Kakunodate/Tazawako, Akita City, and Matsushima Bay

Okay, so this is part 2 of Jessie and Joaquin's visit. We drove on the ridiculously uncool icy/snowy roads into the mountains to see Kakunodate and its samurai street (which I think I've posted pictures of before...). Before continuing to Lake Tazawa, we stopped to buy some chains for my snow tires, which helped some. Anyway, the lake is in the mountains and was therefore surrounded by TONS of snow (maybe that's relative, but from a Californian perspective anyway). Click here to check out my visit to Kakunodate and Tazawako in September for a comparison.

Let's see, we also stopped by Akita City to check out the "castle ruins" (a re-built guard tower and a gate).

Then we headed over the mountains to the Pacific coast to Sendai and Matsushima Bay. Matsushima is known as one of Japan's three most beautiful sites, and I can see why. There are over 250 islands/islets in this bay, and many contain Buddhist and/or Shinto shrines, sculptures carved into the island rocks, caves, and other markings from the centuries of monks and pilgrims going there to pray. It was pretty amazing. There's also what's considered the "best" temple in northern Japan - one which was built in 830 (the buildings standing now were rebuilt in the 1600s). It makes you marvel at human ingenuity.

Anyway, after some all-you-can-eat Thai food and crashing at my friend's place in Sendai, I sent Jessie and Quin off to Tokyo to catch their flight home, and I headed back to Akita. It was a really good visit. I hope they had as much fun as I did!

Picture time!

Sliding around on the streets of Kakunodate

Living the samurai life.

Lake Tazawa

Okay, let's compare - gate in Januarygate in September!

Lady of the Lake

Akita City Castle Ruins (guard tower)

Akita City from the castle grounds

View of the Japanese Alps from the bullet train to Sendai.Caves in Matsushima

I was there!

Carved tablets in a cave... I don't know what they said, but I'm sure it was cool stuff.

That's Basho! He's one of the most famous Japanese poets of all time and he spent some time in Matsushima writing about its beauty. He liked it so much, he's still chilling here, apparently.

Caves! They were so cool they looked fake.

Right out of Indiana Jones or something.

Tomb Raider, anyone?

17th century Japanese architecture is neat.

The sun sets on Matsushima Bay

...and we go out for Thai in Sendai! This is Joaquin's third plate!

THE END!!