A place that is much more than an exposition hall, Alve is very much 'alive'. One of the reasons is because the Lumiere Cinema is housed inside this massive building. If you are looking for English movies, this is the place to go in Akita City. Nonetheless, do check ahead as some of the movies may be dubbed. When I was in Alve, I caught the Great Gatsby (the newest one with Leonardo DiCaprio) in English and for only 1000 yen, it was a bargain (relative to movie prices in Tokyo). But do note that movie selections are a bit dated (around one month after the opening dates of movies in Japan)
I like how the management in Alve are also proud of their cultural heritage for just outside the massive exposition hall, there is a board for visitors to stick their head in to take a photo. But why take a photo with this board? Well, its actually a replica of a person doing the Kanto Festival, with massive paper lanterns hanging above the board. I like how there is even a message board located next to the replica to show how Kanto is done, with the waist, the head and the hand.
There is also a massive painting above the front door of the exposition hall that depicts the rice fields and the harvesting of rice by farmers.
On the ground floor there´s a empty space filled with tables and chairs for people to hang out or to relax. More often than not, you will find students from the surrounding high schools in Akita chilling here with their friends. There is also a convenience store for visitors to get some snacks and refreshments, in case you decide to spend a long time chilling and in need of some drinks.
Besides the convenience store, there are restaurants located around the ground floor too if you would like to have something to eat.
Alve is a building with a whole lot packed into it, with a movie theatre, kanto replica, exposition hall, restaurants, convenience store and a rest place. Now what more do you need to stay alive?
