The 14th Hirosaki Neputa Asakusa Festival will be held in Asakusa, Taito City, Tokyo, for three days from Friday, November 20 to Sunday, November 22, 2026. At the festival, the Hirosaki Tourism Promotion Executive Committee (弘前観光プロモーション実行委員会) will carry out tourism promotion to share the appeal of tourism and local products from Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture, and to encourage more visitors to the city.
The festival features a spirited Hirosaki Neputa float parade and display, along with sales of Hirosaki specialties and Hirosaki apples, which are known for having the highest production volume in Japan. Visitors can experience Hirosaki's traditional culture, food, and local products in Tokyo's Asakusa.
Event Details
- Dates: November 20 (Fri) to November 22 (Sun), 2026
- Venue: West plaza of the Tokyo Rakutenchi Building (東京楽天地ビル)
- Activities: Hirosaki Neputa float parades and displays, neputa-bayashi festival music performances, and sales of local specialties including Hirosaki apples
- Official website: https://asakusa-street.jp/neputamaturi/2026/index.html
Hirosaki Tourism and Local Products Market
Famous Hirosaki confections, fresh apples, and other products will be on sale.
- Dates: November 20 (Fri) to November 22 (Sun), 2026
- Hours: 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM
- Venue: West plaza of the Tokyo Rakutenchi Building
Hirosaki Neputa Parade
Hirosaki Neputa floats and festival music will parade around Sensoji Temple.
- Dates: November 21 (Sat) and November 22 (Sun), 2026
- Schedule: 1:30 PM mini parade route; 4:30 PM shopping street parade route starts
- Venue: Around Sensoji Temple
Parade Routes
Mini parade route
Shopping street parade route
About the Hirosaki Neputa Festival
The Hirosaki Neputa Festival brightens summer in the Tsugaru region of Aomori Prefecture. Held every year from August 1 to 7, it is a summer festival in which spirited, colorful neputa floats decorated with warrior paintings based on stories such as Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Water Margin parade through the castle town of Hirosaki. The festival is designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property by the national government.
The festival is said to have grown out of "nemuri nagashi," a custom in which farmers, long ago, placed the demon of sleepiness on boats and lanterns and floated them down the river to drive away the drowsiness that struck during the busy summer season.
