Friday, April 5, 2013

Delicious sushi . . . ?



 
Looks like delicious sushi, doesn't it?

But actually they are sweets made for April Fools by Miyakin, a local okashiya, i.e. a bakery/sweets store. (It's actually originally from Shichinohe, but there's a big shop/cafe in Towada, next to the Tsutaya.)

The seaweed is really seaweed, but everything else is a confectionery. (The soy sauce is kuromitsu, a kind of molasses.)

Other than the sushi, Miyakin also made shina soba (支那そば a.k.a. ramen) and a Miyakin burger.

Even though April Fools is over, you can still buy the April Fool sweets up to this Sunday, April 7.

宮金寿司 Miyakin Sushi 850yen (5 pc sushi, "ginger" & "soy sauce")


宮金麺屋 支那そば Miyakin Menya Shina Soba 300yen

ミヤキンバーガー Miyakin Burger 250yen
 
 

Miyakin April Fools Sweets flyer:

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Spring Festival in Towada 2013 十和田市春まつり

Night-time Sakura "Light Up" 夜桜ライトアップ
Date: While the sakura are in bloom (between Apr. 20-May 5, 2013)
Time: 18:00-22:00
Place: Kanchogai Street 官庁街通り, Chuo Park 中央公園

Sakura Yabusame (Horseback Archery) 桜流鏑馬
Website | PDF Poster (Japanese only)
Date: Sat. Apr. 27- Mon. Apr. 29, 2013
Time: 10:00-14:00 (Apr. 27-28), 11:00-14:00 (Apr. 29)
Place: Chuo Park 中央公園緑地
Events: Opening Parade, Women's Yabusame Competition (Apr. 27-28), Men's Yabusame Exhibition (Apr. 29), Yabusame Bingo, etc.
Admission: Free
Special Reserved Seat Ticket (Apr. 28): 2000yen, includes bento (boxed lunch), Bingo participation fee,  horseback riding and leather craft experience fees, a present, and coupons, on sale Mar. 1-Apr. 15 at Art Station Towada Tourist Information Center アートステーショントワダ内十和田市観光物産センター, Ureshino うれし野, Kadoya かど屋
Special "Camera" Seat Ticket (better view for taking pictures): 500yen/day, limited to 30 seats, on sale during the event at the the event headquarters 本部

"Street The Party Vo. 2"
Date: Sat. Apr. 27, 2013
Time: 13:00-15:00
Place: Sakura Hiroba 桜広場 (the area around the big horseshoe statue) *or Art Station Towada in the event of rain*
Admission: Free

Yosakoi Genki Matsuri
Date: Sun. Apr. 28, 2013
Time: 13:00-15:00
Place: Sakura Hiroba 桜広場 (the area around the big horseshoe statue) *or Art Station Towada in the event of rain*
Admission: Free

Friday, February 8, 2013

Towada Nameko Hunt

Although Towada completely missed the boat with the first batch of "Nameko Snack" (chocolate-flavoured Caramel Corn), it's been no problem finding the latest version--this time a Nameko-shaped chocolate-flavoured snack.It comes in a Nameko-decorated package and includes a Nameko sticker inside.

1st gen. Nameko Snack
2nd gen. Nameko Snack
For the first version, I had to ask my friend in Sendai to get it for me when the Nameko Ichiba pop-up store went to there. (It was in Sendai while I was in Canada, otherwise I would have gone to get it myself.) This time the snacks are all over Towada! Here are the places I've found it so far:
  • Towada Aeon: 98yen
  • Daiso (at both the location across from Powers U and the one in Towada Aeon): 105yen
  • Mini-Stop (Daigaku Dori and across from the Bunka Center): 128yen
Nameko Candy are also available at the Universe grocery store.One bag has a mix of four flavours: strawberry, green apple, orange, and...nameko!! Yes, they actually included a mushroom-flavoured candy. My "game" is that whoever wants a candy has to pick one out of the bag without looking and what they get is what they get. So far I haven't managed to get a nameko-flavoured one, but two of the five other people who have played Nameko Candy "roulette" with me have gotten "lucky". =P


Right now there's also a Nameko Minna no Kuji. You buy a 600yen ticket, draw a card out of a box and open the card to reveal the prize letter. There are 8 different types of items ranked from A to H, with the A prize being the biggest and best and the H prize being the smallest and most ordinary.

The last time (October 2012) there was such a promotion, I got really lucky and scored two of the bigger prizes. (In total I probably tried about 8 times.)
big stuffed toy and smaller prizes

2nd big prize!
This time there aren't a lot of prizes that I'm particularly interested in so I've been trying to resist buying the kuji, but after just one week I caved today and bought two tickets--just to see if I could get another big prize. Guess I used up most of my luck last time since all I got was two G prizes--Nameko figures. At least both of the figures were different ones (you can't tell what's inside when you pick the box).

Kuji tickets seem to be selling really fast. I visited three of the four stores in Towada selling them and some stores have very few prizes left (as of noon today):
  • Tsutaya: very limited selection, a few A's, one D, a couple of E's, one F, three Gs and one H.
  • WonderGoo: very limited selection, mostly G's and H's with a few D;s, a couple of E's and maybe (?) a couple of F's
  • Mini-Stop (Daigaku Dori): quite a lot still there, only missing A and C prizes, I believe
They only went on sale last week, and at this rate I think Tsutaya could be sold out by the end of this (long) weekend! Nice to know I'm not the only Nameko-obsessed person in Towada, I guess?

Thursday, January 31, 2013

February Events in Towada

Towadako Fuyu Monogatari 2013 十和田湖冬物語
(Towadako Winter Story: Snow and Light Fantavista Lake Towada)
Website: (Japanese) http://www.towadakofuyumonogatari.com  
Date: Friday, February 1- Sunday, February 24, 2013
Location: Lake Towada  
Events:
冬花火 Fireworks 20:00~ Daily (approx. 10 min.)
光のゲート "Gate of Light" 17:00~21:00 Daily
光のトンネル "Tunnel of Light" 17:00~21:00 Daily
雪のすべり台 Snow Slide (sled rentals 100yen/hour)
津軽三味線ライブ(体験館) Live Tsugaru Shamisen (in Taikenkan) 19:00 & 20:30 Weekdays; 20:30 Weekends
酒かま蔵 Sake Kamakura (Snow Hut) 19:00~21:00 Daily
かまくらBar Kamakura Bar 18:00~21:00 Daily
ステージイベント Stage Performances 19:30~ Sat., Sun. & Holidays
雪見足湯(十和田湖畔温泉) Foot Onsen (Hot Spa) 17:00~21:00 Daily
●*NEW* イルミネーションツリー Illumination Trees 17:00~21:00 Daily
乙女の像ライトアップ "Light Up" of Otome no Zou (Bronze Maidens Statue) 17:00~21:00 Daily
ゆきあかり横丁 Yuki Akari Yokocho (Alleyway Food Stands/Restaurants) 15:00~21:00 Weekdays; 11:00~21:00 Sat., Sun. & Holidays
Towada Yukimi (Snow Viewing) Rally とわだ雪見ラリー
 Date: Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Time: Reception: 17:00; Start: 18:00; Finish/Raffle Drawing: 20:00
Fee: Advance Ticket: 2500yen; At-Door: 3000yen
Location: 5 bars around Towada
Ticket Purchase, Reception, Finish/Raffle Drawing: Towada Chamber of Commerce & Industry 商工会議所
Description: Within two hours, have a drink at each of the 5 specified bars around Towada and get a stamp. Bring your stamp card back to the Towada Chamber of Commerce & Industry at the end to be entered into a prize raffle drawing. 

Towada Dentou Geinou Matsuri 十和田伝統芸能まつり
(Towada Traditional Performing Arts Festival)
PDF Flyer (Japanese)
Date: Sunday, February 10, 2013
Time: 12:00~16:00
Location: Towada Bunka Center 十和田市民文化センター
Admission: Free
Description: Watch traditional (performance) art performances from various areas of Towada, e.g. Kirida Kagura, Ofudo Keimai, Maita Nanbu Koma Odori etc.