A mixed of photos from our Oct 1 -2, 2016 trip to join in the Iwate Aki Matsuri
IWATE IWATE IWATE
This is the excerpt for your very first post.
Meeting locals
It was a special treat to join in the Iwate-machi Akimaturi (fall festival) and meet the people who prepared throughout the year for this special festival. We met community and business leaders, students, and others. Getting to talk to locals means a more personalized experience to see and do other things. For example, after returning … Continue reading Meeting locals
Sake tasting
sake tasting while wearing kimono The way we did it turned out to be fun. I would encourage tours to do it this same way. A bottle was selected by each pair - it was introduced and passed around so everyone got to have a taste. The snacks - each person got to select up … Continue reading Sake tasting
Arizona big sky Jan 2017
The kimono experiment
I call this the Kimono wearing experiment because the salon we went to had clearly never done with someone as large as I am! They seemed quite entertained about the whole process of putting the kimono on me. And i got a kick out of the whole process. We went to a local salon, where … Continue reading The kimono experiment
Cabbage man
We stopped by a local sweet shop to try freshly made dango (sweet dumplings made from rice flour) that came in varieties sugary sweet, salty and roasted with sesame, soy and other flavours. While there, we talked to the shop owner about Cabbage Man, a local celebrity we had heard about. Cabbage … Continue reading Cabbage man
Food food food
No festival is complete without trying some local sweets. I tried taiyaki (a stuffed fish-shaped pancake) filled with chestnut, purple potato and sesame cream. I am not sure which was my favorite. (see left photo, my photo did not come out well so i used this one from Tanoshii Dezato - literally fun or interesting … Continue reading Food food food
Different festival manners
Festival throughout Japan vary greatly. By joining the Iwatemachi Aki-matsuri (fall festival) we could enjoy some distinct dances, costumes, floats, and customs. Before the start of the festival, we were prepared with our outfit for the day, which consisted of three parts, a hapi or festival jacket, footwear and headscarf. Some festivals have very strict … Continue reading Different festival manners
Akimatsuri floats
The first site that attracted me was the different floats and how interesting they each were. There were 7 community groups and each group had different themes and images. Each group created float, which People in the community put a lot of time, effort and spirit into creating. The idea behind this reminds me of … Continue reading Akimatsuri floats