Artwork on the floor @Towada Art Centre |
I finished the job in Fukuyama and took the Sanyo Shinkansen Nozomi super-express bound for Tokyo. Then I changed trains to go to Ikebukuro, thirty minutes by train from Tokyo Station. There I took an overnight express bus to Ichi-no-seki, Iwate, Tohoku. I arrived there a little before 5:00 am and waited in a convenience store (I chatted with a good-hearted gentleman working for the store) and then a waiting room of the railway station before taking a train to Hiraizumi. Within a matter of ten minutes, I arrived at Hiraizumi Station. I spent a day in Hiraizumi but another article will be written about it and its world cultural heritage.
This is the first article reporting the journey to Tohoku and only a brief introduction of things in Aomori, the northernmost prefecture in Honshu island. This year, I'm planning to go back to Tohoku at least twice, once for my research and the other on business. I might go more if circumstances allows.
I had three architectural works of interest in mind in Aomori and am happy to say I managed to cover them all. However, due to deposited snow, I didn't really see the whole constructions. Part or most of them were covered with snow. Still I didn't really mind because snow is part of Aomori and architecture should get along with the local climate. Besides snow makes fantastic scenery.
Aomori Museum of Art |
The Aomori Museum of Art designed by AOKI Jun was the first of the three I visited. Half or more of the buildings and premises were under the snow. But the Aomori Ken (Aomori Dog) was pretty, sitting in the snow calmly capped with a bit of snow.
Aomori Ken @ Aomori Museum of Art |
The center is on the grounds of Aomori Public College |
Flower Horse & Museum Wings/Corridor @ Towada Art Center |
Nebuta Float |
I loved the hotel I stayed in Aomori: Hotel Passage ( one of the Hyper Hotels Passage). It only cost 4500 yen a night including very healthy breakfast with a wide variety of dishes. The room was square and looked cozy, where you'd like to work on your things. It was quite comfortable with a partition between the toilet/washstand area and the Japanese style bathroom (equipped with a deep bathtub, a washing area, a shower, and a faucet). Of course, amenities were good. Free coffee in the lounge and you can pick up extra toiletries at the lobby in addition to those already set in the room. It was three minutes' walk from JR Aomori Station. I can live there for quite a while. And fortunately a food market is in the basement of a nearby shopping building. People working there were cheerful, inviting shoppers to sample their food while speaking in the local accent.
More photos of Towada Art Center. Please take a look.
Just generous: artworks part of the city ! |
Chasing somebody? |
The square in front of the museum. Snow will be gone soon. |
KUSAMA Yayoi works |
Fat House & Fat Car Go in the house. She talks. |
See the floor. I'm on top of the artwork, about to eat bread & soup. |
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