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Published: August 8th 2008
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So this will be my last entry about Japan, as this chapter of my life comes to an end *tear*
However, new things are on the horizon: I will soon be arriving in Shanghai via ferry boat from Osaka, ready to experience the yin and the yang of China.
Just thought I would share with you the great festival season I have enjoyed this summer, and a few last thoughts on the land of the rising sun.
Summer on into fall is the best time of year to experience festivals throughout Japan, as the warm weather and long days draw thousands into the streets for firework shows throughout the country.
Tenjin matsuri is a particular favorite of the Japanese, and is held in many cities throughout Japan during July, the most famous being in Osaka. There were 3 Tenjin matsuri happening the same day in Tottori-ken, so I chose to go to the one in Sakaiminato, where Yuusuke lives.
The festival started early in the morning, with a parade of local preschoolers in adorable matching outfits. It continued from there, going up in age, from the teenage hip hop dancers who performed to Micheal Jackson's
Thriller, to the local Japanese Air
Guard, many of whom looked very serious in their
happi coats. Then there was the parading of the golden shrine, the air filled with festive cries of ,
"washoi, washoi"! from the crowd as it was pumped up and down toward the sky. The parade finished with a dance by the elderly townswomen in traditional yukata accessoried with eyeball fans, the town logo (Side note: the town of Sakaiminato is famous for a manga series known as Kitaro, about a boy with superhero powers and his dad, who has been reduced to only an eyeball and lives in Kitaro's hair).
Events of the day included a tug of war, a music stage where famous comedians from Tokyo performed, and a tuna slicing performance, after which children could go up to the stage and play
janken (rock, papers, scissors) with a costumed Kitaro, the winning child receiving a hunk of raw tuna!
When the day got a little cooler myself and my friend Jessica changed into our pretty
yukata (light weight summer kimono) to go strolling around. Young girls traditionally wear very bright yukata, in pinks and purples. Its a bit challenging picking yukata as a foreigner, as most of the
color schemes are designed to look nice with Japanese skin/hair tone. I chose mine because the gold obi set my hair off nicely and didn't make me look like a frosted cake. Jessica's obi matched her blue eyes, which seemed to delight a lot of locals. We spent the late afternoon strolling around the food and games tables, which offered candy apples, grilled squid, flaming octopus balls, and ice cream. At night, the excitement of the day culminated with a fireworks show over the bay. There was no late-night partying in this obedient little town, as everyone more or less peacefully dispersed around nine, and by eleven the streets held no more than a whisper.
The other most notable summer festival is the
'O'Bon matsuri, a Buddhist festival celebrating ones ancestors. It is a time to clean your ancestors graves, celebrate your roots, and, on the last night of the festival, (August 15) send paper lanterns down the river with messages for those loved ones.
Unfortunately, I am sailing to China on the 15th, so I will miss the chance to see the waterways of Japan illuminated with tiny paper boats, but it will be something to look forward to
if I ever come back. Tomorrow is the start of the O Bon season, and I will be going to Tokushima, in Shikoku, to see the famous Awa-Odori Matsuri. Tokushima is famous worldwide for its unique and passionate local dance, so I'll be sure to post some pictures before I go.
Lastly, I just thought I would amuse myself and all of you with a list of things I will and will not miss about Japan:
Things I will surely not miss: Being unable to access my money after 6pm
Getting stared at in the grocery store
Tasteless, overpriced produce
The lack of 24 hour taco restaurants
Pachinko parlors, random blazing advertisements,
and all other noise pollution the Japanese seem to be immune to.
Japan's unsatisfying bread (it would make a better sponge)
Getting strange bills in the mail that I can't read
The high curbs that have buckled my bike tires
Irrigation ditches that I always manage to fall into
Sweating in high collared sleeved shirts in the summertime humidity
Horrible Japanese driving
Things I will miss: Onsens, stone spas, massages,
and the sort of relaxation only the Japanese have perfected.
The best animation and comics in
the world.
Not having to tip
Restroom toilet paper always courteously folded into a triangle for the next user
Fresh, cheap, delicious fish
Clean cities filled with polite people who go out of their way to help you
Amusing signs in grammatically incorrect English
Adorable children asking for your autograph
Grocery store tempura
The gorgeous green moss, which grows on everything here
All the great and bizarre festivals
The way everything around you just feels peaceful and safe
And, who could forget,
Karaoke!
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Laurel
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*sniff*
I feel like I'm going to miss Japan now too. No more Lisa in Japan adventures surprising me in my inbox. No more amusing stories about Japanese traditions that are strange to us. No more pictures of gorgeous landscapes. Well, for now anyway. Safe travels, Lisa. Miss you + can't wait to see you!! x//L