GOSHOGAWARA, Japan - Naval Air Facility (NAF) Misawa's Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) Single Sailor Liberty Program took eight Sailors, currently based at Misawa, Japan, to Goshogawara, Japan's Tachineputa Festival
Aug. 8.
“This was an amazing experience and I am really glad to have been directed towards the liberty program after arriving here for our patrols deployment,” said Aviation Maintenance Administrationman 3rd Class Christy Burkholder, assigned to the "Scorpions" of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 132. “This is my second time coming to Japan with the squadron and I am definitely going to use the liberty program much more this time around for these kinds of trips.”
The neputa in the festival are called Tachineputa and can reach 75 feet in height and weigh as much as 38,000 pounds.
The oldest written record of Tachineputa was recorded in 1907 when great land owners competed against each other to see who could build the tallest neputa. The neputa were said to have been visible from other towns.
"MWR's Single Sailor Liberty program is primarily designed for 18 to 25-year-old single personnel currently deployed or stationed here in Misawa," said NAF Misawa’s MWR Liberty Program Coordinator Mick Hultz. "However, we allow any unaccompanied E-6 and below to participate regardless of age."
Fifteen floats were pulled down the street during the festival as while float carriers and dancers excitedly shout “Yattemare! Yattemare!”
Additionally, the Liberty Center organizes various trips to a number of locations throughout Japan and also gives Sailors the opportunity to experience the local culture and special events.
“The festival season in Northern Japan is world renowned and it would be a shame for these Sailors to be stationed over here and not take part in it at all,” said Hultz. “It is my priority to facilitate and assist in these experiences for the morale of all the Sailors participating.”
All Liberty events are either discounted or free of charge to help give junior ranking service members the opportunity to enjoy Japan to the fullest extent.
| Date Taken: | 08.08.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 08.11.2015 21:48 |
| Story ID: | 172860 |
| Location: | GOSHOGAWARA, AOMORI, JP |
| Hometown: | MISAWA, AOMORI, JP |
| Hometown: | SAN ANTONIO, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 54 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Misawa Sailors visit Tachineputa Festival, by Samuel Weldin, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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