1. Nebuta is a kind of old tanabata festivals practiced in Tohoku region and it is a variation of the purification ceremony which consists to flow away paper lanterns with everything evil by waters. Nebuta festival which occurs at the beginning of every August in Aomori region is an enlargement of these lanterns. But in order to avoid the pollution of sea and rivers, nowadays they are no more flow away but demolished on the place.
  2. Before Meiji era, they might be at most carried with hands or on shoulders. But because of a rival sentiment between the districts, they had become bigger and bigger. After the war, as a tourist attraction, their size has increased more and finally they are no more carried on shoulders. Instead, they were first carried by handcarts then the actual method which consists to carry on big attraction carts has been adopted.
  3. In the first year of Kanei era (1624), in order to export abundant Tsugaru rice to currently developing Tokyo, the next seignior of Tsugaru, Nobukazu ordered to the harbor magistracy, Moriyama Yashichiro to build Aomori harbor. Incidentally, the name of Aomori comes from the fact that, there existed at this point an ever green forest which was served as a guide of fishing boats.
  4. Yamatotakeru no mikoto, also called Ousu no mikoto is a prince of Emperor Keiko. Following the order of his father, he had beaten Kumaso's leader, Kumasotakeru brothers, who were occupying Kyushu. Then he went to the eastern country and chased Ainu from Kanto region. Unfortunately, during his return trip, he contracted a bad decease and died near Mt Ibuki. Nevertheless, his sprit would have become a swan and returned back to Yamato.
Japanese display French display


Downloading an exercise file on the scenery
In order to download an exercise file, please click on: Download Windows version, Download Mac version
Note: The demo users can download only the first 5 exercises. Please refer to the list of exercises for the details.

www.hikyaku.com/gallery/english/nebuta.htm
Photo Copyright, Suzuki Akio
Text Copyright, Free Light Software
Last update: February 3, 2020