Random stuff last few days in JP

Almost forgot the weekend i was leaving there was a festival in town, I was actually there for it last year as well they call it the Mia Matsuri. Not sure about the Mia bit but Matsuri means festival and it's some sort of religious festival but think it has developed into of a commercial money maker, bit like Christmas Easter for us, good fun though.

Basically all the main streets in town are blocked off lots of stalls selling beer, food and all sorts are set up, there are precessions through town for about two days.

Lots of drumming and dancing in the streets, decorated floats (dashi) going past that sort of thing, the main theme though seems to be guys and girls for that matter carrying the local “Kami”

Actually what’s happening is that on the festival each year the local shrines “Kami’ (shinto deity) is carried through the town in “mikosh” (sort of a sedan chair) This is the only time each year the “Kami” leaves the shine. In each town/city there are lots of shrines some really quite small to the really big or important ones.

Anyway it’s quite a spectacle and pretty good fun, there are even some foreigners taking part on some of the “mikosh”, oh everyone carrying these are dressed up in traditional dress, which all looks good. Just banged in a couple of photos of yours truley for good measure.