Japan Guide
Northern Honshū
Nebuta-no-sato
One of the city's most popular sights is the exhibition of festival floats at Nebuta-no-sato. One of Japan's great summer festivals, the Nebuta Matsuri, is named after the gigantic bamboo-framed paper lanterns (nebuta) which take the form of Kabuki actors, samurai or even sumo wrestlers in dramatic poses. The features are painted by well-known local artists, and the lanterns – lit nowadays by electricity rather than candles – are mounted on wheeled carts and paraded through the night-time streets of Aomori. According to the most popular local legend, the lanterns originated in 800 AD, when local rebels were lured out of hiding by an imaginative general who had his men construct an eye-catching lantern and play festive music. You can see several of today's magnificent nebuta in a darkened hall on the hillside to the left as you walk through the park, alongside photos of early festivals and of construction techniques. Opening time: Daily: April– Nov 9am–5.30pm; Dec– March 10am–5.30pmPrice: April– Nov ¥630, Dec– March ¥420