Japan Guide
Northern Honshū
Neputa Mura
Neputa Mura, a museum focusing on Hirosaki's lantern festival, lies at the northeast corner of Hirosaki-kōen. The Neputa Matsuri (Aug 1–7) is similar in style to Aomori's Nebuta festival, but in this case the giant lanterns are fan-shaped and painted with scenes from ancient Chinese scrolls or with the faces of scowling samurai. Like the festival itself, the museum gets off to a rousing start with a demonstration of energetic drumming (you can try it yourself afterwards), after which you'll see a collection of floats, from a seven-metre-tall monster to child-size versions, followed by a display of local crafts – this is a good place to pick up souvenirs, such as ingenious spinning tops, cotton embroideries or stylish black-and-white Tsugaru pottery. Opening time: Daily 9am–4/5pmPrice: ¥500