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Nebuta festival
Gigantic illuminated floats take to the streets of Aomori every August.
The sleepy northern town of Aomori comes alive for the Nebuta Matsuri (festival), a week-long celebration in early August, one of Japan's most famous festivals. As darkness falls, huge illuminated floats are pulled through the streets by armies of local people. Crafted from coloured rice-paper, huge images of demons, warriors and horses bear down on the crowds below as the floats are rocked, spun and raced through the town. Hundreds of dancers follow the floats, to a cacophony of bells, flutes and drums. On the last night of the festival the floats are loaded onto boats and floated out to sea against the backdrop of a spectacular firework finale!
When to go: The festival takes place annually from 2nd to 7th August. The main days
are 2nd to the 6th when the night time illuminations provide the
spectacular backdrop to the festivities. On the 7th there are day time
celebrations all finished off with an incredible firework display over
the harbour after dark.
Be sure to book early if you wish to attend this incredible event. Accommodation is at a premium and close to the time is impossible to come by.
For more information email us: [email protected] or call: + 44 117 244 3380
A quick note about our experiences: Our experiences are designed to be part of a complete, tailor-made travel package and are not available to book individually. This allows us to ensure every detail – from accommodation to transport – is perfectly coordinated for you. If you're interested in one of these experiences, we'd love to help you build a full itinerary around it!
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