Daito’s Danjiri Festival

One Sunday afternoon, T and I were on our temple visit in Nozaki when to our surprise a danjiri festival.

A few years ago, I went to Kishiwada to see this infamous festival but unfortunately there were so many people it was hard to get a better look.

Luckily, my dear Daito City also have it’s Danjiri Festival so I was able to get a better look and enjoy it.

Preparing to turn.

Turn success!

Another one preparing to turn.

The festival usually happens end of Summer. Each city has their own schedule, so if you are in Japan at this time, check it out.

Advertisement

Rockin’ in Daito

Daito is one of the cities in Osaka Prefecture.

It’s not known. It’s not a tourist destination.

Whenever I’m asked where I live, I always say Daito and wait for the reaction specially if the one asking is a Japanese person. Majority would give me a blank face, so it really makes me happy when the recognizes it.

So imagine my surprise a few months ago, when I saw a flyer saying that there is going to be a Rock Festival last June 8.

There was a rock band competition among the local high school band, which unfortunately I failed to watched. The festival was held in local theater, so it was nice, did not have to be sweating in the summer heat while listening to the band. There were two categories, the local professional bands and the newly formed band.

T and I were in and out of these two locations and just hanging around listening to some interesting bands.

We also met the city’s mascot:

Heard a few message from the City’s Mayor:

But the most interesting and most awaited performance of all where from the KISS (dolls), a Japanese Version of the famous KISS band.

Pictures are a bit blurry because of the lights, but the group had it down to the last bit of the costume. They gave a really good and fun performance.

 

It was a really fun event, young and old alike were rockin the day away. A great achievement for the organizers and of course Daito City.

I have uploaded more picture ( a bit blurry) and some videos in my Flicker Album, please check it out if you have the tme.

Weekly Photo Challenge : Saturated

There were several lantern that was so colorful and gorgeous during the Lantern Festival in Ikoma’s Hozanji and it got prettier when the candle was lighted. I had several favorites and I will slowly put them here, but for this week Saturated Challenge I choose the two lanterns below.

I was both amazed at the details of this lantern. I only took a shot of the side where the head of the wolf was located.  I totally forgot to look for this one again when it was lighted.

Some of the lanterns during the Tea Ceremony.

Festivals and Fireworks

Summer in Japan is both hot and very humid but summer is the time of festivals and fireworks.

The Lover’s Shrine just a few meters away from work had their Summer festival. The shrine have this festival every 3rd Friday and Saturday for the month of July. Before I went home last Friday, I took a little peak .

 By the beat of the drum, this guy looks like he is doing some kind of interpretative dance. I tried really hard to understand it but it I failed miserably. It’s not fast movements too. Sorry but to me the movement looks like a wriggling worm. It was still interesting to watch though.

While the interpretative dance was still on, the kids on the side did their thing too. Really cute girls and boys in their Yukatta bringing small umbrella and some other musical instrument were dancing following somebody dressed us a dragon.

 Then there’s the big boys toy. A huge drum. There were about 4 people hitting it when I took this picture and by the time we left, I think there were about 6 of them. I think they were still warming up though. Testing the sound of the drum and coordinating their movements.

The next day, I met with N and M together with M’s home-stay guest A had lots of cakes at Sweet Paradise and afterwards decided to have a little firework on our own. 

We got a small pack of different firework stuff and went to a nearby river near Osaka Castle and had so much fun with our mini fireworks.

Summer might be very hot and humid in Osaka Japan, but there are definitely lots of events happening at this time of the year.

Travel Theme : Costume(2)

One good thing about summer here in Japan is the festivals. A few years ago, M and I went to Machida to try the infamous meat bun there and we discover that there was also an Okinawan festival going on. After our little treat we head out to location where the drum competition was being held.

All fired up.

Another group about to begin. Very Nice Costume.

The ladies dancing to the beat of the drums.

It was so much fun watching and listening to the beat of the drums.

When I returned to Osaka in 2011, T and I went to our first Kobe Festival. We were also supposed to this year but it rained on the day of the festival itself so we cancelled going to Kobe. Here are some of the festival participants all the way from Nabo 😉

Looks like a new outfit for a star trooper

Hey Mr. Darth Maul over here, pose for my camera 🙂

Stop waving that light saber Darth Vader, you might hurt someone.

Ahhhh Blue alien 🙂

T and I were having so much identifying the characters as they walk by.

Visit Ailsa’s Theme this week for more participants 🙂