Aomori III

The morning started off with another visit to the kombini, this time around I got to take a photo of Yuno Island with its torii gate upfront.

We were going westward today, and our first stop was Inakadate and its famed rice paddy art. This year's works were quite interesting although it was a bit difficult to relate to them, the anime one was cool though.

We also visited the Tsugaru-han Neputa-mura Village, where we got to try some drums and witness a Tsugaru Shaminsen performance along with getting to see some of the famous parade floats up close. We also visited Hiroki Castle nearby though the summer heat was definitely cooking us by then.

On the way to the day's final highlight, we stopped by the Tsuru no Maihashi Bridge. Apparently the longest wooden bridge in Japan, but also very aesthetic and beautiful. The waters and surrounding mountains provided a calming backdrop.

The final spot was Takayama Inari Shrine. Another otherwordly Inari Shrine, akin to the likes we've seen in Yamaguchi and Saga. Hundreds of torii gates meander from the main shrine perched at the top. It was surrounded by a manicured Japanese garden which doesn't take away much from it even though I prefer Saga's Yutoku Inari Shrine's more rugged and forested vibes.Read more