Traditional Festivals in Aomori : Tachi-Nebuta - 1
(Gosyogawara, Aomori, Japan)
First of all, I have to apologize to Goshogawara citizen. Aomori city has 300000 inhabitants, 180000 in Hirosaki city and 60000 in Goshogawara city. It was a matter of course that I had imaged the festival in Goshogawara, which population and economic scale was less than other two cities, must also look to disadvantage in the scale.
Far from it ! I reflected on that assumption when I saw the festival actually. Its wonderfulness was not in the least inferior to Aomori and Hiroshi.
At the moment when the train arrived at the station, went up the stairs and reached at the overpass, passengers were pulled out of the window all at once. From the skyline of the town, a Tachi-Nebuta float was protruding its face. Here, first, everyone was heart-gripped.
The station was out of the parade route, but two Tachi-Nebuta float’ hangars were in front of the station, so it was a chance to see the last adjusted float close by. To be looked up was exactly this act. Even if I bent the neck 90 degrees, I did not quite understand the whole figure, but it was huge anyway.
When I asked a member of the parade who was close to the float, he answered that the production cost was around 2 million Japanese Yen every year since the framework was used by repetition. Even if it is huge, it seems to not take many costs, compared to the floats of the Hachinohe Sanja Taisai Festival or the Hirosaki Nebuta Festival. However, since its framework is repaired once in a few years, it costs money only that time.
At 7:00 p.m. when the sky was still somewhat bright, the festival began with a signal gun. Tachi-Nebuta floats started moving.
It is rare to encounter with a gigantic robot of Japanese comic like Mazinger Z (Tranzor Z) or Tetsujin 28-go (Iron Man No. 28) in the city, or perhaps I should say,that kind of thing never happens. But that they are dispathed to the town must have looked just like this.
According to Wikipedia, the gigantic robot of Tetsujin 28-go is 20 meters high and weighs 23 tons. Meanwhile, a Tachi-Nebuta float is 23 meters high and weighs 20 tons, so it is similar. However, what does it mean that the weight of a Tachi-Nebuta float finished with a Japanese paper on light iron and wooden framework is almost the same as the gigantic robot of Tetsujin 28-go covered with iron armor ?
During World War II, a fighter aircraft made from bamboo was developed in Japan. The gigantic robot Tetsujin 28-go, which was developed in the 1960s with memories of the war, might be produced with a bamboo framework that applied that technology.
Transportation
From Tokyo to Gosyogawara
by train : 3 hours 20 minutes from “Tokyo Station” to “Shin-Aomori Station” by Shinkansen (high speed train), one service per one hour. Then, 30 minutes from “Shin-Aomori Station” to “Kawabe Station” by local train connected with Shinkansen, one service per one hour. 30 minutes by local train from "Kawabe Station" to " Gosyogarawa Station", 1 service per 1 -2 hours.
From “Gosyogawara Station” to the site
The site is within downtown Gosyogawara near Gosyogawara Station.
Gosyogawara City Ofiice
Gosyogawara City Tourist Association
Accommodations
Accommodations in Gosyogawara
References
Upload
2018.01 Photos in English version, and photos and text in Japanese version
Update
2018.06 Text in English version
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