We’re heading to our last stop on our Tohoku festival journey! Today’s post is related to Japan’s Tanabata Festival. Tanabata, or the Star Festival, is celebrated on the 7th day of the 7th month i.e. July 7th (or August 7th in areas that calculate the date using the lunar calendar). Now here’s a story for […]
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The Lake of Five Colors
If you’re planning to be in Yamagata for the Flower Hat Festival this summer, you must fit in a trip to the breath-taking Okama Crater Lake. Nestled in the Zaō mountain range, a cluster of stratovolcanoes bordering Yamagata and Miyagi Prefectures, the Okama Crater Lake was formed after a volcanic eruption of Mt. Goshikidake in […]
Hanagasa Festival, Yamagata
The next stop on our summer matsuri (festival) circuit is Yamagata’s Hanagasa Matsuri (Flower Hat Festival). The word hanagasa refers to the conical hats adorned with artificial safflowers, the unique prefectural flower, used in the festival’s dances. The festival is relatively new, beginning in 1964, but attracting more than a million visitors annually it is […]
Nebuta Festival, Aomori
Almost every Japanese has heard of the Nebuta Matsuri (Nebuta Festival) for a reason. Held annually from August 2-7 in the northern city of Aomori, the Nebuta Matsuri is one of the most spectacular festivals you’ll ever see. Over the six-day period, Aomori City is transformed into a dazzling display of artistry, light and dance. […]
Kanto Festival, Akita
It’s heating up in Tokyo! With summer well and truly on its way, I thought it was time to introduce you to some of the great summer festivals of Japan’s Tohoku region. Two summer’s ago, we went on an 8-day matsuri (festival) camping adventure, driving from Tokyo all the way to Aomori in far-northern Honshu […]
Re-building Tohoku Part 12: Charming Funakoshi
Ishinomaki. A place with such heart that I will always come back. ~ As we approached Ishinomaki Station, we starting recalling the memories of these streets, these places. Images of the Kawabiraki Festival last year flashed across our minds. Even from the outskirts of Ishinomaki, it was clear that so much work had been done […]
Cherry Blossom Season in Tokyo, Japan
You know sakura (cherry blossom) season is approaching when your latte turns pink and your kombini (convenience store) snack becomes a floral tribute. Just a couple of weeks ago, the cherry trees in Tokyo looked winter-bare. I had attended our local cherry blossom festival which unfortunately had to go ahead without the guest of honor. […]
Dog Bites & Rabies Shots
The sun had long set – the streets of Ubud already virtually in complete darkness in the absence of street lighting. They were lurking in the silent shadows. I started riding in the center of the road to give as wide a berth as possible. I saw the shining beads of eyes reflecting back at […]
Re-building Tohoku Part 11: The Tsunami Remains
Part Eleven of my volunteering accounts in Ishinomaki, a town hard-hit by the earthquake/tsunami of March 11th 2011. ~ The next morning we emerged early from our tents to join Peace Boat volunteers for the day. After the usual radio taiso (morning exercises/calisthenics) and singing to wake us up for the day’s work, we received […]
Re-building Tohoku Part 10: The Wetland
Part Ten of my volunteering accounts in Ishinomaki, a town hard-hit by earthquake/tsunami of March 11th 2011. ~ Something didn’t quite sit right after returning from my first trip to the disaster affected areas. I felt strange to be back in a place that now seemed so disconnected from the continuing reality of Tohoku. Something […]