Sunday, August 2nd 2009, was the opening of another year of the Nebuta festival. Held in Aomori city, Aomori prefecture (http://www.nebuta.or.jp/english/index_e.htm), this festival hosts over 3, 5 million people over a 7 day span. It’s one of the biggest festivals in the Tohoku area and, I would argue, one of the most enjoyable.
Anyone can participate, all that is required is to wear the “Haneto” costume which everyone wears in the parade. (It can be bought or rented in Aomori, locations are even mentioned on the official Nebuta website http://www.nebuta.or.jp/english/pages/rules.htm). Joining the parade was a great experience and was surprisingly easily accomplished. Once I’d put on my Haneto costume, I was ready to go. I was a little worried at first because I had never seen this festival before, never mind participated in it. I thought I would be the bumbling Gaijin protruding from the crowd. To my pleasant surprise, the way to participate was quite simple and it certainly seemed like I wasn’t the only one unaware of what ought to be done as I began to march in the parade.
The dance, which resembles to a coordinated and tempered kind of moshing without the intentional slamming into people, takes very little time to get used to. In the crowds of participants, there are a few bosses -as I’ve named them for convenience- who vivaciously chant; “Aah, Rassera! Rassera!” and everyone else replies in an equally merry voice; “Rasse! Rasse! Rassera!”. I’ve asked quite a few of my Japanese friends for the meaning of this chant and so far did not get much detail of its origin or meaning. Nonetheless, it’s quite catchy and invigorating. You easily become enchanted by the melody of the drums and flutes played by festival-goers and incited by the energy of the fellow members bouncing up and down raising their hands and shaking their fans as they chant, laugh, and smile to each other and the onlookers of the parade. Accompanying the thousands of people dancing, drumming, and playing music in the streets, are spectacular floats carried by festival participants and propelled by vehicles. These illuminated floats, called “Nebuta” vary in size. Some are nearly bigger than the boulevard they’re carried on. If only to see these floats, there is reason enough to come to the festival (photos of floats provided here: http://www.reggie.net/album.php?albid=853). The people twist and turn these floats as they march through the street so everyone can have a good look at them and take pictures if they please. Some of the floats are rushed towards onlookers and stopped inches short of their faces for added effect. The children especially loved this, giddily screaming in surprise when the menacing-looking floats halted to a sudden stop before their eyes.
On the sidewalk along the festival roads, all the shops are open and anyone can purchase freshly cooked specialties of local shops. Of course cold drinks and beer are also obtainable. Some areas are quite crowded but it is not so difficult to find a nice spot to sit down and appreciate the show if you’re not interested in participating. It lasts about 3 hours, from around 6pm to 9pm but the nightlife is quite vibrant in Aomori after the festival. You can even catch musicians playing Tsugaru-jamisen; a quite unique genre of Shamisen music originating from Aomori prefecture. All in all, Nebuta is definitely one of the best festivals of Japan, whether you’re participating, watching, or doing both.
