Hanamaki's "Shishi Odori" festival is quite fun. Dancers dress in wooden deer masks and wear tall wooden "antlers" which they swing around and sometimes stamp the ground with.

Some locals try to get into the act. I prefer the deer masks, thank you.

In Kitakami's summer festival, community groups build floats and carry them around. A few Nintendo fans in this group, obviously.

Here's the snow festival at Koiwai farm. My friend gave up at this point and went back to the start of the ice labyrinth.

It's a "Jomon-era" house, I think.

An old-fashioned Japanese house, with stone floor, stable, and fire pit. I just love the look of this cracked floor.

The rather small Yokote Castle.

Yep, Japan is known as the land of wooden pecker worship. See me gawk at a local shrine erected to the gods of fertility.