Nebuta Festival 2014

I was really happy to catch a few days of Aomori's famous Nebuta Festival once more before my official move to Tokyo this year. I've gone every year while living in the city and written about it previously in this blog. However, it felt so different this time around.

I had already moved out of my apartment and had nearly finished everything related to my departure. I felt both accomplished and empty. As I stayed at my friend's place and had no real obligations left at work, I felt like I had pulled my Aomori roots out of the ground and had not yet replanted them. No doubt I was excited to start my new life and relieved to have everything well lined up, but my mood was pretty mellow.

I had participated in the parades as much as possible the previous three years; I took hundreds of photos and didn't miss a single day. This time around, I decided to take it easy and simply watch the event. I took some photos here and there. I met up with a few friends and drank a few beers. It was a very casual affair for me, but I enjoyed it. Though rest assured, I will be joining the festival in full vigor again in the near future.

Boys pulling one of the large Nebuta floats in the parade

Volunteers watch on as a group of dancers jump

Several friends in Japanese yukata enjoying the event

Sakura Season 2014

Long before this year's cherry blossoms were to bloom, I'd been aware that my planned Okinawa trip would likely coincide with the sakura season in Aomori. I felt a little disappointed by this, but hoped to at least catch a few days of it upon my return. Either way, I thought I would still have to miss the full bloom (manekai, 満開) this year. My prime destination was Hirosaki Castle, one of the most beautiful and famous hanami (cherry blossom viewing) spots in Japan. So to give myself the best chance for a good sakura viewing, I skipped Aomori City on my return from Okinawa and rode a bus directly to Hirosaki.

Hirosaki Castle Park

Hirosaki Castle is famous for it's cherry blossoms

I arrived early, while the skies were still dark and the sun just peeking above the horizon. I was tired and groggy, and totted a heavy bag full of dirty clothes and omiyage (obligatory gifts for my bosses and coworkers). The air was misty and as I walked towards the castle grounds the clouds started to trickle down rain too. I keep walking and soon I entered the park. I was thrilled to see the sakura still looking full and beautiful; it was only the rainy, dark skies that wouldn’t let me enjoy it completely. But as it happens sometimes in Aomori the weather rapidly changed and the clouds dissipated to reveal bright blue skies! So feeling gracious and high-spirited, I strolled around and happily snapped some nice pictures, then sat down and enjoyed the atmosphere for awhile. After I had enjoyed a wonderful day there, I finally returned to Aomori.

It was nice and quiet in the morning, very few people

Fallen sakura pedals float beautifully in the castle moat 

Gappo Park, Aomori City

Walking paths are present throughout Gappo Park

In addition to Hirosaki, I also had a pretty good chance to see cherry blossoms a few days later right in Aomori City as well. One of the best places to see it is at Gappo Park, on the east side of the city. There are plenty of sakura trees there, but it’s also one of my favorite places in Aomori in general with a nice beach, walking paths, and great spots for barbecues with friends.

Cherry blossoms blowing in a gentle breeze 

Aomori Spring Festival

Aomori Spring Festival in front of ASPAM (tourism building)

Just as the hanami (cherry blossom viewing) season finishes up, Aomori City shifts from its relaxed spring mode into a more bit more of a upbeat, energetic spring feeling. By pure chance, I came across the Aomori Spring Festival event this year and I’m glad I did because it was quite a lot of fun to see. I can’t say what activities may or may not have been held earlier in the day, but when I arrived in the early evening, I saw many coordinated dance routines by yokasoi groups, belly dancers, and others.

Girl holding a sign with matsuri (祭, "festival") written on it

Yosakoi (よさこい) is growing in popularity over the years

With the end of the cherry blossom season and spring festivals commencing, Aomori comes increasingly closer to it's famous summer Nebuta festivals. Now a special energy begins to bloom in the region. People here know, summer is coming!

Snow Festivals in Northern Japan

In my last post, I described the impressively snowy winters up here in Aomori. I detailed some of the challenges the city faces as well as some of the opportunities presented by such conditions. One of the "coolest" benefits of having so much snow is that cities can put on some nice snow festivals (雪祭り, yuki matsuri). So for my last winter-related post for the season, I'm going to highlight some of the snow festivals I've been to in northern Japan.

I'll focus on four snow festivals here. The first one I'll cover is generally considered biggest and most famous in Japan, which takes place in the city of Sapporo (札幌), located in Hokkaido Prefecture. I'll also touch on Otaru, a small city near Sapporo. The following three festivals I'll write about are smaller, more regional ones found in Aomori City (青森市), Hirosaki (弘前), and Yasumiya/Lake Towada (十和田湖). It's a good mix but certainly not all in the region. Other notable events I never had a chance to see are the Iwate Snow Festival (Iwate Prefecture), Namahage Sedo Festival (Akita Prefecture), and Yokote Snow Festival (Akita).

Sapporo Snow Festival (さっぽろ雪まつり)

The Sapporo Snow Festival is an awesome spectacle that draws millions of Japanese and foreign visitors every year. According to the official website, the first festival was held in 1950 and featured just a few modest snow statues built by high school students. For the next couple decades, the festival grew in scale and popularity. It became internationally known in 1972 when the city hosted the Winter Olympic Games; two years later it began the International Snow Sculpture Contest which various countries still participate in today.

Currently, three sites are used including Odori Park, Tsudome, and Susukino. Odori Park is the main festival area which stretches from east to west through the center of downtown Sapporo. The site features the biggest snow and ice sculptures, as well as a variety of fun events. Tsudome is the second largest site and consists two areas; you can take a rest inside the community dome, or play in the outside area that has huge snow slides and snowrafting. Lastly, Susukino is the area specifically dedicated to ice sculptures and features a few additional events like the Ice Sculpture Contest. At night, many areas are beautifully illuminated.

During my visit there in 2013, I became friends with a university student there named Shodai and stayed in his apartment for a few nights. He was an great host and showed me around which was really nice. I also meet a lot of other friendly people as well during the trip, both new and old friends. I have many lasting memories from this trip.

Sapporo Side Trip - Otaru

Otaru is a small city about 30 minutes northwest of Sapporo that also has it's own winter festival. It's significantly more modest than the Sapporo festival but is quite charming. The city itself is known for its historical buildings and arts and crafts industries. I won't go into detail but just wanted to mention that I volunteered here and it was a lot of fun! I helped prepare the grounds for visitors and built small snow lanterns, which we later lit with candles. One of the prettiest things to see here is the canal, which is filled with floating candles and looks very beautiful at night.

Aomori City (青森雪祭り)

Although it's the capital city of the prefecture, the snow festival here is relatively small and not exactly a "festival" in the traditional sense. Unlike the other events I'll discuss below, I've never seen any food vendors nor live entertainment featured (this could be have been different in the past or may be different in future years, I'm not sure). Either way, I think it's safe to say it's the smallest and least famous snow festival out of the ones I'm discussing, but still worth including because I live here.

The main displays and sculptures are built in the Aomori Station Park (青森駅前公園), which is basically an open space near the station. Other decorations are also located on the other side of the station, next to a culture and tourism facility called Wa Rasse (ワ・ラッセ), "the House of Nebuta" (Nebuta Festival). The layout and sculptures are new every year, keeping it pretty interesting for local residents. In addition to the designs specifically created for the snow festival, related winter-themed decorations and structures are displayed near Wa Rasse.

Hirosaki Snow Festival / Snow Lantern Festival (弘前雪灯篭祭り)

Hirosaki is famous for it's cherry blossom viewing in the spring, but also offers some nice views during it's snow festival in the winter. It's takes place at the Hirosaki Park (castle grounds) and features snow lanterns, mini kamakura (igloo-like snow huts), large and small snow sculptures, various food vendors, and more. During select nights, illumination events are held and is highly recommended.

Earlier, I briefly mentioned Nebuta Festival in Aomori City. This is just one of several such events in the region; Hirosaki has it's own version called Neputa, and another nearby town has yet another called Tachi-Nebuta. Each are unique in presentation but all depict similar themes and styles characteristic of Aomori Prefecture. In the Hirosaki Snow Festival, much of this imagery can be seen, such as in frames of snow lanterns (above) or walls of displayed artwork (below).

Hirosaki is also known for some historic buildings and Renaissance-style architecture. During my visit to the snow festival, there was a large model of the old Hirosaki City Library. The library (real one, not snow one) was built in 1907 to commemorate the victory in the Japanese-Russo War. Today, it's a museum near the castle you can check out, or see the snow version at the snow festival.

Snow sculpture of the former Hirosaki City Library

Lake Towada Snow Festival / Winter Story (十和田湖冬物語)

The Towada Winter Story is a snow festival held in the town Yasumiya, but the event is usually described by it's geographical location near Lake Towada (hence it's name). This is not to be confused with Towada City (45 km away).

The festival here is said to be one of the bigger ones in the Tohoku region, but I thought it felt a bit compact on my visit (in 2014). Yet there's a lot of interesting things to explore there. It features some neat illuminations, a few big snow sculptures, and a fireworks show. There are also live performances by Tsugaru shamisen players, as well as performances with namahage (生剥). Namahage are demon-like creatures from Japanese folklore (portrayed by men in costumes), who's purpose is to scold lazy or disobedient children. I don't have any pictures of this but I found it to be really interesting so check out the link if you want to learn more about it.

One of the coolest things (if I may use that pun again) to do is stop inside the Kamakura Bar. I mentioned before that kamakura are igloo-like structures. At the Towada festival there are two bars (at least in 2014) which you can enter, sit down, and get a few cocktails in glasses made of ice.

Kamakura Bar at Towada Winter Story

Lastly, the area has some great onsen (hot springs) and hotels nearby, even within walking distance to the festival. Spending the night at one is definitely worth considering if you plan on going to the festival.

Winter in Aomori - Record Snowfall, Mt. Hakkoda, Biking & Snowboarding

When the first snowfall comes to Aomori each year, I know my life is about to change for the next four months. For me, it's the first sign that winter (冬, fuyu) has really begun. The landscape gradually becomes soft, white, and powdery. The busy streets get jammed up with traffic as car headlights fade into the icy winds. The smaller roads become empty and quiet. Less people go out. More people stay inside. For many, the kotatsu (炬燵, small covered table with underneath heating unit) becomes a sanctuary. In a place like Aomori where the snowfalls can be so heavy, the winter season is not something to be taken lightly. But at the same time, it's also a spectacular sight to behold.

Road leading up to Mt. Hakkoda in Aomori City

If you are new to my blog or need a refresher as to where Aomori is located, here's a map of Japan below showing the location. Also specified is Aomori City, where I'm currently living and the region I'm writing about here.

Map of Japan and Aomori Prefecture

By the Numbers

Aomori is sometimes called the snowiest inhabited place on earth. That's a pretty bold claim, but official records from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) suggest there may be some truth behind it. Below is a table directly from JMA which shows various climate data for Sukayu Onsen (酸ケ湯, Sukayu Hotsprings), in Aomori City. It's written in Japanese but I've written English translations of some key data points. The numbers on the far left of the table indicate each month starting from January to December.

Average snowfall data for Sukayu Onsen, in Aomori City (source)

Road near Sukayu Onsen

It may be hard to believe that over 17 meters (58 ft) of snowfall could even be possible. However, there are three points to keep in mind. First, the location of Sukayu Onsen is partway into the mountains and not representative of snow levels directly in the city itself. Second, occasional periods of melting occur which keeps overall snow levels in check. And third, the stated numbers are for the average yearly total snowfall, not average height. So what about snow records within the city itself? For that, I've included the following table.

Average snowfall data for Aomori City, Japan (source)

As you can see, snow levels in the actual city are still impressive, but not quite like that of the mountains. And just as I mentioned above, there are always periods of melting throughout the winter, so actual snow heights never get close to reaching the yearly average total snowfall numbers. In other words, it's not like there's ever 6 meters (20 ft) of snow on the downtown streets at one time.

From My Eyes

If you asked me what was the highest snow height I have ever personally seen and experienced in the middle of the city at one given point in time—not including man-made piles of snow—I would probably say around 100 cm (3.3 ft) of pure snow. If you include accumulated snow on sidewalks added by snow plows or people shoveling, I would add about 60 cm (2ft) to that number. Now, if we are talking about any snow piles around the city, I've seen some that have likely reached 450 centimeters (15 ft) or more. But regardless of how you look at it, I think most would agree that the snow can be pretty intense here.

Sidewalk in Aomori City

My first two winters here were definitely intense. I haven't confirmed this but I remember hearing that several records were even broken during those years. On the contrary, this most recent winter (which is towards the end now) has been significantly weaker than the previous ones. Aside from a few big snowstorms, the levels never really got out of control in the city (in the mountains, I don't know). I guess the caveat here is not all winters are created equal.

Okidate River in January

Aomori's winter season has also been featured in the news in recent years, with stories from sources such as the Huffington Post and the Guardian.

Snow Removal / Management

It seems like a pretty boring thing to write about, but it has been interesting to see how the city deals with so much snow every winter. It may not be as simple as you think.

Some of the innovative ways is by using heated pavement and seawater to prevent snow from accumulating in major traffic and pedestrian areas. To my knowledge, the seawater system is only incorporated on one major downtown road in the city. It uses tiny sprinklers built into the road which constantly spray the road, keeping it wet but free of snow and ice. Heating systems are slightly more common, but are never used for roads. Instead, these are incorporated into a few of the main sidewalks and pedestrian bridges in the downtown areas. Some apartment complexes and businesses also use them. 

I'm sure it all sounds very convenient, but unfortunately these systems are actually pretty rare (likely expensive). So for the most part, snow removal is done the old fashioned way, by snow plows, snow blowers, and basic shovels and elbow grease.

Unfortunately, there's very little free space where snow can be moved in the city. People can start but pushing it into the roadside gutters (accessible grates allow people to do this pretty easily). When these fill up or are not available, people must find another location. I often see older folks just toss the snow off their own driveways into the street where cars repeatedly smash it down. 

Snow plows also have few places to put snow as there's typically little or no room on the sides of streets. The solution is for teams of large bulldozers and heavy duty dump trucks to remove the snow and dump it into the sea nearby. In the aftermath of particularly huge snowstorms, the city has entire operations going on during the night while most people sleep. I've seen this with my own eyes a few times and it's pretty wild. 

I thought the city had a good grasp on snow management this year. But for the two previous years, all of their efforts simply weren't enough to handle the snow. Most of the time, they didn't have enough resources to remove the snow quickly enough before the next snowstorm hit. Which brings me to describe the last way people deal with snow here... by just letting it pile up and saying "the hell with it!".

Still Biking in Winter

People think I'm crazy, but I still ride my bike in the winter no matter what the conditions. Honestly, I do it out of necessity as much as I do it because I really want to. I have to get to work and the gym somehow. I could take the bus which is always late, slow, and stresses me out. Or, I could ride my bike and know exactly how long it's going to take me and save a lot of time. The exercise is a bonus. I wear good quality layers to stay warm and my bike is snow-ready. It's definitely not for everyone. It can be tough and sometimes dangerous depending on the situation. But alas, I'm not everyone ;-)

Last year I even participated in a winter bike race called the Snow Aomori Enduro 3-hour Challenge Cup, and with a 4-man team we got 2nd place!

Snow Aomori Enduro Race 2013, 2nd place finish

Snowboarding on Mt. Hakkoda

Snowboarding at Mt. Hakkoda

With all the snow we get here, one of the best things to do in the winter is snowboarding and skiing. And one of the best places to do it is at Mt. Hakkoda (also seen in my Autumn in Aomori post). The mountain is known for having some excellent powder and I can attest to that. The weather can also be treacherous though, and nice bluebird days are very rare. I was lucky last year to go on one of those perfect-weather days.

Each season in Aomori is unique and has a lot to offer. I'll admit that winter is one of the more difficult seasons to really appreciate because the weather can so extreme, and the days are so short and grey. Despite these points, it offers some amazing opportunities to see things others may never have a chance to see. It can provide a one-of-a-kind experience and toughen your skin, and your spirit. I probably wouldn't want to live in an environment like this forever, but I feel fortunate to have spent several years learning how to adapt to it and enjoy it's beauty.

Special Ceremony for the New Year

Every year, a special ceremony takes place at Uto Shrine (善知鳥神社, Utō Jinja) in Aomori City. It's called Shin-nen Haiga Shiyou No Gi (新年拝賀斯様の儀). In English, it translates to, “Ceremony to Celebrate the New Year”. This is not to be confused with Hatsumōde (初詣), the first shrine visit of the year which I described in a previous post. Whereas hatsumōde occurs at shrines throughout the entire country, this special New Year’s ceremony is unique to Uto Shrine and is the only place you can see it in Japan. This is according to Hayakawa Naohiko (family name, first name), a modern day samurai who helped create the ceremony eight years ago and to this day continues to lead it.

Just before the ceremony started (Uto Shrine is behind the camera)

Hayakawa Naohiko (早川尚彦) is one of very few people in Japan that are practicing samurai and experts using tachi (太刀), a specific type of samurai sword preceding the katana and used before the Edo Period. His swords are more than 500 years old but in excellent condition, a testament to the extreme efforts taken to care for them properly by Hayakawa-san and his ancestors. I've personally seen him clean and care for hi swords and it is truly impressive. His full ancestral name followed by samurai rank/class/position in Japanese is 早川久ェ門尉左京亮尚彦, 下総守藤原朝臣清龍. Hayakawa-san explained to me that very few Japanese people can properly read or understand this since it hasn't been used for hundreds of years. I'm planning to do a more in-depth interview with Hayakawa Naohiko-san in the near future and will be dedicating an entire post to him soon.

Naohiko Hayakawa, Samurai in Aomori

The main purpose of the ceremony is to "purify all directions" through a series of rituals. From my conversation with Hayakawa-san, my interpretation is that it's basically meant to be a purification of life's paths and promote peace and happiness in the new year.

The first ritual is called Ten Chi Jou-sha No Gi (天地浄謝の儀), translating to "Purification of Heaven and Earth Ceremony". It involves two shooters using bow and arrow while mounted on horses. One shooter fires an arrow downward into the ground to purify the earth (地, chi) ; a second shooter fires an arrow upward into the air to purify the heavens/sky (天, ten). Shooting at a wooden target, an arrow is also fired in a flat plane. The three arrow shots described above represent a greater overarching concept which I will explain later.

Firing a bow to purify the earth

The next ritual is called Shuku-hō Wo Ageru (祝砲を上げる), translating to "gun salute". This is essentially a celebratory gunshot, not unlike the gun salutes that sometimes take place during ceremonies in other countries. An authentic, ancient Japanese gun is used in the ceremony, but only blanks are fired for obvious safety reasons. Keep in mind that guns are extremely scarce in Japan, so this is an especially rare thing to see in my opinion.

Celebratory shot for the new year

Inside the temple, the third ritual takes place called Shi Ho Kiyome No Gi (四方清めの儀), translating to "Purification of All Directions Ceremony". During this part, Hayakawa-san purifies all cardinal directions (north, east, south, west) with his sword while reciting special phrases.

Purifying the four cardinal directions

In combination, the above rituals have purified all four directions (by sword) and three dimensions (by arrow) of our living world. In the final part of the ceremony, Hayakawa-san reads an original speech from a handwritten scroll in ancient Japanese--which apparently is language most Japanese people cannot even understand fully. The general message of the speech was to reaffirm that all directions of life have been purified now and to wish for peace (heiwa) in the new year.

Following the ceremony several friends and I took a few more photos and talked to Hayakawa-san for a few minutes. The ceremony is really interesting to see and I would recommend everyone to come see it. Hayakawa-san also loves to promote Japanese culture and is always happy to chat about it with anyone, especially foreigners who are interested in it. Try to meet him if you get a chance!

Closing Out 2013: Retrospective & December Recap

Enjoying a fine day in Nagano, December 2013

The year 2013 has come and gone very quickly. Looking back, I would say it was a successful year. When writing this I was thinking about what I achieved last year and what to aim for next year. As a result, this post is one of the more reflective I've written and won't appeal to everyone. Invariably, it may sound a bit self-serving.

One of the most obvious successes for me was that I began writing this blog and stuck with it. For too long, I was apathetic about making a journal like this. But I recognized that I was loosing touch with family and friends back home. I also recognized that I was missing an opportunity to self-reflect on my life here and record my experiences in a way that I could appreciate later in my life. Well, finally in the spring of 2013, I pushed myself to get serious about keeping a blog and I’ve been able to average a little over three solid updates per month since I started. I still have to work much harder at keeping in touch with family and friends, but at least anyone interested has an easy way to see what’s going on in my life. And at the same time, I’ve found a way to look back on my own life.

Successes in 2013

In 2013, I vowed to get out and do more, see more, and experience more. I made up my mind that I was going to stop making excuses for avoiding certain aspirations of mine. Here are some of the notable successes I achieved in 2013:

• Despite living in Japan and having a desire to travel to more countries, I hadn’t found the confidence to really do so. But that changed when I made a trip to South Korea, Taiwan, and The Philippines. It was fantastic and now I can’t wait for my next trip.
• I was also eager to see more of the region where I’m currently living, but previously felt like it was too difficult to do without a car. But I said to hell with that and decided I would just use my bicycle instead of relying on others. Subsequently, I took bicycle trips in Aomori Prefecture to the far northwest, northeast, and southeast corners. And now I plan to do more in the new year. 
• I had wanted to climb Mount Fuji for a long time, but never took the initiative to do so. In the summer, I made it happen and enjoyed a hard-earned view of the sunrise from the top of one of the world’s most famous mountains.
• When I heard about a wild, crazy, colorful samba festival in Tokyo, I made a trip out to see it—expensive for a weekend trip but totally worth it.
• I made a real effort to get back into a consistent weight training routine. As a result, I increased my strength and achieved personal bests in such lifts as bench press, squat, and deadlift.
• I finally took the initiative to take the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficient Test). I won’t know the results until February but regardless of the outcome, it’s was a good step in breaking away from the language-learning plateau that I’ve been stuck on.
• For many years, I wanted to get serious about photography, but I never felt like I could justify spending the money on it. Finally in 2013, I made the leap and invested in much better photography equipment than I ever had before. Although it’s not the best gear, it has enabled me to progress my photography skills in ways which simply weren’t possible previously.

Looking Forward in 2014

I may have accomplished some good things last year, but I know that I still have a lot to learn and much to improve upon. I already have a list of new places I want to go and things I want to try. But I'm not going to get into those specifics here. Rather, as corny as it sounds, I also want to seek progress in strengthening my mind, body, and spirit. Tony Robbins, well-known life coach and motivational speaker, always talks about raising your standards, seeking progress, and focusing on your rituals to reach your goals... all as keys to finding true happiness. One of my favorite things Robbins said is, “it’s not what we get that makes us happy, it’s who we become and what we’re able to give.” That's a pretty good motto if you ask me.

Last year, I began making an effort to avoid negativity in my life. I want to continue making progress towards this ideal in which I can wake up every day with a positive outlook and spread optimism to others around me. I hope to spend less time getting distracting by things of little value, and instead use that time to read, learn, and strengthen my mind. One of the real habits I wish to develop this year is opening a real book instead of Facebook when I feel bored. In 2014, I want to step up my physical fitness goals as well. It's not just about lifting weights, but I need to focus on eating healthier again. And athough my current standards of exercise are decent, I think there's definitely room for improvement there too.

Lastly, I think it's time that I start thinking more seriously about my next step in life. Where do I go from here? What's my next passion in life and how can I prepare myself to reach it? There's a pretty famous lecture by Alan Watts in which he poses the simple question, "What would you like to do if money were no object?" He goes on to say that whatever you truly want to do in life (without regard to money), is exactly what you should do because otherwise you're just wasting your life doing something you don't like doing. Life may not be so simple, but it's good advice nonetheless and something for me to think about moving forward.

Happy New Year, 2014!

Recap - Final Weeks of 2013

In the final weeks of December, the weather grew cold and snowy. Schools finished up the term with closing ceremonies and work parties. I enjoyed Christmas parties with friends. And I left Aomori for a compact but fun, little vacation within Japan. I'll figured I'd let the pictures do the talking here.

Koda Junior High School

Closing Ceremony Before Winter Break

Making Christmas Cookies with Nozomi (pictured below, left)

Christmas Party with Friends

Turkey, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Salad, Bread, Fruit, and more!