Tag Archives: Japanese festival

February 19

Thousands Of Glowing Igloos, Oh Yeah

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How could you not love a 400-year-old festival that’s all about glowing igloos inhabited by children serving sweet sake, and a tournament that features teams of guys battling each other with giant decorated q-tips? The only catch is that the Kamakura Matsuri takes place in northiest north Yokote on only two days a year, so START PLANNING NOW! […]

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May 27

Partying With The Gods

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When winter finally lets go of Tokyo and the days start to get long and warm, it’s time to take the local deities out and show them a good time! But the kami-sama can’t just wedge onto the train like the rest of us – they have to be taken around in style while being reminded of the […]

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May 05

5,000 Fluttering Fish Flags

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Actually, 5,283. That’s how many koi nobori it took to snag Tatebayashi a place in the Guinness Book, and this is what they look like, flying over the river near Tsutsujigaoka Park! If you’re in Japan anytime from late March to early May, and would like to see the koi nobori display in Tsutsujigaoka Park at Tatebayashi, […]

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October 13

Festival Of 10,000 Lanterns

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  Every once in a while, Japan so wildly exceeds expectations, it’s hard to put it into words, so I’ll just show you pictures of last night’s Oeshiki Ikegami festival instead. Special thanks go to Tokyobling’s Blog, where I learned about this fantastic festival. I suggest taking a look at his posts, because he takes gorgeous pictures […]

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November 06

Giant Faux White Herons

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It’s not every day I nip out to the local shrine for a little photo taking and run into gaggle of women dressed as eight foot tall birds. Japan can be weird, but it’s not usually this weird! They were performing a thousand-year-old dance called Shirasagi no Mai, which means (unsurprisingly), White Heron Dance. It was originally performed […]

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June 24

Monkey Business

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I was walking around the Decks shopping complex in Odaiba, and suddenly, MONKEY SHOW. Seriously. Right in the middle of the mall. A monkey show. Of course, trained monkeys have been entertaining people for a long time in Japan – the tradition dates back to before the samurai era – but usually you have to […]

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February 08

Funeral For A Pin

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In Japan, February 8th is the day that old and broken needles are laid to rest. Anyone whose work involves sewing stuff together gathers at Awashima Shrine in Asakusa for a requiem service to thank their old needles and pins for good and faithful service. During the harikuyo memorial service, seamstresses, tailors, shoemakers, and milliners approach […]

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