During a recent trip to Japan, Charie and Mary Dickson of Rehoboth Beach experienced the vibrant Aomori Nebuta Festival, a Japanese summer festival, in Aomori. The festival showcases enormous lantern floats made from intricately painted washi paper stretched over wire frames and illuminated from within. These floats feature colorful depictions, such as huge dolls, lucky fish, and fierce dragons. Some floats reach heights of up to 72 feet and are manually pushed down the parade route by as many as 100 people. Musicians playing drums and flutes accompany the floats, adding to the lively atmosphere.