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The river has a nice outdoor bath.3 views
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The river has a nice outdoor bath for mixed bathing. (Probably no women.) Kawaraburo3 views
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Misasa Onsen's free outdoor bath next to the river. Kawaraburo3 views
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One of the main streets of Misasa Onsen.3 views
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Hot Plaza tourist facility and bus stop.3 views
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Inside Hot Plaza tourist facility and bus stop.3 views
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Bus back to Kurayoshi Station.3 views
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Nature trying to reclaim its place.3 views
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Local mascot Torapi.3 views
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When they were trying to give the new ship a name, they decided to keep the old name. Wise choice. It's a perfect name.3 views
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My tribute photos for this original Uminoko.3 views
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Miidera Station platform.3 views
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Miidera Station platform.3 views
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Police vehicles to be used for the marathon.3 views
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Ojiyama Stadium bleachers. No reserved seating.3 views
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Ojiyama Stadium in Otsu.3 views
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The elite runners are on the front line.3 views
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Runners walking to the start line as the starting time of 12:30 pm approaches.3 views
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Runners at the 73rd Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon leaving Ojiyama Stadium.3 views
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One hour and 49 min. has passed, according to the official timekeeper.3 views
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Two police motorcycles lead the way for the leading runners.3 views
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Macharia NDIRANGU (left) and Albert KORIR leading the 73rd Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon in 2018.3 views
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Ride for runners.3 views
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Equipment truck and The End. Official marathon site: http://www.lakebiwa-marathon.com/3 views2018 race results: http://www.lakebiwa-marathon.com/history_e.cgi?biwako_73rd
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On the May 2 festival eve, the boat is pulled from east to west along 1,200 meters in the center of town without the portable shrine aboard.3 views
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On the May 3 main festival day, the boat is dragged along the same route west to east with the portable shrine and shrine priests aboard.3 viewsThis boat is here at the start point on May 3, 2019.
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This festival was originally a portable shrine procession on the sea via boat going around the bay. But the boat's start point was filled in, so the boat procession was then held on land instead since 200 years ago.3 views
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They drag the boat 20 meters at a time. After each drag, they have to move and place the pallets ahead of the boat. The route is 1,200 meters long, and it takes 5 hours to reach the end.3 views
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Ofune being dragged over wooden pallets.3 views
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Narrow streets make it crowded.3 views
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The friction between the boat hull and pallets makes it smoke each time the boat is dragged. The pallets are scorched.3 views
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JR Otsuko Station platform.3 views
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Dai-niku float 第二区2 views
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The Biwako Marathon or Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon is held annually in March in Otsu. It starts (at 12:30 pm) and finishes at Ojiyama Stadium in central Otsu, near Otsu Shiyakusho-mae Station on the Keihan Ishiyama-Sakamoto Line. 2 viewsKnown as one of Japan'a major marathons for top male runners, the Lake Biwa Marathin's 42.195 km course goes along the lake shore and Seta River. The terrain is mostly flat. Before the start of the marathon, there are PR booths near the stadium entrance.
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Another mascot.2 views
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PR for National Sports Festival of Japan to be held in Shiga in 2024.2 views
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PR for Expo 2025 in candidate city Osaka. (Osaka won the bid to host Expo 2025.)2 views
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Stats for the top runners in the 73rd Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon in 2018.2 views
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Police motorcycles for the marathon.2 views
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Trucks for marathon staff and logistics.2 views
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Ojiyama Stadium's exit and entry gate for the runners.2 views
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Ojiyama Stadium has served as the start and finish line for the Biwako Mainichi Marathon since 1965.2 views
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Abebe Bikila, the legendary marathon gold medalist of the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games, ran and won the marathon in Shiga in 1965.2 views
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The runners start walking to the start line.2 views
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They paused here first.2 views
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Biwako Mainichi Marathon runners at the start line in Ojiyama Stadium in Otsu, Shiga.2 views
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Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon runners start running after Otsu Mayor Naomi Koshi (in red on the far right) fires the starting pistol at 12:30 pm.2 views
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And they are off!! Good luck to them all!!2 views
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Runners pass by Otsu Mayor Naomi Koshi (standing in red) after she fired the starting gun at the 73rd Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon on March 4, 2018.2 views
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They first ran a lap around the stadium track.2 views
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Runners at the 2018 Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon.2 views
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About 90 min. later, I went to the Lake Biwa Canal here to watch the runners again. This is a few km before the finish.2 views
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Bus to pick up runners.2 views
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Police cars.2 views
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Lead police car.2 views
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NHK TV broadcasts the marathon live nationwide.2 views
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The leaders were two Kenyans, Macharia NDIRANGU (left) and Albert KORIR at Lake Biwa Canal a few km before the finish.2 viewsNo. 8 Jake Robertson (New Zealand) is close behind.
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Macharia NDIRANGU (left) and Albert KORIR.2 views
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No. 5 Daniele Meucci at Lake Biwa Marathin in 2018.2 views
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NHK TV truck tracking the top Japanese runners.2 views
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TV cameraman on motorcycle covering marathon runners.2 views
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No. 270 NAKAMURA Shogo (中村匠吾) came in 7th at 2:10'51".2 views
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I stayed and watched the remaining runners.2 views
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Not much of a crowd. No cosplayer runners. This is a serious marathon for elite runners.2 views
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Leg cramps perhaps...2 views
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The last marathon runner followed by the tailing police car and staff vehicles. I later watched the marathon on my video recorder.2 views
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Pickup van for runners.2 views
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End police car.2 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 2017.2 views
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White ropes to pull the boat on the road.2 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.2 views
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The ofune wooden fishing boat is painted with local fish.2 views
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My video of Kita-Ibaraki's Ofune Matsuri boat festival.2 views
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Back of ofune boat.2 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.2 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.2 views
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Paitning of a monkfish, a delicacy of Kita-Ibaraki.2 views
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The boat rests on wooden pallets called "soroban." It is dragged on a bed of soroban pallets.2 views
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The festival originally used an actual fishing boat. But now this wooden boat was built especially for the festival.2 views
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Sardines2 views
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On May 3 from morning, they parade the mikoshi portable shrine bearing Sawawachigi Shrine's god for maritime safety.2 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.2 views
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Thank You Club2 views
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This was the first Ofune Matsuri to be held in the new era of Reiwa.2 views
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Group photos in front of the boat.2 views
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Removing in the boat railingsbefore people boarded.2 views
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Most boat musicians are local kids.2 views
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Boat musicians and crew board the boat via ladder.2 views
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Looks like the boat captain.2 views
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Boat crew waiting for the portable shrine to be loaded on the boat, which then becomes a "sacred boat."2 views
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After being paraded around town all morning, the portable shrine arrives near the boat.2 views
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After being paraded around town all morning, the portable shrine arrives near the boat.2 views
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The boat crew welcome the portable shrine before it is loaded aboard.2 views
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The portable shrine is loaded on the boat.2 views
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Ahead of the boat, wooden pallets called "soroban" are laid on the road for the boat to be dragged on.2 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.2 views
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Before dragging the boat, they violently rock the boat side to side.2 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.2 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.2 views
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Dragging the boat over the wooden pallets.2 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.2 views
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Pallets are ready for the next drag.2 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.2 views
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The boat hull has small center ridges that keep it standing upright. It's also designed not to topple over when rocked.2 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.2 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.2 views
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Picking up the pallets.2 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.2 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.2 views
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Turning the boat 90 degrees.2 views
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They turned the boat 90 degrees in one drag.2 views
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Getting ready for the rest of the straight route.2 views
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This corner is the most crowded spot. Many people leave after seeing this corner turn.2 views
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Shuttle bus back to JR Otsuko Station. Shuttle bus stop was near the start point a few hundrd meters from the corner.2 views
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JR Otsuko Station2 views
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JR Otsuko Station has its entrance modeled after the Rokkakudo Pavilion on the Izura Coast.2 views
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JR Otsuko Station platform.2 views
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Song monument for the Misasa Kouta folk song composed by Composed impromptu in 1927 by famous poet and minyo composer Noguchi Ujo (野口雨情) who was visiting the onsen and drinking beer in a ryokan while writing the lyrics. 2 views
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Manhole card for 's manhole.1 views
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Manhole card collecting is becoming popular in Japan. Shiga has 8 different manhole cards. You need to go to each city and know where to get the card. 1 viewshttp://www.gk-p.jp/mhcard/?pref=25#mhcard_result
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Manhole card for Hikone's manhole.1 views
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Manhole card for Hikone's manhole. Shows Hiko-nyan.1 views
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Manhole card for Kusatsu's manhole.1 views
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Manhole card for Kusatsu's manhole.1 views
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