Tanabata at Tazawako Station

Today is July 7th -- a day of a Japanese traditional festival, Tanabata.

Tanabata Festival (七夕: lit., “The Seventh Evening”) derives from a romantic story, in which a separated couple, Princess Orihime (“Weaving Princes”) and Prince Hikoboshi, is said to try their luck to meet— on the 7th evening of 7th month—the only evening they are permitted to be reunited.

Princess Orihime symbolizes the star, Vega: Prince Hikoboshi symbolizes the star, Altair. The river that separates the couple is Amanogawa (天の川), literally meaning “River in the Heaven” — What we call in English, "the Milky Way”.

It is said that Orihime and Hikoboshi could meet only if the sky is clear, so that a flock of magpies could fly over and spread the wings to make a bridge over the River in the Heaven.

This story leads to our traditional custom, in which we write wishes on a piece of paper (“Tanzaku”) and hang on a bamboo tree.

Last week, local kindergarteners in Tazawako decorated JR Tazawako Station. They brought bamboo trees with tons of colorful tanzakus!

“I want to eat a lot and become strong.”

“I want to become a driver of Shinkansen Komachi .”

“I want to marry my father when I grow up.”

  

“I want to become a Curry Pan Man.”

“I want to become a Purikyua."
... Anime chacacters!

Such wishes-- achievable or not-- may all come true!

What is your wish?

Soba Goro is the our favorite specialized soba (buckwheat noodle) shop in town.

Besides the noodles we have mentioned before, Soba Goro actually have atypical soba item: Soba Pudding.

Soba Goro's Soba Pudding

Ingredients:

Soba (Buckwheat)

Milk

Zarame Sugar (Japanese natural brown sugar)

Granulated Sugar

Mirin

Shoyu (Soy sauce)

Gelatin

This pudding accompanies a packet of sweet and salty sauce. It is creamy and flavorful with roasted buckwheat! The sweetness is rather mild with a hint of saltiness from soy sauce. It might remind you of Mitarashi Dango (sweet rice cake on stick coated with sweet soy sauce). On the top is crunchy roasted buckwheat.

The chef said the secret is brewing strong milk tea with roasted buckwheat!

Sounds so simple but innovative!

Try it at Soba Goro in Tazawako Ichi.

40th Annual Tazawako Matsuri

Tazawako Festival is an annual summer festival held in Shirahama Area.

This event invites the tourist and community to enjoy performances, fireworks, farmers market and food stalls.

Tazawako Matsuri 2010

Among many attractions, Ryujinsai and fireworks are something Tazawako Festival is known for. Ryujinsai (龍神祭) is a dragon-themed festival in which two floats of dragons are carried over from different places in Tazawako area to meet to celebrate the joyful reunion of Tatsuko and Hachiro-Taro.

This is not a tradition but is more carried out as a touristic manner. However, the lively event attracts many people and fun to watch. A designating ceremony of Tatsuko and Hachiro of that year is held.

 

Another attraction held at night is fireworks. Thousands of vibrant fireworks will be shot from a deck on the lake as well as from a motorboat.

This year’s Tazawako Matsuri features a few other things: Stage performances of local musical bands, Chojin Neiga (超神ネイガー：Akita’s local hero character), Keitora-ichi (軽トラ市：Track-loaded farmers market from Iwate Pref.), and Farmers Markets of local high school students.

40th Annual Tazawako Festival

Date: Saturday 24th, 2010.

Place: Tazawako Event Site (Parking lot in Shirahama Area)

Schedule:

10 a.m. to 20 p.m. Ryujinsai Festival

12 p.m. to 19 p.m. Music Performance

16 p.m. to 17 p.m. Neiga Special Performance

12 p.m. to 21 p.m. Food Stalls

20 p.m. to 21 p.m. Firework Festival

The Legend of Three Lakes: Why Lake Tazawa Never Freeses!

Legend of Tatsuko is the most famous one among all the others associated with Lake Tazawa. It is a story about a girl who became a guardian dragon after following a message of a god after wishing for her eternal beauty. 

Legend of Three Lakes, which is sequential of Legend of Tatsuko evolved around Tatsuko, a guardian dragon of Lake Tazawa and two other dragons of different lakes in Akita Prefecture. When people think of Legends about Tatsuko, they often think of the sad romance with Taro dragon from Lake Hachirogata and his rival Nansobo. Here is the common version of the story.

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Legend of Three Lakes:

There was a monk whose name was Nansobo and he was on a journey. One day, he passed a lake called Lake Tazawa and saw a beautiful girl, Tatsuko. He was instantly captivated by her beauty. So he decided to approach her so he could have her as his own.

However, Tatsuko intuitively saw a destructive nature in this man. So she despised him so badly that he didn't stand seeing his waraji (traditional straw sandals) nor his iron cane. She rejected Nansobo and turned him away.

In despair, Nansobo was madly thrust his iron cane into the ground!  This cane is said to have become a cedar tree now known as "Chitose-Sugi", Cedar of a Thousand Years. It is still standing in Katajiri Area.

Later, Nansobo found out about Tatsuko's lover, Hachiro-Taro. He was so enraged that attacked the guardian dragon of Lake Towada. Nansobo in his extremely violent manner chased the caring man away  from home! That's how Nansobo ended up taking over Lake Towada.

Now Hachiro-Taro was in need of a new home, so that he decided to stop the Yoneshirogawa River and to create a large lake -- that is how Lake Hachirogata is said to have formed.

Hachiro-Taro was in love with Tatsuko. During the freezing winter, he would take a long trip across the rolling mountains just to meet with his beautiful woman. Because of his gentle and unassuming nature, Tatsuko gradually became fond of him and sheltered him in her home, Lake Tazawa.

Hachiro would visit Tatsuko in Lake Tazawa every winter! Because of their love is so deep and warm, despite the most freezing temperature of Tazawako area, the lake never freezes!

On the other hand, Lake Hachirogata on the absence of the guardian dragon during the winter, remains cold, frosty, and covered with  a thick layer of ice!

Knowing the couple's affair, Nansobo was overwhelming jealou! He attacked Hachiro-Taro again by bringing catastrophic storms to Lake Tazawa. Hachiro-Taro attacked back to protect Tatsuko. The two male dragons fought to the limit of their strength!

Nansobo turned his iron cane into a thousand of needles and blew to Hachiro-Taro’s body! Hachiro-Taro fought back by gathering schools of monstrous fish to raid against Nansobo! Tatsuko joined Hachiro-Taro by throwing firing torches! It burned Nansobo’s skin and finally chased him away to Lake Towada.

Nansobo has gone away and never came back. Finally, the peace has brought back to Lake Tazawa.

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Best Reference Book on Tazawako's Folk Culture:

The story above is a most common version, which is also introduced in a book called “Furusato Hakubutsushi” by Jihei Chiba.

Chiba suggests that the Legend of Three Lakes probably derived from stories told by fishermen migrated in between those lakes back in the ancient period.

Another interesting thing that Chiba introduces is that: Traditionally, Fishermen at Lake Tazawa believed that iron would trigger disasterous storms if used in Lake Tazawa. It is because they believed that such material would remind our guardian dragon of the destructive Nansobo and upset her!

This belief remained common until the Meiji Era (early 1920). It is said that it is why the fishermen back then  have carefully excluded any fishing tools that were made of iron — even a single nail to assemble a boat!

That is how Marukibune was invented! In recent years, local volunteers, some of who are desendants of the fishermen, gathered to recreate the wooden boat, in order to commemorate the forefathers and preserve the fading tradition.

There are many more mind-blowing stories about Tazawako area! The stories are truly unique and mysterious! Knowing stories like these can make your visit more meaningful and enjoyable! Let your mind wander in the beautiful scenery and the legends of Lake Tazawa!