A snow lantern is a hollow cone built of snowballs into which a light is put, usually a candle or a Japanese stone garden lantern Yukimi Gata. [1] People lighting their own snow lanterns is one of Sweden's, Finland's and Norway's Christmas traditions. [2]
Hirosaki in Aomori Prefecture, Japan holds an annual winter four-day festival at Hirosaki Castle. The festival had attracted 310,000 visitors in 1999 and included 165 standing snow lanterns and 300 mini snow caves. [3]
Aomori, officially Aomori City, is the capital city of Aomori Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 1 August 2023, the city had an estimated population of 264,945 in 136,781 households, and a population density of 321 people per square kilometer spread over the city's total area of 824.61 km2 (318.38 sq mi). Aomori is one of Japan's 62 core cities and the core of the Aomori metropolitan area.
Aomori Prefecture ([a̠o̞mo̞ɾʲikẽ̞ɴ]) is a prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku region. The prefecture's capital, largest city, and namesake is the city of Aomori. Aomori is the northernmost prefecture on Japan's main island, Honshu, and is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east, Iwate Prefecture to the southeast, Akita Prefecture to the southwest, the Sea of Japan to the west, and Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait to the north. Aomori Prefecture is the 8th-largest prefecture, with an area of 9,645.64 km2 (3,724.20 sq mi), and the 31st-most populous prefecture, with more than 1.18 million people. Approximately 45 percent of Aomori Prefecture's residents live in its two core cities, Aomori and Hachinohe, which lie on coastal plains. The majority of the prefecture is covered in forested mountain ranges, with population centers occupying valleys and plains. Aomori is the third-most populous prefecture in the Tōhoku region, after Miyagi Prefecture and Fukushima Prefecture. Mount Iwaki, an active stratovolcano, is the prefecture's highest point, at almost 1,624.7 m (5,330 ft).
Japanese festivals are traditional festive occasions often celebrated with dance and music in Japan. Many festivals have their roots in traditional Chinese festivals, but have undergone extensive changes over time to have little resemblance to their original form, despite sharing the same name and date. There are also various local festivals that are mostly unknown outside a given prefecture.
The Tōhoku region, Northeast region, Ōu region, or Northeast Japan consists of the northeastern portion of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. This traditional region consists of six prefectures (ken): Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi, and Yamagata.
Hirosaki is a city located in western Aomori Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 February 2023, the city had an estimated population of 163,639 in 71,044 households, and a population density of 310 per square kilometre (800/sq mi). The total area of the city is 524.20 square kilometers (202.39 sq mi).
Goshogawara is a city located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 January 2023, the city had an estimated population of 51,578 in 25,615 households, and a population density of 130 persons per km2. The total area of the city is 404.18 square kilometres (156.05 sq mi).
Nakatsugaru District is a rural district located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan.
Inakadate is a village in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 January 2023, the village had an estimated population of 7,420 in 2845 households, and a population density of 362 persons per km2. The total area of the village is 22.35 square kilometres (8.63 sq mi).
A paper lantern is a lantern made of thin, brightly colored paper. Paper lanterns come in various shapes and sizes, as well as various methods of construction. In their simplest form, they are simply a paper bag with a candle placed inside, although more complicated lanterns consist of a collapsible bamboo or metal frame of hoops covered with tough paper.
Hirosaki Castle is a hirayama-style Japanese castle constructed in 1611. It was the seat of the Tsugaru clan, a 47,000 kokutozama daimyō clan who ruled over Hirosaki Domain, Mutsu Province, in what is now central Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. It was also referred to as Takaoka Castle.
Hirosaki Station is a railway station in the city of Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, Japan, jointly operated by East Japan Railway Company and the private railway operator Kōnan Railway. It is also a freight terminal for the Japan Freight Railway Company.
A parol is a Filipino ornamental lantern displayed during the Christmas season. Parols are traditionally constructed using bamboo and Japanese paper, and are illuminated with candles, oil lamps, or carbide lamps. Modern parols can be made using other materials such as plastic, metal, and capiz shells and are usually illuminated with electric lighting. Its most-common form is a five-pointed star, although it can come in various shapes and sizes. Large disc-shaped electronic versions of parols produced in Pampanga are known as "parul sampernandu", the phonetic spelling of parol San Fernando, owing to the city where these lanterns are a major product.
The Kōnan Line is a railway route operated by the Japanese private railway operator Kōnan Railway in Aomori Prefecture, from Hirosaki Station in Hirosaki to Kuroishi Station in Kuroishi.
Aomori Airport is an international airport located 11.2 km (7.0 mi) south southwest of Aomori Station in Aomori, the capital city of Aomori Prefecture in northern Japan. The airport has international service within East Asia in addition to several domestic routes and serves as an international gateway to northern Tōhoku. In 2018, the airport was the 27th-busiest in Japan by passenger traffic.
The Tsugaru (つがる) is a limited express train service in Japan operated by East Japan Railway Company, which runs from Aomori to Hirosaki and Akita via the Tōhoku Main Line and Ōu Main Line.
National Route 102 is a national highway in the Japanese prefecture of Aomori. Route 102 stretches 102.8 kilometers (63.9 mi) from National Route 7 in Hirosaki east to National Routes 4 and 45 in Towada.
Onoekōkōmae Station is a railway station on the Kōnan Railway Kōnan Line in Hirakawa, Aomori, Japan, operated by the private railway operator Konan Railway.
Zuiraku-en (瑞楽園) is a Japanese dry landscape garden and nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty in the city of Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. The gardens are a nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty.
The Iwaki River is a river that crosses western Aomori Prefecture, Japan. It is 102 kilometers (63 mi) in length and has a drainage area of 2,544 square kilometers (982 sq mi). Under the Rivers Act of 1964 the Iwaki is designated as a Class 1 River and is managed by the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. The Iwaki River is the longest river in Aomori Prefecture, and is the source of irrigation for the large-scale rice and apple production of the prefecture. The Iwaki River, in the Tōhoku region north of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, remains unpolluted by radioactive materials after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. Testing for caesium-134 and caesium-137 is carried out and published on a bimonthly basis.