Anyone been to any good local obon festivals this year? I am not feeling well and wasn't able to go to mine, but went last year and it was a lot of fun. I even did a bit of a dance.

Yesterday was ours. Great fun. I'll put up some photos when I've sorted them, and if some are any good.

Ours is small and relatively insignificant, but the entire community, all ages, is into into it. The best part for me is there was an afternoon and evening of public drinking, but no drunks, no aggro. Children roaming free and groups of youths all having a good time. Two elderly policemen smiling benignly at a community policing itself. Magic.

Young people taking their culture seriously.



A true prfessional at work. People queueing to buy crushed ice and chocolate bananas.



The Obanazawa hat-dance team. It's a work song, and totally infectious. I love it.



Hat-dancers of all ages.



Team dancing.



More blondes in Japan than in Scandiwegia.

Nice shots soubs. Chocolate bananas must be the centre of all cultures.

That last shot must've been ISO 1600

Thanks thursday. Grainy as hell, but I wanted the blonde chicks.

I was shooting in low light without flash. The Nikon D40 is a low priced entry level DSLR, but it's brilliant.

and fine blondes they are too. Blondes are to festivals, what Notting Hill gate is to Notting Hill.

The blonde on the right has a very manly chest.

Boyly, I'd say.

Looks fun soubs. I'd like to experience something like that. The more local the better I would imagine (well to a certain extent)

It really is fun. Tonight is the hanabi (fireworks). Lots of visitors in town.

It's over. She and I were on the roof for an ace view of the fireworks. Oishida had it's annual traffic jam at the end of the event.

Obon is brilliant. It's a celebration of the community and an opportunity to sell 400 cups of crushed ice at 200 Yen

so that's 80,000 at the end of the night. Cool.

There are overheads but soubriquette is a smart lady. And she's nice to cuddle too.

so how much for a cuddle? and what are the overheads?

Rent for the tent; ice machine; ice; syrup. (commas have given up on this keyboard so semi-colons).

Cuddles come free in this home. We both like skinship.

grinding ice must be a bit of a shave

The past two seasons I've cut my hands smashing ice; and bled a little bit. It's a good job I don't have HIV or hepatitis.

it's a good job you DON'T KNOW you've got....

I'm a bit bummed, Fujisawa doesn't do anything for Obon, which I'm surprised cos usually it has all the hols.....well I'm pished anyways, so **** it!! hehehe

This thread's died an early death. Surely someone somewhere must have been to a matsuri. Or is it because all the diehards are on holiday bloody abroad?