Centuries-Old Japan Festivals on Verge of Extinction

Centuries-Old Festivals on the Brink

Centuries-old festivals celebrated in communities across Japan are on the verge of extinction, according to a report by The Asahi Shimbun. The warning concerns traditions that have been handed down over hundreds of years.

Aomori's Nebuta: The Floats Come Home

The report was accompanied by photographs from Aomori, home to the Nebuta festival. In an image credited to Tetsuji Asano and taken on Aug. 6, a Panasonic Nebuta is the last float to be brought into a float-building shed at the Nebuta Rasseland, as many spectators look on.

Earlier, the float had paraded through downtown Aomori, accompanied by shouts of "rassera, rassera."

Key Details From the Report

• The Asahi Shimbun reports that centuries-old festivals across Japan are on the verge of extinction.
• The accompanying photographs were taken at the Nebuta festival in Aomori.
• On Aug. 6, a Panasonic Nebuta was the last float to be brought into a float-building shed at the Nebuta Rasseland.
• Many spectators looked on as the float was moved inside.
• Before entering the shed, the float paraded through downtown Aomori, accompanied by shouts of "rassera, rassera."

What Would Be Lost

If the festivals highlighted in the report were to disappear, the sights and sounds captured in Aomori would go with them: floats parading through downtown streets to cries of "rassera, rassera," and crowds turning out to watch as the floats return to their sheds.

Elsewhere in Japan's Cultural Scene

In separate coverage, The Asahi Shimbun reported that Okinawa, described by the paper as the karaoke capital of Japan, is shrugging off its lowest rank. The article, by staff writer Yasukazu Akada, was published on September 21, 2026.