Tsugaru Kokeshi Museum

 

     If you’ve been in Japan for any amount of time, you have probably noticed a popular souvenir called the Kokeshi doll. For doll collectors and fans of Japanese tradition, the Kokeshi Doll Museum in Kuroishi is an interesting and fun venue.

     The museum was the first stop on a recent ITT trip. The path leading up to the museum is aligned on either side with shops selling local crafts, restaurants, and artisan workshops.

     At the very head of the path is a foot onsen. Great for relaxing tired feet and a good start for those of you who are too shy to go to a full onsen! The water here is VERY hot so, be warned!

 

     At the end of the path and around the corner is the actual doll museum. Visitors can see an exhibition of 11 types of traditional kokeshi dolls found nationwide, as well as watch craftsmen create Kokeshi dolls. I believe the actual museum costs ¥300. We didn’t go to the actual museum because…..

 

we were too busy painting our own Kokeshi dolls! That’s right, at the museum  you can sign up to paint your own Kokeshi doll however you like. The teacher will give you some guidelines to follow if you want to go the traditional route but you can be as creative as you want! Check out our designs below!

Tsugaru Kokeshi Museum

TEL: 0172-54-8181

ADDRESS: 72-1 Tomiyama, Fukuro-aza, Kuroishi City

ACCESS: Car: approximately 10 minutes from Kuroishi IC

         Train: approximately 10 minutes from Kuroishi Station on foot

         Hours: 800-1800 ( in winter)open from 0900-1700

         Closed: January 1

Wa Reese Nebuta

 

Nebuta Warasse is a museum which hosts the 5  “retired” Nebuta Festival floats that paraded the year before. (they are changed every year). This famous festival in Aomori is unique because it is not linked to any specific temple or shrine. Though there are many legends as to why,  origin is still a mystery today.  If you have never been to Nebuta Festival or missed it, you can not only view the floats here but also touch the ones in the touch Nebuta exhibit and experience a performance of Haneto dancing with live musical accompaniment. (three times a day on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays). 

While we were there, we were also encouraged to learn the Haneto dance, and play the drums or cymbals!

In the museum section they also have a simulator where you can create your own Nebuta face. (It’s the blue thing in the back, it changes colors depending on what you pick on the screen) .

 

The museum also hosts a café, restaurant and gift shop.

Admission is found on the second floor and the prices for admission are as follows :

Adult:  ¥600

High School Student: ¥450

elementary/jr.high student: ¥250

If you decide to drive, there is a fee for parking (¥210 for a standard car for the first hour and an additional ¥100 every half hour). If you pay to enter the museum you are not charged for your first hour in the parking lot.

 

Nebuta Warasse

1-1-1 Yasukata, Aomori-shi

phone: 017-752-1311

http://www.nebuta.jp/warasse/

Shotokukan and Komakko Land

 

When it rains it pours in Misawa, so having options for indoor excursions such as museums keeps boredom at bay.

Shotokukan is located on the grounds of Komakko Land in Towada. It opened in June 2000 and contains almost 5,000 items and artwork relating to horses and their historic and cultural significance in Japan.

The museum consists of 8 sections or “houses” within the building.  The first house is the Kihoku house which contains colored woodblock prints, a Nebuta Festival Float, sacred horses, historical records from the Michinoku region and other relics.

The Harness House displays a Muromachi Era saddle, Momoyama Era horse masks, bits, horse shoes and saddles.

 

The toy house has horse toys and stamps from Japan and other places worldwide. This was one of my favorite displays!

The Ex-Vote gallery displays votive tablets (the wooden ones found at Shinto Shrines) withhorses. There is a vending machine here which you can purchase souvenir tablets but it was empty when we went.

The Horse-Religion House displays horse deities, straw horses, stable monkeys, and paper offerings.

Special Exhibit house (1F) displays local historical materials, a horse riding and other simulators.

 

The museum also has a historical records house, another special exhibit house on the second floor and a folk-story house which boasts 3-D movies and storytelling in a farm house setting. It also has tea rooms and resting areas on the first and second floor. The one on the second floor has a fireplace and gives a great view of Komakko Land.

 

When you get to the parking lot at Komakko Land you will notice an outdoor amphitheater with a stage in the middle. I don’t know what kind of events are held here or when they are but it looks like it would be really nice. There is also another building (pictured) which has a ramen shop inside. On the opposite end of the amphitheater are these steps, you need to go up them to get to the museum. It’s also handicap accessible. Once inside the museum, there is a machine on your right where you can purchase tickets. 

Further on the grounds is a big playground featuring a slide in the shape of a horse. These are just a few pictures of the park area. Use of this area is free to the public.

They also have horse rides for children here as well.

Directions to Komakko Land/ Shotokukan museum:

• Go out the POL gate
• stay on this road (straight) it is route 10 to Towada City
• This parallels the railroad tracks, turn right at the Y
• Go through 4 lights (this takes a while)
• Turn right at the first street after the 4th light.
• Go 1.4 km (7 streets) and turn left (you’ll see a brown sign with a golden horseshoe above white kanji.
• Go past a house with lots of apple trees at a strange intersection.
• Continue straight up the hill until you see the sign for the Towada Horse Museum on your left.

Shotokukan Hours:

9:00am to 4:30pm. Museum guests are asked to enter the museum before 4pm. Closed on Mondays. If Monday is a national holiday, the museum will be open on that Monday and closed Tuesday.

Show Times of 3-D Hi-Definition Movie and Storytelling:

3D-movies are shown on weekdays, Sundays and holidays 10-1015,11-1115,12-1215,1330-1345,1430-1445 and 1530-1545.

Story telling (15 minutes)is available only on Sundays and holidays at 1115 and 1345. Storytelling on weekdays (groups only) can be made by appointment.

Admission Fees:

Adults ¥300

High School and University students ¥100

Elementary  and Middle School students as well as children under 6 are free.

Group rates (20+ people): please buy your tickets at the ticket counter. Adults are ¥240 and University/High School students are ¥80.

telephone:

0176-26-2100(Shotokukan)
0176-20-6022(Komakko Land)

website: http://www.towada.or.jp/kankou/en/sightseeing/koma.htm

Korekawa Archaeological Museum

Hachinohe is known for the abundance of relics from the Jōmon period (circa 10,000 B.C. - circa 300 B.C.), and among the findings are the well-known ruins of Korekawa from the late Jōmon period. This museum introduces life from the Jōmon period using models and videos. In the information center are computer terminals to help obtain more detailed references of the ruins and findings. The adjacent Korekawa Archaeological Museum and Hachinohe History and Folk Museum display findings as well.

We were pretty confused when we got here because we entered the adjacent building first and were surprised it was free. We were looking for this statue=> which is from the Jōmon period and considered a Japanese national treasure. Instead we found this---> replica. We finally realized the big “bus station” we had been passing was the ACTUAL museum. I couldn’t take a picture of the actual national treasure because it was in a section of the museum where photographs are not allowed. I think it was worth it, the Jōmon pottery is exquisitely lacquered in red and black. It is amazing to see how rich the colors still are from so long ago!

Inside the museum the railings of the stairway are made of red nylon rope. The term jōmon means "cord-patterned" in Japanese. This refers to the pottery style characteristic of the Jōmon culture, and which has markings made using sticks with cords wrapped around them.

 

I felt the best part of the museum was the section that you had to pay to see and couldn’t take photographs. Not only is the national treasure there, but a hologram show which depicts life of the Jōmon people, red and black laquered pottery and jewelry and many Jōmon dolls. After seeing the national treasure, you can go to the “library” where there are many books about this era

Adults ¥250, senior high and university students ¥150, elementary and junior high students ¥50 / Open 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. / Closed Mondays (closed Tuesday if Monday falls on a holiday), closed last day of every month / 0178-38-9511

http://www.korekawa-jomon.jp 

By Car
- Head towards Hachinohe. (Rt. 45)
- Take a right at the "Sega World" intersection. (Rt. 45)
- Take a right at the second traffic light, this is an one-way street.
- Take a left at the fourth traffic light, this is an one-way street. (Rt. 251)
- Take a left at the second traffic light, this is a T-intersection. (Rt. 11)
- Take a right at the first traffic light. (Rt. 11)
- Take a right at the second traffic light. (Rt. 138)
- Take a right at the second traffic light.
- The annex hall is the first large building on the left.
- The main hall is the second large building on the left. (Park here!)

By Bus
From Hachinohe station take the Hachinohe Shiei Bus for Mikka-machi. Get off at terminus (20 min. ride) and transfer to Nanbu Bus for Hachinohe Eigyo-sho via Nakaibayashi. Get off at Jomon Gakushu-kan (10 min. ride).

Hachinohe City Museum

Hachinohe City Museum is a great place to go especially on a rainy weekday. When we went we had the entire museum to ourselves! This museum is divided into four zones. The Archaeological Exhibit Room has displays of utensils used in daily life from the Jomon period (circa 10,000 B.C. - circa 300 B.C.) through the Heian period (794 - 1185). The History Exhibit Room introduces items related to the Nanbu clan found at the Nejo Castle site. The Folk Exhibit Room features references pertaining to the history of Hachinohe's fishing, farming, and business industry as well as traditional art forms of the area. The Intangible Reference Room is where visitors can listen to Hachinohe's folk songs, folk tales, children's songs, and the local dialect.

 

The Hachinohe International Association’s Volunteer Tour Guides are available for free English tours. To reserve guides for your tour, please contact the museum one week in advance.

Hours 9am-5pm (Entry until 4:30pm)

Closed: Mondays (except the 1st Monday of each month and Public Holidays)

The day after Public Holidays (but OPEN if it is Saturday or Sunday)

December 27-January 4

 

Admission:

                  Adults                HS/college                    Elem./jr.high

single:               ¥250                        ¥150                                            ¥50

group *:            ¥130                         ¥80                                             ¥30      

combined **: ¥400                         ¥240                                           ¥80

group comb.: ¥260                         ¥160                                            ¥60

*Group rate is for groups  of 20 or more persons

**Combined ticket covers admission to BOTH the Museum and Nejo Historical Sites.

Transportation:

Take Nanbu Bus from JR Hachinohe Station going via the Shiho Center (Judiciary Center), getting off at the Nejo (Hakubutsukan-mae) bus stop. (15 minute ride). It is 5 minutes by car from the Hachinohe Interchange of the Hachinohe Expressway.

Hachinohe City Museum

35-1 Higashigamae, Nejo, Hachinohe City, Aomori-ken 039-1166

TEL: 0178-44-8111

email: haku@hec.hachinohe.ed.jp

homepage: http://www.hachinohe.ed.jp.haku/haku.html

Aomori Museum of Art: Ghibli Exhibit

I was lucky enough to find out that the Aomori Museum of Art was going to have an exhibit of many sketches by Hayao Miyazaki from Studio Ghibli from the school where I teach English. The secretary from the school gave me two tickets and I couldn’t wait to go. My friend came to visit us and I decided he should come to the exhibit too so I bought him another ticket.
Once we arrived, I found out that my ticket was only for the weekdays and I had come on a Sunday! I had to pay for my ticket after that. :(. One big downside was that we couldn’t take any pictures! I did take a few though, just not of the artwork. We ended up buying an art book at the gift shop which had all of the sketches in there.
I apologize for not having directions. We went there from Seiryu-ji Temple and got lost from directions from a Buddhist monk, who’s English was really good. (Go Figure)
At first I though the exhibit was really small, and not worth the 1100 yen, but then discovered how big it was!  My feet hurt toward the end and it was really crowded! It was the second day of the exhibit and it will end sometime in January. I wanted to visit before it started snowing here!
If you are a fan of Ghibli’s work, I recommend going. And if you have never heard of Ghibli, I suggest checking it out!

Directions:

1. Go forward out the main gate, through the first traffic light.
2. Turn right at the second traffic light to Aomori/Towada.
3. Continue on this street until it becomes a Y-intersection. Turn right.
4. Go forward and cross White Pole Road (one way street going from left to right).
5. Once you pass the traffic light, you are now on Route 8. The blue road sign will read Noheji 33km.
6. Continue forward past Kamikitacho Station
7. Turn left at Highway 394. Circle K will be on your right. The blue road sign will read TOLL ROAD (Mi-chi-no-ku is in Japanese hiragana).
8. You are actually on Highway 173 (I know it’s confusing!). Go over the bridge past Maeda grocery store (red & white swan).
9. Very shortly, look for the blue road sign on your right that reads, Michinoku Toll Road. Turn right.
10. Continue going forward on Michinoku Toll Road, past Circle K and the Route 4 intersection. This is the last convenience store and public bathrooms for another 40km.
11. Continue forward. A blue road sign will note that you are on Highway 242: Aomori 40 km. It may feel longer because of the winding, two-lane road. After three tunnels, there will be a toll gate. Pay ¥830 per car and pass another two tunnels to Aomori City.
12. You are now on Route 123. Do NOT enter Aomori Expressway on your left (unless you are in a hurry to get to the city center faster and want to pay extra yen). Stay on this road until it comes to the Route 44 T-intersection.
13. Detail of sign at traffic light. Aomori City: turn left at the intersection. Asamushi City: turn right at the intersection.
14. Continue on Route 44 until you arrive at the Y-intersection (Shell gas station on the right). Aomori City: turn right on to Route 4. Big Buddha: continue forward on Route 44.
15. There will be another traffic light and Japanese blue road sign. Turn left on Route 4 for Aomori City (turn right for Asamushi City).
16. The road is two lanes and will widen to five lanes. Stay in the center and right lanes for Central Aomori. Get in the left lanes for Route 7 to Aomori Museum of Art, Hirosaki City, and Goshogowara City.