Goshogawara Tachineputa

Hello again everybody! I apologize for the delay in posting and suddenly having so many in a row! I've finally settled in and gotten almost everything settled. Arriving in Japan in August really has its perks, especially in Aomori prefecture. I, along with my fellow Hirosaki JETs, was able to catch the final Neputa festival of the summer in Goshogawara (also known as the Goshogawara city Tachineputa Festival). This festival is a summer festival held each August and, along with Aomori Nebuta, Hirosaki Neputa, and Kuroishi Yosare, it is one of the four largest festivals in the Tsugara region.

Tachineputa are massive 23-meter (75 feet) tall, 19-ton (38,000 lbs) parade floats that are conveyed through the city by float carriers as everybody chants "Yattemare! Yattemare!". This means "beat them" and originates from the beginning of the festival in the early 1900s. Origianlly, this festival was a way for sponsors, businesses, and the wealthy to see who could make the tallest, largest float. The parade also includes dancers, taikos, flautists, and more. These floats are all made of wood, wire, and paper and I took some pictures to share with you below!




This was a children's float. They made it and their handprints were all over it, it was adorable!

I'm sorry I don't have many more pictures but I was so excited and awestruck that I was just watching it all! Please look forward to my next post!