Sunday (Day 8 )was a long one. We left Sendai on a shinkansen to Hachinohe
where we transferred to a coach. Our first stop was to Hasshoku Center. The establishment was about half fish market (if you can't tell, I love seafood markets), a quarter grocery store and a quarter fast food vendors (sushi, sandwiches, fried foods, sweets, etc). We all bought our lunch there to eat while the coach continued north. If it lives it the sea around Japan, it was for sale at the Hasshohu market.

The further north we traveled, the more mountainous it became and the fall colors began to amaze. Autumn is late again the year as is becoming the norm due to climate change.

Upon arriving in Hirosaki, we toured the Hirosaki Castle grounds with a sakura (cherry tree) doctor who explained the maintenance of the sakura, which were in full fall colors, and the history of the castle. The maple foliage was stunning and had just begun to stun a few days earlier due to cooler weather.

From the castle we went to the Neputa cultural center. The annual Hirosaki Neputa Festival is one of the most famous in Japan. The Neputa Festival consists of parades with lavish floats and lanterns and loud drumming intended to keep people awake so the evil spirits won’t enter their body when they fall asleep. At the cultural center, we had a talk on the Neputa floats and lanterns along with some Toiko drumming and finally a short performance by a shamisen master. The shamisen is a three string instrument which has a sound similar to a banjo. The Hirosaki area is the largest producer of apples in Japan.

From Hirosaki the coach took us to our resort/spa lodging near the Oirase Gorge which we tour tomorrow. The resort is amazing and more Japanese in style than the western style hotels we have been staying in. Even the beds are low to the floor but not quite tatami mats. The resort offers two unisex communal mineral baths which the participants utilize naked. Although from all the robed people in the lodge, it appeared to be very popular. We declined - naked!!! Nope!

Monday (Day 9) we left the north, but not before a few more experiences.

Our hotel was located on the very scenic Oirase River. This river originates at Lake Towada. Lake Towada is in an old caldera which filled with water higher than today’s level. Sometime in the past the caldera side broke open and the resulting torrent of water formed the Oirase Gorge. There are 13 waterfalls on the 14 km of river between our hotel and the lake. The area is so beautiful that it is now a national park and protected area. Our coach took us along the river stopping a few times to allow short walks and viewing. The river and surrounding forest would be beautiful in any season but with the autumn colors blazing it was almost spiritual.

Our coach then headed east back to Hachinohe to catch the shinkansen to Tokyo BUT not before visiting a sake brewery where we tasted four different styles of sake including a sparkling version. The other three represented different qualities and price points. They were all excellent.

Following the sake tasting, we enjoyed another kaiseki style lunch, but this time the meal was served mostly in a bento box - kind of bento deluxe.

The shinkansen took us to Tokyo. 346 miles as the crow flies traversed in 3 hr 0 min to the minute! with about six stops.