Celebrate Good Times, C'mon!

Ah Summertime. For many people summertime means swimming, vacation and enjoying air conditioning but for those living in Japan it also signals the start of many festivals (and bug season).

Matsuri (祭), meaning festival in Japanese, occur through out the year but August seems to be the month with the most celebrations. Taiza recently held a port festival and Mineyama had a festival for one of their shrines. I'm afraid to say I can't remember the shrine's name but it was fun none-the-less.

The reason for each festival is special. It may be for shrines or a national celebration like the Obon Matsuri which celebrates one's ancestors (the Obon festival will happen August 13-15). There are too many things to enjoy at the festivals so I'll try to touch on what seems to be common at most of them.

The Food

When you arrive at the festival your senses are immediately overpowered by the many delicious aromas in the air. On the left is a picture of takoyaki (たこ焼き or 蛸焼). This food is easily summed up as fried dough balls with octopus meat in it.

I know, I know, it doesn't sound that appetizing but trust me, it is! Besides I've seen people eat things which astounds me of it's existence (I'm looking at you deep fried Twinkies).

Another popular food is Okonomiyaki (お 好み焼き) which is, in the simplest of terms, a pancake made with vegetables, meat, fish flakes and any other ingredients the cook might want to add. Again, it sounds a bit much but once you try it, you'll be hooked.

Culture















Being at a matsuri you get to see many beautiful things. One of my favorite is seeing people dress up in traditional kimono. Many women will dress up in either kimono (着物) or Yukata (浴衣) which are lighter versions of kimono. The complexity of such dress is amazing. There is also a lot of amazing history to learn. Depending on what the festival is about you may learn about a shrine, history on the area or something about the culture.

The Games

Usually at a festival there are some fun games to play. In the picture on the left it's pachinko (パチンコ). Normally the machines are much bigger but these table top versions are good for kids. Other games include goldfish/turtle scooping or tossing games.

If you're unlucky at winning they also have toy booths. You can buy any number of things ranging from key chains and cell phone charms to models and cap guns. I just stuck with buying food since that's something you always win with.


Fireworks
Ah yes, fireworks. What would a matsuri be without fireworks? It would be like a cookout with no hot dogs... no fun. The picture on the left is a set of fireworks my friends and I received for buying cell phones. Thankfully they were put to good use at the last festival in Mineyama.

Coming from America I have a rather high standard for fireworks. Where I lived most big fireworks weren't for sale so it's amazing to me the multitude and variety they sell here. It astounds me that more accidents don't happen but I guess if you're raised with it always around then you learn to respect it.
I also really enjoy the shows here in Japan. The public show starts off with one or two fireworks just to draw your attention. Then they start releasing more with unique patterns. Towards the end it starts to get crazy. Again, I've seen good shows in the States but what happens here is ridiculous. So many fireworks go off that it gets hard to see through all the smoke. They get louder and louder until you are able to just feel your flesh ripple. After it's all over your ears are ringing slightly and you have slight difficulty seeing but hey, that's what it's all about right?

I honestly can't stress how amazing the Matsuri are. If you think by going to one you've gone to them all you're wrong. I've seen many variations each with something interesting - like candles floating in boats on the lake (very beautiful at night). If visiting in August keep your eyes open. If you don't see any celebration you may at least be able to hear the fireworks.

-Rob