Nebuta refers to the gigantic lantern floats made for the summer festival held from August 2 through 7 every year in Aomori, which is in the northeast part of Japan. It has a long history. According to one theory, it was thought to have started when a local festival and a festival introduced from China were combined during the eight century. Now it is enjoyed as one of the largest summer festivals in Japan with over two million festivalgoers every year, and it was designated as Japan’s Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1980. The floats are usually designed based on characters from mythology, but in the recent years there have been characters from pop culture like Neon Genesis Evangelion and the Star Wars series. In 2022, the characters from popular anime My Hero Academia were used for the floats and created a buzz. It is truly a “Deep Japan” festival where tradition and contemporary culture are fused together.

It was back in 2014 when the first Nebuta was installed in Fa-So-La AKIHABARA, and now each of the three stores in Terminal 1, 2, and 3 have Nebuta. Especially the one in Terminal 2, which was renovated in December 2021, has been attracting so much attention, as it was co-created by Takashi Kitamura, a legendary Nebuta artist, and Asako Kitamura, who is Mr. Kitamura’s daughter and is known as the first ever female Nebuta artist. More surprisingly, this Nebuta moves every 30 minutes! Realistically staged with music just like an actual Hayashi(musical accompaniment) performance, with spectacular lighting, and with images displayed on the big screen, it will definitely be an unforgettable moment as a “festival” that makes the finale of your trip very exciting.

If you are coming to Japan during August, definitely schedule a trip to Aomori! If unfortunately not, it is even more worthwhile to visit Fa-So-La AKIHABARA to experience one of the most representative objects of Japanese culture.

(Information as of April 2023)