Absolutely fell in love with this form of art, I was very excited to visit this place, and words nor photos can truly capture how I felt looking at these mind blowing works of art.

I felt so drawn into these, I’d imagine it’s what a mosquito feels like as the glow of a bug zapper draws it in.

The museum is spacious in terms of available space to walk around the main floats, with high ceilings and perfect dimmed lighting, it provides these lantern sculptures a real nice space to truly shine.

It seemed like most visitors walked through it in less than an hour, but I easily spent 2 and a half hours walking around. Not just for the chance to try and capture what I was seeing in photo and video, but just simply admiring the detail and craftsmanship of the art.

The staff are kind as well, eager to capture a photo of you with the floats of you want or even share a little history about the festival, art form, etc. One lady was cool enough to not only share details about the art and the work one of the artists was doing in a studio beneath the entrance stage, but she even gifted me some of the paper used in making these. I listened carefully, gave her my undivided attention as she was clearly pouring her heart out about the love she had for this work, but I understood nothing she said from the words she spoke, but sometimes you can understand someone by just how they talk with their gestures, and it all made perfect sense, I think 😅

Two take aways, one was I want to now desperately make my own, and it seems very doable, but I won’t know where to put it. And two, I want to not only attend this festival next summer, but I want to participate in it if possible. I don’t know how, but I’ll find a way.

Love this place, love the art, love Aomori, want to move here and raise a family of Nebuta craftsman and sleep under the warm glow of these magical lanterns.