The main draw of the Nebuta Matsuri is the nightly two-hour parade. Each participating group usually consists of a float accompanied by haneto dancers chanting "Rase-rase-rasera!" and moving in unison to the beat of a marching band.
Each float, which is pushed manually and lit up from within, may measure up to 5m high, 9m long and 7m wide, and weigh up to four tonnes. Costing up to 4 million yen each to build, they usually depict scenes from Japanese and Chinese mythology.
As the sun begins to set, the performers line up on the four major roads closed off for the parade. The roads form a ring, and within the two hours, the performers will cover all four roads and get back to where they started. The audience members, lining both sides of the roads, wait in anticipation as they guzzle their beer and lap up their take-away sushi.
Once the clock strikes 7.10pm (don’t ask me why), the procession begins!
The photos were taken on August 2 and 4. I used my Nikon F6 paired with the Nikkor AIS 35mm f1.4 or AFS 24mm f1.4, on Kodak Portra 800 film.
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| RASE RASE RASERA! RASERAAA! RASERAAA! |
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| A rare group of haneto dancers moving in unison. As the participants aren’t exactly professional dancers, getting a shot like this proved more difficult than expected! |
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| One of the many floats that participated in this year’s parade. There is something awe-inspiring about these huge structures, which are designed by dedicated volunteers a year in advance. |
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| Infected by the energy of the haneto dancers and wish you were part of the parade? Actually you can join in anytime! The only condition is that you must wear the haneto costume, which can be bought or rented from some of the shops in town. |
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| The mini-cymbals are one of the three instruments used in the parade. The other two are the taiko drum (which vary in size and are pushed on wheels) and bamboo flutes. |
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| There were many children who participated in the parade… including those below the height limit? :) |
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| Pushing and controlling the floats require quite a lot of strength, as they can weight up to four tonnes. |
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| Scattered among the contingents were baketo, who are usually dressed as clowns, animals or other funny/grotesque characters. They are always a delight to spot! |
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| These adorable kids tirelessly waved their fans to cheer on every passing contingent. Their mother had to pull them back at times as they got too close to the floats! |
More to come in the last of this series…
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