Tanabata “Star Festival”
This Japanese Festival is based on a Chinese legend of parted lovers who are identified with two of the brightest stars in the night sky. In legend, Vega, a weaver princess, is permitted by the king to marry a simple cowherd, Altair. After they marry, the princess neglects her weaving and the herdsman forgets his cows, so the king separates them, making them live on opposite sides of the River of Heaven, as the Milky Way is known in Japan. On the seventh day of the seventh month each year, the lovers are able to meet when a flock of magpies makes a bridge across the river. It is rainy, the lovers have to wait another year.
This festival is observed throughout Japan, with people hanging colorful strips of paper on bamboo branches outside their homes. You write your wish on the colorful paper and on the seventh day of the seventh month, everyone wishes for a day of no rain, so Vega and Altair will be able to meet, and also so that their wishes may come true.
We ventured out to Hiratsuka this past weekend for the Tanabata Festival. We took the train about an hour outside of Tokyo and when we stepped out of the train station, the atmosphere was incredible!
The streets are closed off to traffic and the festival’s main feature are thousands of colorful streamers that decorate the city’s shopping arcades, which come to resemble brightly colored forests. Each set of 3-5 meter long streamers is handcrafted by local shops, schools and community groups out of washi paper and bamboo. They are then hang from ten meter long bamboo poles along the arcades.
All along the streets are different food stands. It is amazing to see all the people, the food, the drinks, and the celebration. Clay has been more adventurous in the past in trying different food items, however this festival we were both very tame. I had some yakisoba and Clay had a Turkish kebab wrap. You can always find a Japanese cucumber on a stick that has been soaked in salt water, and of course we each had to have one of these! They are the best. I also was able to find someone making fresh caramel corn, so I got a bag of that to take home! Of course the beer, shochu and sake was flowing, and everyone was having a great time!
We met a couple of gentlemen that invited us to sit and have a beer and some edamame with them. Their English was about as good as our Japanese, however we were able to communicate and have a great conversation(or so we think!). They were very friendly and they gave us a cd of music from Tanabata, and they invited us to meet them back at the same place during next year’s Tanabata!
This is a picture of us in front of their restaurant where we are suppose to meet for next year’s Tanabata!
As we walked around and explored more, it never ceased to amaze us at how many people live here. There are close to 130 million people that live in Japan, and close to 38 million in the Greater Tokyo Area. On Saturday, I think most of them where in Hiratsuka!
The best part of the festival has got to be the people watching. It is so much fun to see the differences in culture and what is popular here as compared to back home in the US. One of the most popular things that we have seen since moving here is Osawari Tantei Nameko Saibai Kit. This is the World Famous Anime Mushroom! It is everywhere. Kids LOVE it and the merchandising has got to be a billion dollar industry! Not quite sure how popular it would be back home, as it looks like a big penis with eyes! Just sayin’!!!!!
Here I am holding a button and a laminated picture card that Clay and I won at a game booth. For 500 Yen, you get to pick a pull tab like ticket. You open it up and see what you won! We were hoping to get the giant blow up penis mushroom, but all we got was a lousy button and picture card(for about $10 USD!). Better luck next time!
So as always, there was much fun and a lot of chaos! We have decided that our catch word for the next year that we are here is definitely “CHAOS”!!!! It is EVERYWHERE! We are surrounded by it, but we learn to absorb it and enjoy it!
As we were walking home from the train station, we noticed a Rolls and a Bentley parked across the street from our apartment. We stopped to oggle at them and take a picture.
As we were there, the owner approached us and invited us into his new studio. A nice elderly man by the name of Norman Tolman(goggle him-it is pretty impressive!). He was in the process of checking on the final touches for the grand opening of his newest studio that will be displaying some of his collections of Japanse art. We were invited in and given a tour, along with his partner, the general manager and one of his representatives, we all toasted to the success of this new studio.
As we left the studio to walk across the street to our apartment, Norman drove off in the Bentley and Eiji(the GM) drove off in the Rolls. We were given some gifts of some Japanese print artwork and the invitation to come back again any time.
What an incredible end to an incredible day. You never know what you might find, or who you might run into, as long as you do not let the chaos get in your way!
Sayonara!
The Blondzilla Gaijin 