Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information Aomori Prefecture--Titanic kaiju-size lantern floats towered over the buildings here illuminating the night in brilliant colors as the annual five-day Goshogawara Tachineputa festival kicked off on Aug 16 “tachineputa” floats—some more than 20 meters tall—lit up and began to parade through the streets accompanied by the float pullers’ lively chant of “Yattemare This year’s newest giant float is a colorful sculpture of Enma The 23-meter-tall float depicts Enma using a mirror to reflect the deeds of the deceased and pass judgment upon them The atmosphere at the festival was electric with excitement as crowds of cheering onlookers with cameras filled the streets eager to catch a glimpse of the massive awe-inspiring floats which celebrates the arrival of summer in the Okutsugaru region Aomori farmers create apple wine from Osamu Dazai's ‘Tsugaru’ Cultural agency now weighing romanization of Japanese words 5 nonagenarians best their own world records in 2 relay events Wartime Ukraine erasing Russian past from public spaces Information on the latest cherry blossom conditions Please right click to use your browser’s translation function.) A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II In-house News and Messages No reproduction or republication without written permission The famed Stove Train of the Tsugaru Railway a cherished winter tradition in Aomori Prefecture The retro-style passenger cars are warmed by traditional coal-fired potbelly stoves They traverse the chilly Tsugaru Plain as the region enters the cold depths of December This seasonal service will run until the end of March A departure ceremony was held on December 1 at Tsugaru-Goshogawara Station The first train of the season left at noon Passengers enjoyed the scenic views along the route They captured photos and soaked in the nostalgic atmosphere A unique highlight of the journey is the grilled surume (dried squid) sold onboard “The nostalgic atmosphere of the train is heartwarming The surume tastes even better when enjoyed here,” she said The train operates two to three round trips daily. It covers a roughly 20-kilometer (12.4-mile) stretch to Tsugaru-Nakasato Station. Each leg of the journey takes about 40–50 minutes. An additional fee of ¥1,000 JPY ($6 USD) on top of the standard fare is required to ride in the cars with stoves You must be logged in to post a comment ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " Apart from the jarring but generally brief lapses into full CGI Ramen Akaneko is checking all the right boxes Aside from the obvious – it’s entertaining et al – I think there are two main reasons why this series works it has a keen and unerring eye for the subtleties of cats and those who love them apart from the one conceit that the premise is built around pretty much everything else is played completely straight It’s a realistic take on what it would be like if cats could run a ramen shop which embraced absurdity on a more comprehensive scale a crucial figure in the shop’s recent history She’s a lawyer and Miki’s assistant but more importantly a hardcore cat lover who can’t control her impulses It was her excesses that caused Bunzou to decide never to hire another cat lover Goshogawara absolutely stresses the staff out even when she comes in to assist Miki in dealing with the YouTuber incident (which has made the shop even more popular – maybe too much for the staff’s taste) before more or less asking her out on a date You have to understand cat lovers so if such a thing as this shop really were possible yes I suspect some folks would be pretty off the hook We’d obsess over the health of the business and eat too much ramen and talk about it endlessly on social media In a sense Ramen Akaneko is sort of a mirror held up against cat lovers showing us what they’re really like (and pretty accurately too It’s one of those things I suspect you either understand or you don’t Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Please consider becoming an LiA patron through one of the methods below The renovation alters significantly the interior complemented by an additional guest room and staff space on the upper level the refurbishment maintains iconic architectural elements like the traditional Japanese alcove enriching the space with a narrative of the original building’s cultural heritage The interventions extend to various facets including the creation of U-shaped inner gardens providing serene outdoor experiences for each guest room The design concept expresses intimacy and sensitivity, intricately manifested in the small courtyard of ‘Tsuboniwa’. For KOMORU Goshogawara, the design studio engages in a new front garden design incorporating local trees and stones to craft a welcoming ambiance for arriving guests Guests are invited to embark on a spiritual journey resonating with the harmonious blend of history maintains the original architectural elements the sustainable transformation preserves the existing timber structure the refurbishment includes the creation of U-shaped inner gardens one of the rooms overlooks the small courtyard of ‘Tsuboniwa’ the guest room stands adjacent to the traditional Japanese alcove dark timber slats coat the facades of KOMORU Goshogawara hotel name: KOMORU Goshogawara architect: Shotaro Oshima Design Studio | @___sods lead architect: Manabu Aritsuka Architect Atelier landscape design: Shotaro Oshima Design Studio furniture design: Shotaro Oshima Design Studio designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here. edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style Archive REMODELING-RENOVATION In a celebration dating back to the 8th century Aomori’s Nebuta festival displays huge lanterns structured and painted to depict history and myth Motifs inspired by ancient folklore and historical tales transport spectators into a world of myth and legend. Locals get to appreciate the work they put in the previous months, when the whole community came together to paint and waterproof the washi paper covering the floats festival goers donning colorful costumes jump and shout “Rassera!" The procession spans approximately six miles with judges scrutinizing each float's artistry and craftsmanship An offshoot of the Tanabata festival which dates back to the 8th century the festival draws millions of spectators and participants across three dozen cities every year Its purpose is to chase away bad spirits that cause drowsiness during the busy farming season accompany the floats during the festival.Photograph by Kazuki Wakasugi Yomiuri Shimbun/AP ImagesWhile the Nebuta Festival in Aomori City is the most popular those of Goshogawara and Hirosaki have their own flair in Hirosaki where the festival is said to have originated in 1722 with locals coming together to paint the simple shell-shaped floats artisans in charge of designing and constructing the floats (Look Inside Spain’s Unusual Baby Jumping Festival) Though many aspire to become Nebuta artisans, the job offers little pay and rest, resulting in high dropout rates. The Nebuta Festival, while holding on to tradition, is learning how to adapt to the times.  On a cold February afternoon in snow-frosted Aomori City, the two Nebuta artisans are hard at work. Before the presentation in August, the masters need to research into the designs, which are almost always historically-informed, make 2D drafts full of color, and transform them directly into full-size 3D structures with wires and wooden planks before placing the lightbulbs, sticking on the washi paper, and painting over the white canvas. Takenami is especially excited this year about the float he is making for Japan Railway, themed around young people traveling and rediscovering a post pandemic world. Kitamura remains tight-lipped about this year’s float.  Kitamura and Takenami are the last two active Nebuta Masters. To reach this honor, an artisan must train and complete multiple major floats: a multi-decade-long process that doesn’t guarantee the title. Only seven have been chosen as Masters since the first in 1959. Although the festival happens only once a year, it is no part-time job and offers only a few weeks of rest. Four massive floats show off their intricate structure, bright colors, and painted details crafted by Nebuta masters.Photograph by Kentaro Tominaga, The Yomiuri Shimbun/ AP ImagesThis has built differing schools of thought between the two on how future generations should be brought up: whether it’s the responsibility of the artist to dedicate their life, or the responsibility of the region to make the craft livable. Kitamura grew up making miniature Nebuta floats with his two brothers at home. By fourth grade, he had found his calling. He made his first float at 18, remembering the joy of the process and satisfaction when the result was “heaven-like.” For thirty years, he took on other work in the winter off-season to stay afloat. He recalls living with six other men in a small apartment in Yokohama, where he worked as a plasterer in winter.  Now, his disciples work six days a week, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. When asked how they make an income, he shrugs, “I have no idea. You must dedicate it all, in order to thrive.”  Takenami fell in love with the colors of the floats and begged his mother to take him to the festival every year as a child. He worked as a full-time pharmacist while working on Nebuta on nights and weekends until he was 35.  Takenami has his disciples—most have full-time jobs—work a similar schedule. For future generations, Takenami believes the city should have a budget for artists wanting to move to Aomori to learn. Disciples often find the financial barrier too difficult.  “You plant the seed and the bud emerges, but it withers before the flower can bloom.” Nebuta and its artisans have had to adapt to attract new generations of talent and interest. The Nebuta craft only welcomed its first female artisan, Asako Kitamura, 41, in the past decade. “Girls were just not included,” says Kitamura, who grew up watching her father, Takashi, work on Nebuta. “I was told not to come into the work space.” Kitamura won a prestigious award after directing her first float in 2012 depicting the Battle of Zhuolu to those affected by the triple disaster in Fukushima a year earlier. Everyone asked her if her father had made it, she remembers.  Since then, much has changed. Her father sees her as a rival and acknowledges her as an equal in the field. Two out of sixteen Nebuta artisans in Aomori are currently women. Although she hasn’t taken on any apprentices yet and feels it is important to “raise successors whether they be men or women.” “There are some things that you won’t know unless you have a female teacher,” she says, recalling how she continued making floats while pregnant with her two children, with even tougher sleepless nights after their births. “Male artisans simply can’t understand that struggle.” There has also been more awareness put on the environmental impact of Nebuta in past years. Approximately 23 kilowatts, or two times the daily electricity usage of a household, is used for one float every night of the festival. In the past ten years, LED lights, which use less energy, have become common and during last year’s festival, a handful of floats implemented solar-power panels. There is ample effort being put into keeping the art form fresh. The Nebuta Museum Wa Rasse holds an annual competition for students to draw pictures they want made into floats—then sponsors a few to be made by artisans. In high schools, you might find Nebuta clubs, and more floats are depicting anime and other pop culture. Takenami hopes Nebuta will one day  become recognized globally as its own “genre of art.” the Tsugaru Railway operates between Tsugaru Goshogawara and Tsugaru Nakazato stations or a 45 minute ride through a quiet rural landscape the company operates a train with an old-fashioned potbelly stove to heat the passenger cars to attract tourists from the outside of the prefecture as the number of passengers declines due to the motorization and declining population in the region Getty Images photographer Tomohiro Ohsumi recently took the trip photographing the cozy ride on a chilly February day We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com A collection of winning and honored images from this year’s nature-photo competition A collection of amazing recent images made with the Hubble Space Telescope Mourners of Pope Francis gathered at the Vatican scenes from the the second weekend of Coachella 2025 and landscapes of the Earth’s arctic and subarctic regions Float festivals take place all around the world but you’ll have a hard time finding intricate illuminated works of art quite like the ones paraded in Japan When it comes to designing and creating colorful eye-catching floats that illuminate the night sky The sheer size of these mesmerizing floats is impressive enough but most times they also feature intricate designs inspired by Japanese history From the record-setting giant floats of the Tenkū no Fuyajō festival in the city of Noshiro to the impressive works paraded during the world-famous Tachineputa Festival of Goshogawara there are plenty of reasons why Japan is probably the best place to visit for giant illuminated floats Photo: 掬茶/Wikimedia Commons the city of Noshiro hosts the Tenku-no-Fuyajou (Lantern Castle in the Sky) festival but the history of this unique event can be traced back over a century It is said that a giant Nagoya Castle-shaped lantern float was built here during the Tempo era and paraded through the city all through the night but the advent of electricity made it difficult to parade the floats because of electrical wires The 17.6-meter-tall Toro was replaced with smaller The burying of electrical wires in the ground once again made it possible for large illuminated floats to be paraded through Noshiro and in 2013 local artisans teamed up to create perhaps the most impressive Toro yet – a 17.6m tall representation of the original Toro local artists managed to set a new record by creating the tallest illuminated float in Japanese history – a 24.1-meter-tall behemoth named Chikasue Every August both giant floats are paraded through the streets of Noshiro alongside other smaller creations inspired by Japanese culture The Goshogawara Tachineputa Festival is another impressive giant float festival held annually between August 4th and August 8th in Japan’s Aomori Prefecture the floats are called ‘Tachineputa’ and can weigh as much as 19 tonnes (around 38000 lbs) three large Tachineputa and 12 smaller-size ones are paraded through Goshogawara illuminating the night sky and captivating attendees Records of the earliest Tachineputa Festivals date back to 1907 back when the wealthiest landowners competed in creating the most impressive floats two devastating fires put an end to the tradition several decades ago but the festival was revived in 1993 and has been held regularly ever since Nebuta Matsuri is yet another giant float festival held every year in Japan’s Aomori Prefecture Local teams build allegedly spend a whole year designing and building the festival’s two dozen floats out of painted washi paper over a wire frame Depicting various elements of Japanese culture from mythical creatures to historical figures the awe-inspiring floats can be up to nine meters wide and five meters tall the floats are paraded through the streets of downtown Aomori Just like the two previously mentioned festivals which only makes its illuminated floats seem even more impressive which operates in the culturally rich Tsugaru region of Aomori Prefecture preserves an old-fashioned way to keep passengers warm in the cold winter months surume (dried squid and cuttlefish) can be cooked on a grilling net placed on top of a stove or buy surume produced in Aomori Prefecture on the train They can also have their surume grilled by the Tsugaru Peninsula Sightseeing Attendant on board The Stove train operates in the coldest months when the area is covered with snow and outside daytime temperatures on some days drop to around minus 10 degrees Celsius freshly grilled surume while partaking of local sake purchased on the train warms the body and soul No article or any part there of may be reproduced without the express permission of the Cabinet Office. Copyright inquiries should be made through this form This grove of ume trees in bloom at the Tsugaru Flower Center is known as the northernmost in the country (Photo courtesy of the Goshogawara City Tourist Association) is a natural park situated on a hill 142 meters high The park has 1,400 ume trees belonging to 10 different species and the collection is called “the ume grove of Japan’s far north.” Ume flowers Goshogawara is also the birthplace of celebrated novelist Dazai Osamu (1909–48) Dazai noted that ume and sakura (cherries) with ume and sakura flowering simultaneously at this time of year visible in the distance through the branches of the flowering trees and the Flower Center is thronged with visitors in late April and early May the best time for the flowers in this part of the country Ume in bloom by car from Goshogawara station on the JR Gonō line Weeping ume in bloom with castle fortifications in the background (Photo courtesy of the Iwate Tourism Association) made of naturally stacked stone and other masonry techniques are among the most extensive in the Tōhoku region The castle grounds are now a favorite spot for Morioka residents Fragrant ume in bloom on the castle grounds (Photo courtesy of the Morioka Tourism and Convention Association) The trees also present an attractive contrast against the mossy stones of the castle fortifications in the background Depending on the weather in a particular year it’s sometimes possible to see ume and sakura blooming at the same time on the DenDen Mushi Morioka City Loop Bus from JR Morioka station Ōya has been renowned for ume for nearly 1,200 years The ume in the garden of the Ezu residence pictured here is said to be the original Ōya ume (Photo courtesy of the Yokote City Tourism Association) The Ōya district of Yokote in Akita Prefecture has long been known for its numerous ume trees It’s said that about 1,200 years ago when military commander Ono no Harukaze led an expedition to Tōhoku two of his retainers decided to settle in Ōya and planted ume in the gardens of their compounds while Ōya has no large groves of ume in public spaces hundreds of ume bloom in private gardens in the district There were reputedly over 1,000 ume in Ōya 100 years ago and the air is filled with their fragrance The ancient ume trees in the temple precinct of Shōdenji are an especially impressive sight their beautiful flowers a reminder of centuries past An imposing ume tree near the entrance to the temple Shōdenji Access: 15 minutes’ walk from Yanagita station on the JR Ōu Main Line Note: Best viewing dates may vary due to weather please disable the ad blocking feature and reload the page This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies Users accessing this site from EEA countries and UK are unable to view this site without your consent recently created an alcoholic apple cider that attempts to reproduce a beverage mentioned in “Tsugaru,” a novel by Osamu Dazai and other apple farmers in Goshogawara developed two types of cider and have begun producing them commercially The ciders will be on sale in the Sanchoku Merosu tourism and shopping facility in the city and other locations from April 29 Toki and the other farmers began studying how to make the apple drink last year and succeeded in February which reproduces an apple cider mentioned in Dazai’s novel “Tsugaru,” the name of Aomori Prefecture’s northwestern area A type of sake yeast is used to make the drink uses a typical wine yeast and features a highly fragrant finish The alcohol content of both drinks is 7% and a 330-milliliter bottle costs ¥1,350 “There was little information to go by because the novel was set during World War II so we struggled with the recipe,” Toki said during his visit to the prefectural government office in late March to introduce the products to Gov “We hope the beverages will represent the prefecture.” Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting © 2025 The Japan News - by The Yomiuri Shimbun Please view the main text area of the page by skipping the main menu. The page may not be displayed properly if the JavaScript is deactivated on your browser Japanese version Aomori Prefecture--Apple growers created an apple wine similar to what is featured in "Tsugaru" by Osamu Dazai (1909-1948) considered one of Japan's foremost novelists of the 20th century "I hope people enjoy the wine and feel the ambience of the novel here," said project leader Akinaga Toki "I also hope it revitalizes apple farmers and the local community." With no documents left explaining how to make it or how it tastes historians and other experts to reproduce the fabled wine Fermented with sake yeast and having an alcohol content of 7 percent the semi-sparkling wine with a sour and dry taste is also named Tsugaru After working in the Tokyo metropolitan area returned to Goshogawara in 2019 to take over his father's apple-growing business he learned that the prefectural government's Seihoku Regional Administration Bureau was soliciting measures to revitalize the Oku-Tsugaru region Toki recalled the apple wine mentioned in "Tsugaru," and worked with his fellow farmers to put together a project to re-create the liquor The team launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for the project and no documents related to the apple wine were available Toki and other members interviewed those in their 90s local historians and Dazai Museum officials along with members of the Aomori Apple Association the Hirosaki Industrial Research Institute and other organizations circumstances surrounding apple cultivation and other factors They discovered that sake brewers used apples to make wine after rice and other ingredients became difficult to find during the war They also learned that a sour-tasting apple variety called Kokko had been more popular at the time in the prefecture The team obtained a box of Kokko apples (20 kilograms) and used Fuji Kogyoku and other cultivars to supplement the production made with the same ingredients but fermented with wine yeast in tribute to Dazai Tsugaru and Rasho will be given to supporters of the crowdfunding campaign 200 bottles for each wine will be sold at a farm stand near the Dazai Museum from April 29 "Tsugaru" was published after Dazai traveled to his hometown in 1944 to write about the area and his former acquaintances Apple wine is repeatedly mentioned in the novel Craft beer using rose yeast now brewing in city in Hiroshima Floral sake fermented with wisteria yeast on sale in Niigata Sake sales dive as drinking at home replaces party outings shop develop sake as possible fixture at campfires No reproduction or republication without written permission.