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Published: January 17th 2007
Summer in Japan is really an endless festival. Actually festivals in general in Japan are endless....but the summer is the peak season.
For my last weekend in
Innoshima, I attended the Habu fireworks. I'd like to think is was a farewell party for me, but actually it was the kickoff to summer holidays. Never before have I felt more like a celebrity! Cruising down the mainstreet with Dana, we were pretty much greeted by everyone that passed by. Every student knew either one of us, and stopped with their families to say hello, take a picture, or just wave. It was awesome! It was the last time I saw most of the Innoshima locals....I'm really going to miss that place.
The
Onomichi fireworks the next weekend were phenomenal! There is a mountain in Onomichi that overlooks the sea...this is the ideal viewing spot for the fireworks that explode from a barge on the water. Warm weather, friends, food and drink made it a memorable evening.
Let me explain that a festival is not only the fireworks that go off at night. Starting at about 4 in the afternoon, usually it's the main street that shuts down except to
pedestrian traffic. Food and drink stalls go up, where you eat typical festival food including noodles, fried chicken, crushed ice and beer. In the summer, men and women dress in a traditional
yukata, which is a casual form of a kimono. I think they all look beautiful!
The next weekend I went to
Festa de Rama with my friend Misako. It was a reggae and ska hippie fest held on the next island over from me, Setoda. What I love about music festivals here is the relaxed nature of everyone. People chilled out on their blankets, covered from the sun (because tans aren't cool.....my kind of place!), and everyone likes everyone. I met a lot of great people and saw some amazing performances by really great Japanese bands. I came away a fan......
Besides fireworks, another popular kind of summer festival is a festival for traditional dance. I went to watch one in Fukuyama, and I participated in the
Mihara Dance Festival. It's another town that was in my general area. Groups of people gathered a team to dance is this parade through the city. Ours was the "foreigner team", and we danced for hours in a line
of hundreds of people! Although we didn't win the prize for best performance, I think we were a highlight for many viewers who were shocked to see us out there! Not everyone can dance in the parade, but our special treatment as important people pulled through yet again for an unforgettable night. It was so exciting!
My final summer festival was the
Miyajima fireworks - the absolute best display I've ever seen. One of the most prominent symbols of Japan is the torii gate floating in the water at Miyajima. It was a breathtaking setup for an unbelievable show.
The neverending stream of festivals kept me busy...and each one made me want to stay in Japan even more and more. My sister arrives next week, and we're going to tour around the 'hot spots' before returning home. It's going to be hard to say goodbye to such a wonderful place.
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Roothie
non-member comment
Dine Out!
Well, Heather, you'll be dining out on that celebration for a long time to come! The festival of all festivals! I think I'd like to hang out at them, dance and take in the fireworks and food! Great pics!