Aomori Nebuta Festival

Aomori is famous for this dynamic festival. It takes place in Aomori City during the first week of August.

What happens?

The main procession of the festival consists of large, internally lit floats depicting kabuki scenes that are wheeled around wildly from side to side. Members of the public are free to join in as long as they are wearing the required haneto costume.

Schedule

The Aomori Nebuta schedule sees parades on each evening from the 2nd to the 6th with a procession of floats happening during the day on the 7th with a large fireworks festival in the evening.

Tickets 2025

The best seating spots along the route are mostly reserved by hotels and tour companies. If you don’t have a seat, either staking out a street corner or buying the festival costume (they are on sale throughout Aomori City) and participating in the parade are your best bets for getting a good view.

This is a very popular festival, so we recommend planning ahead. General tickets go on sale on June 28, starting at 10 a.m. Tickets cost ¥3,500, plus ¥1,000 tacked on as an administrative fee. Something to note is that the tickets are only for the 2nd to the 6th. If you want to pre-book tickets before June 28 or get seats for August 7, including the fireworks, you can purchase your tickets online here.

Pro tip: This package includes premium seats as well as a bento dinner (¥154,000).

Where to stay

Booking accommodation in Aomori during the week of Nebuta is extremely difficult due to the huge influx of visitors. Hotels in the region tend to be booked well in advance with many reserved for all-inclusive package tours out of Tokyo or Osaka.

Alternatives

If you can’t book a hotel, your best option may be traveling into Aomori for the day from neighboring prefectures. For example, this day tour departs from Sendai, allowing you to skip the crowds in Aomori while still enjoying the festival to its fullest.

Another option is camping. In past years there has been a free, although quite rudimentary temporary camping ground located near the ferry terminal.

Other nebuta festivals

In addition to the Aomori Nebuta, there are similar festivals throughout the Tsugaru Plain including Hirosaki Neputa, Goshogawara Tachi-Neputa, Hirakawa Neputa and Kuroishi Neputa.