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Nebuta are giant, wire-frame, paper lanterns shaped in various legendary and macho characters.The Aomori Nebuta Matsuri is held in Aomori City in Aomori Prefecture during Aug. 2-7. Nebuta are giant, wire-frame, paper lanterns shaped in various legendary and macho characters such as samurai warriors, demons, and gods. They are fantastic works of art dramatically illuminated from the inside. The floats are paraded along the main streets of the city near Aomori Station every night of the festival.
From August 2 to 6, the Nebuta parade is held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. On the 2nd and 3rd, the parade is geared for the many children who participate by pulling the floats. About 15 large Nebuta floats and some small Nebuta floats for the children are paraded.
The festival's peak period is from the 4th to the 6th when over 20 large Nebuta floats make their rounds. Be sure to see the festival on one of these three nights.
On the 7th, the last day, the parade is in the afternoon from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Later in the evening, the Nebuta floats are put on boats to be highlighted by a fireworks display.
The festival is designated by the government as an Important Intangible Folk Culture Asset and not to be missed if you have the chance. It's well worth the trip up north.
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Fan-shaped Neputa float.The painted picture on the front of the Neputa depicts mostly warriors and on the back are beautiful courtesans.
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Closeup of a Neputa float.Theories concerning the origin of the Neputa are identical to those of the Nebuta. However, in the 1880's, the Neputa gradually changed from human figures into a fan shape. The floats have come a long way since then. Candles have been replaced by generator-powered lights and the washi paper has been replaced by washi paper blended with nylon. The festival is designated as an Important Intangible Folk Culture Asset.
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Daruma closeup
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Perhaps she might be able to help paint (or build) the real thing someday.
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Giant votive tablet (2006 is the year of the dog)
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Men's bath
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Kobuntei Villa, fusuma sliding door with painting of plum trees
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Neputa closeup
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Kobuntei Villa, fusuma sliding door with painting of fall leaves
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Zenigata Sunae giant sand sculpture of an old coin. 銭形砂絵The sculpture is maintained twice a year.
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Kobuntei Villa
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Kobuntei Villa, fusuma sliding door with painting of maple leaves
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Kobuntei Villa
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Kobuntei Villa
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Cherry Blossom Room, Kobuntei Villa
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Picture of the lake made with 126,840 colored toothpicks.
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Picture made with colored toothpicks.
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Closeup of a picture made with 126,840 colored toothpicks.
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In front of the main altar of Kannon-do. The hall worships a thousand-arm Kannon statue (hidden from the public).
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Kannon-do ceiling of painted flowers. Peonies (red), chrysanthemum (white), and paulownia (blue). 牡丹、菊、桐
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Hanno's main street has a few shutter art. Saitama.
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Hanno's main street has a few shutter art.
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Hanno's main street has a few shutter art.
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Hanno's main street has a few shutter art.
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Inside Symphonic Sculpture by Gabriel Loire at Hakone Open-Air Museum.
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Hiroshima
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Pictures made of origami at Hiroshima Peace park.
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Azuchi Castle replica
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Otsu-e oni painting from Otsu, Shiga Prefecture. 大津絵Japanese Oni Exchange Museum in Fukuchiyama, Kyoto Prefecture.
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Otsu-e oni painting from Otsu, Shiga Prefecture. 大津絵Japanese Oni Exchange Museum in Fukuchiyama, Kyoto Prefecture.
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Inside Kawasaki Daishi's Kyozo Sutra Repository, Buddhist paintings on four sides on the ceiling. Tells the story of how Buddhism came to Japan from India via China and Korea.
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Inside Kawasaki Daishi's Kyozo Sutra Repository, Buddhist painting on the ceiling.
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Painting of Kintaikyo Bridge inside Shin-Iwakuni Station.
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Painting of Kintaikyo Bridge and cherry blossoms on the platform of Shin-Iwakuni Station.
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A shop's shutter art near Kameido Tenjin Shrine, Tokyo
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Mikimoto Pearl Island
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Nakano Broadway Cafe decorated by Takashi Murakami.
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Cafe decorated by Takashi Murakami.
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Cafe decorated by Takashi Murakami.
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All the paintings are painstakingly hand-painted replicas of the original art. Nagoya Castle's Hommaru Palace.They have excellent records and photos of the original palace (floor plans, etc.) so they are working to reconstruct the palace as close to the original as possible. Magnificent.
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Leopard at Nagoya Castle's Hommaru Palace.
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Sliding door painting in the Omote Shoin (表書院) Main Hall's Ichi-no-Ma Room 一之間. Nagoya Castle's Hommaru Palace.
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The Omote Shoin (表書院) Main Hall's Jodan-no-Ma Room which is reserved for daimyo of Nagoya Castle. 上段之間.
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Next to Otori Taisha's Haiden hall was this jumbo ema prayer tablet for the Year of the Boar 2019. A white boar steadily walking up a hill toward its goal symbolized by the rising sun.
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Various high schools in Shiga, mainly from Hikone, participated in the tent exhibition.
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Shutter art in Ube, Yamaguchi.
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Shutter art in Ube, Yamaguchi
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On the lower deck, Godzilla footprints. Great idea. Pointing toward Kawasaki. Umihotaru has appeared in a Godzilla movie.
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Painting depicting Perry's landing at Kurihama to meet the local magistrate.
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