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| Float from Nebuta Matsari Festival - Aomori, Japan |
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| Nishin Goten Hering Museum - Otaru, Japan |
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| Japanese Gardens - Aomori, Japan |
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| Children Preform Squid Dance - Hakodate, Japan |
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| Fish Market - Hakodate, Japan |
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| Pat Beating Drum at Nebuta Museum - Aomori, Japan |
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| Float from Nebuta Matsari Festival - Aomori, Japan |
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| Children Drumming Send-Off for Our Cruise - Aomori, Japan |
After an 8-day crossing of the Pacific Ocean on the Holland American Volendam cruise ship, we landed in northern Japan. All three cities we visited were largely destroyed in the WWII bombings. Although much of these cities have been rebuilt with modern architecture, Japanese culture abounds.
Hakodate was one of the first Japanese ports opened up to the West in the mid-1800’s. We visited the morning fish market where there were hundreds of live crabs, squids, and fish. Hakodate's old warehouses have been turned into shops and restaurants where Wayne had sea eel - yum! Six-year old Japanese children preformed the Squid Dance for us - so cute! (see photo)
Otaru, once known for its herring industry, has a beautiful canal district running for about a mile and is the sushi capital of Japan with sushi restaurants everywhere. We visited Otaru's Herring Museum (Nishin Goten) and dressed in komodos (see photo). We ate sushi (what else in Otaru?).
Aomori is famous for its Nebuta Matsuri Festival where 3 million people come to Aomori in August for a parade of beautiful massive paper floats with over 2,000 rowdy chanting dancers. We visited the museum where they had some of these wonderful floats illuminated. Wayne got in there to carry a float and Pat did the dance and beat the drum (see photos).
The Japanese people are so helpful. One lady went out of her way to take us to a bus we needed to catch. Every port on our cruise had a ceremony sending us off.
Please also see our 9 other blog posts for wonderful Japan:
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AN - Saturday, October 10, 2009
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