Lift up your holiday spirits in northeastern Japan by walking the beautifully lit up 900-meter Odate Shining Street in snowy December.Warm up your taste buds with Akita style hot pot with Kiritanpo.Also, find an adorable Japanese Akita dog while you are there.
Odate city, birthplace of the Japanese Akita
Canine-lovers like myself may immediately think "dog" when they hear the word, “Akita.” Akita prefecture, located in the northeast part of Japan’s main island Honshu, is believed to be the birthplace of Japan’s most famous dog breed, the Japanese Akita. To those who are unfamiliar with the breed, they are adorable white and fluffy dogs that were the first dog breed in Japan to be designated as a special natural treasure.
In the early 1930’s, the Japanese Akita’s national popularity spiked with the story of Hachiko, a loyal Akita dog that waited for the return of his owner for nine whole years. Being fiercely loyal is one of the key characteristics of this breed.
Odate in Akita prefecture is the very city that Japanese Akita dogs were thought to have developed. Every February, they celebrate the Amekko-ichi festival that has a history of 400 years, which takes place in Hachiko street (the aforementioned Hachiko was born close to this area too), attracting about 100,000 tourists nationwide. The point of this festival is to eat traditional sweets to ward off colds and sicknesses for the rest of the cold winter. During the festival, the Akita Dog Preservation Society hosts a parade, where some famous Akita dogs are featured.
In the early 1930’s, the Japanese Akita’s national popularity spiked with the story of Hachiko, a loyal Akita dog that waited for the return of his owner for nine whole years. Being fiercely loyal is one of the key characteristics of this breed.
Odate in Akita prefecture is the very city that Japanese Akita dogs were thought to have developed. Every February, they celebrate the Amekko-ichi festival that has a history of 400 years, which takes place in Hachiko street (the aforementioned Hachiko was born close to this area too), attracting about 100,000 tourists nationwide. The point of this festival is to eat traditional sweets to ward off colds and sicknesses for the rest of the cold winter. During the festival, the Akita Dog Preservation Society hosts a parade, where some famous Akita dogs are featured.
For those who want to learn more, the Akita Dog Preservation Society also manages an Akita Dog Museum in Odate and holds exhibits that show the important roles the Japanese Akita played throughout Japanese history. If you love Japanese Akitas, this museum is worth a visit (entrance fee is 200 yen for adults, 100 yen for children).
Odate Shining Street: the Tunnel of Light
There is one spectacular street in Odate that "shines up" in the winter. It's called “Odate Shining Street,” during the time that it is beautifully lit up. Akita’s winter is long and cold (which is, by the way, a great environment for the Japanese Akita because they love the cold), and it's lit up to lift up everybody's holiday spirits, including residents and tourists visiting northern Japan.
If you’ve been to Tokyo during the winter, you’ll know that almost every shopping area in the city is decorated with holiday lighting displays. Referred to as “illuminations,” they are everywhere in the city, making the city brighter than usual. You may imagine Christmas icons being used, like scenes from the birth of Jesus Christ, Christmas trees, and snowmen. Although some places do integrate Christmas aspects, elaborate illuminations in Japan are less Christmasy and in my opinion, more about light displays. Many couples go to these places for a romantic night out. In recent years, often LED lights are used for illuminations to conserve energy.
In Tokyo, these holiday light displays are set in an already bright city scene. Although this is beautiful too, why not experience a different kind of beautiful in Odate, where you could definitely expect a White Christmas. There’s something surreal about walking in the snowy cold while looking up at warm illuminations in the dark, and perhaps if you’re lucky, you'll see a cute and furry pet Akita dog taking a walk with his owner.
If you’ve been to Tokyo during the winter, you’ll know that almost every shopping area in the city is decorated with holiday lighting displays. Referred to as “illuminations,” they are everywhere in the city, making the city brighter than usual. You may imagine Christmas icons being used, like scenes from the birth of Jesus Christ, Christmas trees, and snowmen. Although some places do integrate Christmas aspects, elaborate illuminations in Japan are less Christmasy and in my opinion, more about light displays. Many couples go to these places for a romantic night out. In recent years, often LED lights are used for illuminations to conserve energy.
In Tokyo, these holiday light displays are set in an already bright city scene. Although this is beautiful too, why not experience a different kind of beautiful in Odate, where you could definitely expect a White Christmas. There’s something surreal about walking in the snowy cold while looking up at warm illuminations in the dark, and perhaps if you’re lucky, you'll see a cute and furry pet Akita dog taking a walk with his owner.
Akita Style Hot Pot
Odate Shining Street is usually set up in early December and kept up until the middle of January. 2018 marks the 12th anniversary of this event and details for this year are as follows:
Date and Time in 2018
December 8th (sat), 2018- January 13th (sun), 2019
4:30PM- 1AM
Until last year, Odate Shining Street was 800 meters long (from Odate General Hospital to Akita University of Nursing and Welfare College) using a total of 200,000 LED lights on 67 tall Zelkova trees. This year, they upgraded the event by lengthening Odate Shining Street to 900 meters (+100 meters). They will be using a total of 250,000 LED lights (+50,000 lights) on 82 (+15) Zelkova trees. This year you can enjoy taking a stroll in the now-longer tunnel of light.
On the first day that they light up the streets, there is an opening ceremony, where last year there was singing, a speech, and then a light-switching ceremony. The illumination ends with fireworks on the last day. Many Odate residents look forward to the illuminations as they prepare themselves for the long winter ahead.
After walking through Odate Shining Street in the cold, why not try some Kiritanpo, a traditional Akita cuisine. It’s basically rice, but made by first pounding freshly cooked rice until it is mashed, and then placing it around a bamboo skewer to form a long cylinder. Toasting it then dipping it into sweet miso paste is a popular way to have it, but adding it into a hot pot also makes it delicious. Try finding an izakaya in the area to have some hot pot with kiritanpo to warm up afterward.
Lift up your holiday spirits by walking through the Odate Shining Street and warm up your taste buds with Kiritanpo hot pot. If you don't want to be too cold, driving is also an option!
Date and Time in 2018
December 8th (sat), 2018- January 13th (sun), 2019
4:30PM- 1AM
Until last year, Odate Shining Street was 800 meters long (from Odate General Hospital to Akita University of Nursing and Welfare College) using a total of 200,000 LED lights on 67 tall Zelkova trees. This year, they upgraded the event by lengthening Odate Shining Street to 900 meters (+100 meters). They will be using a total of 250,000 LED lights (+50,000 lights) on 82 (+15) Zelkova trees. This year you can enjoy taking a stroll in the now-longer tunnel of light.
On the first day that they light up the streets, there is an opening ceremony, where last year there was singing, a speech, and then a light-switching ceremony. The illumination ends with fireworks on the last day. Many Odate residents look forward to the illuminations as they prepare themselves for the long winter ahead.
After walking through Odate Shining Street in the cold, why not try some Kiritanpo, a traditional Akita cuisine. It’s basically rice, but made by first pounding freshly cooked rice until it is mashed, and then placing it around a bamboo skewer to form a long cylinder. Toasting it then dipping it into sweet miso paste is a popular way to have it, but adding it into a hot pot also makes it delicious. Try finding an izakaya in the area to have some hot pot with kiritanpo to warm up afterward.
Lift up your holiday spirits by walking through the Odate Shining Street and warm up your taste buds with Kiritanpo hot pot. If you don't want to be too cold, driving is also an option!
How to Visit
A 75-minute plane ride from Haneda airport to Odate airport. From Odate airport, take the limousine bus or taxi.
Address: Yutadacho, Odate city, Akita prefecture, 017-0885
Tel: +81-(0)90-3368-2085 (Odate Shining Street Committee)
Address: Yutadacho, Odate city, Akita prefecture, 017-0885
Tel: +81-(0)90-3368-2085 (Odate Shining Street Committee)
