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

Shimoda Salmon Festival in Oirase

Saturday, November 13

Shimoda-machi was a town located in Kamikita District of Aomori, Japan. On March 1, 2006, the town merged with Momoishi-machi and formed Oirase Town. Oirase Town is located in the east south of Aomori Prefecture, the northernmost prefecture of the Main Land of Japan. Every autumn, a shoal of salmon return to Oirase River, that runs in the south of the town. During the period from November to mid-December, people gather along Oirase River for Salmon fishing. The number of Salmon that come up Oirase River for breeding is the second largest on the mian island of Japan.

Once known as the Shimoda Salmon Festival, (now titled) Salmon Festival in Oirase is the largest event of Oirase Town and held during the second weekend of November at Shimoda Salmon Park. Children and adults chase and catch river salmon frantically bouncing from a small pool.

Supposedly ocean salmon tastes better than river salmon. This was our second salmon festival in two weeks and we opted not to participate in the salmon catch. In comparison the Rokkasho Salmon Festival, this one is closer to Misawa Air Base and has more of a festival feel to it. In addition, this festival offered activities for young children – games, carnival type rides, salmon catches in pool, and salmon racing. I liked watching this festival more because the salmon catch area was more visible for spectators. Rokkasho’s pool area was enclosed by six feet high mesh netting and the salmon racing was only offered to people who caught salmon. Although I did enjoy both salmon festivals, if you have children and need to choose between salmon festivals, I’d recommend going to Oirase over Rokkasho.

Kyle was so excited to see this girl's shirt because the label (Ishpeming Hematites) on it is a high school that neighbors his hometown in Upper Peninsula, Michigan.

Sugar rush

Chan-chan yaki tent

A small pool is on hand to practice catching salmon.

This festival offers four opportunities to catch salmon, two in the morning and two in the early afternoon. A ticket is required for each person at each scheduled salmon catch. Local dance societies, solo performances, and musical concerts happen on the entertainment stage between 12:30 to 16:30. At the close of the festival on Saturday (Sunday if it rains), fireworks light the sky immediately upon night fall (about 17:00).

Announcements are made in both English and Japanese before the catch begins.
Contestants have about five minutes to catch one salmon with their hands. Tickets may be exchanged for salmon in the event that one cannot be caught.
Between salmon catches, fish are replenished in the pool.

Before last catching opportunity a truckload of more salmon is dumped into the pool.
There is no age minimum or maximum to participate in the salmon catch.
They made it look so easy to catch salmon.
After each event, people can participate in the salmon race.
Salmon cleaning directions obtained from a festival flyer.
Salmon cleaning services are offered for ¥300.

Most heads are discarded during the cleaning process.
Outside the cleaning tent, people may take home salmon parts for free.
Meat buns, more of an autumn festival food, remind me of Filipino siapo.
A plethora of fried food stalls await you.
View of festival from above the park.
Fireworks close the festival

Parking is limited, but sufficient on the premises. Free shuttle buses are available from four areas near Shimoda Park, including Shimoda Train Station on the JR Tohoku Line – which is about a 10 minute walk from the venue. Travel times from each of the shuttle points vary and only six time slots are scheduled to and from the festival.