NEBUTA FESTIVAL

A traditional festival held each year in Aomori, a city located in Aomori Prefecture, the northern most on the main island of Japan. In August every year, massive lanterns floats based on kabuki or mystical characters called Nebuta parade through the city while nebuta dancers (haneto) jump and dance as they shout “Rassera, rassera.” The energy and dynamism of the festival attract and enchant millions of tourists from in and out of the country. Jin, a native of Aomori, came home for the first time in years. As a kid, he used to watch the parade while sitting on his father’s shoulders. The colorful floats always remind him of his father saying, “Most nebuta are dismantled after the festival to create space for the future.”