1.)+Traveling+in+Japan

__Nebuta Matsuri__
===The Nebuta Matsuri is one of two famous summer festivals. Its held in Aomori City in the Aomori prefecture on August second to the seventh. The festival is marked by the use of massive extravagant floats. Each float is followed by groups of dancers and large taiko drums. The floats take almost an entire year to design and build.The floats are made of colored or painted washi paper placed over a giant wire frame. Then, laterns are hung inside the floats to light up the night!===

Along with the haneto dancers, flute and chappa players, and the taiko drums the floats themselves are pushed along the streets by traditionally dressed people.


===This is a group of the haneto dancers. While following the floats, they chant 'Rassera Rassera'. their dance looks something like skipping. You can even join them as long as you wear the traditional outfit which can be bought in grocery stores or rental shops.=== ===Again, at night the floats are lit. The first two days of the parade, not all of the floats are in the parade, but the fourth through the sixth, all the floats are proudly pushed on the parade route. The last day, however, all the floats are in the parade, but it's held in the afternoon. This is so some of the floats can be parade one last time before being loaded onto barges and paraded through the bay. Finally the festival ends with a marvelous fireworks display on the waterfront.===

[[image:Matsuri_Parade2.jpg width="550" height="328" align="left" caption="Nebuta Matsuri"]][[image:TaikoDrum_Float.png width="457" height="385" align="right"]]
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