Jeanneabeck’s Weblog

Apparently when it’s hot, Japanese people make excuses to stay out late to beat the heat, hence there’s a lot of summer festivals in the evenings. Yesterday I went to Ichida’s summer festival, which was just one train stop away from me. Hoping to meet other people from Takamori, I was disappointed to see the usual tons of people from all over the area, including similar vendors and activities. Some of them probably attended Tenryukyo’s festival on Saturday. It was still a good time, mind ya, but I kept wondering what’s different about this festival, and why does it matter to come here when it’s so similar to Ringon and other events. Luckily I later met up with my host family and the MU student they’re staying with and we walked closer to the fireworks display than I bothered wandering before. Because of Obon festival of the dead, the locals were launching small rafts alit with torches down the river to symbolize the souls of the dead. Actually sitting in the grass and avoiding the drunk, and otherwise abnoxious festival goers was a relief (, and for a while it was almost mystical seeing the lit rafts make their way down the Tenryu as fireworks were lanched from the other side of the riverbank.  The finale, as my host mom describe, is Japan’s Niagara Falls.

The Festival