Katakuri Festival (Dog-toothed violets)

Before I was even off work, Kristin arrived from Nagano to visit me for Golden Week. She arrived just in time to catch the end of the Katakuri Festival in Asamushi Onsen.

Asamushi Onsen Beach during peak summer season.

The Katakuri Festival runs for a few weeks every April and celebrates the blooming of the dog-toothed violets. In many respects, it's not so much a "festival" as it is a "hiking and photographing frenzy". During this time, small fishing boats offer 1000 yen rides over to 湯の島Yunoshima, the uninhabited island in front of Asamushi Beach. There, you can hike up to the peak of the small but steep mound of an island, and look at the purple and white flowers around you all the while.

I instantly fell in love with the trails. They're narrow, soft, and have massive steep drops off to the sides. It's great that the island is off-limits for most of the year, so the trails stay wild and mostly untrodden.

Trails used only a few weeks a year are the best trails!

Once we got to the top, Kristin and I sat down and munched on some apple pie and pumpkin rolls we bought at a grocery store on the mainland. We washed it all down with some local Aomori apple juice before heading back downhill.

The summit: short but steep.

At the bottom, we spent a little time walking the rocky shores taking pictures and hunting for sea glass.

So much smelly marine life.

Mmm... shellfish...

Tiny rocky beach on the north end of the island.

We walked past a smelly pile, and right as Kristin was about to step in it, I said, "Hey! Look at this!" She looked down to see the decomposing jaw and spine of what used to be a fox. She stumbled back in horror, while I contemplated how difficult it would be to bring the jawbone back home with me in a sanitary manner. Needless to say, Kristin wouldn't let me...

A Japanese fox, or at least what's left of it.

After that, we took the boat back to shore, had lunch of ramen and yakiniku (barbecue) at a 食堂 Japanese style eatery, and took a break at the footbath in front of the station. Having Kristin with me really catches people's attention, since people tend to assume I'm Japanese and uninteresting when I'm alone. A woman with her son at the footbath struck up a conversation with Kristin (even though I did most of the talking), and she gave us a few apples for the short ride home.

We boarded the next bus, waved goodbye to the mom and son out the window, and headed home to call it a productive day. I can't wait to come back again next year!