Day 3- dokkoisho, dokkoisho!!! Hirosaki and Akita Kanto Festival

    On my third day I took a train to the castle-town of Hirosaki, known as the ruling castle of the northern Tsugaru Shogunate.

    A 20-min walk from JR Hirosaki station, there is the district of Otemachi, which I visited to find a treat that my friend recommended. The name of the shop is 川越黄金焼き、and it specializes in "Kogane Yaki", a sort of kaiten yaki that has "shiroan" or white anko instead of the usual, purple-coloured aduki sweet beans.

    Ｎｅａｒby there were some historical buildings such as this Catholic church, and also the Hirosaki Castle and its park.

    In the NHK office and also on the nearby gasoline station I found that they had on display the floats that they use at night for the Hirosaki Neputa festival,

 

    Near the station I found that for 114 yen you can buy a 100% apple-made local juice, that comes in the wrapping of a float like the ones of the Nebuta parade, and makes a delicious souvenir.

 

    Around noon I hopped on a train straight to Akita city. This city at a glance seemed very practical for it has a roof-covered walkable street connecting directly to the station, and linking the Prefectural Museum and main Shopping malls and Hotels. Here, some "demons" come to greet the tourists that visit Akita during its Festival season.

    Lanterns such as the ones used during the festival are also on display on the way to the street where the festival takes place.

This summer there is a Kusama Yayoi exhibit with her latest works, announced all over the city by banners and by her traditional polka-dotted tree dresses. There is an are where you are allowed to interact with the art and take pictures. The exhibit costs 600 yen with a student ID, and consists of 3 tickets: two are inside Atrion (アトリオン）which is a shopping mall next to the Dormi Inn hotel. The third one can be used to enter to the last part of the exhibit that lies on the first floor of the Akita Prefectural Museum.

 

 

This is a postcard of one of her self portraits

This is me in the flower polka-dotted room

     The exhibition of Kusama Yayoi is held from 10 am to 6 pm (last admittance 17:30), so I will finish watching the part Akita Prefectural Museum of Art exhibit on the following morning. In the meantime, since the Prefectural Museum of Art is on an irregular schedule special for the festival (the closing hours are later than usual, at 18:30) I payed it a brief visit(adult 310, student 210yen). The current exhibit features Hirano Masakichi`s collection, with ground-breaking works by the artist Tsuguohara Fuojita, whose biggest mural painting, "Akita no Gyouji" was inspired in the Muralist movement that he saw during his trip to Brazil, Cuba and Mexico.

This is his self portrait

   This is 秋田の行事（Akita no Gyouji)

    The most remarkable feature of this painting is that it describes the lifestyle of his time in Akita. From the left, there are indications of how rice was transported in straw-made containers on carts pulled by horses, how kids used to play with Japanese Tako (kite), how Akita wood was used for making a fence, how the entertainment dancers would receive people at a Kamakura or snow igloo, and of course showing the existence of the Akita dog. In the center of the painting the Akita Kanto festival can be appreciated, with the "kanto"being the long stick with lanterns that has a decoration on its highest tip. Right next to it there is a Hanagasa sort of umbrella, with an "Otoko Ningyou" or man doll, followed by a huge Taiko drum. On the third partition of the mural, the events at a Shrine and at a Temple are depicted, with one of the faces facing the stage on the right recognized to be that of Tsuguohara Fuojita himself.


    I forgot to mention that on the North side of the Atrion shopping mall there is a gorgeous pond full of blossomed lotus flowers. 

    So, on my way to the festival, I keep walking on the street that comes from the train station and has the museums when I find this is actually a pedestrian street and it is full of trivia fun facts about the history of Akita or the meaning of its festivals!!!

    Also, altogether with a map with all the prefectures there is a world map, and stickers available for visitors to pinpoint the place where they come from!

     "WHERE ARE U COME FROM?" says the map where I stuck a yellow dot over my hometown, the city of Buenos Aires.

    On this pedestrian street there is also an open concert going on. And the typical "Demise" outdoors shops are wooden made and look way fancier than at any other place I have seen so far.

    As I approach the lantern festival, I found a stall that sells Kiritanpo nabe, a soup like meal that has rice blended into a chewy dough, the traditional food from Akita. Yummy! 

    And soon as I climb the pedestrian bridge I get excited for I can already see the festival starting!!!

   The dynamics of the festival are basically like this:
   First a truck comes, carrying the name of the sponsor-group, and on its back the Taiko drummers bring the rhythm to the street.

Following behind, the flutes accompany the drums

    And after them we have the main performers of Akita Kanto: The Kanto-mochi (holders), who lift these sticks with lanterns that weights up to 50 kg! They do it first with their hands, then they place it on their belt and balance it, and then they hold it with their heads!!!

 

     But this is not only for adults for kids also participate and show their skills!

 Sometimes the wind is too strong and one of the lantern may fall onto another. The team members are always on the look so that nobody gets hurt, not even the close-looking expectators.

 And suddenly the crowd spots this kid, who must be around 10 years old, and not only holds the lantern-stick with his head but also has the spare balance to take out a parasol and a fan and dance with them!!! Cheers!

 

   At the end they let you take pictures with them!!!

And on my way out I have a locak "Babahera ice" that is shaped like a rose.

 

      And after all this, I finally got to chill out at some Hot Springs!!! Since the ones in the Dormi Inn were exclusive for guests with a room reservation, I visited "華の湯” （Hana no yu) Hotspring complex, that also goes under the name "Super Kenkou(Healthy) Land" and is located a few blocks south to the streets where the festival is staged. For only 480 yen there is access to a number of indoors and outdoors pools, which filled with springs water and predicate to have different embellishment and rejuvenating  effects. This place is open until 24:00 hs so you do not need to rush on you way from the festival. The official website(Japanese only) is http://www.route-inn.co.jp/hananoyu-akita/index.html

 

What do you think of all these things that Akita city has to offer? If you have the time I totally recommend you pay it a visit!

Matsuri Fever

  Japan is known for many things, and one of these is the peculiarity of its diverse festivals, or "祭り". These are held either in a small neighborhood scale, such as Bon Odori or some of the New Year's Mochi-making traditions, or in big, town scale size, such as Kyoto's Gion Matsuri, Tokyo's Kanda Matsuri or Osaka's Tenjin Matsuri. The biggest difference on the scale of the event is, of course, whether the local events aim for every member of the community to participate, the larger scale events attract people from all over Japan and overseas, boosting the tourism industry.

  Looking back at my almost 4 years and a half of living in Japan, I recall going to local Bon Odori festivals and helping with the Omikoshi carrying, also watching as an expectator the Asakusa Samba Festival and the Kagurazaka Awa Odori, or even dancing in one of the parades at the Yassa Matsuri in Yugawara. Since I moved to Osaka I have been able to enjoy the Otaue Matsuri, Gion Matsuri and Tenjin Matsuri. Also, on trips to Kyushuu I have also seen Nagasaki Lantern Matsuri, Karatsu Kunchi, the Air Balloon Festival, and when in Okinawa the Yosakoi Soran Matsuri. Endless source of festivals, Japan is now over the peak of its summer season, so I took the plunge and finally set for the North-Eastern region known as Tohoku.

  Without the unlimited Shinkansen JR Pass, nor the budget to buy each shinkansen ticket, I am adventuring with a JR seasonal ticket called the "seishun juuhachi kippu", which translates as the Youth 18 Ticket. Despite its name, it can be used by people of all ages, and what makes this ticket special is that it enables its users to ride as many local trains as they want during the lenght of a day. The full price is 11850 yen and includes 5 tickets that can be used on separate days. Considering that each ticket costs about 2370 yen and can take you for example for distances such as Tokyo to Osaka, it is a cheap deal for travelers who can afford a full day sitting on a train. If we consider the usual Tokyo-Osaka trip fare, done by shinkansen costs 12600yen, by local train full fare costs 8000+\-, or by night bus around 4000yen, so this ticket is quite cheap in comparison. However, the distance is covered in about 10-12hs, so bring some books for the journey! Link http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/pass/seishun18.html

   My trip schedule aims to have a glimpse of each of the Northern Prefectures biggest festivals, dedicating a day to each of these. Here is the map of Tohoku:

    I have researched on the lenght of the festivals, some lasting 3 days, others 8 days, and chose a loop-like route starting in Iwate, going through Aomori, Akita, Yamagata and Miyagi. This is how my tight schedule is

 I may go for cheap accommodation such as backpacker lodgings, comic cafes (Manga Kissa), karaoke boxes, mc donalds, etc. And sleep in between trains. I hope to write an entry about these festivals once I am back!!!

  Here I list some pictures of the festivals I will be attending. In order I visit them, these are:

  Morioka Sansa Odori (August 1st-4th) Iwate Prefecture

  Aomori Nebuta Matsuri (August 2nd-7th) Aomori Prefecture

  Hirosaki Neputa Matsuri (August 1st-7th) Aomori Prefecture

  Akita Kanto Matsuri (August 3rd-6th) Akita Prefecture

  Yamagata Hanagasa Matsuri (August 5th-7th) Yamagata Prefecture

  Sendai Tanabata (August 6th-8th) Miyagi Prefecture