Hirakawa’s summer, filled with the sound of hayashi music and the procession of a giant fan-shaped neputa
Hirakawa Neputa
The 2026 edition of Hirakawa Neputa has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/08/02 〜 2026/08/03Ended
- Season / frequency
- Every year, August 2 and 3 / Every year
- Location
- Intersection in front of Daily Yamazaki Hirakawa to Hiraka Station
- Area
- Aomori Prefecture・Hirakawa City(From Tokyo: approx. 3 h–3 h 30 min · bullet train)Prefecture-level estimate to a main station or airport, not the venue. Airport access, check-in and onward travel are extra; remote areas and islands can take much longer.
- Highlights and activities
- Participation / viewing
- Open to public participation / spectators welcome
- Participation fee
- No admission fee is listed for general roadside viewing. Paid viewing seats cost 3,000 yen per pipe chair, or 15,000 yen per table group.
- Age restrictions
- The Neputa-pulling experience is for people who can walk on their own. Children in elementary school or younger must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
- Required number of participants
- The Neputa-pulling experience is open to 80 people each day.
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
Fan-shaped neputa make their way through downtown Hirakawa, accompanied by the distinct music and chants of each group. At the end of the festival, the “World’s Largest Fan-Shaped Neputa,” about 12 meters tall, appears and brings color to the roadside.
About Hirakawa Neputa
Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: 掬茶 File:Hirakawa Neputa Exhibition Hall.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.Hirakawa Neputa is a festival of fan-shaped neputa held in Hirakawa City, Aomori Prefecture.
The festival began against the backdrop of the Heisei 18 merger of Hiraka Town, Onoe Town, and Ikarigaseki Village. It carries on the former Hiraka Neputa tradition, with participation also coming from the Onoe and Ikarigaseki areas.
Distinct hayashi music and chants from each group fill the air, and the huge “World’s Largest Fan-Shaped Neputa” appears at the very end.
Watching the neputa parade through downtown offers a chance to experience the distinct local cultures of Hirakawa City all at once.
Source: 平川ねぷた - Wikipedia
Festival highlights
Highlights include the distinct hayashi music, chants, and nagashi-odori dances of each group, as well as the “World’s Largest Fan-Shaped Neputa,” which brings the festival to a close.
According to the 2026 information, the fan-shaped neputa is about 12 meters tall, about 9.2 meters wide, and weighs about 6 tons.
In front of the neputa, each group performs nagashi-odori dances to the hayashi music, with different costumes and dance styles.
Watch from the roadside as fan-shaped neputa bearing large paintings make their way along the broad streets.
Source: 平川ねぷたまつり2026 | 平川市観光協会
Hirakawa’s summer, filled with the sound of hayashi music and the procession of a giant fan-shaped neputa
What to expect
At the festival, several groups proceed along the parade route pulling neputa floats, performing hayashi music, chanting, and nagashi-odori dances.
In 2026, the parade was scheduled to start at 7 p.m., with the “World’s Largest Fan-Shaped Neputa” appearing at the very end.
Members of the public were also invited to help pull this fan-shaped neputa; participants had to be able to walk unaided.
Children in elementary school or younger had to be accompanied by a guardian, and advance registration was required.
How to take part
General viewing is available.
Paid viewing seats are offered, and you can also watch the procession from public viewing areas along the route.
To take part in the Neputa-pulling experience, the 2026 recruitment requirements are that you can walk on your own, that children in elementary school or younger are accompanied by a parent or guardian, and that you register in advance.
Visitors are advised not to join the procession partway through or rejoin after leaving it.
For the 2026 fan-shaped neputa-pulling experience, applications were accepted by online form, email, or in person, with the preferred date, name, address, age, and phone number.
Each day was limited to 80 participants, with a lottery if applications exceeded capacity.
The application deadline was 5 p.m. on July 17, 2026.
Paid viewing seats could be booked by phone, email, or in person through the Hirakawa City Tourism Association.
Location and access
- Venue and address
The parade route runs from the intersection in front of Daily Yamazaki Hirakawa to Hiraka Station.
Paid viewing seats are set up next to the festival headquarters, and the table seats are in front of the Hirakawa City Hall Flat Square.
- Train and bus
Konan Railway’s Hiraka Station is listed as the end of the parade route.
- By car
Traffic restrictions will be in place around the parade route.
Visitors are asked to cooperate with detours and other measures.
- Parking
Parking is limited, so public transportation is recommended.
A parking area reserved for paid-seat ticket holders was available, limited to 2 cars per group on a first-come, first-served basis.
Source: 平川ねぷたまつり2026有料観覧席 | 平川市観光協会
Event venue 青森県平川市 デイリーヤマザキ平川店前交差点～平賀駅前
This map uses the venue name. Check the official guide for the event area and entrances.
Dates and season
2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)
In 2026, the parade was scheduled to start at 7 p.m. on August 2 and 3, over 2 days.
Although the event dates have passed, the neputa were scheduled to proceed through downtown Hirakawa on both days, with entry to the paid viewing seats planned from 5 p.m.
The parade route runs from the intersection in front of Daily Yamazaki Hirakawa to Hiraka Station.
The event is usually held on August 2 and 3.
Accommodation and hotels PR
Showing nearby accommodation.
Prices and availability are current at the time of retrieval. For multi-night stays, only the first night’s price is shown. Confirm the final price and directions to the venue with the booking provider. Select your dates again when using the area search link. Search area: within 3 km of Central Aomori Prefecture / Hirakawa City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
Along the parade route, sidewalks are divided into general viewing areas and pedestrian-only passageways.
You cannot stop in the pedestrian-only passageways, and general viewing areas cannot be reserved before they open.
The event may be held even in rainy weather, so visitors are advised not to use umbrellas in the viewing seats and to bring rainwear such as a raincoat.
Please take your rubbish home and help keep passageways clear.
Nearby attractions
Next to Hirakawa City Hall is the “World’s Largest Fan-Shaped Neputa Exhibition Hall,” where you can see the giant fan-shaped neputa used in the festival throughout the year.
It is also a place to visit if you miss the parade on festival day or want to take a closer, more leisurely look at the neputa’s size.
The Hirakawa City Tourism Association also highlights nearby attractions, including the Saruka Shrine Jugoya Grand Festival, the Hirakawa City Lotus Festival, and the Seibien Garden light-up.
Please check each event’s information for dates and details.
盛美園
青森県の公園・庭園のスポットです。
写真：663highland / CC BY 2.5(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·Origins and History of Hirakawa Neputa
Hirakawa Neputa began alongside Hirakawa City, established through the 2006 municipal merger, and has mainly carried on the neputa traditions of the former Hiraka Town.
Groups from the Onoe and Ikarigaseki areas later joined in, and by fiscal 2011, 30 floats were taking part in the parade.
The festival’s symbol, the “World’s Largest Fan-Shaped Neputa,” was completed on December 27, 1998 thanks to the goodwill of residents of the former Hiraka Town.
It still brings up the rear of the Hirakawa Neputa parade.
Official information
The Hirakawa City Tourism Association provides information on the 2026 Hirakawa Neputa Festival, the parade route, paid viewing seats, and important notices.
The contact is the Hirakawa Neputa Festival Organizing Committee, based at the Hirakawa City Chamber of Commerce.
Details on how to apply for the neputa-pulling experience and participant requirements are provided in the participant recruitment notice posted by the Hirakawa City Tourism Association.
Hirakawa Neputa at a Glance
Hirakawa Neputa is a summer festival in Hirakawa City, where visitors enjoy the distinct hayashi music, chants, and nagashi-odori dances of each group before watching the huge “World’s Largest Fan-Shaped Neputa” pass by.
In 2026, it was held on August 2 and 3, with the parade route running from the intersection in front of Daily Yamazaki Hirakawa to Hiraka Station.
In addition to roadside viewing, paid viewing seats and a fan-shaped neputa-pulling experience were available.
Please follow the instructions on passageway divisions, reserving spots, rain gear, and other matters when watching.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
Submit information or a correction Submit photos of this festival
