We traveled to Akita in Northwestern Japan to participate in Akita International University's symposium on folk culture preservation. Our students performed with teams from Taiwan, Okinawa and Akita. First, the kind folks at AIU took us on a tour of campus and, the next day, on a tour of Akita. The President of Akita International University is also the President of the Suzuki violin method and was Suzuki's first student.
Students at AIU practice for the kanto festival. They must hold these huge frames of lanterns without actually grasping the pole. The Kanto festival is a huge parade, basically, in which several different teams participate.
The library at AIU was awesome.
I loved the hotel in Akita. Down the hall were vending machines full of sake, beer, and 'cocktails' (although the alcohol content of the latter was dubious). The hotel was very nice and the staff was even nicer.
200 yen (or about $2) will get you a cocktail from a vending machine. I thought I'd try one!
Lake Tazawa is Japan's deepest lake. Apparently, all the indigenous fish were killed off long ago from pollution caused by drainage from a local onsen (hot springs bath house). The lake is surrounded by onsen and ski slopes. Still, very beautiful spot.
A Shinto shrine by Lake Tazawa. Shinto is an indigenous belief system in which their are several 'gods' to which people pray for various reasons. All over Akita we saw these ropes with jagged paper hanging from them. This is called a shimenawa and it marks the boundary to something sacred.
Below is a kamakura igloo. These are built as part of a winter festival. An altar is placed inside and people enter to pray for things like good grades and health.
A hotel that has become a shrine to a Korean drama, "Iris," that was filmed there. Korean dramas are very popular in Japan. The room where the actor stayed as well as rooms where some scenes were filmed have been museumified. We had a very nice Korean-style lunch there.
A samurai snowman in front of the Aoyagi house in Kakunodate, a little town known as 'little Kyoto' outside of Akita. The Aoyagi house is the former home of a samurai family.
No visit to Akita would be complete without a trip to a sake brewery. Akita reportedly produces the best sake in Japan and boasts the highest consumption rates of sake in Japan. We visited Hideyoshi brewery for a tour and tasting.
The motto. Something about working hard and making good sake.
Memorabilia
I think the family also lives on the premises, or at least stays there sometimes. The best part of the sake brewery visit was the sake tasting. I really liked it. The cheaper stuff was a bit harsh, but the mid-range to more expensive sake was so good. I really liked the sake that was heated up--tasted like cream of wheat. I bought Jack a bottle of the kind I liked the most--had some rice remants in the bottom of the bottle, so looked cool, as well.
Outside of Hideyoshi Sake Brewery
The weather was so nice for our visit. Tons of snow on the ground, but warm. It got cold on our last day in Akita, but our day of site-seeing was lovely!
The students rehearsed in the auditorium the day before the symposium/performance. 
Lunch. I can say that noodle soups (ramen, udon, etc...) were among my favorite things to eat in Japan. This day was rainy and cold, warm and savory udon was perfect.
I had a hard time getting used to the fact that the driver was on the right and the road ways/rules were like England. Glad I did not do much walking and crossing the street.
Dress rehearsal on February 27.
Me, introducing our students. 
A student poses next to the poster for the symposium.
The symposium was a success--great turnout and the planners did such a great job. We had 'ear pets' so that we could understand what people were saying in the various languages. There were two simultaneous translators assigned to me. Post symposium gathering, below, was a lot of fun. The students had a great time mixing with students from other places and I enjoyed meeting faculty from Taiwan and Japan. The Okinawan professor (bearded, on the left) LOVED to dance, so when that Okinawan music started he just went wild. It was a lot of fun to watch!
The Taiwanese students lead everyone in a dance.
Me and our crazy, but sweet, students.
Our students lead everyone in a folk song and dance.
So glad the symposium and concerts all went well. I was very proud of our students. They behaved like young gentlemen and gentlewomen. I'm not sure I would have been that good as a 20 year-old.
I loved that pajamas were provided in the hotel. Fun to dress up. Below, we were on Akita tv the next morning.
We left Akita on the bullet train. I would love to visit Japan again. I was really impressed with the hospitality we experienced in Akita as well as the beautiful location. Hope to visit there again soon. Tokyo was great, but I think I prefer the countryside.
