Day 160 Thur June 22, 2023 Cruise Pacific Ocean
????Day 161 Fri June 23, 2023 Aomori, Japan 8-11:00
Located on Mutsu Bay. Aspam Center has a tourism center in a large triangular building, spot from bridge or train station. Observation deck offers views of harbor and city for an extra charge. Train station is a 15-min walk from the dock.
Aomori city to Hachinohe via Sukayu Onsen and Lake Towada on an infrequent rail bus. Leaves from terminal outside Aomori Station. Picturesque route. Recorded commentary. Onsen last bus leaves at 5:00
Highlights of Goshogawara (AOJ-005 ) 4.5 hours 9:15-1:45
Two hours of walking. Begin by driving one hour to Tsugaru Kanayama-yaki Kiln & Pottery (45 minutes). Drive 30 minutes to Tachi-Neputa House Warrase and visit for 75 minutes. Return to pier with a one hour drive.
Every summer, the world’s tallest paper sculptures, known as Tachineputa, parade through Goshogawara City. The 23-meter-high illuminated creations, weighing 19 tons in total, feature legendary samurai warriors and folk heroes. Following the multicolored giants, locals chant “Yattemare!” (now or never) while dancing to flutes, drums and bells played by traditional Japanese musical performers known as hayashite.
The Tachineputa Museum is seven stories tall and has an astoundingly high ceiling housing three huge Tachineputa floats. Even in this spacious area, it already seems packed with all three paper giants illuminated by 1,000 lights bulbs standing still and waiting for their once-a-year outing. The museum opened in 2004 and has been the home for creating, displaying and storing Tachineputa floats ever since. Visitors can enjoy the sculptures up close from all angles by going to the top floor on the panoramic elevator and descending down the spiral pathway. On the day the festival begins, one of the massive walls of the building slides open and the three Tachineputas are ready to parade in the city.
Each float’s framework is built from wood and bamboo bound with wires. Once the float is entirely covered with white washi paper, it is then painted in a rainbow of colors transforming it into the illuminated floats that march through town with hayashite (musical performers) and dancers referred to as haneto trailing behind. Power lines have been removed and wires buried underground so as not to interfere with the floats.
Pottery studio, colorful parade floats
No comments:
Post a Comment