Marché Arts Towada 2017

Marché Arts Towada 2017 マルシェ アーツ・トワダ

Enjoy a produce, food, and craft market, workshop and performances in the Towada Art Park!

Date: Saturday August 26, 2017
Time: 10:00-16:00
Location: Towada Art Park 十和田現代美術館アート広場 (map)
(In the event of rain: Towada Civic Center Plaza 十和田市民交流プラザ「トワーレ」(map) )
Admission: Free

Gonohe Summer Festival 2017

Gonohe Summer Festival 2017
ごのへ夏まつり (Gonohe Natsu Matsuri)

Enjoy special guest performances and night time fireworks!

Date: Saturday August 5, 2017
Time: 15:30～
Location: Hibarino Park ひばり野公園 (map)
Admission: Free

Oma Blue Marine Festival 2017

Oma Blue Marine Festival 2017 大間町ブルーマリンフェスティバル

A summer festival featuring a tuna carving demonstration, various performances, and fireworks!

Date: Monday August 14, 2017
Time: 9:00～
Location: Omakou (Oma Harbour) 大間港 (map)
(In the Event of Rain: Kita Doori Sougou Bunka Center "Wing" 北通り総合文化センター・ウイング (map))

Oirase Beer Fes 2017

Oirase Beer Fes 2017
奥入瀬ビールまつり (Oirase Beer Matsuri)

A dinner event (6 course meal and 2 hours all-you-can-drink*) celebrating the 20th anniversary of Oirase Beer! (Drink selections: 5 types of Oirase Beer, (non-alcoholic) Oirase Cider, Oirase Water, and Oolong Tea.)

Date: Friday August 25, 2017
Time: 18:00～ (doors open 17:30)
Location: Fujiya Grand Hall 冨士屋グランドホール (map)
Admission: 6000yen (advance ticket purchase required)

Inaoi River Lantern Floating 2017

Inaoi River Lantern Floating 2017
稲生川灯ろう流し (Inaoigawa Tourou Nagashi)

During the Bon Festival period in Japan, people return to their family homes to pay their respects at family altars/graves. It is believed that ancestors/deceased relatives return to "visit" during this period. Tourou Nagashi (floating lanterns down rivers) is a common event toward the end of the Bon Festival period. The lanterns are believed to help guide the souls of ancestors back to the after life/spirit world. People often write wishes on the lanterns.

Date: Wednesday August 16, 2017
Time: 19:00-19:45
Location: Inaoi River 1st West Bridge 稲生川第一西裏橋 (map)
Admission: Free
(Lanterns available for purchase, but homemade lanterns (less than 1m in size) are welcome!)

Art Station Towada Beer Garden 2017

Art Station Towada Beer Garden 2017 ASTビアガーデン

Enjoy an outdoor beer garden in central Towada!

Date: August 8-10, 2017
Time: 17:30-20:30 (20:00 last order)
Location: Art Station Towada Parking Lot アートステーショントワダ駐車場 (map)
Admission: 2000yen (advance ticket)

Ticket Includes:
• 2 Original Drinking Snack Tickets
• 2 Drink Tickets (545ml Draft Beer/Shochu/Sour, 300ml Sake, or Non-Alcohol Beer)
• Entry to Prize Drawing

Towada Nouryou Festival 2017

Towada Nouryou Matsuri 2017 十和田納涼まつり

A festival to enjoy the cool of summer evenings with food, drink, and entertainment!

Date: Friday July 28, 2017 (rain or shine)
Time: 17:00-20:30
Location: Towada Chamber of Commerce & Industry 商工会議所　(map)
Admission: 1500yen (price includes 2 drinks & 2 types of drinking snacks)

Kamikita Summer Festival 2017

Kamikita Summer Festival 2017
2017 かみきた夏まつり (Kamikita Natsu Matsuri)

A summer festival with something for everyone: a drinking rally, basketball tournaments, festival food and games, and more!

Date: July 1-2, 2017
Time: July 1: 19:00-21:00; July 2: 10:00-17:00
Location: Kamikitacho Station Plaza 上北町駅前広場 (map)
Admission: Free (some paid events)

Misawa Ogawarako Lake Festival 2017

Misawa Ogawarako Lake Festival 2017
みさわ小川原湖　湖水まつり (Misawa Ogawarako Kosui Matsuri)

A festival kicking off the start of summer lake season with performances, a prize draw, and more! Fun for the whole family!

Date: Sunday July 23, 2017
Time: 9:15～
Admission: Free
Location: Misawa City Lake Ogawara 三沢市小川原湖水浴場付近 (map)

Rokunohe Summer Festival 2017

Rokunohe Summer Festival 2017 ろくのへサマーフェスティバル

Enjoy a summer beer garden, BINGO game, stage performances and more!

Date: July 21-22, 2017
Time:

July 21: 17:00-19:00
July 22: 15:00-20:00

Admission: Free (some paid events)
Location: Rokunohe Gymnasium West Side Parking Lot 六戸町総合体育館　西側駐車場 (map)

Towada Summer Festival Fireworks Display 2017

Towada Summer Festival Fireworks Display 2017
十和田市夏まつり第60回花火大会 (Towada-shi natsu matsuri hanabi taikai)

Food stalls and fireworks right in the heart of the city--great chance to wear a yukata (cotton summer kimono)!

Date: Monday August 14 Saturday August 19, September 16, 2017
(*Rain Dates: September 17, 18, 2017*)
Time: 19:00-20:30 (road closures 17:30-21:00)
Location: Kanchogai Street 官庁街通り (map)
Admission: Free
Opening Attraction: 18:30-18:50 Towada Bayashi (Festival Music) Performance

Kanchogai Street 官庁街通り
Nishinibancho (青森県十和田市西二番町)
Towada City, Aomori Prefecture 034-0082


More Information:
Towada Sightseeing Promotion Division (Japanese): https://www.facebook.com/十和田市観光推進課-468874536643716/

Towada Rock Festival 2017

Towada Rock Festival 2017 十和田ロックフェスティバル
Event Website (Japanese): http://towada-rock-festival.jimdo.com/

Enjoy free performances by musicians from around Aomori Prefecture!

Date: Sunday August 27, 2017
Time: 10:30～
Location: Michi no Eki Towada "Towadapia" 道の駅とわだ　とわだぴあ (map)
Admission: Free
Performers:

• TOKMANZ (Towada) (Facebook)
• Hana Rockets 鼻ロケッツ (Rokunohe)
• Metro Garden 美羅花園ーメトロガーデン (Aomori City) (Facebook)
• Tsushima Kenta ツシマケンタ (Hirosaki) (Website)
• THE TRINITY VOICE (Hachinohe) (Facebook)
• Hanadensha 花電車 (Aomori City)
• Marmalade マーマレード (Misawa)
• Chocoratto 猪虎鼠 (Goshogawara) (Facebook)
• BABY KING BLUES BAND (Tohoku Town) (Facebook)
• TRIAD (Shichinohe)

Michi no Eki Towada "Towadapia" 道の駅とわだ　とわだぴあ
Tairakubo-37-2 Denpōji (青森県十和田市伝法寺平窪３７−２)
Towada City, Aomori Prefecture 034-0051
Tel: 0176-28-3790


More Information:
Event Website (Japanese): http://towada-rock-festival.jimdo.com/
Event Facebook Page (Japanese): https://www.facebook.com/Towada-Rock-Festival-1435303880120179/

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)

Hachinohe Sansha Taisai 2017

Hachinohe Sansha Taisai 2017
2017 八戸三社大祭 (Hachinohe Three Shrine Grand Festival)

Although perhaps not quite as well known as the Nebuta/Neputa festivals of Aomori, Hirosaki, and Goshogawara, Hachinohe's Sansha Taisai is another famous summer festival in Aomori. It has a history of over 290 years and was recognized in 2004 as a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. In 2016 it was added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

It is a festival for 3 major Shinto shrines in Hachinohe, Ogami Shrine (おがみ神社), Shinra Shrine (新羅神社), and Shinmei Shrine (神明宮). The festival features a parade of 27 large dashi floats, mikoshi (portable shrines) from the 3 shrines, and Toramai tiger dancing, etc., as well as other events such as Kagami-style Kiba Dakyu (a polo-like horseback sport).

All-Japan University & High School Sumo Tournaments in Towada 2017

All-Japan University & High School Sumo Tournaments in Towada 2017
第52回全日本大学選抜相撲十和田大会 & 第66回選抜高校相撲十和田大会
(Nihon Daigaku Senbatsu Sumo Towada Taikai & Senbatsu Koukou Sumo Towada Taikai)

Cheer on local Sanbongi Agricultural High School sumo wrestlers and other young wrestlers at the All-Japan Sumo Tournaments in Towada City.

Date/Time:

• Sunday August 14, 2017, 9:00～ - University Sumo
• Monday August 15, 2017, 8:30～ - High School Sumo/li>

Location: Towada Sumo Dohyo 十和田市相撲場 (map)

Towada Samba Carnival 2017

Towada Samba Carnival 2017 十和田サンバカーニバル
Official Website (Japanese): http://sanba-de-samba.net/

A summer event featuring a music festival (music and dance performances, etc.) and samba parade!

Date: Saturday August 5, 2017
Time:

Music Festival: 12:00-16:00
Opening Ceremony: 16:45-17:00
Parade: 17:00-19:00

Location(s):

Music Festival

• Central Parking Lot (in front of Towada City Hall)
  十和田市役所向かい、中央駐車場 (map)
Opening Ceremony

• Intersection in front of Towada Art Center
  現代美術館前交差点
Parade

• Kanchogai Street (from Towada Art Center to Central Parking Lot)
  官庁街通り（現代美術館～中央駐車場)

Admission: Free

Jakkudo Festival 2017

Jakudo Festival 2017
第26回ジャックドまつり (Jakudo Matsuri)
Event Facebook Page (Japanese): https://www.facebook.com/Jakkudomatsuri/

Nanbu Town summer festival featuring various performances, food booths, fireworks, and more!

Date: July 8-9, 2017
Time: Jul 8: 13:00～21:00; Jul 9: 9:00～17:30(?)
Location: Fureai Park (Nanbu Town) ふれあい公園 (map)
Admission: Free

Towadako Kosui Matsuri 2017

Towadako Kosui Matsuri 2017 (Lake Towada Lake Festival)
十和田湖湖水まつり 2017
Official Website (Japanese): http://www.kosuimaturi.com/

Fireworks by Lake Towada, performances, and various other events!

Date: July 15-16, 2017 (Sat.-Sun.)
Time: 9:00～21:00
Location: Lake Towada, Yasumiya 十和田湖畔　休屋 (map)
Admission: Free