【兵庫】神戸ハーバーランドumieモザイク Kobe Harborland umie Mosaic (Hyogo, Japan) (2025)

Since the Neputa Festival is taking place again this year in August, it was nice to see this cross-town event happening in Kobe. The near-by airport is currently offering direct flights to Aomori Airport, which is about 30 minutes away from the city centre of Hirosaki, if you arrive by car. I had the great fortune of visiting Hirosaki in 2023, during the cherry blossom season. It was so much fun! ☺

It's often said that the Hirosaki Neputa Festival is more elegant and low-key than the wild and frenetic Aomori Nebuta Festival. They are actually two sides of the same coin. Nebuta, in Aomori, celebrates the preparation for battle with its intense energy. Neputa, on the other hand, marks the victorious return of troops from combat.

Another legend about the Neputa Matsuri is that it is derived from an event held in mid-summer by farmers. During this time, when farm work is at its peak, the farmers get very little sleep. During the event, lanterns and lights were used to drive away the invisible demon that made the farmers drowsy. The modern Neputa Matsuri may have inherited the use of lanterns from this old farming tradition, but now they are used to celebrate. 👹