I am not sure what to call this event, because the lanterns come on only in the evening. It's not a carnival as such, because it doesn't have the rides and attractions typical of a carnival. I guess "Fair" would be a more suitable term but Lantern Festival sounds a lot more romantic!
An open ground in the center of town is taken up with a central stage for drummers, booths for vendors on the perimeter, and hanging lanterns. The townspeople and those from smaller hamlets and farms saunter around during the afternoon, checking out the various treats on offer. Children are dressed in traditional kimonos. (The younger women come out in kimonos in the evening). Everyone is in a festive mood. Despite the crowds, there is no litter. Everything is binned properly, plastic, paper, and glass being sorted carefully.
Enjoying treats with local kids
The lanterns are lit by evening. The ambiance is simply magical. Every lantern bears the name of its sponsors (payment Yen 2,000). There's a lantern with my name on it, bought in 1999 if I remember correctly.
This is the time for the fancy dress parade and dancing contests. In the first parade, children and parents participate together. I saw one family dressed as sushis. The parade for grownups attracts a myriad collection of contestants. One came as a chef, another as a door (yes, a door!), another as a pretty convincing looking Michael Jackson, but mostly they came as Hawaiian hula dancers and figures from Japanese history and theatre. One lady came in an elaborate costume as a peacock. I had noticed her on previous visits, too, each time in an elaborate costume which must take her months to design.
No comments:
Post a Comment