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September 28, 2004
It’s FESTIVAL time ya’ll
Every town has a plethora of festivals for every season, celebration and newborn insect. In August it is O-Bon festival time. I was utterly amazed by the community force behind these events. Clubs, companies or business groups make the hanging displays by hand, from paper, and it takes days of work. The festivals contain a population spanning from spankin-newborn to crumpled elderly and everyone is invited to join in the dancing. The more wizened aged-woman beautifully dance the sox off all the generations below them. Duncan and I spent much of our time at the festivals trying to explain to our students that we aren’t a couple, but oh how they tried to convince us otherwise. The rest of the time was spent eating yakitori!
The town hall’s display. This was the last time Tanbara would have it’s own festival because this coming November Tanbara is being engulfed by the city and Saijo and we are morphing into one, sort of like Voltron, but without the cool shiny metal parts.
They aren’t just pretty, oh no, it’s hotter than hell and everyone is wandering around fanning themselves, in fact the communal updraft probably keeps bugs away too.
Oh yes, that is me in a green kimono. These are actually called yukata, which is a summer kimono. The woman in the light blue is Aono. She brought me to her home, introduced me to her family, they made me lunch and dinner. Somewhere in between there Aono took me to a temple, and then they dressed me up in a yukata complete with a purse and clickety clackety, painful! geta sandles.
Many ladies dress up for festivals, and the multitude of colors and patterns are a sight to behold. Men also dress in a sort of summer Yukata.
The dancing is done in long lines or massive circles organized groups coordinate there clothing.
Fireworks must ensue at any large gathering during the summer!
Stand after stand of delicious food, goldfish, games, toys and fans.
Posted by theinfonaut at September 28, 2004 01:08 AM
Comments
now i am offcially in awe and jealous of you. your pictures are amazing, so i can only imagine what it must be like experiencing it all. kickass.
Posted by: linz-san at October 8, 2004 03:02 AM
It's so cool to watch this part of your life-terrific pics, want more of them to include you!
Love ya
Posted by: Mom at November 6, 2004 02:55 AM