Day 11 Aomori, Japan

We arrived early this morning into Aomori Japan. I enjoyed my visit here last year so I was looking forward to coming back. Our first stop on my tour was to visit the Showa Daibutsu, Big Buddha. This was an amazing place. The temples, grounds and the Buddha itself were spectacular. This was certainly the highlight of the day. They even had rice fields adjacent to the temple and if there is anything I love it’s the natural beauty of rice fields….. Next, we went to see the showcase for the Nebuta Festival. I went to a different site celebrating the festival last year and loved, once again, seeing the floats from the Spring Festival. We went to lunch at the really lovely, Aomori Hotel. The food and service was fabulous. Finally, we visited the ruins and excavation of the Sannai Maruyama site. It is amazing that this goes back to the time of the pyramids…. Finally we went to the Tourism & Produce Center which wasn’t particularly good. I did get a nice shot of the ship from there. It was a great day….
Tomorrow, we are once again at another port, Miyako, Japan. I will be taking another ship’s tour in the morning. Here is the ship’s description: Miyako Highlights
Known for the stark and beautiful contrast between the cobalt blue of the ocean and the white cliffs and rocks of the shoreline, Jodogahama Beach is located in the center of Rikuchu Coastline National Park and it's popular with bathers and sightseers alike. The name of the beach is supposedly derived from a Buddhist priest 200 years ago who once remarked, "This place is like paradise!" The word for paradise of Buddhism in Japanese is jodo, and hama means beach. Gentle waves make for good ocean fun and the promenade is spectacular regardless of the season. Sanno Rock is a collection of three large rock pillars that appear to be standing upon the surface of the ocean, including the Taiko Rock shaped like a large drum. The Otoko Rock, fully 164 feet tall, hides a cave that is said to bring good luck to those who pass through it. There are strata of conglomerate and sandstone contained within the rocks that date back to the Cretaceous period. Finally, you will visit Seatopia Naado, short for Sea/Utopia/Naado. Naado means "how?" in Miyako dialect. Here, local fish, vegetables and specialty products are sold and visitors can enjoy the local foods at the restaurants.