After all the stress of moving into my ghetto apartment, being introduced to the town, and making enemies with the bugs, I was ready for a quiet weekend trying to make this place feel like home, right? Wrong. It’s festival season in Japan! So I booked it down south to see the Iwaki Odori.
My Japanese friend, Hiroshi, explained this festival is about two lovers who could only meet once a year when the river in the sky (The Milky Way) aligned the stars (this is already starting to sound like a Disney movie...) and they could meet. So for this festival, people write their wishes on paper and place them in the trees. I have no idea how this pertains to the story but hey, go with it. Then people gather in the streets and do a dance called the Iwaki Odori. “Odori” means dance. Companies, clubs, or just groups dress in matching crazy costumes and do a choreographed dance down the street. And this dance goes on FOREVER, like hours. From the very young to the very old, everyone was having a great time.
There are loads of street vendors selling traditional Japanese fast food like takoyaki (octopus balls) and cow tongue (which I tried. It wasn’t too bad). I also got to hold a baby pig or inoshishi. It was soooo cute! Until the Iwakians informed me that once he got big he’d probably be dinner… but still a pretty fun night for my first festival.
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