[Goshogawara, Aomori Prefecture] The impressive Goshogawara Tachineputa Festival is a year-round experience at the Tachineputa Museum

The Goshogawara Tachineputa, which is counted as one of the "Three Great Neputa Festivals of Aomori" along with the Nebuta of Aomori City and the Hirosaki Neputa of Hirosaki City, is a summer festival held every year from August 4th to 8th in Goshogawara City, Aomori Prefecture

The colorful Neputa floats and the spirited calls of "Yattemare! Yattemare!" echo through the Aomori summer night sky, inspiring and exciting people

This time, we will introduce the Tachineputa Museum, a facility where you can experience Goshogawara Tachineputa, a summer tradition in Aomori, at any time

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What is Goshogawara Tachineputa?

From the mid-Meiji period through the Taisho period, Goshogawara prospered thanks to the abundant agricultural resources of the Tsugaru Plain, producing many powerful wealthy merchants and landowners. Soon after, these wealthy people began to display floats (neputa) at summer festivals as a symbol of their power

Since they were displayed as symbols of power and wealth, they could not afford to lose to others, and as a result of competition, the Neputa became increasingly larger and larger

For this reason, if you come across another Neputa during the festival, it's only natural that arguments will break out and fights will break out. It's said that the Tachineputa's yattemare chant comes from the "Yattemare!" ("Go for it!") chant of the time. That's a pretty dangerous origin story!

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Characteristics of Goshogawara Tachineputa

The most striking feature of the Goshogawara Tachineputa festival is undoubtedly the size of the floats.
The floats used in the festival are over 20 meters tall and weigh approximately 19 tons, requiring the strength of dozens of people to move them.

On the day of the festival, three of these large Neputa will be in operation, along with medium-sized Neputa made by companies and high school students, as well as musicians playing drums, flutes, and gongs, and the Haneto floats, who will parade through the center of Goshogawara, adding to the excitement of the festival

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The legendary Neputa floats are brought back to life in modern times after 90 years

The Goshogawara Tachineputa Festival has now become one of Aomori Prefecture's most representative summer festivals.
The creation of giant neputa floats in Goshogawara City was most active in the late Meiji period, and it is said that at its peak, neputa floats reaching heights of 30 meters were being made.
However, with the spread of power lines, the height of the neputa floats was restricted, and they gradually changed to smaller ones as times changed.

After the Neputa became smaller, the tradition of giant Neputa in Goshogawara City was discontinued, but after a photograph and a drawing of the pedestal from the Meiji period were discovered, a group of local volunteers succeeded in recreating a giant Neputa that was 22 meters tall. In 1996, the festival was revived for the first time in 90 years as the "Goshogawara Tachineputa."

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"Tachineputa no Yakata" conveys the excitement of the festival

In the heart of Goshogawara City stands a striking building, 38 meters tall and six stories high.
This is the "Tachineputa Museum."

This facility always displays three large Neputa floats that were actually used in the festival, and also serves as a place for the production and storage of large Tanetai floats

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The spectacular Tachineputa parade

On the day of the Goshogawara Tachineputa Festival, the wall of the Tachineputa Museum opens up to reveal a large Tachineputa

Every year, the moment when the giant Tachineputa enters the festival from the Tachineputa Hall attracts many spectators, making it one of the highlights of the festival

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Highlights of the Tachineputa Museum

Although its main purpose is to store the Tachineputa, there are many other things to see inside the museum. We will introduce each of them in order

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Tachineputa Exhibition Room

The Tachineputa Exhibition Room is the main attraction of the Tachineputa Museum. The tour starts from the fourth floor, where you can look down on the Neputa floats from above

You can observe the large Neputa from up close as you walk down the gentle spiral path, and there are many exhibits that teach you about the history of Tachineputa

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Giant screen screening

On the giant screen in the Tachineputa exhibition room, you can enjoy the history of Tachineputa and the beautiful nature and scenery of Goshogawara

Scenes from the Goshogawara Tachineputa festival on the day are also shown, so you can always experience the realism of being at the festival

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Tachineputa Manufacturing Co., Ltd

Another highlight is the "Tachineputa Workshop," where you can see the actual production process and progress of the Tachineputa floats.
The large Tachineputa floats are made in about 50 parts and take more than six months to create, and are assembled in the Tachineputa Exhibition Hall using a crane over approximately two days.
From April to June, there are also free paper-pasting experiences available for the Tachineputa floats.

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A multipurpose hall where you can see medium-sized Neputa up close

In the multipurpose hall, which serves as a rest area, you can view a medium-sized Neputa that was actually used in the festival for free

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Goshogawara Tachineputa was held for the first time in three years in 2022. A medium-sized Neputa from the popular game series "Momotaro Dentetsu," commonly known as "Momotaro Dentetsu," which ran at the head of the festival, was on display, delighting many spectators with its unique appearance

Tachineputa Museum <Information>

• Facility name: Tachineputa Museum
• Address: 506-10 Omachi, Goshogawara City, Aomori Prefecture
• Phone number: 0173-38-3232
• Official URL:Tachineputa Museum

Google Maps

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Conclusion

Thanks to the passionate efforts of the citizens of Goshogawara, the giant Tachineputa float has been revived after 90 years.
The Tachineputa Museum, where you can see it up close at any time, is the perfect spot for sightseeing in Aomori Prefecture. Why not visit and experience the excitement of summer?

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