Summer of Festivals

Just like in the states, summer is the time for festivals in Japan as well. The ones I remember from my childhood tended to be traditionally centered around vegetables and livestock. My home town festival in Ohio included much anticipated events like the "cow chip" throwing contest and the "tractor pulls" and the Boy Scouts roasting fresh picked local sweet corn.

Each festival in Japan celebrates one specific thing. For example, a particular kind of drum (taiko). or dance, weaving (tanabata), the moon or fire. They really focus on this one element being the reason and meaning for the celebration.

I attended the Domatsuri (dance festival) in Nagoya last weekend and was mesmerized by the performances, the music (even though I couldn't understand the lyrics!) and the costumes. It included 210 teams and over 23,000 dancers. Performances were all around the city, but one stage was right here at the Marriott main entrance terrace. The main goal  of the festival is to demonstrate that all generations can enjoy the fun and fitness of dance and body movement. The ages on the teams ranged from 3 to at least 83. Some teams were very large and so well synchronized that they had to have practiced for months and months reach that level. I don't think it was a competition, as I never saw any scoring or awarding of prizes or ribbons. I think it was just for the fun of it. Imagine that!

Here is a video of one of the best groups that I saw.



Off to pick up our Alien Resident Cards today. Applied a month ago and now  they have been processed and approved. We are officially residents of Nagoya! 4 weeks down, only 100 to go!