Aomori travel; I was invited from warm breeze of Michinoku. Day 1

In May lately, It became green Kantō region, Chamomile I grow had a flower. Therefore I rode Tōhoku Shinkansen.

E5 series Shinkansen. This mark means falcon. Train's name is also ''Hayabusa(falcon)''.

This travel's destination is Aomori prefecture. Aomori Prefecture is the northernmost part of the Tohoku region.

I travel around Japan for visiting all prefectures of Japan. I've never been to Aomori only of Tohoku region.

In fact, I've been to there for transit and passing exactly but I had never traveled to there.

I admired Shizukuishi river and Mt. Akita-Komagata.

As I slid into Shin-Aomori Station, the door opened soon after, and a cool breeze, completely different from Tokyo, blew into the deck.

I was planning to rent a car in front of Shin-Aomori station the next day, so I came with the intention of not going too far away on the first day. Therefore, for starters, we headed for the Sannai-Maruyama site, which are close to the station.

Unfortunately, the bus time didn't cut it, I had to walk 2 km while listeing to a chorus of frogs from the station.

I went to Sannai Onsen(spa).

It smells sulphur here.

The bathhouse retains the atmosphear of the 70's, and the local people soak in the hot water and rest as they wish. There was also a person lying on the floor with inflated snot bubble.

When I lightly purified myself and soaked in the water, the milky-white chloride spring sat for three hours, slowly warming up my stagnant blood, and seemed to heal my unhealthy health caused by city life.

I left Sannai Onsen and walk agin. 

There are volunteer guide's in Sannai-Maruyama site so I join to listen their talk.

They guides you through houses and cemeteries that recreate the Jomon period, as well as ponds where many artifacts have been unearthed, in a joking and familiar way.

Jomon period, when the average temperature was about 3°C higher than the present day in which we live. The sea level was higher and the sea was wider.

Here was next to beach in the past. The people would be rich they had gotten foods from sea to forest so Distant trade flourished. 

There is a history museum  in this site.

 

From the guide's commentary and the exhibits in the museum, I could clearly feel the atmosphere of those days.

14m long big Hottate bulidling (dugout pillar building)

It was able to see accessories that show a glimpse of the cultural activities of the Jomon people,  earthenware with traces of burn marks during cooking that give a sense of life and other in permanent exhibit.

In the special exhibition, It was able to see strange ritual tools that are connected to the current Kanayama Shrine's "Kanamara Festival" in Kawasaki city.

Those artifacts have been protected from weathering by decomposers and have maintained their shape since the Jomon period.
 

The water in the pond is like an ark, and the artifacts are like time travelers, transcending time and space.

I'll go to Mutsu bay, the northern end of Honshu island and Mt. Osore of Simokita peninsula tommorow.

Sunset and "Hakkōda-Maru" of Aomori-Hakodate ferryboat.

To be continued.