Taipei: Nebuta artists Makoto Suwa and Hiromi Hayashi from Japan's Aomori City have announced plans to craft large lantern floats for the 2026 Taiwan Lantern Festival in Chiayi County. The announcement was made on Monday after they received an invitation from the General Association of Chinese Culture (GACC).
According to Focus Taiwan, Suwa, Hayashi, and their team are set to create nebuta for Chiayi County's Pei Tien Temple. These traditional lantern floats will depict the deities Mazu and Hu Ye and are expected to be ready for the festival, which is scheduled to take place from March 3-15.
This project will be a first in several aspects for the Japanese artists. Although Suwa and Hayashi have previously exhibited their nebuta works in Taiwan, this will mark the first time they will produce these floats entirely from scratch on the island. Furthermore, it will be the first time in 25 years that a large-scale nebuta is created overseas since a project at the British Museum in 2001, and it will be the first instance of such work being made in Asia, as highlighted by the GACC.
Suwa emphasized that nebuta are more than just craftwork or lanterns. They represent the collective efforts and cultural heritage of local communities in Aomori, showcasing a rich tradition that will now be shared with an international audience in Taiwan.