Year In Review: Festivals
Happy New Year 2010!
One of the most enjoyable activities I have found while living in Japan is attending local festivals, many are held every week in different areas of Tokyo (and all over Japan). A festival is like a colorful street party, with food, drinks, games and dancing – it is a lot of fun. You will find men, women and children of all ages are actively involved.
Below is a list of festivals I attended in 2009 (month in brackets):
- Hagoita Ichi (December)
- Dream Yosakoi Festival (October)
- Koto Kumin Matsuri (October)
- Fukuro Matsuri (October)
- Super Yosakoi (September)
- Koenji Awa Odori (August)
- Asakusa Samba Carnival (August)
- Roppongi Hills Bon Odori (August)
- Tsukiji Honganji Noryo Bon Odori Taikai (August)
- Shimbashi Koichi Festival (July)
- Zojoji Bon Odori Matsuri (July)
- Yamato Awa Odori (July)
- Kagurazaka Matsuri (July)
- Ueno Natsu Matsuri (July)
- Mitama Matsuri (July)
- Shonan Tanabata Festival (July)
- Aoyama Gujo Odori (June)
- Odawara Hojo Godai Matsuri (May)
- Kanda Myojin Omikoshi Togyo (May)
- Shirasagi no Mai (April)
- Kanamara Matsuri (April)
- Hinamatsuri (March)
- Ume Yume Festa (February)
- Setsubun (February)
- Shimokita Tengu Matsuri (January)
I went to only a few festivals in 2008:
- Tokimeki Taito Festa (November)
- Shinagawa Syukuba Festival (September)
- Omikoshi Togyo Autumn Festival (September)
- Azabu Juban Matsuri and Roppongi Hills Bon Odori (August)
The photo special by The Mainichi Daily News titled “Festivals in Japan: Lifeline of a Nation” published on November 10, 2009 has a short article and some nice pictures.
“As autumn deepens, harvest festivals are being held across Japan. People carry around miniature shrines, parade through the streets with beautiful floats, or dance to traditional music to celebrate the harvest season.
Since ancient times, festivals have played an important role in the life of the Japanese people, who carried on collective farming for many centuries. Today, relationships among people have been weakened in the course of modernization, and it seems like local communities no longer exist in urban areas. However, people in many cities still celebrate traditional festivals just like old days.”
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What amazing festivals!
Thank you for visiting my blog and leaving a comment.
Looks like your own blog is about festivals all over the world, including Japan – very nice indeed.