Aomori 青森

Aomori Nebuta Matsuri 青森ねぶた祭

A spectacular fire festival held annually with massive & colorful floats, taiko drums, musicians and dancers parading around the city

Shinmachi Street しんまち商店街, Aomori City

Chairs lining the shopping street before the festival starts

笹餅 Sasamochi Aomori style

Delicious mochi wrapped in bamboo leaf, from an elderly acquaintance (Tsutsumi san) who insisted on sharing her tarp (and food) with me to watch the Nebuta Festival

Titled 堀川夜襲 Horikawa Night Attack

A conductor directing 30 men to move and to rotate the 4 ton float

A young kawaii haneto

Titled 西王母の祝福 Mother of West King's Blessing

This nebuta won the governor prize 知事賞

Titled 甲斐の虎・越後の龍「川中島の決戦」Battle of Kawanakajima

One of the 18 nebutas on Aug 4th evening

こわい! (Scared)

The festival continues despite the rain

Fresh seafood lunch at Auga Fish Market, Aomori

Wa Rasse (Nebuta Museum), Aomori

Artwork of a past (deceased) master who contributed to the foundation of modern Nebuta festival

One of the past nebutas at Wa Rasse

The scene depicts Princess Takiyasha (a sorcerer) disguised as a courtesan but Warrior Mitsukuni found out and tried to control her

A permanent float displayed at Wa Rasse

Refer to next photo for explanation of the scene

"Revenge by Soga Brothers"

A restored bamboo-structured float from 1955

Aomori Bay Bridge & Hakkoda-Maru

The bridge is 2km long. The Hakkoda-Maru ship was used until 1988 as an Aomori/Hakodate ferryboat.

Igamenchi いがめんち

Igamenchi is deep-fried chopped squid tentacles and fins mixed with vegetables, a popular food in Hirosaki

Apple Park, Hirosaki 弘前

Apple picking at りんご公園

Current in season is 夏緑 (Natsumidori)

シャロン Patisserie, Hirosaki

My namesake (in katakana)