Aomori Winter Festival 2019 / 青森冬祭り ２０１９年

A couple of weeks ago as I was getting off work, an event was being held nearby. It was the Aomori Winter Festival and I was able to catch one of the main events of Saturday. I caught the motsuke competition. Motsuke means "enthusiasm" or "enthusiastic" in the Tsugaru dialect. It's just a tug-o-war competition. But the people participating are dressed in fundoshi (loincloths) in the middle of winter. Even the woman emcee was dressed in summer clothing! I was wearing my down jacket and I was still damn cold!!

２週間ほど前、仕事を終わったら近くになんかのイベントが開催してた。それが青森冬祭り。丁度その時間に”もつけ大会”がありました。”もつけ”とは、津軽弁で”熱中する人”。見てたら単なる綱引きじゃないかと思ったが、でもいろんなチームの格好を見たら、なるほど。ほぼ男たちのチームでふんどし姿で戦う。自分はダウンジャケットを着ながら、それでも超寒かった。女性の司会者も夏の格好してた！

Only in snow country would they have a competition like this.

やっぱり雪国って凄いなと思った。

There is the female judge and emcee dressed as if it were summer.

はい、女性の司会者も男どもと負けずに、夏の格好でやってます。

I would say these guys are freezing their nuts off!

どう見ても、寒すぎり！

This team was a group of foreigners who are all English teachers. No, I did not join the team!

このチームは外国人の選手たち。全員英語の講師をやってる人。いえ、私は参加してませんよ！

You could check out the results in the Nebuta House Warasse building. 

大会の結果はねぶたハウス「ワ・ラッセ」の中で確認出来る。