 Most viewed - IBARAKI 茨城県 |
Elegant transom with a pine tree carving.31 views
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Tokonoma of another guest room. Many of the materials are quite rare and valuable today.31 views
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A smaller guest room.31 views
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The festival originally used an actual fishing boat. But now this wooden boat was built especially for the festival.31 views
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31 views
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Boat musicians and crew board the boat via ladder.31 views
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After being paraded around town all morning, the portable shrine arrives near the boat.31 views
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They use about 100 soroban wooden pallets (ソロバン) made of Japanese oak tree, a hard wood. Each weighs 20 kg.31 views
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Before dragging the boat, they violently rock the boat side to side.31 views
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There are men on both sides of the boat who rock the boat before the drag. When the boat moves, they hang on to the boat.31 views
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Pallets are ready for the next drag.31 views
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31 views
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Narrow streets make it crowded.31 views
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31 views
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The boat is tilted to one side when it is dragged. It creates less friction and makes it easier to drag.31 views
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Picking up the pallets.31 views
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The route has one 90-degree corner where the boat is turned. This is a festival highlight and many people crowd this corner.31 views
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Shuttle bus back to JR Otsuko Station. Shuttle bus stop was near the start point a few hundred meters from the corner.31 views
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From one clump of clay, I made all these pieces. Oh yeah, it's easy. Anybody can do it. It costs a few thousand yen per piece to color and fire. It is sent to us later.30 views
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Kikuchi's pottery.30 views
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An-chan on a cup of sake.30 views
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It's unlike the old Tsukiji fish market or the new Toyosu Market in Tokyo.30 views
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It's the city's grandest festival and very unique because this boat is pulled on city streets instead of sailing on the water. 30 views
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Romon Gate30 views
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Haiden worship hall. 拝殿30 views
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30 views
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Gods worshipped by Hanazono Shrine includes Sanno, the mountain deity. 30 views
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Rare cedar with three trunks.30 views
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In the hotel lobby: Kita-Ibaraki's official mascots, An-chan and Kou-chan. Together, they are "Ankou" which means "monkfish," or angler fish that is the city's most famous delicacy. 30 viewsAn-chan is a fisherman, and Kou-chan is a monkfish.
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In the hotel lobby, Hina Matsuri dolls displayed for Girl's Day in early March.30 views
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Statue of Yokoyama Taikan (横山大観), a very famous Japanese Nihonga painter. Taikan was born in Mito, the capital of Ibaraki. (横山大観)30 views
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Another part of the Taikan house. Very aesthetic.30 views
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Typical room in the hotel's modern tower. This is the living room.30 views
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Next morning, breakfast in a large banquet hall.30 views
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View from the hotel's modern tower.30 views
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View of Rokkakudo from the hotel's modern tower.30 views
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One of the most elegant Japanese-style hotels I've ever seen. Precious artwork everywhere. It's like staying in an art museum.30 views
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The bow has this shed for the portable shrine to be loaded on. Festival was designated as a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property (重要無形民俗文化財) in 2017.30 views
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White ropes to pull the boat on the road.30 views
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Boat is 15 meters long, 4 meters wide, and weighs 5 tons. It becomes 2 tons heavier when the portable shrine (1 ton) and crew and musicians board.30 views
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My video of Kita-Ibaraki's Ofune Matsuri boat festival.30 views
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The festival started to be held every 5 years from 1975. The boat has to be repaired after each festival and the money could not be secured more often than every 5 years.30 viewsThe boat is normally displayed at a fishing museum named Yo-soro (よう・そろー) in Kita-Ibaraki.
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The festival used to be held by local fishermen, Now held by Hitachi-Otsu Ofune Matsuri Preservation Society (常陸大津の御船祭保存会) with most of the men being fishermen or their descendants.30 views
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The festival participants belong to different fishermen's groups indicated by their shirt. They are from a group called Fudo-maru.30 views
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Removing in the boat railingsbefore people boarded.30 views
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After being paraded around town all morning, the portable shrine arrives near the boat.30 views
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Boat is pulled by a 200-meter white rope, 7 cm thick. About 200 to 300 people pull the boat.30 views
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30 views
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After the drag, they pick up the pallets and lay them in front of the boat on the road ahead.30 views
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Three shrine priests are among the 40 people onboard. It's pretty rough to be rocked often. Motion sickness is possible.30 views
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This corner is the most crowded spot. Many people leave after seeing this corner turn.30 views
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Our table for lunch in the main room of Arigatee.29 views
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Silica Glass Museum is on a hill with great views of the city. Also offers hands-on glass-making lessons. http://www.studiosilica.com/29 views
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Akatsukien onsen minshuku dining room where we had monkfish hot pot. ¥14,000/night including dobujiru. 民宿 暁園29 views
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Covering only one eye.29 views
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Hanazono Shrine priest.29 views
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About the cedar tree.29 views
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The Taikan house also has a small outdoor hot spring bath.29 views
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Hotel gift shop had this noren curtain with Rokkakudo design.29 views
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Corner room.29 views
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Most boat musicians are local kids.29 views
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When dragging the boat, the men have to run over the wooden pallets and take care not to trip and fall.29 views
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29 views
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They turn the boat by dragging the stern of the boat. They had a rope tied to the rear part of the boat.29 views
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JR Otsuko Station has its entrance modeled after the Rokkakudo Pavilion on the Izura Coast.29 views
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About the pregnant tree. This tree's male partner and due date are unknown.28 views
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Romon Gate28 views
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Main corridor inside Yokoyama Taikan Memorial Hall.28 views
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Taikan's residence is great for groups up to 22 people. It's a residence separate from the main hotel building so there's lots of privacy. Rates are very reasonable too. It was awesome to stay here.28 views
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Biwa lute-shaped dish.28 views
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Relax here with a view.28 views
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Large and private corner guest room inside Kimura Buzan home. It costs about ¥18,000 per person per night to stay here.28 views
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The portable shrine is loaded on the boat.28 views
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28 views
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Getting ready for the rest of the straight route.28 views
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Manhole in Koga, Ibaraki Prefecture showing fireworks and river.28 views
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However, the 12 whalers were instead held captive by the local samurai. They were tied to plum trees or confined to caves. More British ships arrived seeking the release of the prisoners.27 viewsAlso, the Mito Clan also brought in neighboring clans like the Taira Clan as reinforcement for a potential battle. Cannons were pointed at each other, but a conflict was averted by giving the whalers the water and food that sent them along their way away from Japan. In return, the whalers gave guns, spears, felt, gold, and silver as payment and had to promise not to approach Japan again.
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Hanazono Shrine (花園神社) is in the scenic Hanazono Gorge in the mountainous interior of the city. It's not related to Hanazono Shrine in Shinjuku, Tokyo, but it's related to Hie Shrine in Akasaka.27 viewsIt belongs to the same family of Shinto shrines worshipping the mountain deity Sanno (山王) headquartered at Hiyoshi Taisha Shrine at the foot of Mt. Hiei in Shiga Prefecture.
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The okami-san posing in another guest room of the Buzan residence. 27 views
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27 views
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JR Otsuko Station platform.27 views
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The "Balloon Glow" event at Koga Kubo Park in Jan. 2023 was colorful and impressive even when the balloons did not fly. Free event, mainly local crowds.11 viewsThis was actually a 2022 Christmas Eve event, but it was postponed twice due to bad weather or strong winds. Finally held on Jan. 22, 2023.
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Standing by for sunset.10 views
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9 views
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Koga Kubo Park has Gosho-numa Pond. 8 views
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Pheasant bird cage. 鳥小屋8 views
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Food trucks for the balloon glow event.8 views
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Kubo Park's grassy lawn where four hot-air balloons were placed, rolled out flat on a blue tarp over the grass. 芝生広場8 views
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The balloons inflated quite quickly.8 views
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When it got dark enough, all four balloons lit up their balloons simultaneously numerous times during the one-hour event.8 views
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JR Koga Station has a shopping mall named VAL.8 views
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JR Koga Station east entrance sculpture.8 views
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Inflating the hot-air balloon.7 views
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7 views
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This photo was taken during the several seconds when the burners of all four balloons were flaming into the balloons at the same time.7 views
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This is how it looks when they are dark.7 views
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Crowd-pleasing event.7 views
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JR Koga Station east entrance.7 views
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JR Koga Station platform.7 views
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Map of Koga Kubo Park. Large park noted for peach blossoms from late March to early April. Also has irises and lotus in summer. 古河公方公園6 views
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Koga Kubo Park opened on March 24, 1975. It's quite a large park.6 views
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Fujimi-zuka Hill 富士見塚6 views
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6 views
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The MC came up to the crowd and asked people to give the word to light up the balloons.6 views
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The balloon lights up only when the burner is shooting a flame under it. The flame illuminates the entire balloon. 6 views
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All four balloons lit up at the same time many times during the one-hour balloon glow event. They played J-pop music in the background.6 views
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JR Koga Station (Tohoku Main Line or Utsunomiya Line) is the closet train station to Kubo park.6 views
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JR Koga Station west exit.6 views
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There were free shuttle buses from Koga Station (west exit) going to and from the park.6 views
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JR Koga Station has a shopping mall named VAL.6 views
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JR Koga Station information center (closed).6 views
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JR Koga Station platform. About 73 min. by train from central Tokyo.6 views
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Inflating the balloon.5 views
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5 views
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Hot-air balloons are vulnerable to strong winds. See how the balloon can sway in strong winds.5 views
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Burner is lit every so often to maintain the hot air.5 views
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5 views
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They started blowing flames into the balloon.5 views
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5 views
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JR Koga Station turnstile.5 views
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JR Koga Station5 views
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Free shuttle buses from Koga Station going to and from the park. This is the Kubo Park parking lot. The return bus is also here.5 views
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Shuttle bus schedule from JR Koga Station to Kubo Park.4 views
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