Aomori NEBUTA Festival Live ｜ Taiko Flutes Dancing and Demons
Aomori NEBUTA Festival Live ｜ Taiko Flutes Dancing and Demons
Overview
In this immersive live stream from August 2017, John Daub takes viewers directly into the heart of the Aomori Nebuta Festival (ねぶた祭り), one of Japan's most vibrant and energetic summer matsuri. Rather than a polished, edited documentary, this video captures the raw experience of participating as a haneto (festival dancer) amidst thousands of locals and tourists. John broadcasts live from the streets of Aomori City, sharing the anticipation, the music, and the chaotic beauty of the procession in real-time.
The video serves as a time capsule of the festival's atmosphere, highlighting the inclusive nature of the event where anyone can join the dance provided they wear the proper haneto yukata. John demonstrates the simple yet rhythmic dance steps and chants (Rassera) required to participate. Throughout the stream, he navigates the crowds, manages the challenges of live broadcasting with fluctuating signal strength, and even encounters a familiar face from his previous travels, adding a personal touch to the public spectacle.
This broadcast is particularly valuable for viewers wanting to understand the sensory overload of Tohoku's largest festival. From the thunderous taiko drums to the piercing flutes and the glowing floats (not fully visible in the transcript but implied by the context), John conveys the spirit that keeps him returning to this event year after year. It is an invitation to feel the energy of Japan's summer festival season without leaving home.
Highlights
- 00:00:04 John introduces the live stream from the heart of the Nebuta Festival.
- 00:01:54 Explanation of how anyone can participate as a haneto dancer.
- 00:02:27 John shows his yukata and discusses the importance of the rope line separating dancers from spectators.
- 00:03:25 Surprise encounter with Michael's girlfriend, a fan of the channel.
- 00:04:51 John recounts Michael's previous appearances on the channel.
- 01:37:18 Reflection after 100 minutes of dancing and festival energy.
- 01:38:16 John describes storing the festival energy for the rest of the year.
Timeline / Chapters
- 00:00:00 Intro: Live stream begins amidst the crowds.
- 00:01:54 How to Participate: Rules for joining the dance.
- 00:02:27 Gear Check: Yukata and Hanagasa discussion.
- 00:03:25 Fan Encounter: Meeting Michael's girlfriend.
- 01:37:18 Post-Festival Wrap: Reflections on the energy and music.
- 01:38:16 Outro: Sign off and thanks to viewers.
Japan Travel Tips
- Participation: The Nebuta Festival allows public participation. You must wear a haneto yukata to join the dancers inside the rope line.
- Cost: Renting a yukata costs approximately $20–30 USD for the day, though purchasing one is recommended for repeated use.
- Transport: John mentions arriving by airplane. Note that traditional hanagasa (flower hats) are difficult to transport on planes due to their shape.
- Signal: Live streaming from dense crowds can result in bandwidth issues; expect potential signal fluctuations during major events.
- Timing: The festival takes place in early August (summer). Arrive early to secure a spot if you intend to dance.
- Etiquette: Respect the rope line separating dancers (haneto) from spectators. Follow the lead of experienced dancers for the steps.
Japanese Language & Culture Notes
- Nebuta Matsuri (ねぶた祭り): One of the most famous festivals in the Tohoku region, featuring large illuminated floats depicting warriors and kabuki figures.
- Haneto (ハネト): The name for the festival dancers who jump and dance along the procession route.
- Yukata (浴衣): A casual summer cotton kimono worn at festivals. The haneto yukata is specific to this festival, often brightly colored with a distinctive sash.
- Hanagasa (花笠): A traditional flower hat worn by haneto. It features a bird design inside the crown.
- Rassera (らっせら): The iconic chant shouted by dancers during the festival. It is the only phrase needed to participate vocally.
- Taiko (太鼓): Traditional Japanese drums that provide the rhythmic backbone of the festival music.
People
- John Daub: Host and creator of Only in Japan Go. He participates actively as a haneto dancer while broadcasting live.
- Michael: A friend of John from Malaysia who has appeared in previous videos (Sapporo Snow Festival, previous Nebuta Festival). He is mentioned but not directly interviewed in this stream.
- Michael's Girlfriend: A fan of the channel who John encounters by chance in the crowd. She confirms Michael's location near City Hall.
Key Takeaways
- The Aomori Nebuta Festival is highly inclusive, allowing tourists to dance alongside locals if dressed correctly.
- The energy of the festival comes from the combination of music (flutes, taiko), lights, and the collective movement of thousands of dancers.
- Live streaming major festivals offers a raw, unedited perspective that edited videos cannot fully capture.
- Community connections matter; John's chance meeting with a fan's girlfriend highlights the tight-knit nature of his viewer community in Japan.
Notable Quotes
- 00:00:39 "I want you to have a chance to kind of feel the energy. And that's something that you can't do in a video, I think, that's edited."
- 00:01:54 "The great thing about this festival, the Nebuta Festival, is that anybody can participate."
- 00:01:54 "You just got to know these words: Rassera, rassera. That's all you need to know."
- 01:37:18 "It's the most fun that I have in Japan every summer."
- 01:38:16 "And all that energy, I store it right here. Dun, dun, dun, dun, dun. And I use that for the rest of the year."
Related Topics
- Sapporo Snow Festival (Yuki Matsuri)
- Tohoku Region Travel
- Japanese Summer Festivals
- Live Streaming Events in Japan
- Traditional Japanese Dance
Search Tags
#only-in-japan-go #aomori #nebuta-festival #matsuri #haneto #live-stream #japan-travel #tohoku #summer-festival #taiko #yukata #rassera
Full Transcript
00:00:04 John Daub: We're live! Here we are in Aomori. This is the Nebuta Festival (ねぶた祭り). And I did this two years ago on an Only in Japan show, the Nebuta Festival, Japan's best summer festival. And now I'm going to live stream the event here as a haneto (festival dancer) in the middle of it all. Hopefully we'll have enough bandwidth, we'll have enough signal to bring this entire event to you. But I'm here surrounded by thousands of people, a lot of them all dressed up in the haneto yukata, which is what this is.
00:00:39 John Daub: It's going to start in about five minutes, but one of the reasons why I wanted to do this live stream was because I want you to have a chance to kind of feel the energy. And that's something that you can't do in a video, I think, that's edited. You have to be here and kind of feel the music and the energy and the spirit from this point, when everyone is getting ready. And I'm going to show you how to do it. To the moment that we start, to the moment that we dance, to the moment that we finish, this festival is absolutely incredible. And you can see everybody is really excited with anticipation for the start of this event, which is going to be happening in about four or five minutes from now.
00:01:17 John Daub: I have to tell you in advance, I don't know if we're going to have the bandwidth, the signal strength to give you the entire festival as clean as I can right now. So if the festival goes in and out, I really appreciate it. I apologize for that, for the quality of this video. So I'm not sure how it's going to go, but we're going to do our best. This is the Only in Japan Go channel. The Go channel is all live streams, my second channel, so please subscribe if you haven't already. This is the kind of stuff that I live for, to stream live at an event like this. It's absolutely incredible.
00:01:54 John Daub: The great thing about this festival, the Nebuta Festival, is that anybody can participate. You need to have a yukata, a haneto yukata. And you can join the procession, you can join the festival here as a dancer. And the dance is pretty easy to know. You just got to know these words: Rassera, rassera (らっせら、らっせら). Rassera, rassera, rassera. That's all you need to know. And the dance, you just imitate what everybody else is doing and it's pretty easy.
00:02:27 John Daub: We're off to a pretty exciting start. This is the rope, this is the line, so this keeps us in and then keeps them out. The line is pretty important. Hold the line. This is the yukata that I wore two years ago when I was in this festival. I bought it, I didn't rent it. You can rent it, they're about $20-30 for the day, but it's good to have one of these. I don't have the hanagasa (flower hat) because I came by airplane today. And it's kind of hard to bring these hanagasa, these hats, on the airplane. I just don't know where I would put it. These hats are very traditional and inside of it you can see there's a bird.
00:03:25 John Daub: Excuse me, do you know Michael? Michael-san. Oh yeah, is he here? Girlfriend. Oh! Michael's girlfriend. Hey, is he, he's not here today? He's here. Oh, he's here? He's been with you since last time. Two years ago, right? He went to Hokkaido, right? Yes, yes, yes. He went to the Sapporo festival. That's amazing. Michael didn't contact you? Michael is in another place, so he's here. I want to see him. That's good. He's near the city hall. Oh, that's nice. I'll tell him.
00:04:08 John Daub: This is Michael's girlfriend. Michael's in the Sapporo Yuki Matsuri (雪まつり, snow festival) video. Oh, that's great. Can I take a picture with you? Sure. I'll take a picture with you. Picture. Michael is surprised. Oh, thank you. Let's have fun. Yes, let's have fun. There she is. That's Michael's girlfriend. Awesome.
00:04:51 John Daub: Michael is a friend of mine from Malaysia, and he's been on the show twice. He was in the original Nebuta Matsuri video two years ago. Michael was in the Sapporo snow festival video. If you look at the Only in Japan main channel, you'll see him. He's the one who I took the picture with. I guess we kicked in the air. That's Michael. He's been a great help to the show. A couple of times as a cameraman. That's so cool. That just happened. Just like out of the blue, I met his girlfriend. I never even met her before.
01:37:18 John Daub: We're going on for about 100 minutes now of total nebuta. Neputa. Whatever you want to call it. It's the top summer festival. It's the most fun that I have in Japan every summer. And for the fifth time in this life, I'm going to tell you the music, the flutes, the taiko drums, the energy, the people, the crowds, all of that. Oh, there's Mickey. Notice to Disney trademark infringement. No, I'm just kidding. The music, the people, the flutes, the taiko drums, the energy, the lights, the crowd, all of these sounds. It's visually stunning. It's audibly... I can't even think of the word for it, but it's just awesome.
01:38:16 John Daub: And all that energy, I store it right here. Dun, dun, dun, dun, dun. And I use that for the rest of the year. And I'm going to need it because I got a lot of work to do when I get back home to Tokyo. Let's not think about that. We're at Aomori. We're here to have some fun. So thank you so much for joining me on this live stream. This is a great place to end. I know the signal wasn't perfect. I know there were some parts that were slow. But all in all, I think that's part of the experience that you can get through the live stream. You can feel like you're here. And that's pretty cool. Thanks, everybody. Have a good night, good day, good afternoon, wherever you're from. See you next time. Or tomorrow. It's quiet down this street.