The best picture of the day!
I finally went to watch the Shimada Obi Festival today where I took literally hundred of pictures and have to divide this report on of the strangest/unusual festivals in Japan into many parts!
This report is about the many kids I had the pleasure to (all pictures were agreed with!) to give a good idea of what to expect at a Japanese Festival!
I basically divided the many pictures along themes for easier viewing:
With the mascot!
Teaching by example?
Hungry and waiting for the parade to come.
It was a bit too hot for the kids that day!
Tired and hungry.
Eager to participate!
So well-behaved!
Aren’t we beautiful?
These are tough kids who had to walk no less than 1.7 km a day for 3 days in a row!
Also very tough for the parents who walked behind in holiday finery!
Mind you they were looked after, what with portable stools during the many stops and caretakers looking after all your needs!
Even on the third day many kids were still having a ball of a day!
A bit tougher for the bigger kids who also looked after the wee ones!
Some still couldn’t hide their fatigue!
Note the mothers following their kids in 30 degrees Celsius heat!
How far do we still have to go Mum?
Let’s have a break, shall we?
Well, that kid is certainly enjoying himself all year round!
Horse Lord 1!
Horse Lord 2!
Horse Lord 3!
Lucky boy! I wouldn’t mind being reined in by such grand ladies!
The festival chariots also served as dancing stages where incredibly clad kids form 4 to 9 years old performed traditional Japanese dances to the sound of instruments and singers’ voices!
The dancers had to be carried on a strong man’s back up onto and down form the stages!
Dancing genius 1!
Dancing genius 2!
Dancing genius 3!
Dancing genius 4 making his final salute!
All this is hungry and thirsty work so I will take you to the Festival Food Stnads in Part 5!
RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES
Shop with Intent by Debbie
BULA KANA in Fiji
Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,
Must-see tasting websites:
-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
-Whisky: Nonjatta: All about whisky in Japan by Stefan Van Eycken
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery
Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents
HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City
SHIZUOKA GOURMET 