Nameko's Hanami Adventures, Part 2 - Towada

After a fun but tiring Saturday at Hirosaki (see Nameko's Hanami Adventures, Part 1 - Hirosaki), Nameko's hanami adventures continued on Sunday, April 27 at the Towada Spring Festival (春まつり haru matsuri). (The day out in Towada was in fact more about the various festival events than actual flower viewing.)

Around noon Nameko head out to watch horseback archery (流鏑馬 yabusame) in Towada Central Park. It was an especially lovely sight with the cherry blossom petals raining down upon the archers and their horses.

 

After watching a few rounds of the yabusame competition, Nameko headed to the food stalls! He got pig's foot, mini meat buns, and fried pig's ears among other things. And since it was a hot day, he ended off the meal with "hanabi ice," different coloured sherbets/sorbets layered on the cone to look like hanabi, fireworks.

Then it was across the street to the Sakura Hiroba to watch the Yosakoi Genki Matsuri. There were a lot of people so it was a bit hard to see, but the dancers' energy and excitement was nonetheless contagious.

Once the yosakoi was finished, Nameko was feeling a little tired and overheated so he headed to a nearby bakery and cafe, Shiroi Mori, for a break. Along the way to the cafe, he noticed that some of the trees along Kanchogai Dori already had leaves coming out.

 

At Shiroi Mori, he enjoyed a cake and mini chocolate parfait set with iced tea to end off the weekend of flower viewing and festival fun.