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 Hirosaki Castle Snow Lantern 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. In Japan, festivals are called matsuri (祭り), and the origin of the word matsuri is related to the kami; there are theories that the word matsuri is derived from matsu (待つ) meaning "to wait ", tatematsuru (献る) meaning "to make offerings to the kami", and matsurau (奉う) meaning "to obey the kami". The theory that it is derived from matsurau is the most popular.
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).
Hachinohe is a city located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 August 2023, the city had an estimated population of 216,416 in 110,195 households, and a population density of 708 persons per km2, making it Aomori Prefecture's second largest city by population. The city has a total area of 305.56 square kilometres (117.98 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.
Aomori Airport is an international airport located 11.2 km (7.0 mi) south-southwest of Aomori Station in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. In 2018, the airport was the 27th-busiest in Japan.
Hirosaki Domain, also known as Tsugaru Domain, was a tozama feudal domain of Edo period Japan It is located in Mutsu Province, in northern Honshū. The domain was centered at Hirosaki Castle, located in the center of what is now the city of Hirosaki in Aomori Prefecture. It was ruled by the Tsugaru clan. A branch of the family ruled the adjoining Kuroishi Domain.
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 101 is a national highway of Japan connecting the capitals of Aomori and Akita prefectures, Aomori and Akita in northern Japan, with a total length of 241.6 kilometers (150.1 mi). The majority of the highway travels along the coast of the Sea of Japan, paralleling the more inland National Route 7. The present-day highway largely follows the path of the Ōmagoe-kaidō, an Edo period road that linked the Kubota and Hirosaki feudal domains.
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.
Chūō-Hirosaki Station is a railway station in the city of Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, Japan, operated by the private railway operator, Kōnan Railway Company. Chūō-Hirosaki Station stands as a gateway to the picturesque city, adorned with cherry blossoms in spring and a winter wonderland when snow blankets its surroundings. This station not only links travelers to Hirosaki's historic castle but also serves as a vibrant hub where modernity meets the timeless allure of traditional Japanese charm.
Onoekōkōmae Station is a railway station on the Kōnan Railway Kōnan Line in Hirakawa, Aomori, Japan, operated by the private railway operator Konan Railway.
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.