Lake Towada Snow Festival

Saturday, February 26, 2011

The closest snow festival occurs in Towada Lake City. This year’s name is Snow and Light Fantavista and lasts from February 4-27. If my Google translator is working correctly, the official website announces fireworks at 20:00 each night of the festival.Other evening events include shamisen performances, haneto dancers, karaoke contest, and illuminated snow structures. While it appears most events happen on the weekend and start upon night fall, there is a large snow slide for children to enjoy (¥100 per hour sled rental fee).

Sadly, our children were already sick, became tired and irritable, so we departed the festival before fireworks began.

Oirase Gorge waterfall

Icy, narrow roads - Be careful if you drive to Lake Towada

Godzilla slide

Snow hut

Inside snow hut

Big tent with food vendors

Octopi leg for sale

Cautionary signs

Plenty of snow hills for children to muck about

Soup to keep you warm

More soup to fill your belly

Of course, the plenty of hot dogs and other meats on sticks

Nebuta float on display

Forget about the distracting bright light that draws your eye to the center,

take a dip into the man-made onsen if you can weather the chill

Banana boat rides

Illuminated snow figures

Main entrance to snow festival

Calling Japan: Misawa Air Force Base and Yokosuka Naval Base

In light of the recent 9.0 magnitude earthquake, tsunamis, and possible nuclear fall out, I have compiled theses resources for people in the USA to try to get a hold of their family and friends stationed in Japan.

011 are the digits to access any calls out of the USA

81 is Japan's country code

Misawa Air Base Operator

011-81-176-77-1110 (Commercial)

315-226-1110 (DSN)

To call Misawa Air Force Base from USA

011-81-176-66-XXXX (for phone numbers 616/222-XXXX)

011-81-176-77-XXXX (for phone numbers 226-XXXX)

Yokosuka Naval Base Operator

011-81-46-816-1110 (Commercial)

315-243-1110 (DSN)

To call Yokosuka Naval Base from USA

011-81-45-281-XXXX (for phone numbers 242-XXXX)

011-81-46-816-XXXX (for phone numbers 243-XXXX)

011-81-46-806-XXXX (for phone numbers 246-XXXX)

To call Japanese cell phones from USA

Japanese cell phones usually start with 090-XXXX-XXXX

Drop the first 0 and dial 011-81-90-XXXX-XXXX

Defense Switch Network (DSN, interbase non-secure line)

Japan and Pacific: 315-XXX-XXXX

Other unique DSN area codes

315: Continental United States (CONUS) and Puerto Rico are covered

317: Alaska

319: Canada

314: Europe

318: Central Command (Southwest Asia)

The message below was received via email notification from the US Embassy in Tokyo on March 11, 2011(U.S. Embassy in Japan http://japan.usembassy.gov/)

1. While we understand that there have been disruptions in communications in Japan, including the interruption of internet and mobile telephone service, we encourage you to continue your efforts to be in contact with your loved one(s) using SMS texting and other social media (e.g., FaceBook, My Space, Twitter, etc) that your loved one(s) may use.

Other possible ways to inform your family of your situation:

2. Google
Google has created the site, "Google Person Finder".
http://japan.person-finder.appspot.com/?lang=en

If you are in Japan, you can post messages about your whereabouts. A person looking for you can type in your name to find out if you are safe. Similarly, your family or friends may have posted a message that they are looking for you.

3. Cell Phone Messages

(Unfortunately, most American do not know about this service.)
If you have a cell phone in Japan, you can post messages via your cell phone provider. Family and friends who know your cell phone company can check the cell phone company's website below and type in your phone number to see any message you have left. The available areas are Aomori, Miyagi, Yamagata and Fukushima prefectures.

For Docomo users: http://dengon.docomo.ne.jp/top.cgi

For KDDI (Ezweb) users: http://dengon.ezweb.ne.jp/

For Softbank users: http://dengon.softbank.ne.jp/

For Wilcom users: http://dengon.willcom-inc.com/dengon/Top.do

For Emobile users: http://dengon.emnet.ne.jp/

Another way to find out: http://dengon.emnet.ne.jp/

The following information was taken from the JNTO Japan National Tourism Organization) Website on March 11, 2011

Finding Person

Japan Red Cross Family Link

http://www.jrc.or.jp/english/relief/l4/Vcms4_00002063.html

Telephone or Translation service for foreign tourists

Telephone service for foreign tourists (as of Mar. 14)

Volunteer Interpreters for Earthquake Aftermath (Japan Association of Translators)

Blackout information by TEPCO(Tokyo Electric Power Co.)

TEPCO provides blackout information by area in Kanto area(including Tokyo) as follows.

http://www.tepco.co.jp/index-j.html

Major Airport Information

[NOTICE] Operational status of airports in Tohoku Area （March 16, 2011(05:00JST) ）

http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/topics/pdf/110315_airport_0500.pdf

Narita International Airport

http://www.narita-airport.jp/en/topics/index.html

http://www.narita-airport.jp/en/guide/t_info/index.html

Haneda International Airport

http://www.tokyo-airport-bldg.co.jp/information/43/

http://www.haneda-airport.jp/inter/

Kansai International Airport

http://www.kansai-airport.or.jp/

Centrair Airport

http://www.centrair.jp/index.html

Iwate Hanamaki Airport

Japanese:http://www.hna-terminal.co.jp/

Yamagata Airport

http://www.yamagata-airport.co.jp/index-en.html

Fukushima Airport

Japanese:http://www.fks-ab.co.jp/

Hirosaki Lantern Festival

http://www.hirosaki.co.jp/htcb/sightseeing/fes/yukimatsuri.html

Hirosaki’s winter festival is shorter in duration than the two other local festivals. It lasts only four days (usually the second weekend of February), February 10-13, 2011, and features about 150 snow lanterns in various sizes on the premises of Hirosaki Castle grounds. At sunset (approximately 16:30), the sculptures light up.

Directions to Hirosaki from Misawa Air Force Base

http://traveling-tengco.blogspot.com/2010/08/aomori-city-maps.html

Follow driving directions numbers 1 - 11 from my Aug 2010 blog: Aomori City Directions and Maps.

Exit the Michinoku Toll Road and turn left
Turn left onto the Aomori Expressway
Drive through Aomori City
Take your ticket at the Aomori-chuo Toll Gate and continue driving
Take exit 52 toward Route 102 Hirosaki

Pay ¥750 and veer toward the left at the Y-intersection

Follow the signs to Hirosaki Castle

Nakasan Department Store

http://www.nakasan-dept.com/hirosaki/floor/index.php

Nakasan Depaarto is a nice little diversion en route to Hirosaki Castle, but is not worth going out of your way for. There are small ramen, Chinese, and coffee shops on the basement floor. The top floor has a yakuniku restaurant. This department store does not cater to English speakers. Make sure to bring a handy Japanese-English pharse book if you do not speak basic/traveler's Japanese.

From Route 102, Turn right onto Route 3

This is the going in the same direction toward Hirosaki Castle
Turn right into the parking garage (which does not connect to the department store)

The dome shaped building is part of Nakasan Department Store