Nebuta Matsuri
4 August 2026 — Hop, hop, rasse-ra! The glowing warrior is out for a stroll!
Nebuta Matsuri is a summer folk festival in the city of Aomori, in the north of Honshu island, Japan. It takes place in early August, with the main parades held from 2 to 7 August. Its stars are huge lanterns called nebuta, built on a wire frame, covered with paper, painted in vivid colours and lit from within. They usually depict warriors and heroes from legends. Around them dance the haneto, dressed in traditional costumes, while spectators join in shouting “rasse-ra”. Drums, flutes and hand cymbals provide the music. One explanation traces the festival to customs of driving away summer drowsiness and fatigue, though its exact origin is debated. The festival is designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan. Its date follows the solar calendar, and the warm August nights make its glowing lights especially beautiful beneath the stars.
Flying across the sky: An ethereal, bluish-silver starry figure made of bright dots and fine lines, like a constellation: a towering warrior lantern with a fierce brow and a raised sword, drifting slowly across the night sky
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