The grand Aomori Nebuta Festival, with its massive paper lantern floats, has been canceled the last two years due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. The executive committee, comprising the Aomori Tourism and Convention Association and other entities, announced the news. "Holding the festival will bring economic benefits and invigorate local communities," said Hidenori Nara, chair of the tourism association, who also serves as head of the executive committee. "We want to make this year the first year for revival." Depending on the COVID-19 situation, however, the annual summer festival could be switched to an alternative event like it was last year, the committee said. "We will make the decision based on the prefectural government's guidelines for restrictions on (large-scale) events, in addition to seeing how festivals are held in other prefectures, but we want to somehow make it happen," Nara said. The festival will be held for six days from Aug. 2 to 7, as usual, with the towering "nebuta" lantern floats parading 3.1 kilometers through the city.
