Saturday, August 2, 2008

Summer Matsuri

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Summer matsuri season is in full swing right now. There are 2 types of matsuri held in the summer, civic, and Shinto. The civic matsuris', like this one in Hamada, have no religious component, and are mostly fairly modern in origin. It's a time for young girls to dress up in yukata and meet up with their friends.

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There will usually be a stage where various forms of entertainment are on offer,... folk dancing, taiko drumming, kagura, after the mayor and other local "dignitaries" have given their speeches, of course!

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There will always be the food stalls offering typical matsuri fare,.... overpriced and not particularly good....

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And almost always the day will end with a firework display, with each town trying to outdo their neighbors in the number of firworks used.

Tomorrow I'll post about the other type of summer matsuri.

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