Japan 2011-Nebuta Museum

Our party had split up upon departure from Hakodate. I arrived with the first group and spent some wasted hours walking around the area outside of the JR station looking for a place to eat. No sooner had I given up and walked back to the station,that I met back up with the second group. We stepped into a restaurant and I ordered the miso curry ramen made with milk. The soup was good with a slight bite. However, the curry flavor was much too subtle for my liking.
Some time after lunch, I visited the Warasse Nebuta Mueseum. During the first week of August, the city holds its weeklong celebration. Nebutas are basicallu large ornamental lanterns. The skeletal frame is made of wood and covered with a material that lets through light. The brightly painted floats are lit from the inside and paraded through the streets at night. The museum preesents the history of the festival and highlights the contruction of the floats. Contained within the largest hall, are the winners of the best Nebuta for the past 5 years, as shown below