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From Fukushima to the World: Symphony of Peace Interwoven with Fireworks
On Saturday, September 28, the Fukushima Pyrotechnics Association will host the Japan Tourism Agency's subsidized project “From Fukushima to the World: Symphony of Peace Interwoven with Fireworks” at the Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum and the Futaba Business Incubation and Community Center. The goal is to invite domestic and international tourists alike to Futaba to experience Fukushima's artistic fireworks, as well as to dispel any misinformation concerning the earthquake disaster and create new tourism material for the town of Futaba.
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SAMURAI Drive - A Journey Tracing the Beauty and Honor of the Famous Warring States Families: Uesugi and Date
This tour takes participants back to (1) the world as seen by the warlords of the Uesugi and Date families, who ruled Yonezawa during the Warring States period, and (2) the world as seen by Uesugi Yozan, the lord of the Yonezawa domain (whom US President J.F. Kennedy called "the most respected politician in Japan during the Edo Period").
(1) See the Important Cultural Properties and National Treasures of the Uesugi family, then travel back in time to the Warring States Period with a fireworks display unlike anything you've ever seen in Japan.
(2) Go on a backyard tour of the traditional food and textile cultures that flourished in the Edo Period by visiting Toko, a sake brewery that has been in business for the past 426 years, and Nitta, a Yonezawa textile company established 150 years ago.
(3) Experience cuisine and hot springs in a way that fuses Japanese traditions with global values. -
Mind-boggling paper statues dazzle at the Aomori Nebuta Festival (August 2–7)
The Aomori Nebuta Festival is one of the most popular in Japan. Every year, nearly 2.5 million people descend on Aomori City in Japan's northeastern Tohoku region to experience a spectacle found nowhere else.
The biggest draw and the festival's namesake are the Nebuta. These vast floats are adorned with paper mâché characters from myth and legend: colorful, snarling warriors, bizarre monsters and lifelike animals. Alongside the floats, traditional Haneto dancers whip up a frenzy driven by the music of Nebuta bayashi bands. Visitors can even join in the dancing provided they wear the traditional Haneto costume, which is available for rent.
The intricate floats that take over the streets of Aomori City are a work of exquisite craftsmanship. Each Nebuta takes a full year to construct, all in aid of this unique six-day event. At the end of the festival, visitors are awarded a two-hour firework display, illuminating the city's skies and providing a fitting climax to this special event. Away from the main festival, visitors can learn more about the historical roots of Aomori Nebuta at the Nebuta Museum WA-RASSE.