Travel to Goshogawara City, Aomori Prefecture (2)

Table of Contents

1: Itinerary to Goshogawara
2: Lunch and apple pie in Goshogawara
3: Excellent sushi and very popular izakaya
4: “Tsugaru Shamisen Kaikan” and “Shayokan”
5: Popular Chinese restaurant “Houtenyu”
6: “Tachineputa House”
7: Amazing Izakaya in Hirosaki

4: “Tsugaru Shamisen Kaikan” and “Shayokan”

On the second day’s morning, I revisited Kanagi Station to listen to a live Tsugaru Shamisen performance at the Tsugaru Shamisen Kaikan. The Tsugaru shamisen is said to have originated in the Kanagi area. It was a powerful and excellent live performance.

Afterward, I went to “Shayokan,” a 3-minute walk away. As mentioned earlier, “Shayokan” is known as the birthplace of Osamu Dazai (real name: Shuji Tsushima) and is designated as a National Important Cultural Property. It is also known as a luxurious residence; it was built in 1907 by Dazai’s father, Genemon Tsushima (who then served as a member of the House of Representatives and the House of Peers). The name “Shayoukan” is derived from Osamu Dazai’s best-selling novel “Shayou.

5: Popular Chinese restaurant “Houtenyu”

After returning from Kanagi Station to Goshogawara Station, we decided to have lunch at Machinuka “Houtenyu,” as promised the day before. Houtianyuu” was a famous Chinese restaurant always bustling with locals. The young master we had met the day before was cooking. I was impressed by his appearance. I ordered “fried rice with starchy sauce” and dumplings. Both were delicious Chinese dishes. If a “Houtenyu” is nearby, I will be a regular customer.

6: “Tachineputa House”

After being satisfied with lunch, I went to the Tachineputa House. My visit to Goshogawara was on August 1 and 2, and the Tachineputa festival was held from August 4 to 8, so I could not see the actual festival. I had no choice but to go on these dates because the hotels were fully booked.

Tachineputa is a colossal doll lantern that stands about 23 meters high and weighs about 19 tons. It is a giant doll taller than the Mobile Suit Gundam, which is 18.0 meters tall. When I saw it up close, I was overwhelmed by its enormity. I also visited “Nebuta House Wa Rasse” in Aomori City and “Tsugaru Han Neputa Village” in Hirosaki City. Still, I was most amazed by the doll lanterns at the Tachineputa House.

During the Meiji and Taisho eras, Tachineputa was a renowned festival. However, it was discontinued because the massive lanterns interfered with electric cables.

However, it was revived in 1996 by local volunteers. In 2007, a “Mobile Suit Gundam” lantern was also produced. The theme song “Tachineputa” is written and sung by Ikuzo Yoshi, an Enka singer from Goshogawara City.

7: Amazing Izakaya in Hirosaki

I had hoped to visit the Tsurunomai Bridge. It’s a 10-minute cab ride from Mutsu Tsuruta Station on the JR Gono Line, just one stop from Goshogawara Station. However, considering the time of my flight home, I realized it wasn’t feasible. Instead, I headed to Hirosaki Station. On August 2, the day I was there, Hirosaki City’s “Neputa Festival” was in full swing. But since the festival is held at night, I decided not to join the festival.

I had no choice but to go to an izakaya introduced to me by the tourist information center at Hirosaki Station until it was time to catch the airport bus. The izakaya is called “Tsugaru no sakadokoro Watami.” I was skeptical about this izakaya because it is a nationwide izakaya chain. Still, it turned out to be a bonanza. “Tsugaru no sakadokoro Watami” has a high score of 3.4 on the Tabelog and is ranked 4th among the izakayas in the Hirosaki Station area.

“Tsugaru no sakadokoro Watami” boasts a vast selection of sake, with over 150 different types of sake alone. In total, the restaurant probably offers more than 250 kinds of alcoholic beverages. Their food menu prominently features an array of Aomori Prefecture’s local dishes. While the taste might not be overwhelmingly impressive, it is certainly of a high standard. The staff’s service was notably warm and friendly. I was particularly taken aback when they escorted me to the exit after I settled the bill. If Watami can consistently offer this caliber of service across all its outlets and expand throughout the country, it might overshadow many other izakayas.