Comments | jetjapan: Tohoku?

lydilia in jetjapan

Tohoku?

Apr 29, 2010 12:22

Hi! Is everyone excited about Golden Week? I know I am! A friend and I are planing on hitchhiking around Tohoku. Our goal is to visit all six prefectures (Fukushima, Miyagi, Iwate, Aomori, Akita, and Yamagata) but beyond that we don't have too many specific destinations in mind. I would love some insider knowledge from current or former Tohoku ( Read more... )

Comments 7

drkparadise April 29 2010, 03:51:57 UTC

I can't tell you much about the other prefectures (or even much about my own), but if you're going to be in Aomori during Golden Week, you must make a stop by Hirosaki Castle/Park for its Sakura Matsuri. You're in luck, because the sakura have just started blooming, so they're likely to be in full bloom within the next couple days. As for the weather, it looks like Aomori will have highs around 15-17C and lows of around 7-8C, which might make it a little too cold to camp at night...

averagesmartguy April 29 2010, 06:36:34 UTC

I second this. It is awesome. I think most JET calendars have included a sakura pic from Hirosaki for at least a few years in a row now.

Christ's Grave is also in Aomori, if you want the quirky.

sabishii_kirito April 29 2010, 04:34:14 UTC

Kitakata, Fukushima is famous for ramen. I've never had it though ( ... )

brentwinsatlife April 29 2010, 07:46:09 UTC

I went to Aomori, Hirosaki, and Morioka for Golden Week last year and had a lot of fun, although I wasn't hitchhiking. As someone mentioned, the cherry blossoms should be in full bloom at Hirosaki Castle, and it's really a magical place at that time. The only thing I should add is that last year, there was a big festival going on in Aomori. They had a big parade with a bunch of Yosakoi dance teams, a Brazilian Carnival-style group, and the unveiling of one of the floats they use in the Nebuta Matsuri. I'd definitely look into that, especially if you don't plan on being there for the festival in August.

I have to be honest, it's a bit hard reading things like this now... I left JET last year, and while I'm having a lot of fun in South America now, I miss a lot of things from Japan. Make the most of your time!

pixiebug_hime April 29 2010, 09:25:21 UTC

Oi oi, don't dis Fukushima. I akabeko Fukushima hehe. I also recommend Aizu-Wakamatsu, Fukushima. I believe there will be a reenactment/festival there during Golden Week. I know some JETs will also be participating in costume. Sakura are also still in bloom. We've had strange weather with the snow and all. Today there was a large downpour in my area (Shirakawa which is famous for ramen) so they might be gone (sakura that is). Anyway the nature here is beautiful and our mascot, the akabeko (red cow in dialect) is adorable. Have fun and have a safe trip.

nymphti April 30 2010, 02:19:57 UTC

I lived in Iwate for three years, and at this time of year the weather is just warming up and starting to get beautiful (as I recall). To my mind, no place on earth is as wonderful as Iwate in the spring. ;)

If you're in Iwate, you'll want to see Iwate-san, which isn't too hard to do if you go to Morioka (the prefectural capital). No need to go all the way to the mountain (it's actually a much longer drive from Morioka than it would seem because it's soooooo big) unless you plan on hiking up it.

Noodles are the thing to do in Iwate. Morioka reimen is a chewy, Korean-style noodle soup with fruit (often watermelon or apple, depending on the season). Ja-ja men is a spicy/garlicky noodle dish. THEN, there's wanko soba, which is an absolute must. You can skip Morioka reimen and ja-ja men, but you'll be missing out on the Iwate dish if you miss wanko soba. It's a... game? contest? between you and the waitress, who will try to fill your tiny bowl as many times as she can (each bowlful is a few bites) while you eat and try to empty ( ... )