TheAkitan
Akitajetquarterly Summerissue08.10.2022
THEAKITAN SUMMER2022 WearealwayslookingfornewcontentandideasforTheAkitan. Don’thesitatetocontactusatakitajoho@gmail.comifyoumightbe interestedinbecomingacontributor! FrontandbackcoverphotosbyBenHartshorn
CONTENTS AWordfromtheEditor....................pg.14 NewFeaturedALTs.......................pg.18 Interview:ReturnofKanto.................pg.24 SixPrefecturesinSixDays.................pg.32 NishimonaiBonOdori.....................pg.52 TheVeryHungryCaterpillars...............pg.60 TheCrow’sCall...........................pg.66 Poetry:AcornsandAkebi...................pg.70 AkitaandYamagatainPictures..............pg.72
4 RiceField,KazunoCity,BrookeDalgleish
THEAKITAN NoshiroTanabata,BrookeDalgleish5
3 NoelGlenn SocialMediaManager Noelhere!Nicetomeetcha!I’mahobbycrafterand writerwholivesinNoshiro.I’mtheonehandlingthe newlesttersoifthere’saneventorfestivalyouwant metoshare,besuretocontactyourPAswiththe details! GreetingsfromthePRC EthanGlennRobinson Editor&CreativeDirectoroftheAkitan I’mEthan,afirst-yearALTinMitane!Iteach juniorhighandelementary.I’mfromColorado andTexasintheUS.Ilovewriting,reading, gamingandmakingmusicinmyshoegaze band.IhopeyouenjoythisissueoftheAkitan! AhugethankstoAiyaPerrine,MichelleSaucedoEspinosa,andJuliaWheelehan fortheirsupportinproofreadingandediting! Didyouknowthat yourpublicrelations committeeconsistsof nolessthanThree glenn’s?
THEAKITAN 4 GlennTimoney SocialMediaManager HiI’mGlenn,anSHSALTinOdateCity.I’m bigintophotographyandreading.I’mnot veryskilledatsocialmediabutI’lltrymy best. AhugethankstoAiyaPerrine,MichelleSaucedoEspinosa,andJuliaWheelehan fortheirsupportinproofreadingandediting! SideofHouse,Yamagata,BenHartshorn
Rice&RockArtin
Inakadate,Aomori
PhotosbyBr�keDalgleish
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SuwaShrineDragonfly,Omagari,BenHartshorn
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THEAKITAN 13 YamaderaMountains,Yamagata,BenHartshorn
Awordfromtheeditor
IarrivedinAkitainNovember2021.Andaftermonthsofunusuallyheavysnow andrecurringcloudyspringdays,summerfeltliketheseasonwhereeverythingburst intolifeandsensation.Thesunlingeredforlongerinthesky,festivalswerefrequent andcrowded,thehumidairwasthickandclungtoyourskinasconstantsweat,andthe semi cicadassangtheirmildbuzzintheall-surroundinggreenwoods.
BeingfromTexasandColorado,I’musedtodryheatanderraticweather— droughts,wildfires,strongwindsandsuddenblizzards.Theseasonsaren’tsomucha markerofnaturalchangeintheWesternUnitedStates,asmuchassomethingtobe toleratedandcontendedwith.Unpredictableshiftsleavelittleroomforseasonal reflection.
Foracountrythatclearlyexperiencesallfourseasons,it’snosurprisethat Japaneseaestheticsareheavilytiedtothem.Youcanseethisexpressedeverywhere–in theseasonalvegetablesandsweets,thevariousceremoniesourschoolsperform,and inthesummer tanabata festivals,heldunderthestarsVegaandAltair,playingoutthe oldlovestoryofOrihimeandHikoboshionabridgeofmagpies,temporarilymeeting acrossthebigcosmicriverthatistheMilkyWay.
Thesefeelingsofchange,transienceandnostalgiaareeverywhereyoulook. There’sareason“TakeMeHome,CountryRoads”isoneofthemostlovedsongsin Japan.
Japaneseliteraturehasatermforthiscalled mononoaware, meaningempathy towardsthingsorawarenessoftheirimpermanence.Thisideagenerallyevokesfeelings ofsadnessatthingspassing,butIdon’tthinkithastobethatway.Ifanythingthese ephemeralmarkersofseasonscanmotivateustolivewithintention,tofullyimmerse ourselvesinallsensationshoweverfleeting,oroppressivelyhumid,theyare.
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THEAKITAN 15 Inmytimeaseditor,IhopethatTheAkitancanbeavaluabletimecapsuleforallof theseseasonsandourexperiencesinJapan.Nomatterwhereyou’refrom,Ihopethat thisAkitansummeryoufoundsomethingtotrulytakeyouhome. EthanRobinson EditorandCreativeDirector DragonflyatSuwaShrine,BenHartshorn
16 Dragonfly,ErikaAndriashek
THEAKITAN SuiShrineTrees,Daisen,BenHartshorn17
18 Meetthenew featuredalts Theresiamcgrath Hello!MynameisTheresia! IamfromatownnearMelbourne, AustraliaandhavebeenplacedinAkita City!Ienjoytravellingandhiking!Ilook forwardtoworkingwithCharityAkitaas wellasmeetingnewfriends!よろしく!
AiyaPerrine
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Hello,everyone!MynameisAiya,andI’m thenewALTatTsurumaiESandMinami HonjoJHS.IamfromHarrisonburg,Virginia intheUSA.IgraduatedinMayof2022from theUniversityofVirginiawithadouble majorinJapaneseLanguageandLiterature andinLinguistics.Inmysparetime,Ilove meetingwithfriends,travelling,studying languages,andcookingnewrecipes.Ialso enjoycreatingart,especiallywithpenand ink.IamveryexcitedtobeinAkitaandto meetallofyou! Hey!Myname'sJuliaandI'mafirstyear ALT.BeforecomingtoKazunoCity,Ilivedin Florida,USA,andafewotherplacesbefore that.Iliketoread,write,andlistentoTaylor Swift.WhenI'mnotstumblingthrough conversationsinJapanese,youcanfindme exploringthebeautifulscenerythatAkita hastooffer. JuliaWheelehan
Tyronstewart
Howzit,everyone.Name’sTyron StewartandI’mbroughttoyou fromthelovelycontinentofAfrica, andspecificallythecountryof SouthAfrica(supercreativename, Iknow)andI’vebeenheresince mid-August.I’manewALTin KitaakitaCity,specificallyinAikawa,workingatAikawaJHSandES,aswellasSeyio Elementary.Ienjoynaturehikes,readingandwritingfictionaboutthingslikemagical realismandmodernfantasy,videogamesandrollingthemsweetdice(notthecool onesthatmakeyoumoneyandgetyouthrownoutofcasinos,butthecoolerones usedforkillingdragonsanddoingsillyvoices).I’vebeenhavingagreattimeinJapan andAkitaandlookingforwardtohavinganevenbetterone.Aswesaybackhome, “Weesgelukengenietdit”.
Gabrieltasma
I'mfromTupelo,MississippiinAmerica.Iam currentlyplacedinKitaakitaofAkita,Japan, andIteachatHokuyōHighschoolaswellas NoshiroHighschool(FutatsuiCampus).My
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hobbiesincludetraveling,readingandwriting fantasybooks,andtryingnewfoods.It'sbeena lifelonggoalofminetoteachwiththeJET programandsofarithasexceededmy expectationsineveryway.TheStudentsand teachersareamazing,thefriendsI'vemadeso fararesomeofthebestI'veeverhad,and everydayisanewadventurethatbringsnew andexcitingchallengesandsurprises
LeatileModie
IamLeatileModiefromGaborone, Botswana.IamplacedatTsuchizaki MinamiESandUshijimiES.Myhobbies areplayingfootball(therealone!), cyclingaswellastraveling.Ienjoyeating Japanesecuisinesuchastempura,sushi andsoba.
Michellesaucedo Espinosa
Hello!MynameisMichelleSaucedo Espinosa.IwasborninMexicoandgrew upinCalifornia,USA.Igraduatedfrom CaliforniaStateUniversity,San Bernardino(CSUSB)withanEnglish degreeandaJapaneseminor.Ilove watchingmovies(especiallyStudio Ghibli)andlisteningtomusic.Ialso enjoyexploringnewplacesaroundme.I amplacedinYurihonjocity!
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MitaneSandcrafton KamayahamaSunset Beach c Y
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THEAKITAN 23 b s MitaneSandcraftandSunsetbyBrookeDalgleish
24 KantoFestivalinAkitacity,BrookeDalgleish
Interview:ReturnofKanto
EthanRobinson
ThispastAugustsawthereturnof Akitaprefecture’sbiggestfestival:the AkitaKantomatsuri!Aformoftanabata summercelebrationwithteamsoftaiko playersandKantoperformers,the festivalfeaturesaround200bamboopole lanternsrangingfromfivetotwelve meterslong,weighinguptofifty kilograms,andbalancedonthepalms, shoulders,orevenforeheadsofthe participants.Thisprecariousbalancing actisshownbynightinAkitacity,where thehundredsoflanternlightsforma spectacularorangethicketabovethe bustlingcrowd.Seeingthepoles occasionallyfallonthecrowdaddstothe “splashzone”excitementoftheevent.
Kantowascanceledforthelasttwo yearsduetothepandemic,and predictably,thishaditseffectsonthe Akitacommunity,whichreliesonthe festivaltokeepbusinessesandculture alive,aswellaspassingonthetraditionto theyoungergeneration.IsawtheAkita Universityteamperform,wheremy
friendBenGrafstromplayedthetaiko drum.IknewBenfromamutualfriend duringmychildhoodinHokkaido,and hewasverykindtoanswermyquestions abouttheKantomatsurianditsvarious tiestolocalpeople:
Q:Pleaseintroduceyourself!
MynameisBenGrafstrom.I'ma lecturer/assistantprofessoratAkita University.Alongwiththeprerequisite Englishlanguageclasses,Iteachsome writing,Japaneseculture,andliterature classes.I'mfromPhiladelphia(USA)and havebeenlivinginJapanfor13years.I haveaMaster'sdegreeinPremodern JapaneseLiteratureandCulturefromthe UniversityofColorado,Boulder.Ifirst cametoJapanasaJETProgrammeALT (Rausu,Hokkaido),whereIlivedfor3 yearsbeforecomingtoAkita.Iamnow workingonaPhDinCultural Anthropology—thefocusofmyresearch isAkita'sfolkreligiousfestivals.
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Q:Howdidyougetinvolvedwith Kanto?
I'vebeenamemberofAkita University'sKantoTeamfor8years. WhenIfirstcametoAkita,Ireallyhad noideaaboutwhatkindofplacethis was—Ireallydidn'tknowitshistory,its traditions,oranything.Iheard"Kanto festival"andthought"Kantoregion"—I wasreallybewilderedaboutwhatthe connectionmightbe!
OnedayIwasinmyofficeandallof asuddenIheardthesethunderous soundscomingfromoutsidethewindow. IlookedandsawthatitwastheAkita UniversityKantoTeampracticingwith theirtaiko(drums)andflutes.ThenIsaw thememberspracticinghowtobalance thetallbamboopolesandlanterns.I'm adrummer,soIwasimmediatelydrawn tothetaiko.My"officeneighbor," Hosokawa-sensei,wasataikoplayer,soI askedhimaboutthefestivalandplaying taiko.Thefollowingyear,he rememberedmyinterestandinvitedme topracticewiththem.Asadrummer,I thoughtitwouldbeeasytoplaytaiko,but itwasactuallykindofdifficult.Getting downthetechniqueandtimingwas reallyachallenge.
Q:Whatwasthepreparationlike?
Kantopreparationisreallytimeconsuming.Somefestivalsdon'trequire toomuchpreparation,butforKantowe beginpracticing2monthsinadvance! Practicesareabout2hourslong.InJune wepracticetwiceaweekandinJulywe practice5timesaweek,alongwithsome specialperformancesatneighborhood parties,schools,andhospitals.
Q:WhyisKantoimportanttolocal peopleandbusinesses?
Thisisadifficultquestiontoanswer briefly,buthistoricallyKantoisan agriculturalfestival,soitisinherently tiedtothelocalpeople(ricefarmers)and businesses(ricemerchants,sakebrewers, etc.).Itisalsoafolkfestival,soit's connectiontotheland(andthepeople onit)isreallyimportanttoacknowledge. Thefestivalwastraditionallyheldright afterriceplantingwasdone,whilethe farmerswaitedforthecroptogrow.It wasawaytocelebratetheworktheydid aswellasprovidesomeentertainment duringthehotsummermonthswhen peopletendtobelethargic.
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Inmoderntimes,thefolkfestivalhasbecomecommodifiedandisamajorsource ofincomeforthelocaleconomy,drawinglargenumbersoftouristsfrom(quite literally)alloverJapan(estimatesputthenumberoftouristsatoveramillioneach year!).Everyonefromflutesellers,paperlanternmakers,hoteliers,bentoshopowners, Kanto-uniformsalesmen,andmore,alldependagreatdealfromthefestivalfortheir livelihoods,sothe3yearsitwascanceledthesepeoplereallytookalargehit, financially.
Q:WerepeoplerelievedafterthepastCovidhiatus?Howwasthisyeardifferent?
Anothertoughquestion!Wepracticedfor2monthsbeforethefestival,sowhen practicewascanceledIwasabletospendmytimedoingsomanyotherthings,like goingtothebeachafterwork,camping,hiking—Ithought,"Wow,thisisgreat!"I almostfeelguiltyadmittingthat.Ontheotherhand,Kantoteammembersareoften goodfriends(andaremarriedorotherwiserelated)sodoingKantotogetherisreallya funtimeforthem,soyes,theywerereallyhappytore-startKanto.
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PhotocourtesyofBenGrafstrom
Onewayitwasdifferentthisyearisthis:folkfestivalssurvivebycontinuously passingontheknowledgeofthefestivaltotheyoungergeneration.Let'sjustsay (asanexample)thatchildrenstartparticipatingin their1stgradeofelementaryschool.Thefestivalwas canceledfor3years,whichmeansthatthisyearwas thefirstyearforall1stthrough3rdgradersto participate.
AnotherimportantthingI'dliketoshareisthat AkitaUniversity'sSpecialEducationSchoolhasa Kantoteam.Mostofthestudentswhoparticipate haveseverementalanddevelopmentalissuesthat precludethemfromparticipating100%intheir communities,soparticipatingintheKantofestival eachyearisaCRUCIALwayforthemtobevisiblein thecommunityandforthemtomakepositive,happy memoriesthatwillstickwiththemfortherestoftheir lives.Sadly,theCOVIDhiatustookthisexperience awayfrommanyoftheschool'sgraduates.
Q:HowhasbeinginvolvedinKantohelpedyou feelclosertothecommunity?
Yeah,thishasbeenamajorimpactonme.I've takenalotoftimetolearnaboutAkita'sfolkculture, specificallytheKantofestival'shistory.SometimesI havethefeelingthatpeopleseemeasjusta"guest"at thefestival,butwhenItellthemaboutthefestivals' nuancesorwhentheyseemeactuallyplaytaiko,I thinktheyseemeasalegitimatememberofthe community.
Also,Ihavebecomefriends/acquaintanceswith membersofotherteamsandwithsomeofthelocalmerchantswhosellKantogear.
Kantofestival,BrookeDalgleish
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WhenIseethemthroughouttheyear,theystopandsayhelloandchatwithme.
CountlesstimesI'vebeeninsituationswherelocalsdidn'tseemtooeagertomeetme, butwhenthetopicofKantocomesupandtheylearn Idoit,IdefinitelysensethatIambuildingrespectand rapportwiththem.
Q:AkitacitywasthemostcrowdedI'veever seenit!Areyouhopefulforeventsandlocalculture tostayactiveinthefuture?
ThistouchesonthetopicofmyPhDresearch. Commodifyinglocalculturecertainlybringsalotof benefits(economic,social,etc.),butthereisalsothe riskthatthetruepurposeofthefestivalislost.
Let'snotforgetthatthesefestivals(inlcuding Kanto)havereligioustiesanddespitebeing"festive" stilldeservesomereverence.
SinceKantoissuchamajorfestival,Idon'tthink thereisanyworryofitgoing-awayinthefuture. Thereare,however,dozensoflocalfestivalsallover AkitathatIamNOThopefulwillsurvive.Evenwithin thenext10yearsIsuspectmanyofAkita'sruralfolk festivalswillgoextinct.Thereneedstobea fundamentalshiftinhowcompanies,local governments,andschoolsinAkitaandtherestofthe countrymanagetheirhumanresources,soastonot draintheruralregionsofvaluableresidents,whoare neededtokeeptheseimportanttraditionsrobust.
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30 TowadaLakeShrine,BrookeDalgleish
THEAKITAN AncientCedar,SadoIsland,ErikaAndriashek31
SixPrefecturesinSixDays
SixPrefecturesinSixDays
ByJuneKim
Over1,500km(about920miles)in6days,almostallwhilelivingoutofmycar. WhatonEarthmademewanttodothis? DuringmytimeinJapan,Ihaveheard aboutpeopleroad-trippingaroundJapanandratherthanstayingatahotel,they sleptovernightintheircars.WithCOVIDstillflyingaround,Idecidednowwasabettertime thananytotryitmyself.
ImadeitagoaltovisiteveryprefectureinTohoku,soIwentfromAkitatoIwate,downto Miyagi,overtoFukushima,stoppedinatNiigata(despitenotbeinginTohoku,butitwasonthe way),thenuptoYamagata,backthroughAkitaandmadeashortstopintoAomoritocomplete thecircuit.MappingmycourseusingRoadsideStationsasreststops/sleepingareashelpeda ton,asIcouldrestfromlongdrivingstretchesandalsobeabletosoakinthesceneryaswellas shopforlocalspecialties.
AfterbeinginAkitaforfourfullyears,itwasarefreshingpeekintootherprefecturesin Tohoku.PlusthesceneryandtheoverallvibeofeachplaceIvisitedrangedfromalittle differentfromtheplacesI'vebeentoinAkita,tobeingastarkcontrasttowhatIwasusedto.
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36 Day 1
HigashinaruseandintoIwate.Ididn'tspendtoomuchtimehereasI'vebeeninMorioka beforeandIhadoptedtogostraighttothecoast.Alongtheway,IstoppedthroughOshu, whichisthebirthplaceoffamedLAAngelsplayerOhtaniShohei.Thepridewasvery obvious.Iwasabletocheckoutafountain(thatwasinactiveatthetime)whichhasavery nicerestingareaatTokusuienParkaswell,andIendedtheeveningattheMatsubara RoadsideStationinRikuzentakataCity.Ithasaveryniceandnewlybuilt2011Tohoku EarthquakeandTsunamimemorialthereaswell.
THEAKITAN 37 DrivingfromthenorthofAkita,throughAkitaCitydownthroughYokoteand
Istartedthemorningdrivingalongthecoastandtakingthelongwaytogetto Sendai.IsnappedacoupleofshotsontheIwateborderofRikuzentakata,thinking abouthowduringthetsunami,theareawascompletelyunderwater.Idrove throughIshinomakiandstoppedoveratMatsushima,thoughIoptedtofindthe areasthatwerelesscrowded,asmanyfamiliesandstudentsweremillingaboutin thetouristareas.Iwasabletofindanarrowlandbridgethatpeoplecanwalkonto andenjoythescenery.ThenextstopwasSendai.Ofcourse,Ihadtodosome shoppingatSnoopyTownintheS-PALmall,connectedtoSendaiStation,aswell ascheckouttheIkeathere.SendaiwasamuchbiggerandbusiercitythanIgave itcreditfor–itreallyfeltlikeapropermetropolitancity.OfcourseIhadtohave someofthefamousSendaibeeftongue.Afterthat,Imademywaytowards Fukushima.IintendedtosleepattheSomaroadsidestation(whichhadsome interestingrelicsfromthe2011Tohokudisaster),butduetoanunsavorylingering toiletsmell,Idrovetothenextroadsidestation,Minamisoma.Itwasmaller,butI feltmuchmorecomfortable.
Day 2
Day3
FukushimaprovedtobemoreinterestingthanIthought.IstoppedbytheNamieroadsidestationanddiscoveredsomeveryinterestingandcutefeatures,includingaChanseyPark. TurnsoutFukushimaprefecturehasapartnershipwithThePokemonCompany,withChanseyastheirmascot(as"Fukushima"means"luckyisland",and"Chansey"inJapaneseis named"Lucky").Sothere'sacouple"LuckyPark"areas,acouplelocatedattheroadsidestationsincludingNamieandAizuYanaizu.IvisitedanotherparkinKoriyamaCitywitha"Lucky Park"within.OtherwiseFukushimawasaverygreenprefecture,andthisiscomingfromsomeonethatlivesinruralAkita.Isawseveralsignsdenotingareasthatwereaffectedbythe 2011TohokuTsunami.
AnotherplaceIfoundwasaroadsidestationdedicatedtoNoguchiHideyo,thescientistthatappearsonthe1000yenbill.There'salsoalotofakabekogoods(thoughfindingan actualakabekoforsalewasabitofachallenge),abridgethat,whiledrivingoverit,yourtireswillcreateroadnoisetothetuneofJohnDenver's"CountryRoad,TakeMeHome."Ifinished thedaybycheckingoutabeachinShidahama,withsomefamousrameninKitakata.
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FukushimaprovedtobemoreinterestingthanIthought.IstoppedbytheNamieroadsidestationanddiscoveredsomeveryinterestingandcutefeatures,includingaChanseyPark. TurnsoutFukushimaprefecturehasapartnershipwithThePokemonCompany,withChanseyastheirmascot(as"Fukushima"means"luckyisland",and"Chansey"inJapaneseis named"Lucky").Sothere'sacouple"LuckyPark"areas,acouplelocatedattheroadsidestationsincludingNamieandAizuYanaizu.IvisitedanotherparkinKoriyamaCitywitha"Lucky Park"within.OtherwiseFukushimawasaverygreenprefecture,andthisiscomingfromsomeonethatlivesinruralAkita.Isawseveralsignsdenotingareasthatwereaffectedbythe AnotherplaceIfoundwasaroadsidestationdedicatedtoNoguchiHideyo,thescientistthatappearsonthe1000yenbill.There'salsoalotofakabekogoods(thoughfindingan actualakabekoforsalewasabitofachallenge),abridgethat,whiledrivingoverit,yourtireswillcreateroadnoisetothetuneofJohnDenver's"CountryRoad,TakeMeHome."Ifinished
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Day4
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ThoughI'vebeenfindingcreativewaystostaycleanandnot smelly,IfeltlikeIneededaproperbathinNiigata.Alongtheway, Inoticedtheroadsidestationsweredifferentfromtheonesin Tohoku,somewereabsolutelyfantastic,liketheFurusato roadsidestationinNiigataCity(whichhadalargeshoppingarea), toonesthatweresimplymarketplacesforfarmersandevensmall onesthatonlyhadpamphletsandatoilet.BeingthatNiigatais famousforitsKoshihikaririce,Idefinitelynoticedthemany
shorelineisfantasticallyscenicforacruise.Drivingclosertowards theYamagataborder,thereareseveralbeachesandareastostop andadmiretherockformations.Oneofwhichwas"dinosaur rock,"inwhich,fromadistance,resemblesarestingdinosaur.
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sprawlingfieldsofrice.DrivingthroughNiigataCity,overthe BandaiBridge,Imadeitstraighttotheshoreanddrovenorth.The
Day5
Ispentmostofthedayenjoyingthe drivethroughYamagata,stoppingbya coupleplacestoshopforYamagata cherriesandpears(whichwere unfortunatelynotinseasonyet).Imadea finalstoprightbeforetheAkitaborderto admiretheshorelineonemoretime beforehittingtheNikahoAkitaborder.
Day6
Thiswasacompletelyunplanned trip,butIdecidedtomaketheTohoku tourcompleteandmadeastopinAomori prefectureattheIkaragasekiroadside station.
Thiscompletedmy6-dayallnorthernJapan/Tohokuroadtriptour.It wasdauntingatfirst,thinkingabout drivingandsleepinginmycarallby myself.However,notonlydidIavoid fallingasleepwhiledrivingbymaking frequentstopsatRoadsideStations,but thegaswasn'tnearlyasexpensiveasI hadoriginallythought!Plus,therewere manyotherssleepingattheRoadside StationssoIdidn'tfeellikeIwasthe onlyonedoingit(Istillrecommend
usingwindowcoversthough).Itwas relaxingandamazingseeingallthe differentsightsandallthebreathtaking scenery.Evendrivingthroughthe differentricefieldsandforests,Istillfelt itwasdifferentsomehow.
Irecommenddoingasimilartypeof driveifyouhavethechance.Takeyourtime todrivethroughanotherprefectureandtake inyoursurroundingsandthepeoplelivingin it.It'salsoagreatwaytoseeotherplaces outsideofAkita,andthere'splentyofwaysto staysafe,especiallyifCOVIDisofconcernto you.
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AllphotoscourtesyofJuneKim
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THEAKITAN 47 RoadbacktoAkita,JuneKim
48 HirosakiNebutaFestival,BrookeDalgleish
THEAKITAN 49 KazunoCityBlossoms,BrookeDalgleish
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THEAKITAN 51 AomoriNebuta,BrookeDalgleish
DavidReady
NishimonaiBonOdori
Helloeveryone!Youmayknowmealready,butmynameisDavidReady. IwasplacedinAkitaPrefecture,likemostofyouwhoarereadingthis.More specifically,IwasgiventheopportunitytobeanALTinUgoTown. Overthepastyear,I’vebeengettingtoknowthelocals,participatingin differentspecialevents,andhavebeenthoroughlyenjoyinglifeinJapan. I’veclimbedmountains,visitedhotsprings,andeatentraditionalfoods, butnothingcomparedtodancingintheNishimonaiBonOdori.
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TheNishimonaiBonOdorihappens
onceeveryyearinUgoTownonthe16th, 17th,and18thofAugustduringObon. Thedancehasbeenperformedforover sevenhundredyears.It’sadancethat signifiesthereturnofancestralspiritsto theworldbeyond.Thedanceis accompaniedbymusicalarrangements andsinging,whichheightensthe experienceforallwhodanceorgatherto watch.Litbonfiresglowastwilightsets in,dancersmovelikephantomsand musicreverberatesthroughtheairofthe night.
Forthepastthreeyears,UgoTown hasbeenfacingsevererestrictionsdueto COVID-19.Thisyear,however,localsand visitorswerewelcometojoininonthe festivitiesoncemore.Thatincluded myself!
Toprepare,IpracticedatUgoJunior HighSchoolwiththestudentsintheBon OdoriClub.Wepracticedforabouta month.Itwasawonderfulopportunityto begivenachancetolearnsucha traditionalandspecialdance.The teachersofthedancetookeverything step-by-step,andevenaklutzlikemyself wasabletolearn.
MyJapanesemom,Ritsuko-san,let meborrowayukataforthedance.She evengiftedmewiththetraditionalhead garbcalled“HikosaZukin.”Itisablack hoodwornoverthefacethatrepresents thespiritsoflovedones.Withmyuncle passingawayonlyaweekpriortothe dance,wearingthehoodconjured melancholicfeelingsforme.YetIwas comfortedbysharingthesesomber feelingswitheveryonedancing,andthe dancebecamemywayofsayinggoodbye too.
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AllphotoscourtesyofDavidReady
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THEAKITAN 57 Hanawabayashifestival,Kazuno,BrookeDalgleish
FerryatTowadaLakeLanternFestival,BrookeDalgleish
THEAKITAN 59 Topleft:LakeTowadaSwanBoats,ErikaAndriashek.TopRight:Yurihonjo,Michelle SaucedoEspinosa.Bottom:KazunoRiceField,BrookeDalgleish
TheVeryHungryCaterpillars
ByAshleyNaokoFagan
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Summertomemeanshotweather,watermelon,andthebirth ofnewlife!Mychionarctianiveamothrecentlygiftedmewith over300eggs!Atfirst,theeggswereabeautifulpalegreen. Thenafteraboutaweek,theyturnedtransparentandyou couldseethedarkcaterpillarsinside.Laterthatday,they hatchedandimmediatelystartedtosnackondandelionleaves. Theywereonlyaboutone-fourthofacentimeterinsize,soI couldbarelyseethem.Ihadtouseamacrolenstocapture thesephotos.Ikepttenofthecaterpillarsandreleasedthe restintothewild. ElephantSugi,ErikaAndriashek
TheVeryHungryCaterpillars
ByAshleyNaokoFagan
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Summertomemeanshotweather,watermelon,andthebirth ofnewlife!Mychionarctianiveamothrecentlygiftedmewith over300eggs!Atfirst,theeggswereabeautifulpalegreen. Thenafteraboutaweek,theyturnedtransparentandyou couldseethedarkcaterpillarsinside.Laterthatday,they hatchedandimmediatelystartedtosnackondandelionleaves. Theywereonlyaboutone-fourthofacentimeterinsize,soI couldbarelyseethem.Ihadtouseamacrolenstocapture thesephotos.Ikepttenofthecaterpillarsandreleasedthe restintothewild. Sincehatching,theyhave moltedthreetimes!Nowthey areoveracentimeterinlength, havemorehairs,andhavea distinctstripedowntheirback. Eachtimeacaterpillarmolts,it discardsitspreviousskinand emergesasabiggercaterpillar. Manytimesaftermolting,the caterpillaradornsnewcolors andphysicalfeatures.
Thechionarctianiveacaterpillar speciesisrelatedtoAmerica's"wooly bear"IsabellaTigerMothspecies.Ifyou grewupintheUnitedStates,you'velikely seenthewoolybearcaterpillar.It'sred, black,andveryfluffy!It'sactuallythefirst caterpillarIeverraisedintoamoth! Similartothewoolybear,thechionarctia niveacaterpillarwillgrowuptobevery fluffy.
Bothofthesefluffycaterpillarsare uniquebecausetheybelongtothemoth subfamilyArctiinaewhichhibernatesas caterpillarsandnotascocoons!Most speciesofmothwillspendallofsummer andfallgrowingintoafull-grown caterpillar,pupateinwinter,thehatch fromtheircocooninspring.Thesespecies ofcaterpillarswilldosomeoftheir growinginsummerandfall,theninwinter theystoptheirheartsandallowthemselves tofreeze.Inspringtheywillthawoutand comebackalive!Theywillthenfinishtheir growingprocessandthenformtheir cocooninearlysummer.
Iactuallyhadtheadultversionofthe chionarctianiveacaterpillarbackinMay 2022.Thefull-growncaterpillarisalight brownandorangecolorandisveryfuzzy.
Canyoutellthatthewoolybearcaterpillar andthechionarctianiveacaterpillarare related?It'sespeciallyinterestingthat they'rerelatedsincethewoolybear speciesisonlypresentinAmericaandthe chionarctianiveaspeciesisonlypresentin JapanandpartsofKorea.
Ifyoueverspotacaterpillar,moth,or butterfly,trytotakeapicture!I'dlovetosee themandgiveyouafewfunfactsaboutthe speciesifIcanidentifythem.Ifyousendmean email,Ishouldgetbacktoyouwithinthehour! ashfagan99@gmail.com
AllphotoscourtesyofAshleyFagan
Toprightwoolybearcaterpillarfrom Wikipedia,“Pyrrharctiaisabella”
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Canyoutellthatthewoolybearcaterpillar andthechionarctianiveacaterpillarare related?It'sespeciallyinterestingthat they'rerelatedsincethewoolybear speciesisonlypresentinAmericaandthe chionarctianiveaspeciesisonlypresentin
Ifyoueverspotacaterpillar,moth,or butterfly,trytotakeapicture!I'dlovetosee themandgiveyouafewfunfactsaboutthe speciesifIcanidentifythem.Ifyousendmean email,Ishouldgetbacktoyouwithinthehour!
AllphotoscourtesyofAshleyFagan
Toprightwoolybearcaterpillarfrom Wikipedia,“Pyrrharctiaisabella”
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ashfagan99@gmail.com
Top:Americanwoolybearcaterpillar Bottom:Japanesechionarctianiveacaterpillar
64 ElephantSugi,ErikaAndriashek
THEAKITAN Kazunocityreststop,BrookeDalgleish65
TheCrow’sCall byTyronStewart
There’sasayingthatinabigcity,like London,NewYork,orJo-Burg,that you’renevermorethanafew metersawayfromarat,andthat,“Where there’soneratthere’salwaysadozenmoreyou don’tsee.”Outhereinthehillsandwoods,in thericefieldsandlittlewall-lesscommunities, Ithinkthesamethingcanbesaidbutnotfor therats.Forthecrows.
Theircallsandcreaks,theflapsoftheir wingsandthesnapoftheirbeaks,arenever morethanafewsecondsawayfromyourears,if silenceisallyou’retryingtolistento.There mustbesomethingtotheirsounds.Allbirds chirpandwhistleorsquawkandshriek,but thosealwaysjustsoundlikethenoisesof animals.Thingstheydobecausetheywouldn’t bethemselvesiftheydidn’t.Thecrowsthough, theseonesspecifically,theonesofthehillsand woodsandtheevercloudheavysky,seemto havesomethingmoreonthebacksoftheir sounds.Asortofweightthatmarksastringof intelligence.
Ifyouseeonecrowcalloutintothe eveningwind,you’llsoonhearafewothers, morefaintly,afairdistanceoff.Thesecallsarea directresponse,likeawolf’showl,carrying meaningandsense,notliketheeasilystartled, andtimeforgotten,howlsofthedogswekeep onourcouchesanddoorsteps.Whenacrow
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callsitshowsthattheyarespeaking,but whatdotheysay?
I’veoftenheardthatthesenightblackcrowswereonceseenassymbolsof rejuvenationandavaluedkeytothecycle oflife.Now,though,withtheirnumbers solargeandscatteredasthestarsbehind ourview,theyareseenaspests,asugly andlostthingsthatpeckandpickand scratchandstripawayatourthingsand ourcrops.
Doyouthinkthatwhattheysay,with theircalls?Whentheylandonthe powerlinesorblockoutparkingspacesor walkbesidetheroad,doyouthinktheyare remindingeachotherofthestoriesthat wereoncetoldaboutthem?Ofthegodsand kingstheywereonceseenas?Perhapsthey don’twanttoforget,soacrowmakesitits jobandgoaltofillthewindwithitscalland creaksothatitstruthmightfindacrowwho hasn’theardityet?
Ifthat’strue,thatcrowsrememberand trysohardnottoforget,doyouthinkthey’ll evertryandgetbacktothosetimes,toenter thosestoriesandflyamongstthedreamsof godsandkingsagain?Isthatwhytheylike shinythings?I’veheardthatthebrightest thinginthisworldcanbeanidea,ora dream.Ifenoughpeoplethinkofathing, andagreethatitisadreamworthhaving,
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well,thenthosesoftandinkypagesdohaveawayofcrawlingoutofthestoryand standingbesideandamongtherealandbreathing.Maybethat’swhytheylookforlost coinsanddroppedbottlecapsandpiecesofshatteredglass.Theycouldbetryingto findtheideasanddreamsthatwearealwaysleavingbehind.Witheverydaywelive, andeverybreathwetake,webecomealittlemore“awake”, leavingbehindthosecomfortsanddesiresthatrestedsodeeply inourdreams.
Acrow’snestcanholdmanythingswe’veleftbehind.The lostbitsofchangethatrolledoutofourpocketsbecausewelost thetimetosaveupforthefuture.Foldedcrumplesoftinfoilfrom thefoodwespentsomuchloveandtimebakingbutneverate because,I’mtoobusyforatreat.Sparklyglintsofbrokenbottles makeforaniceadditiontoacrow’snest,whereinitiallyitmarked anactofthrownangeroramistakethatcouldneverchange.
Inallthosethings,howeversmallandunseen,thereliesa connection,someformoffrayedandwitheredthreadthatlinks ourownseeminglyunconnectedstoriesanddreams,ourshiny things,tosomeimpossiblylargeandsharedstory.Abookwith morepagesthantherearestarsinbetweenthecrow-blackinkof space.Everythingwe’veeverdoneorthought,saidordidn’teven noticecan,withenoughtimeandcare,berestitcheduntilall forgottenthingscanbefound.
Maybe,justmaybe,thatiswhythecrowsflockandflyinsuch sun-blockingclouds,becauseeachandeveryoneoneofthem, maybewithoutevenknowing,iscollectinglostmemoriesand sharingconnectedstoriesthroughcallsandcreaks,theflapof theirwingsandthesnapoftheirbeaks.
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Yurihonjostreet,MichelleSaucedoEspinosa
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AcornsandAkebi
EthanRobinson
MymothersaysinJerseyshe’dfind mypocketsfullofacorns,overflowing onmywalkfromschool theirnubbincapsandhardbrownshells likethewoodofmyschooldesk, mynosepressedintoit,eyeslost inthemeaninglesspattern offauxchestnutgrain nowlookingdowntoground searchingforacorns sodelightfullyalien toasmallboyfromTexas likeevidenceofelves. YesterdayIwasgiven アケビ fiveleafakebia,or,strangely, chocolatevine, itsgreenskinsplit downmiddle likeabanana,itssoftsaucy pulpasweettang,likepear
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steepedinlongsummerlore. Akebiiseverywhere I’mtold,astheold nod,asifmyeatingit istotallyexpected,theytoo havestuffedtheirpockets. Butmanychildrendon’teatit,theysay, foritsstrangefeeling–agreatlossIthink forsomethingsosweet. Icastasidetoomanysweetthings, overflowedforthesake offilledpockets. Wheredidtheacornsfall onmywalksfromhome, andwhereisthetasteofakebi toaboypastgrowing withemptypockets?
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Closedshop,Yamagatacity,BenHartshorn
AkitaandYamagatainPictures PhotosbyBenHartshorn
UtakakeInariShrine,Yamagatacity
74 YamaderaPrayerSticks
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BuildinginYamagatacity
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78 SuiShrine, Ōta-machi
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80 SuiShrinePedestal, Ōta-machi
THEAKITAN SuwaShrine,Omagari81
82 Ricefield, Ōta-machi
THEAKITAN SuiShrineGate,83 Ōta-machi
ThankyousomuchforreadingtheAkitan! Itwasablastmakingthiseditionandnoneofitwouldbepossible withoutyoursubmissions!Wereallyappreciateallofthearticles andphotos.Wehopetocontinuetomakethispublicationwith yoursupport.SeeyouallagainintheFall! Ahugethankstoallofthewritersandphotographers!
Hanawabayashifestival,Kazuno,BrookeDalgleish
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