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Festivals (Matsuri)

Summer festival at a shopping street

2014.08.23

azabujubanmatsuri.jpg

The Azabu-Juban shopping street summer festival is held annually in Minato ward of Tokyo.

This year, the festival was on August 23 and 24. The shopkeepers sold specialties and drinks on the stalls. There were many young people in yukata (traditional Japanese summer kimono). The street was full of life, and especially at night it was so crowded with excited people that it was difficult to walk.
I was with my friend who is half American and half Japanese. He said that "Summer festivals in Japan have lots of food which look yummy. In America, there is unusual food like fried scorpion." I was surprised to hear that. I have never been to a festival overseas, although I have been going to local ones since I was a child.

I enjoyed Japanese traditional culture with various foods on the stalls which are unique to this kind of occasion.

It was my first festival visit this year. I was happy to feel the atmosphere of Japan's Matsuri festival after a while.


THE JAPAN FORUM
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