Summer Festival in Japan - Part 1

Dwiana my dearest friend, asked me to tell about summer in Japan. Well, summer in here is bloody hot, more hot than Indonesia. As I told you, for me it's like nightmare. But the good things, there is many event held during summer. The famous event is a traditional summer festival which called matsuri.

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Last weekend we went to my elder's son school which organized matsuri. As usual matsuri always fun with many stalls and games. They sold local food like takoyaki, okonomiyaki, yaki tori and kaki gori.

I attend many matsuri here, but I just snapped some of them. Yes, because not just clicked a moment of matsuri but I should taking care my two kids, even though my husband always accompanying me, it was not easy doing two jobs at the same time. In my son school's matsuri I did't take many photos too, as usual we were just busy with the kids...oo myy.

Matsuri (祭, Matsuri?) is the Japanese word for a festival or holiday. In Japan, festivals are usually sponsored by a local shrine or temple, though they can be secular.
Source : Wikipedia

When matsuri, some people wear a traditional cloth called Yukata. It is like Kimono but in casual form with bright colors and flowers motif.

Yukata (浴衣, Yukata?) is a Japanese summer garment. People wearing yukata are a common sight at fireworks displays, bon-odori festivals, and other summer events. The yukata is a casual form of kimono that is also frequently worn after bathing at traditional Japanese inns. Though their use is not limited to after-bath wear, yukata literally means bath(ing) clothes.
Source : wikipedia

You can find, a lot of stall at matsuri. Food, games and drinks's stall will be surrounding you. King gyou Suku or Goldfish Scooping is one of favorite game among other game in matsuri. Not just kid, but adults also enjoyed this game.

Goldfish scooping (金魚すくい, 金魚掬い, Kingyo-sukui^?) is a Japanese traditional game in which a player scoops goldfish with a special scooper. It is also called, "Scooping goldfish", "Dipping for goldfish" or "Snatching goldfish". "Kingyo" means goldfish and "sukui" means scooping. Sometimes bouncy balls are substituted for goldfish.

And also high school student participated in elemetary school's matsuri, they played music in a group.

Because this August is became really hot, I should bring water bottle every time we went some places. But in matsuri, we can bought a famous kaki gori, it is pretty similar with es serut ( an Indonesia's name of ice).

The seller crushed the ice cube then they put ice into plastic cup and poured with any kind of syrup.

For one cup kaki gori we spent 100 Yen but the price is vary depend on places, it might be in other matsuri for 1 cup kaki gori we would spent 400 Yen.

During the festival the place are crowded with paper lanterns because most of summer festival will be held until night . When night comes, you can enjoy the papers lanterns lighting up the area of festival. They are in a line with many color and written in kanji.

Ok, we were bliss that we could to be part in Japanese traditional event and memory of this event will stay on for long time. See you in the next matsuri..!