Yearly Events and Festivals >>

Aomori Spring Festival >>

This festival opens every year during Golden Week, from the end of April to the first week of May, when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. During this time, roadside cafes line the walkways at the festival sites, and at night paper lanterns illuminate the cherry blossoms. Celebrations are held at Gappo Park and Nogiwa Park. More information and dates can be found on the Aomori City website nearer the time.

Aomori Nebuta Festival >>

Central to Aomori's cultural identity is the Nebuta Festival, held from 2nd to 7th August every summer. The festival attracts around 3 million visitors from within and outside of Japan, and in 1980 the Japanese government designated it a 'Significant Cultural Asset'. There are a variety of different Nebuta (or Neputa) Festivals within Aomori Prefecture, with different towns possessing their own unique style, but visitors often travel to Aomori City for the definitive Nebuta experience.

'Nebuta' refers to the massive illuminated floats which possess dimensions of around 5m in height, 9m in width and 7m in depth. The floats are constructed with Japanese paper over a wire frame and these are carried through the streets during the festival, marching in the darkness of night and captivating viewers' senses. In between the floats march musical ensembles, playing flutes, taiko drums, bells and gongs, and then thousands of 'haneto' (Nebuta participants) follow behind, dressed in traditional clothes, dancing and cheering for hours on end. Anyone can join as long as they are wearing the right clothes, which can be rented from numerous shops throughout the city. On 7th August, the last evening of the festival, the enormous floats are lifted onto ships and paraded through the harbour against the magical background of a fireworks display. More information can be found on the official Aomori Nebuta website.

Winter Events >>

Aomori is well known for its high snowfall and harsh winters, but this season is celebrated through a variety of events which take place during January, February and March. At the Moya Hills Winter Festival visitors can take part in a treasure hunt or watch the ski tournament, or at the Aomori Winter Festival at Gappo Park visitors can play on the giant snow slide, try their hand at mochi-tsuki (kneading rice for rice cakes using a giant hammer) or take part in the snowball competition. More information and dates can be found on the Aomori City website nearer the time.