🏮 Hassaku Hirosaki Neputa Matsuri

八朔弘前ねぷたまつり

Hirosaki, Aomori (中心市街地) · Every year on 1 August

Summer festivalFloats

321 days to go
Rooms around Hirosaki, Aomori fill up while the festival is on.

Hirosaki Neputa Matsuri is a summer festival held in Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, every year from August 1 to 7. The procession starts with smaller neputa (festival floats) and, as the evening progresses, larger neputa exceeding nine meters make their appearance. Behind each neputa, hayashi musicians with flutes and drums follow, parading through the central city area while resounding with gallant music. This festival has a history dating back to the Edo period, and it is a traditional event so deeply rooted in the community that Hirosaki City Museum holds special exhibitions such as "Yaayadoo! Hirosaki Neputa Past and Present." The highlights are the large neputa being maneuvered to show off to the spectators while avoiding power lines and signs, and the sight of the hikite (pullers) pushing and pulling neputa weighing several tons without stopping. On the final day of the festival, August 7, "Nanokabi Okuri" is held on the Iwaki River riverbed, closing with a neputa nagashi (float parade) and neputa okuri, in which the neputa are purified with fire.

Getting there

During the Hirosaki Neputa Matsuri, traffic restrictions are in place, and car access to the main venues is limited. The nearest station is Hirosaki Station, and the Dotemachi Course and Ekimae Course are within walking distance. During the festival, extra trains are operated by Konan Railway.