 Last additions - FUKUSHIMA 福島県 |
How Spa Resort Hawaiians got its start.Mar 02, 2012
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Congratulatory letter from the mayor of Kauai upon the opening of the Hula Museum.Mar 02, 2012
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Congratulatory letter from the Governor of Hawaii, Linda Lingle, upon the opening of the Hula Museum.Mar 02, 2012
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The Hula Museum shows the history of Spa Resort Hawaiians first established as Joban Hawaiian Center in 1966.Mar 02, 2012
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At the end of the show, people who paid for reserved seats could have their picture taken with the hula girls.Mar 02, 2012
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Mar 02, 2012
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Mar 02, 2012
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This is Maluhia Yukari, the leader of the hula girls. She was a pivotal in taking the lead following the 3/11 disasters and promoting Spa Resort Hawaiians on tour. She retired in June 2012. マルヒア由佳理Mar 02, 2012
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Mar 02, 2012
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Mar 02, 2012
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Mar 02, 2012
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Mar 02, 2012
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Mar 02, 2012
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Mar 02, 2012
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Great dancers and great show!Mar 02, 2012
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Mar 02, 2012
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Mar 02, 2012
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Mar 02, 2012
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Mar 02, 2012
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Mar 02, 2012
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Fire knife dancers are the highlight and crowd pleasers. They are Japanese, but well-trained and highly skilled with the fire.Mar 02, 2012
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The live band were all Japanese. All the dancers were Japanese and most are from Fukushima.Mar 02, 2012
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Mar 02, 2012
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Mar 02, 2012
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Mar 02, 2012
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Mar 02, 2012
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Mar 02, 2012
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Hula Girl Polynesian Revue at 1:30 pm to 2:15 pm at the Beach Theater.Mar 02, 2012
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Beach Theater shows are free, but they also sell tickets for the best seats for ¥600 to ¥800.Mar 02, 2012
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Colored seats are reserved and cost extra.Mar 02, 2012
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Mar 02, 2012
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Mar 02, 2012
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Hula lesson for kids at the Beach Theater in the Water Park.Mar 02, 2012
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Mar 02, 2012
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Hula lesson for kids at the Beach Theater in the Water Park.Mar 02, 2012
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Statue of King Kamehameha even!Mar 02, 2012
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Spa Garden Pareo has outdoor pools and a sauna. In winter, the air is freezing cold.Mar 02, 2012
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Mar 02, 2012
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Spring Park, a lukewarm hot spring pool.Mar 02, 2012
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Besides the pools, there are real hot spring baths where you have to go in naked. Cameras not allowed though.Mar 02, 2012
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Mar 02, 2012
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Wading pool.Mar 02, 2012
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Wading pool.Mar 02, 2012
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Mar 02, 2012
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The water slides cost extra money. 200 yen per slide or a day pass for 2,200 yen.Mar 02, 2012
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Mar 02, 2012
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Mar 02, 2012
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Mar 02, 2012
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The water slides cost extra money. 200 yen per slide.Mar 02, 2012
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The huge water park at Spa Resort Hawaiians. All the water is from a hot spring. The pool water is lukewarm.Mar 02, 2012
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The whole water park is heated to tropical temperatures even when it is freezing outside.Mar 02, 2012
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Mar 02, 2012
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From JR Yumoto Station, free shuttle buses run to Spa Resort Hawaiians.Mar 02, 2012
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Mar 02, 2012
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Layout of Spa Resort Hawaiians.Mar 02, 2012
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After completing earthquake repairs, the water park re-opened on Feb. 8, 2012. Admission was half price.Mar 02, 2012
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The new Monolith Hotel opened on Feb. 8, 2012.Mar 02, 2012
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One wing of Hotel Hawaiians was still undergoing repairs to cracks.Mar 02, 2012
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Main entrance to Spa Resort Hawaiians, a huge water park and onsen hot spring amusement facility built in 1966. I visited for the first time shortly after they reopened on Feb. 8, 2012.Mar 02, 2012
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My YouTube video featuring Diverse dance troupes on the streets of Fukushima in the evening at the annual Fukushima Waraji Matsuri. This is the evening parade (Dancing Soda Night) on Aug. 8, 2009.Jun 06, 2010
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My YouTube video featuring hula dancers in waraji straw sandals, hip-hop, belly dancers, and more during the 1st Waraji Day Dance Contest on Ekimae-dori near Fukushima Station on Aug. 8, 2009 at 12:30 pm. Also, giant waraji races.Jun 06, 2010
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Clear view of Mt. Shinobuyama 信夫山Sep 09, 2009
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View of Fukushima Station's east side.Sep 09, 2009
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Sep 09, 2009
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View of Fukushima Station's east side.Sep 09, 2009
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Nice views all around.Sep 09, 2009
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Corasse Fukushima also has a lookout deck on the top 12th floor. コラッセふくしまSep 09, 2009
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Inside the shop, you can find the best products of Fukushima, including edibles.Sep 09, 2009
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On the west side of Fukushima Station is a tall building called Corasse Fukushima. The ground floor has the Fukushima Tourism and Product Center selling products of Fukushima.Sep 09, 2009
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Sep 09, 2009
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Fukushima manhole. I think it's waraji straw sandals.Sep 09, 2009
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Sep 09, 2009
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Children's wishes for Tanabata Matsuri on Bunka-dori Road.Sep 09, 2009
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Sep 09, 2009
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Sep 09, 2009
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Bunka-dori road Tanabata MatsuriSep 09, 2009
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Paseo Road also intersects with Bunka-dori road which also has its own Tanabata Matsuri with bamboo branches hung with wishes.Sep 09, 2009
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Poster for Bunka-dori Tanabata Matsuri.Sep 09, 2009
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Sep 09, 2009
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Sep 09, 2009
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Sep 09, 2009
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Paseo Road Tanabata Matsuri, FukushimaSep 09, 2009
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Sep 09, 2009
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Sep 09, 2009
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Around Aug. 7, the Tanabata Matsuri Star Festival is held along Paseo Road, a short walk from the east side of Fukushima Station.Sep 09, 2009
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JR Fukushima Station shinkansen platform.Sep 09, 2009
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East exit of JR Fukushima Station has a statue of Haiku poet Matsuo Basho and his traveling companion Sora.Sep 09, 2009
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JR Fukushima Station shinkansen platform.Sep 09, 2009
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JR Fukushima Station with shinkansen approaching.Sep 09, 2009
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Entrance to the shinkansen tracks.Sep 09, 2009
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Toward the west exit the tourist info office on the left. Pick up pamphlets and maps.Sep 09, 2009
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Inside JR Fukushima Station.Sep 09, 2009
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Inside JR Fukushima Station. Sample fireworks balls.Sep 09, 2009
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Inside JR Fukushima Station.Sep 09, 2009
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JR Fukushima Station on the east side (Higashi-guchi).Sep 09, 2009
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Monument on the west side of Fukushima Station. The shinkansen train can be seen.Sep 09, 2009
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JR Fukushima Station on the west side (Nishi-guchi).Sep 09, 2009
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Awards ceremony. The festival ended at about 9:30 pm.Aug 13, 2009
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Aug 13, 2009
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Some fireworksAug 13, 2009
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At the intersection. Notice the giant waraji straw sandal.Aug 13, 2009
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Eisa group from OkinawaAug 13, 2009
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Fukushima Waraji MatsuriAug 13, 2009
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Fukushima Waraji MatsuriAug 13, 2009
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Aug 13, 2009
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Aug 13, 2009
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Aug 13, 2009
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Aug 13, 2009
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Many of the dance groups were from dance studios or schools.Aug 13, 2009
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School girlsAug 13, 2009
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Aug 13, 2009
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Aug 13, 2009
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Hula dancersAug 13, 2009
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Apparently, it was their first time to appear in this festival.Aug 13, 2009
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Aug 13, 2009
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They weren't wearing waraji.Aug 13, 2009
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Aug 13, 2009
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Aug 13, 2009
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Aug 13, 2009
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Finally at 7:30 pm, the main event called Dancing Soda Night started along Route 13 and Ekimae-dori.Aug 13, 2009
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After the waraji races, they also had taiko float races where people pulled/pushed a taiko float in a race.Aug 13, 2009
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Groups of children, women, etc., were to pull this large waraji on wheels on the 300-meter long race course along Route 13. A pair of large waraji were raced down the road. Then raced back by another pair of racers.Aug 13, 2009
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Waraji race at Fukushima Waraji Matsuri Festival. Each race team had to have 10 members. Also see my YouTube video here.Aug 13, 2009
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On Aug. 8, 2009 from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm, the second day of the festival, they held waraji races along Route 13 (Shinobu-dori).Aug 13, 2009
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Giant golden waraji had ema votive tablets written with people's wishes.Aug 13, 2009
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They also displayed this giant golden waraji.Aug 13, 2009
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Near the intersection of Ekimae-dori and Route 13 was this entertainment stage.Aug 13, 2009
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The giant golden waraji was used to open the waraji races on the second day of the festival.Aug 13, 2009
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Belly dancer at Fukushima Waraji Matsuri.Aug 13, 2009
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A good-size crowd watched the dance contest.Aug 13, 2009
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Announcement of the winners.Aug 13, 2009
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A trio of belly dancers.Aug 13, 2009
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Belly dancer at Fukushima Waraji Matsuri.Aug 13, 2009
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Belly dancer at Fukushima Waraji Matsuri.Aug 13, 2009
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Each dance group had to perform two numbers. The first one had to be "Dancing Soda Night" for 3 min. and the second one could be anything for 5 min. or less.Aug 13, 2009
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This girl's homemade happi coat says "Waraji Matsuri."Aug 13, 2009
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A panel of judges were there to judge the dancers.Aug 13, 2009
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Aug 13, 2009
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Many of the dancers wore waraji-related things.Aug 13, 2009
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Look at their footwear. They are wearing a pair of waraji straw sandals.Aug 13, 2009
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Aug 13, 2009
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Notice anything unusual about these hula dancers?Aug 13, 2009
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On Aug. 8, 2009 at 12:30 pm, they held the 1st Waraji Day Dance Contest on Ekimae-dori. (わらじDayダンス選手権)Aug 13, 2009
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Ekimae-dori street leading to Fukushima Station is closed to traffic.Aug 13, 2009
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For a few hours, numerous dance groups performed in a contest. They even had a hula troupe dance, to my delight as I'm from Hawaii.Aug 13, 2009
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Aug 13, 2009
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Closeup of the giant waraji. Aug 13, 2009
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The giant waraji sandal is an offering for healthy legs/feet. On the first day of the festival (which I missed in 2009), they carry this giant waraji to the festival grounds along Route 13. Here it is displayed at the intersection.Aug 13, 2009
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Held on the first Fri. and Sat. of Aug., the Fukushima Waraji Matsuri is mainly an evening parade of dancers. During Aug. 7-8, 2009, the 40th Fukushima Waraji Festival was held. I saw it on the second day.Aug 13, 2009
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"Waraji" means straw sandals. In central Fukushima city, Ashio Shrine (足尾神社) at a mountain called Shinobu-yama (信夫山) has Japan's largest waraji at 12 meters long and weighing 2 tons. Aug 13, 2009
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Byakkotai souvenirsDec 06, 2007
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SazaedoDec 06, 2007
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SazaedoDec 06, 2007
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Painting depicting Byakkotai suicide on Iimoriyama HillDec 06, 2007
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SazaedoDec 06, 2007
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Dec 06, 2007
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Byakkotai enshrined in Uga ShrineDec 06, 2007
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Sazaedo, a unique wooden, hexagonal structure which you will see when coming down from Iimoriyama.Dec 06, 2007
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Byakkotai statue outside the Byakkotai Memorial MuseumDec 06, 2007
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Uga Shrine 宇賀神社Dec 06, 2007
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Opened in 1956, the Byakkotai Memorial Museum has numerous artifacts related to the Byakkotai as well as the Shinsengumi. Photography inside is not allowed. Admission 400 yen.Dec 06, 2007
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Dec 06, 2007
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Another monumentDec 06, 2007
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About the monument from Rome.Dec 06, 2007
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Monument from a German, Hasso von Etzdorf (1900 - 1989).Dec 06, 2007
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Monument message in Italian. After WWII, the US Occupation authorities wanted this monument removed. But all they did was remove the engraved message (later restored).Dec 06, 2007
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Monument from Rome, Italy, given in 1928 by Mussolini. The column is from the ruins of a palace in Pompeii.Dec 06, 2007
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Dec 06, 2007
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Byakko Kannon statueDec 06, 2007
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Dec 06, 2007
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Dec 06, 2007
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Statue faces Tsuruga-jo Castle which can be seen in the distance.Dec 06, 2007
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Arrow points to Tsuruga-jo Castle.Dec 06, 2007
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Dec 06, 2007
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Statue of a teenage samurai looking at Wakamatsu Castle.Dec 06, 2007
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Dec 06, 2007
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A recent addition is this statue of a teenage samurai looking at Wakamatsu Castle.Dec 06, 2007
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Site where they committed seppuku (hara-kiri). 自刃の地Dec 06, 2007
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Dec 06, 2007
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Grave of Iinuma Sadakichi, the only Byakkotai warrior who survived and told the story of this valiant teenage group.Dec 06, 2007
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Grave of Iinuma Sadakichi (Sadao) (1854-1931). His grave was built here in 1957 for the 90th anniversary of the Byakkotai's demise. 飯沼貞吉Dec 06, 2007
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Dec 06, 2007
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Slope where they committed seppuku (hara-kiri). 自刃の地Dec 06, 2007
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Monument for teenage samurai who died in battle.Dec 06, 2007
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Names of Byakkotai members, all 14 to 17 years old.Dec 06, 2007
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About Iinuma Sadakichi (later changed his first name to Sadao)Dec 06, 2007
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A short walk away is the grave of Iinuma Sadakichi, the only Byakkotai survivor who had slit himself, but was rescued by a villager passing by when everyone else had killed themselves.Dec 06, 2007
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On the left of the gravestones, there is a monument for a poem composed by Lord Matsudaira Katamori, the last Aizu lord and whom the Byakkotai died for. 幾人の 涙は石にそそぐとも その名は世々に 朽じとぞ思う幾人の 涙は石にそそぐとも その名は世々に 朽じとぞ思う
Ikutari no namida wa ishi ni sosogu tomo sono na wa yoyo ni kuji to zo omou
"No matter how many people pour their tears on these stones, these names will never fade from the world."Dec 06, 2007
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Tombs of those Byakkotai who died in action.Dec 06, 2007
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Tombs of those Byakkotai who died in action.Dec 06, 2007
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Dec 06, 2007
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Their names, age, and "senshi" 戦死 (died in battle) are engraved on the stones.Dec 06, 2007
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On the right side are more gravestones. These are 31 Byakkotai members who died in battle. 戦死Dec 06, 2007
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This has become a national shrine, almost as important as Sengakuji where the 47 masterless samurai are buried.Dec 06, 2007
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Byakkotai gravestones. Each one shows the name, age, and method of death called "jijin" (died with one's own sword 自刃).Dec 06, 2007
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Dec 06, 2007
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Byakkotai GravesDec 06, 2007
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Byakkotai GravesDec 06, 2007
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Dec 06, 2007
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Graves of the 19 teenage Byakkotai warriors who killed themselves with their own swords.Dec 06, 2007
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Approach to the Byakkotai gravesite.Dec 06, 2007
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Byakkotai Gravesite. It is on a flat area which also has several other Byakkotai monuments including those from other countries.Dec 06, 2007
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In despair, the boys decided to kill themselves rather than die in the hands of the enemy. Photo: Escalator to go up Iimoriyama Hill.Dec 06, 2007
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The Byakkotai were outnumbered and forced to retreat. Twenty of them escaped to Iimoriyama Hill where they saw what looked liked a burning Tsurugajo Castle. Photo: Pay a small fee to take the escalator up the hill. Or climb up the steps for free.Dec 06, 2007
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Escalator to go up Iimoriyama Hill. Their tombstones are on this hill near where they killed themselves. Their story has become legend.Dec 06, 2007
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Entrance to Iimoriyama Hill, site of the Byakkotai "White Tiger" Battalion gravesite. In 1868, a unit of teenage warriors called Byakkotai (White Tiger Battalion) fought against the Emperor-backed Imperial forces encroaching their domain of AizuDec 06, 2007
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Dec 05, 2007
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Portrait of Lord Gamo UjisatoDec 05, 2007
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Kotokuji templeDec 05, 2007
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Dec 05, 2007
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Explanation of the kanji characters on the tombstone. From top to bottom, the characters are for "Sky, wind, fire, water, and earth."Dec 05, 2007
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The tombstone has five segments each with a kanji character. 五輪塔Dec 05, 2007
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Lord Gamo Ujisato's grave. This is a secondary grave, where his hair is buried. His main grave is at a temple in Kyoto where he died at age 40.Dec 05, 2007
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Lord Gamo Ujisato's grave.Dec 05, 2007
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Poem monument reads 限りあれば吹かねど花は散るものを心短き春の山風Dec 05, 2007
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Path to Lord Gamo Ujisato's gravesiteDec 05, 2007
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Dec 05, 2007
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Grounds of Lord Gamo Ujisato's gravesite within Kotokuji temple. Since Ujisato was a Christian lord, it is ironic that he be buried in a Buddhist temple in Kyoto and Aizu-Wakamatsu.Dec 05, 2007
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Entrance doors to Lord Gamo Ujisato's gravesite within Kotokuji temple which is a Zen temple of the Rinzai Sect.Dec 05, 2007
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Family crest on door. (Not the Gamo crest.)Dec 05, 2007
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Ujisato was married to Oda Nobunaga's second daughter Fuyuhime. He died at age 40. One theory says that he was poisoned by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Entrance to Lord Gamo Ujisato's gravesite within Kotokuji temple in Aizu-Wakamatsu, Fukushima..Dec 05, 2007
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Marker and side road to Lord Gamo (Gamoh) Ujisato's gravesite. Near Aizu-Wakamatsu City Hall. Gamo Ujisato (1556-1595) was a feudal lord from Hino, Shiga Pref. He built Tsurugajo Castle and named the town Wakamatsu, after a place in his hometown.Dec 05, 2007
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Hand-painted candlesDec 05, 2007
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Dec 05, 2007
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Dec 05, 2007
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Sculpture near the Fukushima Prefectural MuseumDec 05, 2007
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Fukushima Prefectural MuseumDec 05, 2007
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Shopping streetDec 05, 2007
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Aizu-Wakamatsu manholeDec 05, 2007
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Aizu-Wakamatsu City Hall 会津若松市役所Dec 05, 2007
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Bus stopDec 05, 2007
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Hi-color town bus, very convenient and cheap (500 yen for a day pass) to reach the city's major sights. It runs every 30 min. or so. ハイカラさんDec 05, 2007
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