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Do you remember how Sakura Miku was this year’s mascot for Hirosaki’s Cherry Blossom Festival? Well, just as announced by Hatsune Miku’s official Twitter account, she’ll make a comeback to celebrate Hirosaki Neputa Festival in August!
【お知らせ】来年の春に100回目を迎える「弘前さくらまつり」の公式応援キャラクターになった桜ミクが「弘前ねぷたまつり」ともコラボ決定！本日はイラストを公開していきますよー！まずはiXimaさんによる浴衣姿の桜ミク！大迫力のねぷたとの共演です！ #初音ミク #桜ミク #弘前ねぷたまつり pic.twitter.com/Ko4NVcb8LQ
— 初音ミク 公式 (@cfm_miku) July 6, 2019
What is the Hirosaki Neputa Festival?
The Hirosaki Neputa festival is an annual event that is held through August 1st through the 7th. 80 groups participate by walking through the city in fan shaped floats created by each group called “Fan Neputa (扇ねぷた)” with them being defined as: large fan-shaped floats depicting epic and fantastic images of warriors – parade through the town. In 1980, Hirosaki Neputa Festival was designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties of Japan.
Want to know more about the event? Check out Aomori’s sightseeing guide page about it!
A Cherry Blossom Diva Enchanting the Roads!
This year Sakura Miku, a very well known derivative of Miku that is portrayed as a pink colored version with cherry blossom trees in mind; will be representing the festival this year with many collaborative merchandise.
Four key illustrations have been unveiled for this collaboration event, one by the main Crypton Future Media VOCALOID series illustrator, iXima. Who is the lead illustrator for this event:
弘前ねぷたまつりと「桜ミク」がコラボ ラッピング車両や限定タクシーなど https://t.co/gpHHL7AF9p さくらまつりに引き続き、弘前ねぷたまつりで桜ミクさんコラボです！浴衣の桜ミクさんと扇ねぷたを描きました。よろしくお願いします🏮 pic.twitter.com/JGA5oVnAFE
— Eko iXima (@iximaxima) July 6, 2019
But alongside our beloved Hatsune Miku official illustrator, three other artworks were also introduced for us:
By Nazyo:
【続々・お知らせ】今回もお祭りに合わせて様々な企画が盛り沢山です！コラボポスターやスタンプラリーも予定されていますよ！詳細は月曜日の初音ミク公式blogでお届け予定です！こちらは元気いっぱいにねぷたまつりを楽しむなじょさんのイラストですよ！ #初音ミク #桜ミク #弘前ねぷたまつり pic.twitter.com/22GCRHIEaw
— 初音ミク 公式 (@cfm_miku) July 6, 2019
nekosumi‘s artworks shows us Sakura Miku accompanied by the festival’s official mascot: Takamaru-kun!è
【続々々・お知らせ】そして！さくらまつりに引き続き今回も弘前市のゆるキャラ「たか丸くん」とのコラボイラストも！描いていただいたのはnekosumiさんです！法被と金魚ねぷたでお祭り参加の準備万端ですね！ #初音ミク #桜ミク #弘前ねぷたまつり pic.twitter.com/DB1hGap6xt
— 初音ミク 公式 (@cfm_miku) July 6, 2019
And last but not least the artwork made by Kiyamachi!
【続・お知らせ】「弘前ねぷたまつり」は8/1（木）～8/7（水）の期間で行われます！お近くの方は是非遊びにきてくださいね！こちらは木屋町さんの描く幻想的な桜ミクイラストです！桜ミクの周りをふよふよと泳ぐ「金魚ねぷた」が可愛いですよね～♪ #初音ミク #桜ミク #弘前ねぷたまつり pic.twitter.com/pFOimwvm6W
— 初音ミク 公式 (@cfm_miku) July 6, 2019
They prepared various kinds of promotion activities for this event. In fact, you will find B2 size and strip type posters all around public places, and even a museum booth at Machinaka Information Center.
But there is more of course! Such as Sakura Miku-themed trains and taxis offered by Hokusei Traffic and Konan Railway to a very special Sakura Miku stamp rally starting on July 27th, and they will also hold a lantern contest during the festival, a contest tradition that began in 2016 with “Flying Witch” as theme.
We will get more details about activities and merchandise in the near future, so please stay tuned with us!
Source
With this much content for the giant fan floats, especially with a vibrant pink Miku involved, there will be much fun and celebration at this Hirosaki Neputa festival. Be excited!
Hatsune Miku is on Facebook (English and Japanese) and Twitter (English and Japanese)!
You can find the article this information was discovered on here!
Hirosaki Tourism website and Facebook page
