Tohoku summer festivals fill the northern cities with life (JAPAN)

[AsahinaKimi]

Morioka Sansa Odori in 2010 (The Asahi Shimbun)
For the northern prefectures of Japan, summer festivals take on a special meaning.

This year, with the Great East Japan Earthquake and the lingering effects of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant disaster, the summer festivals take on an even more symbolic meaning.

Sendai's Tanabata Matsuri in 2010 (The Asahi Shimbun)
The schedule for the first week of August is filled with major events in cities from Fukushima Prefecture in the south to northern Aomori Prefecture.

Yamagata Hanagasa Matsuri in 2010 (The Asahi Shimbun)
The action kicks off Aug. 1 with the four-day Morioka Sansa Odori, where a seemingly endless procession of women wearing large flower-shaped hats elegantly dance.

Akita Kanto Matsuri in 2010 (The Asahi Shimbun)

More...
http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201107290354.html


Festivals are something most needed right now, especially those who were displaced from their homes, to bring all their spirits up.

[Shandris]

1. Gorgeous pics Asahina.

I'd love to be able to watch some of these colorful festivals one day. Doubt it will happen, so I guess an image-fueled imagination will have to work. :)

[AsahinaKimi]

3. Summer festivals are lovely

We used to have our Natsu Matsuri and Bon Dance here at San Francisco's (Nihonmachi) Japan town, but they stopped having them because the Street fairs seemed always enough. There are three street fairs a year at Japantown but I miss the Natsu Matsuri, because It was far more festive than a Street fair.

[malaise]

2. Lovely

:hi:

[hatrack]

4. Natsukashii yo!

I danced in Sansa Odori 3 years straight in Morioka -what w blast!! An entire city literally throbbing with drums for weeks even before it began.

[AsahinaKimi]

5. Wow! Nice!

I used to do the Bon Odori's at Nihonmachi every year when they had them. You can't do that with a street fair. Still can have fun at the Street fairs..I guess!

Always yummy food there! Believe me I know!




Making Takoyaki!!


My friend holding up his Takoyaki

[Mojorabbit]

6. That last photo takes me back. I haven't eaten those in years. nt

[AsahinaKimi]

7. I look forward to that every year

Our Sakura Matsuri is in March. The Street venders in the food section always are making takoyaki. I wish there was a place around here that made them all year long. Sadly, its like fair food..you only see it during the street fairs and in Japantown only.

[AsahinaKimi]

8. Here is a video of one of the festivals

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_jMLtWu_a8&NR=1