Saturday, October 30, 2010

Halloween in Misawa

Celebrating holidays in Misawa is quite different than in California. Although I do miss taking my children to the pumpkin patches and carnival-type rides, seeing giant pumpkins, and exploring farms, Misawa Base and City does try its best to celebrate Halloween.

Kabocha (small, green on the outside, yellow-orange on the inside) pumpkins are more prominent in Japan. However, the base commissary sells large, orange American pumpkins. Fortunately, my husband regularly checks different Misawa Facebook pages and was able to locate an excursion to a Japanese farmer’s pumpkin patch.

The farmer’s field was less than a 30 minute drive out of the main gate. Participants on the jaunt were able to walk through his field, and pick two pumpkins right from the vine. The farmer’s only request was that if anyone accidentally broke a pumpkin that it would have to be one of the selectees. We paid ¥500 for each pumpkin (regardless of size) and brought a dessert for his family.

As a gift to us, the farmer gave each child a small, decorated pumpkin.
Later, through a Japanese colleague, Kyle learned that it was the only American-type pumpkin field within two hundred miles of Misawa City.
Side note: Whenever we are invited to Japanese functions, desserts are always requested as gifts because most Japanese homes do not have an oven.

Misawa Halloween Festa

Outside the main gate, in American Park, Misawa City hosts a small Halloween festival where local businesses along White Pole Road decorate their store windows and doorsteps. Some vendors set up shop to sell food. The highlight of the festival is a short costume parade on the main stage. In 2010, the festival was held on October 16, but usually occurs on the third weekend of October.


Family eats and keeps watch over their bald eagle



Pumpkin Carving with Japanese Children

Another activity that may occur at different commands around the base are pumpkin carving lessons with different cities to build better host relations. Two pumpkin carving lessons were provided by volunteers from my husband’s command to Japanese children from Gonohe City and Akebono Orphanage.



Cupcakes for children participants



Iron Chef Misawa

Every fall, Grisson Dining Facility hosts an Iron Chef Competition open to anyone over 18 on base. Five teams of two (a chef and souse chef) cooked a main dish, side dish, vegetable, and dessert in 1.5 hours. This year’s secret ingredient, to no surprise, was fresh pumpkin.



Misawa Air Base does its best to celebrate holidays for families stationed in Japan. Base-sponsored activities included a Fall Festival (with games, free food, and costume contest), Pumpkin Carving contest, Pumpkin cooking contest, Chili cooking contest, and Halloween Bowling. It’s a shame more families don’t participate in these activities contests because AAEFS gift cards are given as prizes.

Participants in the pumpkin carving contest
Yahoo ... I won first place!

I won first place in the cooking contest because no one else participated, an easy $100.

Prizes awarded to select children in a free raffle.
Children dressed in costume bowl for reduced price.
Dome Mall in Hachinohe decorated with an autumn and Halloween theme.


Friday, October 29, 2010

Hirosaki Castle Chrysanthemum Festival

Sunday, October 24

I didn’t read much about the chrysanthemum festival or Hirsoaki Castle before going there. My prior knowledge of chrysanthemums came from one of my university Spanish classes where I learned that in Mexico chrysanthemums are the flowers of death and only used in funerals. From what I’ve read, Hirosaki Castle is primarily known for and attracts over a million visitors during Golden Week for its cherry blossoms. After viewing a few photos on-line, I thought it would be worthy to see some of the chrysanthemum sculptures.

Hirosaki Castle Chrysanthemum Festival takes place at the end of October and beginning of November. In 2010, it lasted from October 23 until November 7 in the Botanical Garden section of Hirosaki Park. Adult admission to the festival is ¥300. A separate fee of ¥200 is charge for viewing the castle area. Upon paying for tickets, the clerk handed us a stamp quest map of the botanical garden. After searching for and receiving stamps at each of the five locations, we resubmitted our map and were awarded with souvenir stickers denoting the Castle’s 400 year anniversary.

Our family decided to visit the festival on its opening weekend. To our surprise, it was not crowded. Unfortunately, not all the chrysanthemums had bloomed so some of the sculptures appeared more like shrubs or potted plants. Although much of the terrain is paved with small rocks, it is accessible for strollers. Food stalls located between the Inner East Gate and East Gate entrance sold typical matsuri food, snacks, and toys.

Chrysanthemums were first cultivated in China as far back as the 15th century BCE and were introduced to Japan by way of Korea in around the fourth century BCE. In 910 CE, the Japanese emperor adopted it as his official seal - a golden flower with 16 petals radiating from the center like flames from the sun.

In that same year, the imperial court held its first chrysanthemum show. Subsequently, it adopted National Chrysanthemum Day (September 9), which is called the Festival of Happiness. Japanese regard chrysanthemum as their solar flower and it symbolizes national pride, obedience, long life, and happiness.

Chrysanthemum petals are edible. Chinese make tea out of them which is supposedly good for flu. Petals can also be added to cream soups and salads.


Panda sculptures
Dinosaur sculptures
Choshoji Temple sculpture
Bonsai tree exhibit in botanical garden rest house
Autumn foliage
Sugi-no Ohashi Bridge near the Inner South Gate
Hirosaki Castle Tower
Koi pond in Recreation Square
Hirosaki Castle Visitors' Info
Map of Hirosaki Castle compound

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Towada Horse and Children's Park


One of the aspects I really enjoy about Japan is the number of children's parks in most major cities. These parks aren't your average playgrounds with the standard swings and slides. Rather, they usually have some kind of unique attraction about them.

We stumbled across the Towada City Horse Park and Komakko Land by accident. Kyle noticed a giant slide on someone's Facebook page and inquired about its location. I am not particularly into horses so I would have never wanted to visit a Horse Culture Museum on my own. However, on the grounds of the museum, there is a large, free park where children can roam onto different structures.
Large geometric horse cage and slide
Whee!
Another view of play area
Horses are also on the premises
Mammoth slide tucked into the forest's hillside
Slide curves with the landscape
View from the beginning of the descent
Participants sit on foam boards and rollers propel you forward
Up the hill for another go
Horse motifs decorate the park



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

Follow driving directions numbers 1 - 12 from my Aug 2010 blog: Towada City Directions and Maps.

Look overhead for a blue sign that reads Route 102 (Lake Towada) and make a right. Continue on this street for about 15 minutes.

These vending machines signify the upcoming right turn
This sign reads: Towada Baji-Koen and contains a horse icon
Turn left and follow the nicely paved road
The brown vertical sign has a horse shoe on it
Keep going forward; the blue sign has a horse on it
Turn left