Omagari Festival!

Wow!  Over 15,000 fireworks lit up the night with a competition that lasted nearly 3 hours.  The fireworks were quite spectacular.  Ranging from massive circular patterns, to frogs, cats, and rabbits.  There were thousands of people who attended the festival, some had camping spots along the river as well as near the viewing area.  I went with my roommate Yota and his friend Konachi.  We arrived in the mid-afternoon and found a nice spot in the shade of a bridge, near a group of campers.  On a side note, camping vehicles in Japan are much more space efficient than the ones I have seen in the United States, and would make a great buy!  There were of course numerous food vendors all over with a variety of delectable edibles.  I of course had to try the 牛タン, that is cow tongue.  Delicious!  I also had a special ice cream treat,ババヘラ, pronounced "ba-ba-he-ra".  It has a slightly different texture than other ice creams and is unique to the surrounding area.  After the fireworks finished, we headed back to the train station, which had a line that I could not compare with any others.  That is, it was very long.  So, after waiting for some time we boarded the train and headed back to Wada station.  When we arrived at Wada it was fairly late in the night and the last bus for AIU had already left.  So, when prompted with the question of whether I would like to walk back or take a taxi, I of course decided on the more adventurous option.  No bears were encountered on the return home and we arrived safely after an enjoyable starlit walk.

Omagari Fireworks Festival

Tonight I will attend the Zenkoku Hanabi Kyogi Taikai (National Fireworks Competition) in Omagari.  In an area that usually only accounts for a population of 40,000 people, there will be an audience of nearly 650,000!  It is a very famous attraction in Japan and it happens yearly.  There will be approximately 15,000 fireworks lighting up the sky tonight.  The competition involves craftsmen from around the country who compete in three different categories: hiru-hanabi (day fireworks), 10-go warimono (12 inch shell fireworks), and sozo-hanabi (creative fireworks).  Originally, the main event was focused on the central patterned circular fireworks, not until 1963 did they add the category of sozo-hanabi.  I will post pictures and a description afterward! :)

Arrival

日本に着きました！

I have arrived in Japan!  It has been quite the flight.  After flying to LA, I boarded another airplane that would then take me to Tokyo.  However, after boarding, going through the flight safety procedures, and then moving out onto the runway, it was realized that we would not have a sufficient amount of fuel to make it to Tokyo, and there was an excessive amount of weight in the cargo hold.  So, the plane returned to the terminal in order to get things sorted it out.  After getting things cleared away it was up, up, up, and away.  The flight is approximately 12 hours plus some time on the runway.  Upon arrival in Tokyo I went through customs and found my luggage, but I had missed my connecting flight to Akita due to the delay in LA.  It was no problem though!  I found the Japan Airlines Ticket counter and they were very helpful!  They changed my ticket to the next flight out of Tokyo to Akita and checked my bike free of charge, it was very stress relieving!  I then called the school and notified them that I would be arriving at the Akita Airport later than expected so that they wouldn't have someone there when I had originally said I was arriving.  After waiting for a few hours, I then flew to Akita, it was a beautiful flight here, the surrounding forests are incredibly dense, and in the flatlands I could see the rice fields for which the Akita Prefecture is famous.  The airport in Akita is very small, which made it easy getting my luggage and finding my ride.  Everyone was very impressed with my bike in a box.  It drew a bit of attention, my roommate couldn't believe that I had taken it apart.  I took an Akita International University bus to the school and once there was greeted my many students who helped me get my keys, start the alien registration process, and move my things to my room.  By the time it was 4:00 pm here, I was exhausted.  I began making my bed and in the process fell asleep until 2:00 am.  I woke up in the middle of the night and took a walk around the campus.  It is very beautiful, it is a rural area with many forests, gardens, and rice fields.  The night sounds consist of thousands of insects which make a nice hum.  After walking about for a bit, I headed back to bed and would wake up early the next morning to start the orientation schedule.  There are also bears in the area.  This made me laugh after telling the story of Chandler and my bear encounter in Canada.  My arrival in Japan has been a surreal experience.  I am excited for the upcoming year. :)

終わりました！