 Last additions - Sendai 仙台市 |
Jan 22, 2013
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Jan 22, 2013
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I was too late for the Somei Yoshino trees.Jan 22, 2013
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Jan 22, 2013
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Jan 22, 2013
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Jan 22, 2013
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Jan 22, 2013
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Jan 22, 2013
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Jan 22, 2013
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A nice long row of weeping cherry trees at Tsutsujigaoka Park, Sendai.Jan 22, 2013
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Jan 22, 2013
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Jan 22, 2013
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Jan 22, 2013
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Folk History Museum. Didn't have time to enter.Jan 22, 2013
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Grassy lawn in the center of the park.Jan 22, 2013
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Jan 22, 2013
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The varieties of cherry blossoms in the park.Jan 22, 2013
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Jan 22, 2013
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Jan 22, 2013
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Jan 22, 2013
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Jan 22, 2013
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These photos were taken in early May 2012.Jan 22, 2013
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It's also possible to walk to the park from Sendai Station, about 20 min.Jan 22, 2013
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Entrance to Tsutsujigaoka Park in Sendai, Miyagi. The park is near Tsutsujigaoka Station on the JR Senseki Line, one stop from Sendai Station.Jan 22, 2013
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My YouTube video of Sendai Tanabata featuring the festival eve on Aug. 5, 2009 when they had fireworks and the morning of Aug. 6 when they were setting up the Tanabata decorations. Jun 06, 2010
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My YouTube video of Sendai Tanabata featuring Tanabata decorations and seeing the evening entertainment (Awa Odori, Tanabata dancers, etc.) on Jozenji-dori during 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. Jun 06, 2010
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Street lampSep 08, 2009
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City of trees on a main road in Sendai.Sep 08, 2009
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Hirose River, teeming with wildlife.Sep 08, 2009
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Lucky Alex...Sep 08, 2009
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Sendai International CenterSep 08, 2009
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Small museum in Honmaru showing results of excavation work and stone wall reconstruction. Sep 08, 2009
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Miyagi-ken Gokoku Shrine in Sendai Castle. Emperor Hirohito as well as Crown Prince Akihito (current emperor) visited this shrine to pay their respects. 宮城縣護國神社Sep 08, 2009
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Sep 08, 2009
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Votive tablets for sale at Gokoku Shrine. Special tanabata ones during early Aug.Sep 08, 2009
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Kamikaze suicide fighter pilot memorial next to a war museum within the shrine.Sep 08, 2009
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Miyagi-ken Gokoku Shrine enshrines Miyagi Prefecture's war dead since 1868. There are over 56,000 war dead.Sep 08, 2009
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Monument for Doi (Tsuchii) Bansui who created the song, "Kōjō no tsuki" (荒城の月 lit. "Moonlit castle ruins") which is about Sendai Castle. 土井 晩翠Sep 08, 2009
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Monument for the war dead.Sep 08, 2009
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Also in the Honmaru area is Gokoku Shrine decorated here during the Tanabata Star Festival in early Aug. 宮城縣護國神社Sep 08, 2009
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About the sample stone walls.Sep 08, 2009
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Triangular stones are used.Sep 08, 2009
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Sendai Castle markerSep 08, 2009
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Sample stone work on a castle wall.Sep 08, 2009
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These are original Edo Period stones removed when the stone wall was renovated. These stones could not be reused.Sep 08, 2009
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Sample stone work on a castle wall.Sep 08, 2009
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Statue of Lord Date Masamune at Sendai Castle's Honmaru. Sep 08, 2009
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If you look closely, you can that see one of his eyes is blind.Sep 08, 2009
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Waki-yagura as seen from afar.Sep 08, 2009
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From the city, this is what the castle site looks like on Aobayama. You can see the lookout deck.Sep 08, 2009
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Statue of Lord Date Masamune at Sendai Castle's Honmaru. One of the most popular and famous samurai of all time.Sep 08, 2009
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Statue of Lord Date Masamune at Sendai Castle's Honmaru. Very popular for picture-taking.Sep 08, 2009
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View from Sendai Castle's Honmaru.Sep 08, 2009
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Sendai Castle's Honmaru.Sep 08, 2009
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View from Sendai Castle's Honmaru.Sep 08, 2009
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Lookout point on Sendai Castle's Honmaru.Sep 08, 2009
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Honmaru is a large flat area overlooking central Sendai. This was where the castle palace was, the castle lord's actual residence.Sep 08, 2009
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View from Sendai Castle's Honmaru. Sendai has over a million people. On clear days, you can also see the Pacific Ocean.Sep 08, 2009
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Map of the original Sendai Castle also called Aobajo or Aoba Castle since the castle is on Aobayama or Mt. Aoba. Sumo fans might know the name Aobajo, a sumo wrestler from Sendai active in the 1980s.Sep 08, 2009
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Sendai Castle site's torii. The torii is here because there's a Shinto shrine in Honmaru.Sep 08, 2009
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About the Honmaru northern stone wall.Sep 08, 2009
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Next to the Honmaru northern stone wall is this large torii gate and steps going up to the Honmaru, the castle's central keep. This place in front of the torii was a parking lot before. Glad that parking is no longer allowed here.Sep 08, 2009
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Honmaru northern stone wall.Sep 08, 2009
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The area has these nice multi-lingual plaques explaining the points of interest with a map included.Sep 08, 2009
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Sep 08, 2009
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Climb further and you'll reach large stone walls, called the Honmaru northern stone wall. Sep 08, 2009
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As you climb up the Aobayama, you pass through the sites of former gates. This one was Nakanomon Gate. 中門Sep 08, 2009
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Corner of Honmaru northern stone wall.Sep 08, 2009
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Statue of Hasekura Tsunenaga, a samurai retainer of Date Masamune who sent him to the Vatican in 1613. 支倉常長Sep 08, 2009
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Statue of Hasekura Tsunenaga acros the road from the Waki-yagura.Sep 08, 2009
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Sep 08, 2009
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Waki-yagura turret at Sendai Castle.Sep 08, 2009
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About the Otemon Gate.Sep 08, 2009
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The original Otemon Gate was here, between the Waki-yagura on the right and stone wall on the left.Sep 08, 2009
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About the Waki-yagura turret.Sep 08, 2009
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Sendai Castle's Waki-yagura turret at the site of Otemon Gate. Reconstructed in 1965. We cannot enter it. 脇櫓Sep 08, 2009
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Waki-yagura turret at the site of Otemon Gate.Sep 08, 2009
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Sculpture in Sannomaru.Sep 08, 2009
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Stone wall at the site of Otemon Gate.Sep 08, 2009
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Site of Nenomon Gate. This leads to Sendai City Museum in the castle area called Sannomaru. 子門Sep 08, 2009
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Goshikunuma Swamp is a moat of Sannomaru.Sep 08, 2009
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Route of the Sendai Loop bus. Get off at Sendai-joshi to see Sendai Castle. The bus will take you all the way to the top of the hill where the castle is. Much easier than walking up.Sep 08, 2009
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Map of Sendai Castle site. It's quite a large site, with museums and other facilities occupying the former castle site. The Honmaru (partially hidden) is on the right of the map.Sep 08, 2009
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Bus stop outside Sendai Station.Sep 08, 2009
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Sendai City Loop bus goes to the major tourist spots in Sendai. Most convenient to get to Sendai Castle. 250 yen per ride or 600 yen for a day pass.Sep 08, 2009
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On escalators in Sendai, they stand on the right side. (Not on the left side as in Tokyo.)Sep 08, 2009
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Sendai subway stationSep 08, 2009
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Inside Sendai subway train.Sep 08, 2009
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Subway train in Sendai.Sep 08, 2009
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Kotodai Koen subway station in Sendai. Modern and clean subway.Sep 08, 2009
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Subway stations on the existing subway line in Sendai.Sep 08, 2009
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Poster for the new Tozai subway line in Sendai to open in 2015.Sep 08, 2009
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Outside Sendai Station, they are constructing the Tozai subway line due to open in 2015.Sep 08, 2009
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Morning rush hour at Sendai Station. People heading for the exit inside Sendai Station.Sep 08, 2009
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Trains in Tohoku have a door open/close button to save on air-conditioning or heating.Sep 08, 2009
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Sep 08, 2009
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JR Sendai Station on the west side (Nishi-guchi). This is the main side. There is a tourist information office inside the station where you can pick up maps and pamphlets, maybe in English too.Sep 08, 2009
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Inside Sendai Station, heading to train platforms.Sep 08, 2009
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Aug 11, 2009
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Aug 11, 2009
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Aug 11, 2009
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Aug 11, 2009
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Aug 11, 2009
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This one was clearly a crowd favorite, and not surprisingly, it won the Outstanding Award.Aug 11, 2009
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Korean performers.Aug 11, 2009
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Calligraphy brushes even.Aug 11, 2009
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Many decorations are really advertisements. But others have no ads and they are splendid. Keep in mind that the Tanabata Festival was started by local merchants, so it has commercial roots. It's not a religious event.Aug 11, 2009
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Tanabata appeals to all ages, from little kids to grandmothers.Aug 11, 2009
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On the evening of Aug. 5, the Tanabata Festival Eve, a fireworks display is held at Nishi Koen Park. Here are many girls in yukata waiting for friends at Sendai Station to see the fireworks.Aug 11, 2009
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Perhaps she wished for a rich husband.Aug 11, 2009
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Aug 11, 2009
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Tanabata decorations at the entrance of Sendai Station.Aug 11, 2009
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Female lover in heavenAug 11, 2009
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The Orihime weaver.Aug 11, 2009
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Aug 11, 2009
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Aug 11, 2009
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Inside Sendai Station is a large information booth where you can obtain maps and pamphlets of Sendai and Tanabata Matsuri.Aug 11, 2009
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Closeups of one of the best take-kazari of 2009.Aug 11, 2009
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Aug 11, 2009
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On the morning of Aug. 6, the first day of Sendai Tanabata, shop owners started to set up their tanabata bamboo decorations from around 8 am to 9 am.Aug 11, 2009
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Aug 11, 2009
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DrillingAug 11, 2009
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SlinkyAug 11, 2009
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It says "No More Hiroshima."Aug 11, 2009
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These people are spreading the wings of the origami cranes.Aug 11, 2009
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Hoisting up the bamboo support pole.Aug 11, 2009
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This is the Hapina Nakakecho arcade. "Hapina" stands for "Heartful Amenity Place Interfaced Natural Arcade." It also refers to "happy." When the Japanese create a new name, they love puns.Aug 11, 2009
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Organizations who made the 1 million+ paper cranes. About 25,000 people from all over Japan from age 5 to 103 made over 1 million paper cranes. That's an average of 40 cranes per person.Aug 11, 2009
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Tanabata decorations outside S-PAL, a shopping complex next to Sendai Station.Aug 11, 2009
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Attaching ropes. The decorations will later be attached to these ropes.Aug 11, 2009
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Aug 11, 2009
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Aug 11, 2009
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In Sun Mall Ichibancho, a traditional kami-shibai picture card story was told.Aug 11, 2009
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Aug 11, 2009
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This is Sun Mall Ichibancho. This Ichibancho-dori road is also straight, but consists of three seamless shopping arcades: Sun Mall Ichibancho, Brand Dome Ichibancho, and Ichibancho Yon-chome.Aug 11, 2009
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Aug 11, 2009
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More performers.Aug 11, 2009
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On Aug. 4, two days before the start of Tanabata Festival, the shopping arcades already had these bamboo poles with ropes set up.Aug 11, 2009
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This was my second time to see Sendai Tanabata. The first time was quite some time ago. I had high expectations, and I was not disappointed.Aug 11, 2009
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Tanabata Matsuri is held in many parts of Japan, usually in shopping arcades to draw customers. The more famous ones are in Hiratsuka in Kanagawa and Asagaya in Tokyo.Aug 11, 2009
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Aug 11, 2009
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Marble Road OmachiAug 11, 2009
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Gold Award + Outstanding Award.Aug 11, 2009
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Aug 11, 2009
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The decorations usually arrive in huge plastic bags, especially the outdoor ones. This is the Fujisaki decoration.Aug 11, 2009
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Aug 11, 2009
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Aug 11, 2009
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Folk dancers for Tanabata OdoriAug 11, 2009
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This decoration had little owl-shaped paper balloons. These girls are blowing air into the balloons with a straw. Sendai Tanabata.Aug 11, 2009
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Back to Hapina arcadeAug 11, 2009
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Aug 11, 2009
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In the Shimin Hiroba was also this space.Aug 11, 2009
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The take-kazari bamboo decorations were marvelous. A myriad of designs and variety. Paper was the main material used to make all these decorations, unlike the predominant plastic found at other Tamabata Festivals in Japan.Aug 11, 2009
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Silver Award. Besides awards for individual decorations, awards are given to the shopping arcade as a whole for the bext decorations.Aug 11, 2009
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During the morning of Aug. 6 the first day, a team of judges wearing a white cap and yellow shirt proceed through the decorations for judging. Dressed in pink is the back is one of the three Sendai Goodwill Ambassadors (not Miss Tanabata).Aug 11, 2009
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Aug 11, 2009
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Matsushima photosAug 11, 2009
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Local cheerleaders included these kids.Aug 11, 2009
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Sun Mall IchibanchoAug 11, 2009
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Write your wish on a paper tag and affix it to the bamboo branch.Aug 11, 2009
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Aug 11, 2009
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Milky Way streamers decorated the road.Aug 11, 2009
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Aug 11, 2009
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Travel photos (Matsushima)Aug 11, 2009
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Fujisaki's decoration is at the T-intersection between Chuo-dori and Ichibancho-dori.Aug 11, 2009
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Aug 11, 2009
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In the early morning, the tanabata decorations still hang high up. Aug 11, 2009
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The streamers can also be quite hypnotizing if not captivating.Aug 11, 2009
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Local cheerleaders were great.Aug 11, 2009
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Sun MallAug 11, 2009
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Sendai Tanabata Fireworks on Aug. 5, 7:30 pm to 9 pm. It was impressive. The theme was "Ring of Love."Aug 11, 2009
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After the festival ends, many of these decorations are discarded. But some are donated to a shopping arcade in Fukuoka (Kyushu). Aug 11, 2009
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Kids loved to jump and try to touch the streamers.Aug 11, 2009
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Setting up Tanabata bamboo decorations.Aug 11, 2009
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Ichiban-cho Yon-chome arcade is outdoors.Aug 11, 2009
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This large tanabata bamboo was being set up on Aug. 4.Aug 11, 2009
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Extravagant AwardAug 11, 2009
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Aug 11, 2009
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Later in the morning at around 9 am, these decorations will be hung normally again.Aug 11, 2009
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Hapina arcadeAug 11, 2009
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The pedestrian overpass connected to Sendai Station is also decorated.Aug 11, 2009
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Local cheerleadersAug 11, 2009
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Types of tanabata decorations.Aug 11, 2009
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This was the 34th Tanabata Decoration of Peace. Aug. 6, the first day of the Sendai Tanabata Matsuri, also happens to be the anniversary of the Hiroshima atomic bombing.Aug 11, 2009
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Nishi Park in Sendai is full of people on fireworks night.Aug 11, 2009
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People who wear yukata know how to enjoy each of Japan's seasons.Aug 11, 2009
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Aug 11, 2009
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A few local high school bands also played.Aug 11, 2009
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Date MasamuneAug 11, 2009
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The decorations are given awards such as the Gold and Silver Awards. The winners are announced later in the day, and the winning decorations are tagged with the awards. This is the Gold Award.Aug 11, 2009
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At around 9 pm, the tanabata decorations are put in plastic bags or hung high so drunkards cannot reach and damage them.Aug 11, 2009
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North Korean abductee, MegumiAug 11, 2009
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It's nearly impossible to define or describe an outstanding decoration, but you know it when you see it.Aug 11, 2009
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When the decorations are unpacked or unraveled, they are freshened up. Aug 11, 2009
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At night.Aug 11, 2009
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Also here is a cramped enclave of many little bars and shops.Aug 11, 2009
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Pieces of bamboo hung from the ropes on bamboo poles.Aug 11, 2009
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One bamboo pole has several decorations and each one hangs on a rope.Aug 11, 2009
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It rained sometimes during the Tanabata Festival since the Tohoku region was still in the rainy season.Aug 11, 2009
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These decorations cannot be massed produced, all one of a kind.Aug 11, 2009
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Aug 11, 2009
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International decorationAug 11, 2009
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There is no longer a Tanabata Parade in the evening. Instead of a parade, there are various performances at several areas on the main street of Jozenji-dori during 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm every evening during Aug. 6-8.Aug 11, 2009
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You can see Tanabata in various locations (smaller scale) in Japan such as Hiratsuka in Kanagawa held around July 7 and Asagaya and Fussa in Tokyo around Aug. 7.Aug 11, 2009
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Another crowd favorite was these streamers made of tiny origami paper cranes. Aug 11, 2009
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Aug 11, 2009
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No smoking in the shopping arcades.Aug 11, 2009
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Aug 11, 2009
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