Goshogawara Tachi Neputa
Japan
- GoshogawaraPosted on August 6, 2010 by Stefan
Filed under Gallery, Aomori, Goshogawara, Matsuri, Neputa, Tachineputa, Tohoku
The Tachineputa festival is held every year from 4th to 8th of August. It’s one of the big top three nebuta festivals (together with the Aomori Nebuta and the Hirosaki Neputa) held in the same area. There are also smaller and less popular nebutas held all over the place (Kazuno has one, and near Odate i was driving past a small one). Each of the 3 big nebuta festivals is a tiny bit different, Hirosaki has fan-shaped floats, Aomori has square ones … and Goshogawara has tall and very impressive tower floats.
Of all the Nebuta festivals this one is still my favorite. I feel like the excellent Aomori Nebuta has grown a bit to big and popular turning into something where you are truly a spectator, where as the Goshogawara Neputa still has a lot of it’s charm and making you feel like you are part of it.
Transport: There are trains from Hirosaki/Aomori but the easiest is to come by car. There is plenty of free parking space available down at the riverbanks, just make sure you come early enough before they look down traffic in the festival area.
Website: The Goshogawara Neputa museum has a website about everything related to this festival here (all in Japanese).
I like your technique of catching the moment when the sky is getting dark just after the sunset in #7 and 8 ( oops! I am too serious today ) It is called ” Magical hour”, because everthing looks beautiful under the slight sun ray. I had spent the moment with preparing myself for work some ( many ) years,and one day I realized that it is pity , then quit my job
Now I enjoy some glasses of wine or beer with looking at my well-kept garden in Magical hours. wow, sounds like Hemingway! 
Golden hour is great – but late sunsets also makes for fantastic pictures, i love those darkish blue skies just before it goes black! – too bad it only lasts for 5 minutes or so ;-/