Tsugaru-han Neputa Mura, Aomori

See the giant neputa lanterns of Hirosaki's summer festival all year round, hear live festival music and Tsugaru shamisen, and paint a goldfish lantern.

Hall full of illuminated neputa lanterns seen from the upper gallery at Neputa Mura — Photo: z tanuki, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Street-side buildings of Tsugaru-han Neputa Mura in Hirosaki — Photo: 663highland, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

Hirosaki's neputa, all year round

Tsugaru-han Neputa Mura ("Tsugaru domain neputa village") in Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, is a centre where you can experience the culture of the Tsugaru region (western Aomori) all in one place. It opened in 1981, and looking, listening, eating, shopping and hands-on activities are all gathered under one roof.

Its theme is the neputa: huge lanterns painted with warriors from Chinese classics such as Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Water Margin, lit from inside by candles or electric lights. The Hirosaki Neputa Festival is designated a national Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. Normally you can only see real neputa at festival time, but here you can see them all year. As for their origins, one theory says they grew out of Tanabata and Obon (the summer festival for honouring ancestors) customs that changed shape in the Edo period (1603-1868); another says they were a ritual to drive away drowsiness during the busy farming season.

A 10-metre neputa and live performances

The highlight, the Hirosaki Neputa Hall, displays a large neputa 10 metres tall, and you can even see its inner frame. There are also displays of neputa paintings and kite paintings, and staff perform ohayashi, the flute-and-drum music that accompanies the festival.

At Sangendo and elsewhere you can hear live Tsugaru shamisen all year round, a style of shamisen (a three-stringed instrument) playing born in the Tsugaru region. At the Tsugaru Kura Kobo Takumi workshop you can watch demonstrations of traditional crafts such as Tsugaru-nuri lacquerware.

Painting workshops and the Yokien garden

In the hands-on corner you can try painting a kingyo neputa (a small lantern shaped like a goldfish), a Tsugaru kite or an apple-shaped bell, or have a go at pottery.

The garden on the grounds, Yokien, is laid out in the Oishi Bugaku-ryu style, a school of garden design unique to Tsugaru, and is a nationally Registered Monument. It uses Mount Iwaki and the old pine trees of Hirosaki Park as shakkei, or "borrowed scenery", bringing distant views into the garden as its backdrop.

Getting there

From JR Hirosaki Station, take a local bus to the Kamenokomachi-kado stop; it is a short walk from there. You can also use the 100-yen loop bus from Hirosaki Station. It is so close to Hirosaki Park that you can see the park's pines from the garden, which makes it easy to combine with a walk around the park and Hirosaki Castle.

The exhibition and activity areas charge admission; the shopping and dining areas are free to enter. Check opening hours, prices and the activities on offer on the official site or the city of Hirosaki's tourism site.

Tips

If you want to hear the festival music or shamisen, check the time of the next performance as soon as you arrive.
Painting a goldfish lantern is a very Aomori hands-on experience. Leave yourself plenty of time.
The restaurant serves Tsugaru local dishes, a good place to eat after walking around Hirosaki Park.

Sources

Updated 30 September 2026. Opening hours and prices change, so check the official site before you go.

Tsugaru-han Neputa Mura