matsuri « WordPress.com Tag Feed

Tenjin Matsuri

hellonippon — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:36:13 +0000

At 10:30 this morning, Akiko, Moe, and I went to Namba station to meet up with Amy and Sehee. After some slight mishaps and getting lost, we eventually all found each other. I waved goodbye to my host family and went off to explore Namba with Amy and Sehee.

We decided to check out Namba Parks, a sort of high-class mall that is styled to look like a canyon. It`s pretty neat, actually, but the stores were too expensive for us! We stopped at Starbucks for some fruit smoothies before continuing on.

Eventually, we got hungry, and after searching for a while we stopped at this AMAZING Italian place. The three of us ate lunch, which included salad, pasta, pizza, drinks, and gelato, for around 25$. A pretty good deal I think!

After lunch, we wandered around some more, this time looking in stores that were more our price range. Not entirely sure where all we went, but we basically toured around the Namba station area.

We attempted to explore Den Den Town, a part of Namba, but we kind of got turned around somehow, so we ended up just doing the Namba Walk instead. That`s the main shopping street that basically connects to all the other important places in Namba area. We stopped at Sega World to do some purikura, which is basically mandatory on any outing.

We did some various shopping after that, checking out Dotomburi and the giant Don Qixote store. We spend some time sitting by the river watching the Tenjin Matsuri folks getting their boats ready.

Eventually, we got up and made our way back to the station. We took the subway to Tenmabachi, where Tenjin Matsuri was taking place. Actually the matsuri started yesterday - I could hear the drums and the bells ringing for a steady HOUR at around 9pm last night. It was almost louder than the cicadas.

We exited the station, crossed a bridge, and came to this looooong street that was filled with good smells, street vendors, and people. The first thing we did was buy a 1$ piece of fresh pineapple on a stick. It was heaven.

We wandered around the matsuri for a while, alternating between checking out the vendors and watching the boats that were sailing on the river, beating drums, waving flags, chanting, and ringing bells. Eventually, we got hungry. I convinced Amy to try one of the grilled fish on a stick meals. She actually did. Apaprently Gilbert, the fish, ws quite tasty! I snacked on some strawberry shaved ice, while Sehee ate something that resembled okonomiyaki on a stick. Japanese matsuris are all about the food on sticks. I would`ve loved to try so many more foods, but unfortunately it was VERY expensive. My shaved ice was 4$!

The original plan was to stay to watch the fireworks, but we were so tired from the morning in Namba, that Amy went home and Sehee and I went back to my house. We took baths to clean off the city dirt and grime, and turned on the TV. We were surprised to see the Matsuri was bein broadcast on TV! So instead, we watched the fireworks from the comfort of the living room, which was nearly just as good. Anyway, there will be many more hanabi to come!

Beleza oriental

Japonezuda — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 08:10:39 +0000

Aqui no Japão os meses de julho e agosto são marcados pelo "MATSURI", que seria o carnaval dos japoneses, onde eles fecham as ruas, fazem barraquinhas com comidas típicas, carros alegóricos, shows de tambores e tudo mais...

Meninas vestidas de "yukata" (uma espécia de quimono, só que mais simples e mais fino), enfeites de cabelo, crianças comendo raspadinha (melhor seria adultos comendo A raspadinha) debaixo de um calor escaldante.

Mais a noite lá para o final, é chegada a hora mais esperada: o "HANABI" que são um show de fogos de atifício que chegam a durar 1 hora ou até mais dependendo da localidade...

ミタマ祭

tokyo5 — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 10:57:04 +0000

The day before yesterday, I had to go up to Saitama for a few hours.

Do you know what station this lion statue is near?

Here's a short video I took of a Game Center (video game arcade) in Saitama:

And here's a video I took while walking into the train station:

And this is on the platform, waiting for the train:

*****************************

Then, that evening, I met my family at the 靖国神社 (Yasukuni Shrine) for the annual みたま祭 (Mitama Festival).

This festival takes place during お盆 (O-bon) (click here to read my FAQ about O-bon). Most of Japan has Obon in August...but it's often celebrated in July in Tokyo.

Here's a video of the outside of the Haunted House attraction at the Mitama Festival:

And all around Japan during the summer there are many festivals big and small that have 盆踊り (Bon Dancing) to remember the deceased. Here's a video of the Bon Dance at the Mitama Festival:

青森県 (Aomori Prefecture) in Northern Japan has a cool festival called ねぶた祭り (Nebuta Festival).

At the Mitama Festival in Tokyo, a group of Nebuta Festival dancers come and do a show.
Here are two videos that I took of them:

Finally, here's a slideshow that I made of some photos I took at the festival:

| View Show | Create Your Own

Festival Yaks

qjphotos — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:41:29 +0000

Yaks posing for a photo at the Sanja-Matsuri in Asakusa.

I'm going to Greece for a vacation, so this will be the last post until about Aug. 1.

KITARO - Matsuri

coolmusichub — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:02:26 +0000

JAPAN FESTIVAL REVOLUTION AT DAGO TEA HOUSE BANDUNG

idzole — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 01:02:59 +0000

Japan Festival Revolution @Dago Tea House Bandung Jun 10, '08 2:24 AM
for everyone

Start: Aug 2, '08

End: Aug 3, '08

Location: Dago Tea House Bandung

Prepare Your Battle
2 agustus sampai 3 agustus 2008
di DAGO TEA HOUSE BANDUNG
BE THERE....

COMPETITIONS

SUDAH DIBUKA PENDAFTARAN LOMBA MELALUI E-MAIL (khusus luar kota Bandung)...

pendaftaran lomba melalui e-mail ini khusus bagi pesetra DI LUAR daerah Bandung raya(Kota/Kabupaten Bandung, cimahi, dll)...

dan, KHUSUS untuk pendaftar by e-mail (Luar Kota) dapat melakukan pembayaran pendaftaran perlombaan KHUSUS dilakukan pada hari H (On The Spot).

Kirimkan biodata ke alamat seven_code007@yahoo.com dengan format:

-. nama grup/perorangan :
-. jumlah peserta :
-. jenis lomba+kategori :
-. alamat lengkap/domisili :
-. no. kontak :

segala macam pendaftaran baik secara langsung ataupun by e-mail ditutup sampai tgl 27 juli 2008.

pendaftaran lomba by e-mail berlaku untuk semua jenis perlombaan. Kecuali band. harus menyerahkan CD demo terlebih dahulu sebelum mendaftarkan diri dan kita konfirmasi.

untuk LOMBA KABARET COSPLAY boleh langsung mendaftarkan diri melalui e-mail dan langsung mengikuti lomba pada hari H tanpa audisi apaupun. dan sudah menyiapkan CD master cerita Kabaret yang akan dilombakan dengan durasi isi cerita maksimal 20 menit dan tidak mengandung unsur S.A.R.A.Pornografi.(20 isi cerita dan 5 menit untuk prepare rancang bangun setting panggung)

Contact :
Jl. Pelajar Pejuang No. 72
Rumah Makan Sederhana Bintaro
022-91512923 (no sms)

arigatou gozaimasu...
see u there....

http://cosplaycorner.multiply.com/calendar/item/10015/Japan_Festival_Revolution_Dago_Tea_House_Bandung

Japanese Festivals: Matsuri

gaijinjapan — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:48:36 +0000

Matsuri is the Japanese word for a festival or holiday. In Japan, festivals are usually sponsored by a local shrine or temples.

There is no specific matsuri days for all of Japan; dates vary from area to area, and even within a specific area, but festival days do tend to cluster around traditional holidays such as Setsubun or Obon. Almost every locale has at least one matsuri in late summer/early autumn, usually related to the rice harvest.

Some of the most popular matsuri, such as the Nada Kenka Matsuri of Himeji, are often broadcast on television for the entire nation to enjoy.

Here are a few pictures of matsuri in Japan:

Note: You can find many other pictures from a local matsuri in Japan in my other post.

NOTE: The following link is an english SNS in Japan (Youshare Japan). I am writing articles there on Japan/Japanese Culture/Business in Japan/Education in Japan etc, you can find many other blogs.

http://english.youshare.jp/blogs.php?action=show_member_blog&ownerID=1&blogID=3

Sanja Matsuri

qjphotos — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:42:26 +0000

Tokyo’s Sanja Matsuri.

初めての夏祭り

nico — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 05:55:01 +0000

Yatta! My first matsuri in Japan!! 大阪大学外国語学部の夏祭り! Although it was raining a little, still so much fun! I could take so many pictures with my new "baby", the EOS Kiss X2 :D At the end of the day, I realized I had no pictures of myself in that matsuri, but it's ok, still a very nice day :)

Chock Full

gettysburgfestival — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 05:00:51 +0000

In the last two days, I have seriously experienced the festival for what it is truly worth. On Friday, the Sculpture Walk reception went off with a bang. The Kline Theater Atrium was packed and the sun broke through the clouds, allowing people to enjoy the outdoor sculptures. The Matsuri restaurant in Baltimore teamed up with the owner of Ping's Cafe in Gettysburg to make an amazing spread of delicious Chinese food. The two chefs are looking to open their own restaurant in Gettysburg (and the people agree that it would be a great success). Gettysburg's own Mark Warwick was featured in Saturday's Gettysburg Times, pictured with his sculpture currently installed behind the Science Center on Constitution Ave.

After the Sculpture Walk reception, I went to "And the World Goes 'Round" which was a fantastic performance featuring the songs of Kander and Ebb. Each singer had their own unique style which made for an ecclectic and dynamic show. Not long after that performance, a group of us headed over to the Blue Parrot to see "The Canary Cabaret" which lasted well into the night.

Saturday morning rolled around and I headed off to Harrisburg with Julie to pick up Hilary Knight at the train station. It was great to meet Hilary as I continue to be an avid reader of Eloise. Hilary sold out at his book signing in the Majestic and quickly returned home to New York after a short tour of the sculpture walk and the battlefields. For me, the night ended at the President's house for a celebration of everyone's hard work and great successes.

Now I look forward to some rest before Julie and I, with the help of many volunteers, take down all the artwork and return it to each individual artist. It is not over yet, but I can safely say I am proud to be a part of the first ever Gettysburg Festival which I hope will be an annual tradition.

Sanja matsuri

toonytokyo — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 05:32:46 +0000

Mesário é o caralho!

isditzel — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 03:14:31 +0000

Fiquei sem postar ontem e me perdi em meio às minhas próprias idéias, mas, vamos começar pelo começo.

Ontem, quando desci na portaria para a minha saída estratégica diária com o Gui recebi um belo prêmio. Duas cartas de intimação para ser mesária nas eleições. Já nem sei mais como expressar minha indignação. Primeiro: odeio eleições, segundo: odeio política, terceiro: por mim, se o Brasil explodir nao me fará falta. Pra que toda essa palhaçada de eleições se todos os eleitos, seja lá quem forem, vão fazer exatamente a mesma coisa? Fora que, chegar as 7 da manhã e ficar até as 5 da tarde ajudando velhinho, que ainda acha que Jaime Lerner é candidato a prefeito, a votar não faz o meu gênero.

Alguém aí me consegue um atestado de insanidade mental?

Pra melhorar o meu dia, só mesmo o Gui passando na frente do PC cantando: "Eu sou muito mal, chupo pirulito e como mingau!

Sobre o Matsuri e as teorias maléficas, astutas, sagazes e perspicazes formadas lá deixo pro Gui falar, ele, definitivamente, tem mais conhecimento de causa. Eu já até me confundi...

Tokai ni sunda alien ga... ♪

Ragunii — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 15:19:41 +0000

Hohoho, gjett hvem som skal på date i morgen! Vi skal dra til en slags park hvor det blandt annet er et pariserhjul, en skøytebane og en real-size modell av huset til hovedpersonene i Tonari no Totoro. Gleder meg!

Det er en stund siden jeg har skrevet noe her nå, nesten en hel måned faktisk. Jeg har ikke gjort så fryktelig mye i det siste, men de tingene jeg har gjort, har til gjengjeld vært ganske så morsomme ;D

Jeg har begynt å dukke opp i nihonshi-timene(japansk historie) i stedet for sekaishi-timene(verdenshistorie) på skolen i det siste. Jeg forstår enda mindre av nihonshi enn sekaishi, men nihonshi-timene er mye mer frie. Jeg kan gjøre omtrent hva jeg vil i timene, som for eksempel å lese bøker, snakke med folk, skrive brev, eller sove med hodet på pulten.

Jeg har brukt mye av fritiden på skolen i det siste til å skrive brev. Det gir meg noe å gjøre når jeg vanligvis bare ville sittet å stirre ut i lufta, eller sove. Og så er det greit å få skrive litt norsk innimellom, så jeg ikke glemmer det helt ;P

Jeg dro til Oosu i Nagoya med engelsklæreren min for en stund siden. Vi dro til en manga- og animebutikk som er på størrelse med Neo Tokyo i Oslo ganger 10. Det er fire etasjer med alt fra figurer, manga og anime til kostymer og doujinshi. Jeg må innrømme at jeg følte otakuen i meg juble da jeg gikk inn i den butikken. Jeg kjøpte ikke noe den første gangen jeg var der, men kom tilbake senere og fant til min overraskelse Final Fantasy IV til DS! Jeg kjøpte den på flekken. Den var urolig billig også; rundt 1500yen, noe som tilsvarer ca 75 kr! FFIV har ikke blitt oversatt eller sluppet i andre land enn Japan, så jeg hadde gitt opp med å få spille den inntil da. Den eneste nedturen er at det ikke er noe furigana i spillet, så det er vanskelig å forstå all dialogen.

Men nok om det; det neste jeg og engelsklæreren min gjorde var a dra på en ekte maidkafe. Det viste seg at det fantes to kafeer der vi dro, en med maids og en med cosplay. Maidkafeen var ganske så morsom, og jeg ble tiltalt som "ojousama," med andre ord noe "miss young lady"-ish.

Nå er det snart sommer her i Japan, og i Japan betyr sommer festivaler, eller matsuri. Jeg har allerede dratt på to festivaler, en med vennene mine fra klassen og en med klubben. Den jeg dro på med klubben har jeg lagt ut bilder fra på bildesiden. Den festivalen jeg dro på med vennene mine gadd jeg ikke å drasse rundt på et kamera med tanke på at jeg gikk i yukata(tynn sommerkimono), så jeg har ingen bilder derifra. Uansett, det var kjempegøy. Man finner ikke mange gaijins på festivaler, så jeg ble snakket og stirret på av til av folk hele tiden("Hey yuu~!). Det var spesielt en fyr i en bod som ville ha meg til å kjøpe det kan solgte(pølser i noe slags brød), og generelt bare snakke til meg. Til slutt sa jeg bare at jeg ikke kom til å kjøpe pølser pga at jeg ikke liker pølser, og da var svaret jeg fikk, bare "Oo mai gååd~!," etter japansk engrish-standard. Vel, morsomt var det i allefall. Jeg og vennene mine hadde det også hysterisk morsomt med en pose helium vi kjøpte fra en annen bod. De mest minneverdige frasene var vel; "Wareware wa uchuujin!" (vi er marsboere!), og "Namazu!" (kallenavn på en lærer, og betyr catfish).

Til de som lurer på hva i all verden tittelen er for noe, er det en linje fra en sang som indirekte er fra animeen Paradise Kiss. Jeg har hørt på sangen mye i det siste, og den minner meg om da jeg først kom her til Japan. På flyplassen fikk alle et skjema der overskriften var: "To alien entering Japan." Jeg følte meg ikke skrekkelig velkommen akkurat da, men morsomt var det.

Til de som ikke vet det eller har glemt det, har jeg snart bursdag! Yay! I morgen(22.) hadde jeg og vertsfamilien egentlig tenkt til å ha en liten feiring med kake og min favorittmiddag, men da muligheten for en date dukket opp, bestemte vi oss for å ta det på den dagen som egentlig er bursdagen min(24. juni). Så på 24. er det duket for feiring i stor stil med kake, gaver og min favorittmat, sukiyaki.

Tokai ni sunda alien ga shirokujichuu kousaku suru ♪

Mata ne, minnasan~

Sanja Matsuri After Party

qjphotos — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:01:51 +0000

Drunk lady after the Sanja Matsuri Festival.

Sannou Matsuri

psychoballerina — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 14:14:57 +0000

One of the more delightful aspects of living in Japan is the inherent traditional love for a good festival at numerous points in the year and in a great variety of places. For the casual traveller and indeed for the foreign resident, it perks up a routine weekend with a sudden bustle of colour and noise. This is especially so in the area I work - Nihombashi. While Nihombashi may have an illustrious history amidst the swirling memories of old Edo, today it is a dull business district with only the Takashimaya Department store to boast of. The grand old bridge itself is a telling reminder of how Nihombashi has fallen, it's beauty overshadowed by a whopping great freeway that spoils an otherwise potentially lovely area. Even as the matsuri moved along the streets the vehicles did not stop, weaving around the dancing hordes in happi coats and tabi socks. For me, however, it was a fantastic spectacle right on my work doorstep.

The preparations began earlier in the week and on a typical post-work drinking session, we noticed the wooden sponsors board that had been erected by our regular drinking spot, together with a mikoshi-in-progress on the other side of Nihombashi plaza. This continued through the weekend and as a few of us finished our pasta lunch on Saturday, men were busily putting the finishing touches to the golden mikoshi (portable shrine) and a small mouse statue has appeared atop a further mikoshi near the Sunkus convenience store. The mouse shrine was beautiful in its own way with liberal flourishes of gold and red amidst more natural grasses and bamboo shapes adorning the structure.

By 4pm the parade had begun and the mikoshi were danced through the streets of this dull district with flamboyant bells and flute accompaniment. On Sunday this was stepped up a gear as for most of the day a whole parade of colour ran up and down the streets for five hours. The sponsors all seemed to put out a shrine with bearers all in different coloured happi as bright oranges contrasted with deep blues. Together with the natural decor of many of the mikoshi it was a stunning spectacle on an otherwise normal sunday. They crashed around all afternoon loudly enjoying their revelry and I caught a few glimpses while buying ice creams and the like. Sadly I was confined at work all day but for the few snatched moments I caught, it amazed me. I cannot imagine a similar bright, noisy small festival happening in central London around the business district but this is Japan and Japan loves its contradictions.

Mikoshi Guy

qjphotos — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:55:43 +0000

A man carrying a mikoshi (portable shrine) at Tokyo’s Sanja Matsuri.

Start:	Aug 2, '08
End:	Aug 3, '08
Location:	Dago Tea House Bandung