The Roving Ronin Report

Japan’s Nebuta Matsuri – Giant Floats Frighten and Delight Fujin the Japanese God of Wind “Dragons, griffins, reptiles, fishes, birds there are, all dancing, waving fans, shouting, howling, singing, noising, in one form or another, in chorus perfectly bewildering.” - Amy Michael-Carmichael, American Missionary to Japan, 1895. Every summer, Aomori City’s Nebuta Festival brings in flocks of tourists from all over to gaze and wonder at the festival’s huge illuminated floats. Nebuta’s giant floats are the stuff of fantasy and nightmare depicting historical and legendary characters some of whom were of demonic origins. A samurai fights the Shuten Doji devil who once troubled Kyoto Visages of snarling faces of humans, animals, monsters, and demons of enormous proportions locked in grisly combat assail the eyes of visitors in a seemingly pagan-like splendor. If a 19th century Christian missionary had ever witnessed the Nebuta Matsuri, they would have probably thought tha...

2010 Hirosaki Neputa Matsuri My second night in Aomori Prefecture I went to the city of Hirosaki for its Neputa Matsuri, a festival where they predominately use fan-shaped floats with painted pictures on them. The paintings depict scenes from Japanese and Chinese history and legend. Neputa is seen more like a parade for going to war so the scenes are more warlike and on the back are often paintings of women who represent the women who would say farewell to their warriors. Because of the warlike nature of Neputa, some of the paintings can be a bit gory with bloody severed heads. There is also a brief demonstration of using the katana. This is my fourth time to the festival and it's one of my favorite being different each year as they make new floats every year.