Towada 2011 Sumo Tournaments

All-Japan University Sembatsu Sumo Taikai 　全日本大学選抜相撲十和田大会
Date: August 14, 2011
Time: 9:00~
Location: Towada Sumo Dohyo 十和田市相撲所
Admission: 1500 yen advance tickets; 2000 yen at door; free for high school students and younger

High School Sembatsu Sumo Taikai　高校選抜相撲十和田大会
Date: August 15, 2011
Time: 8:30~
Location: Towada Sumo Dohyo 十和田市相撲所
Admission: 1000 yen advance tickets; 1500 yen at door; free for high school students and younger

Ticket sales: Tickets can be purchased at the Towada Sougou Taiiku Center (Gym)　十和田総合体育センター,  Towada sports shops　市内スポーツ店, and at the Towada Shiyakusho (City Hall) Seikyou　市役所生協

See the Towada Sumo 2011 Google map for tournament and ticket sale locations.

Blueberry Picking

Blueberry Picking ブルーベリー摘み取り
Date: July 9-August 14, 2011
Time: 9:00-17:00
Location: Risoukyo 手づくり村鯉艸郷
Admission: 500 yen (200 yen for elementary school-aged & younger children) for 1hr all-you-can-eat blueberry picking (1時間食べ放題  - 500円, 小学生以下200円)
- additional 150yen per 100g of takeaway berries (持ち帰り - 100gで150円)
Description: Enjoy a selection of 10 different varieties of blueberries: Earliblue, Northland, Bluecrop, Big Darrow, Coville, Blueray, Dixie, Late Blue, Chandler and Spartan
10品種（アーリーブルー・ノースランド・ブルークロップ・ビックダロー・コビル・ブルーレイ・デキシー・レイトブルー・チャンドラー・スパータン）の中からお好きなブルーベリーを摘み取りできます。

When the Towada ALTs went on July 10th, only 2 varieties were ripe for picking (Earliblue and Northland), but the guy predicted that all the varieties should be ready by the 20th so...!

Some advice: Bring a hat, remember to drink water and watch out for the spiders! >_<

Picked a little too early--still a bit green

Fully ripened

Namiki Gelato

Last summer was a scorcher (in Japan). And this year seems to be following suit. @_@ I'm fine with cold weather, but heat really kills me.

The only good thing that I can say about hot weather is that it makes frozen treats extra delicious. And Namiki, a gelato place in Shichinohe is the best place to indulge!

Address: 青森県上北郡七戸町字立野頭69
(Shichinohe-machi Aza Tachinogashira 69)
Telephone/Fax: 0176-62-2646
Website: www.namiki-gelato.com
Hours: 10:00-17:00* Daily
(*Or until everything is sold out--which happens pretty early on weekends in the summer)
Parking: Available (Free)

The gelato is handmade every morning using farm fresh milk and organic fruits and vegetables. Not only is it delicious, but it's also super cheap--250 yen for a single cone/cup, or 300 yen for a double. (Compare that to Baskin Robbins where a regular single cone is 320yen.)

summer flavours: tomato & pineapple

regular flavours: jersey milk & cheese

fall flavours: pumpkin & cookies 'n cream

It's off the Shichinohe Bypass (Rte. 4) just south of the 394 and there's a big NAMIKI sign with a cow and picture of gelato marking the turn off and plenty of signage showing the way from there.