ICT trip wrapups- Misawa in September

Still feel the need to dutifully catalog something of my last three trips during my ICT last year before I can move on to sharing my new experiences living in Okinawa.  For this post, then, here are some choice pics and captions from my trip to the northern most prefecture of the main island of Honshu, Aomori, with focus around the town of Misawa.

Beautiful recreational lake that can be accessed from the Misawa shared U.S. Naval Station and Japanese Air Self Defense Force base. 

Lots of natural beauty to be found in this prefecture, including a long drive through a gorge with many waterfalls and hiking trails.

That gorge with the waterfalls comes from here at Lake Towada, the deepest lake on Honshu.

In the distance a sample of the many windmills installed in the countryside here, working hard to harness energy in a variety of ways (not just from nuclear reactors)

On the Shimokita Peninsula, the very most northeastern tip of Honshu, lies Cape Shiriyazaki, with this wild horse reserve and lighthouse park.  The lighthouse was built in the Meiji era and survived WWII though it is not in use now.  

These last four photos are not actually in Aomori prefecture but were part of the return drive to Tokyo.  Actually just over a mountain range from Fukushima is the beautiful town of Yonezawa, with a fascinating central shrine park.  Here is a lily field at one entrance to the park.

Some revered lords of old Yonezawa, quite famous throughout Japan for the peaceful reign of their clan for hundreds of years. 

Uesugi Shrine entrance, old and much respected in the entire region.

Yep, I posted this one previously but it belongs in this collection from Uesugi.  Getting the official Shinto priestly blessing for the car- a straightforward enough ceremony, and we wish the driver safe travels.

Thanks for viewing, Kyoto and Nagasaki trips up next.