki Station from where it is a short walk to the festival area.
Website: en-aomori.com/culture-039.html. A list of Festivals in Hirosaki.
Tachi Neputa Matsuri, Goshogawara
Celebrated every year from August 3rd (or 4th) to 8th, the Goshogawara Tachi Neputa Matsuri is, along with Aomori Nebuta Festival, Hirosaki Neputa Festival, and Kuroishi Yosare Festival, known as one of the four largest festivals of the Tsugaru region. It is most impressive and memorable festival in the entire Tōhoku Region. Some of the floats stand 23 metres (75 feet) in height and weigh as much as 19 tons (38,000 lbs)!
The history of the massive “tachineputas” are as follows: The oldest written record regarding tachineputa in Goshogawara dates back to 1907. It notes that great landowners of the time competed against each other to make the highest standing neputa. The neputas were said to be visible from neighbouring towns as they are recorded to have reached a height of 20 metres (66 feet). Unfortunately, the massive neputas became obscure as the schematics and records of these neputas were lost after two devastating town fires. In 1993, some lost schematics and pictures were found, thus reviving the tachineputas that we can see now at the festival.
The tachineputas are conveyed through the city of Goshogawara while carriers and dancers excitedly shout “Yattemare! Yattemare!” The Tachi Neputa parade never fails to captivate the audience with its unbelievable size and vigor. In addition to the three large tachineputas which are regularly exhibited at the Tachineputa No Yakata (Tachineputa Museum), a total of 15 floats of various sizes are featured in this festival.
Access: JR Goshogawara Station lies 25 km east of Aomori but due to the mountains a detour is required via Daishaka (road) or Kawabe (train). The JR Ou Line from Aomori Station needs a change to the JR Gono Line at Kawabe Station. Train travel time from Aomori to Goshogawara is about 1.5 hours.
The beauty of Japan’s Tōhoku Region
In addition to the many festivals of the Tōhoku Region, it also offers beautiful natural scenery, little villages, and great Japanese food and hospitality.
☛ Read more: Posts of various festivals
Blog post and photos by Peter who has been travelling almost full-time since 2005 and has been to over 122 countries. He visited several countries, such as Japan, more than 20 times. Peter is Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of GlobeRovers Magazine, an independent travel magazine focused on intrepid destinations.