Home > IBARAKI 茨城県 > Tsukuba つくば市 > Matsuri Tsukuba and Nebuta Parade 2009 まつりつくば・ねぶた大パレード

ts050-20090830_6507.jpg
A big, two-day August festival in Tsukuba featuring diverse dance groups, bazaar, street performances, hula dancing, and food stalls. The climax is a nebuta parade in the evening. Everything is near Tsukuba Station (Tsukuba Express). Ever since the Tsukuba Express train line opened in 2005 from Akihabara, getting to Tsukuba is a breeze in about 45 min. Wide streets and sidewalks. The festival's main venue centered around this brown building which you see from Exit A5.
ts051-20090830_6511.jpg
There are many things going on at the same time all day long for two days from 10 am to 9 pm.
ts052-20090830_6516.jpg
This is Tsukuba Center Hiroba, the central part of the festival where there are food stalls and information booth.
ts053-20090830_6515.jpg
Tsukuba Tourism Ambassadors
ts054-20090830_6514.jpg
English translators available! I noticed quite a few foreigners in Tsukuba, a national science and technology research and academic center.
ts055-20090830_6512.jpg
Center Hiroba outdoor stage センター広場特設ステージ
ts056-20090830_6520.jpg
A short walk away is this large road serving as a venue for numerous dance groups performing almost all day long. This is also where the nebuta floats would be paraded in the eveing.
ts057-20090830_6522.jpg
It drizzled off and on during the day.
ts058-20090830_6527.jpg
ts059-20090830_6532.jpg
A hula troupe dances next to a yosakoi group.
ts060-20090830_6537.jpg
What would a festival be without taiko drummers?
ts061-20090830_6540.jpg
ts062-20090830_6577.jpg
Another venue in Creo Square was this small outdoor stage featuring hula dancing all afternoon long by various groups. クレオ前広場
ts063-20090830_6572.jpg
The program was called Happy Hawaiian Stage. ハッピーハワイアンステージ
ts064-20090830_6581.jpg
On the other side of the underground train station is Chuo Park where Art Town Tsukuba and street performances were held. アートタウンつくば2009 ~大道芸フェスティバル~
ts065-20090830_6583.jpg
Kabuki-like magician.
ts066-20090830_6586.jpg
Chuo Park bazaar
ts067-20090830_6588.jpg
Street performers
ts068-20090830_6606.jpg
Street performer (Sign says, "Photography allowed.")
ts069-20090830_6609.jpg
A nice elevated walkway connected Chuo Park and the main festival area.
ts070-20090830_6544.jpg
Walking further down the Tsukuba Koen-dori road toward Oshimizu Park.
ts071-20090830_6570.jpg
In Oshimizu Park were these nebuta tents where they store the nebuta floats. 大清水公演
ts072-20090830_6567.jpg
The nebuta tents were built in late July. No kids around sketching the nebuta though, as they do in Aomori during the day.
ts073-20090830_6561.jpg
Inside the nebuta tent was this nebuta float from Aomori, arrived earlier in Aug.
ts074-20090830_6557.jpg
ts075-20090830_6556.jpg
Patching up the damaged parts of the float. Apparently, it got damaged as it passed under a bridge that is a little too low for the giant nebuta.
ts076-20090830_6562.jpg
ts077-20090830_6564.jpg
ts078-20090830_6549.jpg
Another giant nebuta float.
ts079-20090830_6553.jpg
ts080-20090830_6552.jpg
ts081-20090830_6558.jpg
Monkey's underarm has patch-up work.
ts082-20090830_6563.jpg
A third giant nebuta depicts the Pharaoh Ramses II. Seeing an Egyptian theme on a Japanese float was interesting.
ts083-20090830_6569.jpg
The fourth giant nebuta was perhaps the most unique. It was made of inflatable vinyl. It is partially deflated here.
ts084-20090830_6550.jpg
Inside the nebuta tent.
ts085-20090830_6560.jpg
ts086-20090830_6614.jpg
From about 4 pm, they had the Matsuri Parade on the main road. まつりパレード 万博山車パレード
ts087-20090830_6635.jpg
ts088-20090830_6619.jpg
万博山車パレード
ts089-20090830_6620.jpg
Then came this giant mikoshi portable shrine called the Tsukuba Manto Mikoshi. It doesn't seem to belong to any shrine. つくば万灯神輿
ts090-20090830_6622.jpg
ts091-20090830_6629.jpg
The mikoshi goes to meet the float.
ts092-20090830_6646.jpg
Banpaku Float
ts093-20090830_6648.jpg
ts094-20090830_6651.jpg
At 5 pm, the Nebuta Parade started. It was kind of strange to see a nebuta parade in almost broad daylight.
ts095-20090830_6652.jpg
The floats were covered with plastic due to drizzling rain.
ts096-20090830_6658.jpg
The first big one squeezes under the bridge.
ts097-20090830_6661.jpg
ts098-20090830_6663.jpg
Haneto dancers. Much fewer of them than in Aomori.
ts099-20090830_6664.jpg
At first glance, it looks very strange. But they soon inflated it.
ts100-20090830_6666.jpg
Being inflated now.
ts101-20090830_6667.jpg
Another one squeezes through.
ts102-20090830_6670.jpg
ts103-20090830_6675.jpg
Almost fully inflated.
ts104-20090830_6687.jpg
ts105-20090830_6686.jpg
ts106-20090830_6688.jpg
Haneto
ts107-20090830_6691.jpg
Kids dancing
ts108-20090830_6693.jpg
Hayashi festival music
ts109-20090830_6697.jpg
ts110-20090830_6698.jpg
This small float by local Boy Scouts.
ts111-20090830_6699.jpg
This float by a junior high school.
ts112-20090830_6702.jpg
The inflated nebuta comes around.
ts113-20090830_6706.jpg
At first, I thought it looked kind of gimmicky, comical, and fake, but it turned out to be quite impressive.
ts114-20090830_6729.jpg
The slayed dragon exhaled smoke.
ts115-20090830_6732.jpg
Poor dragon
ts116-20090830_6734.jpg
Quite dramatic indeed.
ts117-20090830_6714.jpg
ts118-20090830_6719.jpg
Too bad the plastic was on the floats.
ts119-20090830_6737.jpg
ts120-20090830_6754.jpg
ts121-20090830_6741.jpg
Rear view.
ts122-20090830_6724.jpg
Ramses II
ts123-20090830_6722.jpg
ts124-20090830_6799.jpg
At the very end, despite the rain, they took off the vinyl.
ts125-20090830_6803.jpg
Rear view of Ramses II
ts126-20090830_6773.jpg
Each giant nebuta float is preceded by a set of drums and drummers.
ts127-20090830_6779.jpg
And other musicians.
ts128-20090830_6780.jpg
ts129-20090830_6781.jpg
Matsuri Tsukuba official website here.
ts130-20090830_6792.jpg
Without the plastic covering.
ts131-20090830_6797.jpg
Rear view has a sleeping cat.
ts132-20090830_6756.jpg
Nebuta face-off.
ts133-20090830_6762.jpg
For the finale, all the giant nebuta gathered at the large intersection. They didn't do much.
ts134-20090830_6804.jpg
Haneto
ts135-20090830_6807.jpg
Matsuri Tsukuba posters
ts136-20090830_6808.jpg
Map of central Tsukuba.
ts137-tsukubanebuta.youtube
My video of Matsuri Tsukuba and the Nebuta parade.
88 files on 1 page(s)