Sannohe Autumn Festival, Year 2!

So I've discussed this festival before, but last time I didn't have any pictures to speak of, since I was actually participating in it. It's kinda hard to take pictures when you're helping lug a giant float up a hill, and since Aaron didn't come out to Japan to join me until after this festival started my first year, he couldn't help me out with pictures either. Fortunately, he was here the second year, and now we can all benefit from his picture-taking abilities!

In case you forgot, which I don't blame you if you did, the Autumn Festival in my town involves each neighborhood making a float (by hand!), then pulling it through the main street of town in a parade. Each float is judged by a panel, and winners are chosen every year. Along the street the floats are pulled through, little food booths and shops sell their wares, and the delicious smell of yakitori permeates the air. Little girls wear yukatas and do up their hair, boys wear happi coats and run around, and everyone is just in a jovial mood.

Each float also has drummers and flute players on it, as well as their own unique song that the float pullers sing as they walk. It's very loud, as all the floats are playing at once, even though they usually try to put a little distance between each one. At the end of the parade, however, the floats turn around and head back to their sheds, and on their way they meet the other floats. When this happens, they battle. The floats turn towards each other, the float song changes and becomes more intense, and the two rival floats try to out play each other. Normally it's just loud, but the battles are sheer cacophony. It's pretty exciting though, I have to admit, and you can check out a video of one battle all the way at the bottom of this post.

The picture above shows the 11 Cats, which is a famous children's book here that was actually written by a man who lived in Sannohe. As such, the cats are kind of the town's mascot. This float was also the winner of last year's festival. Yes, that's right, last year's. This festival happens every October, which means this year's happens in another two months. As Aaron took these pictures, they lived on his camera for quite a while, then were dumped onto his profile on the computer, and I completely forgot about them. I will only say, 'better late than never', which I believe is now this blog's official motto. Enjoy the rest of the pictures of that balmy fall day last year, and look forward to more of the same in another couple of months!