drron29

After going through the museum shop there were a few craftsmen doing their thing. Then it was out into their garden.

Volunteers try their hand at Taiko. not too bad. I have to admit to being very naughty at this point. there were 2 annoying women. one in front of me in the performances holding her phone above her head videoing the whole performance and another young woman who all through the cruise would walk in front of others taking photos. I photobombed both more than once. The young one complained and I politely told her I could do it another 33 times to catch up to the number of times she had done it to me.

A different kind of welcome. Then I set off on an excursion to Hirosaki Castle Town. Snow still on the ground. First we went to Neputa Mara for a view of the Neputa Annual festival. Our guide and translator.

The next morning we are steaming in to Aomori.

Back to Atlantide. Rojaan had the seared scallops. And I had the Carpaccio and then the seafood chowder. Rojaan then had the lamb cutlets and I the Stroganoff. Then she finished off with the crumble.

Back to the ship and our sail away. The Namahage join in. And we sail away from another wonderful Japanese farewell. More visual pollution.

They had a store there with a lot of local products. I bought these 2. The first was a tomato snack. A bit too much sugar. The second pickled smoked Daikon said to be a local favourite. I liked it but a pungent odour and I had to keep it on our balcony. And from the bus back to the ship.

But on the way to the lookout the road was closed as the fire brigade was doing a burn off. The bus stopped just as my window was level with a clump of wild daffodils. Never fear there was another road going up to the lookout. A few shots from the bus as we go up. Good all round views but not spectacular and too many environmental eyesores. The burn off site.

Then a whole room of the different Namahage styles. So just a couple of shots before we head off to the Mt. Kanpu Revolving lookout.

And this fellow is the last one on the Peninsula who makes the namahage masks. A couple of women were trying to find out how long it took him to make a mask. They weren't having any success so Ron and Google translate came to the rescue. It takes him a month to make one mask. Unfortunately the women now regarded me as the translator for the rest of the excursion. A display of some other masks from around the world.

Then meeting the arranger of the Namahage visit. The Namahage enter. And are given food and sake. Now I managed to make eye contact with the one in black. I nodded and smiled appropriately - easy as I smiled when the Japanese guests laughed. He looked straight at me a lot. They are now reading from the Children's naughty book. The Namahage now stomped around the house looking for the Children. A Japanese couple had bought their toddler who was screaming in fear. The parents were laughing. Any way my ruse worked. At the end of the performance the black Namahage came over and patted me on the back. He only did this with one other fellow who was Japanese. So now off to the Museum.

We then reached the Namahage Cultural Centre. We were then taken in to a replica of a namahage home. A play was put on telling the story of the Namahage visiting on New Years Eve. All in Japanese of course but they gave us some outlines. reading the first part I wasn't sure if I should take any photos. Now we had to sit on the floor with your legs underneath. mine don't do that any more so I made sure I was in the front row with my legs outstretched. Then the Narrator came out. Next was the head of the house telling of the family.

A lot of the tour was about the Namahage. Ogres that come out at New Year to make sure children and new wives are being good. The first stop was seeing the "big" Namahages. We stayed too long so I looked around their little general store which was also a coffee shop. Winter is very cold with lots of snow so crafts are obviously popular. In the store lots of Namahage souvenirs. Next to the store a grove of camellias plus one of the numerous solar arrays. The road ran beside the sea for some time. We gradually started climbing into the mountains.

Saturday and we arrive in Akita. A nice welcome. They had organised a market inside the terminal. It had rained heavily the day before and there was still an occasional shower. Fortunately when on the excursion they occurred only when we were on the bus. I went on the Exploring the Oga Peninsula tour. The cherry blossoms appearance was the sign to prepare rice fields. Obviously ploughing had begun but the rain then made a mess. And even out into the country large box stores.