Nakano Momiji Yama Light Up "Light Fantasy" 2017

Nakano Momiji Yama Light Up "Light Fantasy" 2017
中野もみじ山ライトアップ　光のファンタジー

Nakano Momiji Yama's gorgeous autumn foliage makes the whole mountain look like it is on fire during the day and "moving light" illuminations make it an equally enchanting sight in the evenings.

Of particular note, around the Nakano Momiji Yama Shrine there are 200-year-old maple and fir trees, as well as 500-700-year-old Japanese cedar trees.

Date: October 14-November 7, 2017
Illumination Times: Dusk～21:00
Location: Nakano Momiji Yama (Kuroishi City) 中野もみじ山 (map)

Romantopia Dance Contest Star Festival in Souma 2017

Romantopia Dance Contest Star Festival in Souma 2017
第17回ロマントピア"舞"コンテスト　星まつりinそうま
(Romantopia "Mai" Contest Hoshi Matsuri in Souma)

A yosakoi dance contest where the winner is determined by attendees!

Date: Sunday July 16, 2017 (Rain or Shine!)
Time: 11:00-17:00
Location: Hoshi to Mori no Romantopia Souma, Hirosaki City
弘前市星　星と森のロマントピア・そうま (map)
Admission: Free

Goshogawara Tachineputa 2017

Goshogawara Tachineputa 2017 立佞武多

Goshogawara Tachineputa features extremely tall, towering Neputa floats. The average float is 20 metres tall! The oldest records of Tachineputa date back to 1907, but with the increase in electrical power lines during the Taisho Period (1912-1926), the size of the floats had to be scaled back. Then two devastating post-war fires destroyed records and schematics for the large floats and consequently Tachineputa was lost to obscurity until schematics and pictures were found in 1993, enabling the revival of the tradition. But even then it took several years to re-wire the city's power lines to create a safe path for the floats, so the revival of Goshogawara's Tachineputa Festival didn't come about until 1998--nearly 80 years since the last time the event had been held!

Festival "Shout": Yattemare, yattemare!
Dates: August 4-8
Location: Central Goshogawara City (map)
Schedule:

(August 3: Festival Eve: Fireworks (19:30 start))
August 4-8: Night Time Parade (19:00 start)

Admission: Free (paid seating available)

Aomori Nebuta 2017

Aomori Nebuta 2017 青森ねぶた

Aomori Nebuta is one of the most well known Japanese summer festivals both domestically and internationally. In 1980 it was designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan. Aomori Nebuta floats mostly feature human figures. When they come to an intersection, the floats are spun around at an impressive speed considering their size. Anyone dressed in the appropriate garb (many shops offer costume rental and dressing services) is welcome to join in the jumping and shouting, making Aomori Nebuta a lively and interactive experience.

Festival "Shout": Rassera, rassera!
Dates: August 2-7
Location: Central Aomori City (map)
(Road closures and parking map (Japanese))
Schedule: 

(August 1: Festival Eve: Performances (18:00 start)
     Fireworks (19:00 start))
August 2-3: Children's Neputa & Large Floats (19:10 start)
August 4-6 Large Floats (19:10 start)
August 7: Daytime Large Floats Parade (13:00 start)
     Fireworks & Boat Parade (19:15 start)

Admission: Free (paid seating available)

Hirosaki Neputa 2017

Hirosaki Neputa 2017 弘前ねぷた

Hirosaki Neputa features fan-shaped with illustrations representing images and themes from Chinese literature such as The Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Water Margin. There is often nudity and/or grotesque images such as severed heads and bloodied people depicted on Hirosaki Neputa. The often darker tone and relatively smaller size of the floats, as well as the strong involvement of community groups in the making of the floats as well as in participating in the parade itself give Hirosaki Neputa an intimate feeling that belies the size of the event.

Festival "Shout": Yayado, yayado!
Dates: August 1-7
Location: Central Hirosaki (map) Schedule: 

August 1-4: Dotemachi Course (19:00 start)
August 5-6: Ekimae Course (19:00 start)
August 7: Nanuka-bi (Final Day) Dotemachi Nanuka-bi Course (10:00 start)

Admission: Free (paid seating available)

Aomori TKG Festival 2017

Aomori Tamago Kake Gohan Matsuri 2017 (Aomori Raw Egg on Rice Festival)
2017 あおもりたまごかけごはんまつり

Tamagao kake gohan ("TKG") is a simple and popular Japanese dish: just crack a raw egg onto a bowl of warm rice and add soy sauce/other condiments to taste. Try TKG with various locally made soy sauces and different types of eggs at the Aomori Tamago Kake Gohan Matsuri.

Date: June 30-July 2, 2017
Location: Aomori Prefecture Tourist Center "Aspam" 1st Floor Event Hall
青森県観光物産館アスパム1階イベントホール (map)
Time: 10:00-15:00
Admission: Free (purchase required for some events)

Shiro Fes 2017

Shiro Fes 2017

Hirosaki Dance and Performance Festival

Date: June 30-July 2, 2017
Time:
   Fri. Jun. 30: 16:00-21:30
   Sat. Jul 1: 10:00-21:30
   Sun. Jul 2: 10:30-20:30
Location:
   Jun. 30-Jul.1: Hirosaki University 弘前大学 (map)
   Jul 2: Hirosaki Castle Honmaru 弘前公園本丸敷地内 (map)
Admission: Free* (*events in park paid zone require admission fees)

Kuroishi Neputa Festival 2017

Kuroishi Neputa Festival 2017
黒石ねぷた祭り (Kuroishi Neputa Matsuri)

Two days with parades of about sixty fan-shaped Neputa floats! (The other days of the festival, the floats go around their respective local areas.)

Date: July 30-August 5, 2017
Admission: Free
Location: Various

Goshogawara Fireworks Display 2017

Goshogawara Fireworks Display -Festival of Water, Light & Sound-
第６８回五所川原花火大会 -水と光と音の祭典-
(Goshogawara Hanabi Taikai - Mizu to Hikari to Oto no Saiten)

A fireworks display set to music. The finale features an 80m-wide "water curtain."

Date: Thursday August 3, 2017
Time: 19:30-20:45
Location: Iwaki River Floodplain "Hokuto Ground" 岩木川河川敷「北斗グラウンド」 (map)
Parking: 1,000yen (limited spaces; parking available from 15:00)
Admission: Free (paid seating available)

Niji Rock Fes 2017

Niji Rock Fes 2017
虹の湖ロックフェスティバル2017 (Nijinoko Rock Festival)
Website (Japanese): http://www.nijirockfes.jp/

An outdoor summer rock festival by Nijino Lake with over 20 artists performing!

Date: Saturday August 19, 2017 (Rain or Shine!)
Time: 10:00～
Admission: Free
Location: Michi no Eki "Nijinoko Park" 道の駅「虹の湖公園」(map)

Beer Terrace 2017 at A-Factory

Beer Terrace 2017 at A-Factory ビアテラス・アット・エーファクトリー

Enjoy cold beers with an ocean view on a hot summer night!

Date: June 9-August 31, 2017 (closed during Nebuta, Aug. 1-8)
Time:

Weekdays: 18:00-21:00 (20:30 last order)
Saturdays: 16:30-21:00 (20:30 last order)
Sundays: 17:00-20:00 (19:30 last order)

Location: A-Factory 1st Floor Terrace (map)
Cost: 1500yen (90min all-you-can-drink)
(food NOT included; available for purchase 500yen～)

Okutsugaru Mushi to Hi Matsuri 2017

Okutsugaru Mushi to Hi Matsuri (Insect & Fire Festival)
奥津軽虫と火まつり
Official Website (Japanese): http://goshogawarajc.com/matsuri/

This is a festival to ward off insects that harm the rice fields. It originated from "mushi okuri"(literally "sending off (driving away) insects"). Large "insects" with wooden heads and straw bodies were paraded down the street and then hung up at the entry points to the village to ward off insects. From 1983, the city decided to combine the mushi okuri festival with "fire"--another powerful symbol for warding off bad things--to give birth to the Mushi to Hi Matsuri.

Date: Saturday, June 17, 2017
Time: 18:00-21:00
Location:Goshogawara City Hokuto Ground 五所川原市北斗グラウンド (map)
Parade Route & Road Closure Map
(Blue = Parade Route; Red = Road Closures)

Admission: Free
Events/Attractions:

• 9:00-18:00 "Mushi Okuri" Float Displays
  (In front of Goshogawara Station (map) & Tachineputa No Yakata (Tachineputa Museum) (map))
• "Mushi Okuri" Float Parade
• Bonfires
• & More!

Goshogawara City Hokuto Ground 五所川原市 北斗グラウンド


More Information:
Official Website (Japanese): http://goshogawarajc.com/matsuri/
Okutsugaru Sightseeing Website, "The festival 'Mushito Himatsuri'" (English): http://www.okutsugaru.com/e/shichoubetu/goshogawara/mushitohimatsuri.html

Yosakoi Tsugaru Festival 2017

Yosakoi Tsugaru Festival 2017
第18回よさこい津軽
Official Website (Japanese): http://www.hcci.or.jp/txt/yosakoi

Yosakoi Tsugaru is a mix of Kochi Prefecture's Yosakoi Festival and Hokkaido's Yosakoi Soran Festival. It features a mix of parade and stage style performances along Hirosaki's central shopping arcade, Dotemachi.

Date: Sunday, June 25, 2017 (Rain or Shine!)
Time: 9:30-15:30

Location: Hirosaki City, Dotemachi 弘前土手町通り (Map)
(Road closures in effect from 9:00-16:00)
Admission: Free

Hirosaki City, Dotemachi 弘前土手町通り


More Information:
Official Event Website (Japanese): http://www.hcci.or.jp/txt/yosakoi

Old Hirosaki City Fireworks Gathering 2017

Old Hirosaki City Fireworks Gathering 2017
第12回古都ひろさき花火の集い2017
(Koto Hirosaki Hanabi no Tsudoi)
Official Website (Japanese): http://www.hiro-hanabi.com/

Enjoy an evening of fireworks by Iwaki River in Hirosaki City.

Date: Saturday, June 17, 2017 (May be postponed to June 18 in the event of strong rain/winds)
Time: 15:00-21:00
Location: Hirosaki Iwaki River Floodplain Sports Park (Akudo District)
弘前市岩木川河川敷運動公園（悪戸地区）(Map)

Hirosaki Apple Blossom Festival 2017

Hirosaki Apple Blossom Festival 2017
弘前りんご花まつり (Hirosaki Ringo Hana Matsuri)

Enjoy the sight of apple blossoms blooming with snow-capped Mount Iwaki in the background.

Date: May 6-14, 2017
Time: 10:00-21:00
Location: Hirosaki Apple Park 弘前りんご公園 (map)
Admission: Free (some paid events)

Inakadate Rice Field Art 2017

Inakadate Rice Field Art 2017
第25回田舎館村田んぼアート （Inakadate-mura Tanbo Art)

The theme for this year's rice field art is "Yamata no Orochi & Susanoo-no-Mikoto*" for the main site and "Momotaro" (Peach Boy) for the second site (Michi no Eki Inakadate "Yayoi no Sato").

(*Japanese myth from the "Kojiki" about Susanoo-no-Mikoto slaying the 8-headed dragon "Yamata no Orochi.")

Date:
・ Site 1: June 5-October 9, 2017 (closed Sunday October 1, 2017 for rice harvesting)
・ Site 2: June 17-October 9, 2017
  Recommended viewing period: Mid-July to Mid-August
  Check the status of the rice fields beforehand using the live camera feeds

Namioka Cherry Blossom Festival 2017

Namioka Cherry Blossom Festival 2017
浪岡さくらまつり (Namioka Sakura Matsuri)

Enjoy various performances and cherry blossoms at the site of the Namioka Castle ruins.

Date: April 29-30, 2017
Time: Apr 29: 13:00～; Apr 30: 10:00～
Location: Namioka Castle Ruins 浪岡城跡 (map)
Admission: Free(?)

Kanagi Cherry Blossom Festival 2017

Kanagi Cherry Blossom Festival 2017
金木桜まつり (Kanagi Sakura Matsuri)

Ashino Park in Kanagi Area, Goshogawara City is considered one of Japan's 100 Best Cherry Blossom Viewing Spots.

Photo Source: aptinet

Date: April 29-May 5, 2017 Time: AM～21:00
Location: Ashino Park 芦野公園 (map)
Parking: 350 car parking lot: 500yen cars; 1000yen micro buses; 2000yen large buses (seats 20+)
Admission: Free

Itayanagi Cherry Blossom Festival 2017

Itayanagi Cherry Blossom Festival 2017
いたやなぎ桜まつり (Itayanagi Sakura Matsuri)

A festival with music, dance, and food under the cherry blossom trees.

Date: Saturday April 29, 2017
Time: 10:00-15:00
Location: Iwakigawakasen Park 岩木川河川公園 (map)
Admission: Free

CIDRE Spring Festa 2017

CIDRE Spring Festa 2017 シードルスプリングフェスタ

Celebrate the anniversary of CIDRE Day with one hour of all-you-can-drink Aomori Cidre!

Date: Sunday April 16, 2017
Time: 13:00-15:00
Location: A-Factory 1st Floor Food Court (map
Cost: 1500yen (60min all-you-can-drink, includes 1 glass new Cidre product; food NOT included)