I will post about, salsa, bachata, beauty, fashion, photography, and life in Japan. I want to share everything that I find to be interesting, beautiful, and fun. I studied Theatre Costuming and Japanese, graduated from WVU in Morgantown West Virginia, and moved to Tokyo in 2017 to pursue my many dreams. I studied abroad in Nagoya at Kinjo Gakuin University in 2011 and you can read about that in my older posts here. I currently work as an English teacher using theatre.
After rehearsal and swing dancing, I went to Kawagoe for the Kawagoe Matsuri! Apparently it had been cancelled for covid for the past few years up until now.
My friend and I had been planning to go to this festival for months! She lives in Kawagoe and she is the one who told me about it. I had so many things happening on this day, but I was so excited for this festival! I missed the fast express train (fastest without paying extra, that is) by a literal second in the conbini grabbing snacks, and got the semi rapid, which meant I'd be 15 minutes later than planned. My husband, who planned to join up with us later, ended up taking the extra money express so he arrived one train behind me. I met my friend, we walked a bit from Kawagoe-shi station, grabbed some sparkling wine, then husband arrived! We met up and walked around and, wow, I can't even explain how in awe I was!
She explained kind of what was going on, and I'll explain it from a total outsider who hasn't yet actually researched what it was about. So. The big wagon thingies that are going along the streets, they like have to pass each other. When they do, they have to stop and 'greet' each other, so the people pulling them have to turn them around to face each other. The wagons have people wearing masks and acting as Japanese monster thingies on them, people playing Japanese flutes and percussion instruments, along with some kind of doll on the tippy-top. Also, the tippy-top can drop down to accommodate the power lines.
We wandered, ate, and drank, then headed back home!
A cool thing I saw a lot of was Coedo Brewery from Kawagoe is doing a collaboration with my favorite band Acidman. This is the second time they've done this collaboration. The first time was like 4 years ago, when I dragged husband all the way to Kawagoe during a typhoon to get a bottle. I still have it (empty) decorating my living room.
It might be the sight of beautiful ikebana and the lady who suddenly handed me flowers, or the scent of kinmokusei in the air reminding me of my study abroad blogging times, but I have such a need to write right now. I haven't vlogged for Youtube in a while, or if I had, I never went back and edited/posted because I've been so busy, and it's just not the main focus of my free time right now.
I've realized a lot of my hobbies revolve around capturing memories (vlog, blog, photog). I think it's because I easily forget, or can't remember little details. But I feel really happy when something reminds me. I don't ever go back and watch my videos on Youtube. I don't even check out my friend's YouTubes, even though I should. But, I do go back and reread this blog occasionally, and I ALWAYS love to read my best friend's blog (here if you're curious)
Anyway, what brought this blogging need on was a festival. Festivals are one of my most favorite culture things in Japan. A lot of really fun memories I made were at Japanese festivals. My favorite one that I'd been going to every year was the Asagaya Tanabata Matsuri that always fell on my birthday in August. It's been cancelled every year since covid. This year, they were planning to have it, but a covid spike jumped up and ended that dream.
Festival Day 1
Me and my husband moved about a year and some months ago to the place we're living now, and it's near a huge shrine, which tends to mean they probably must have at least one festival at some point. We went there for New Year, and they had food stalls and stuff. Then the tell-tale festival lanterns popped up along the street! Friday my husband messaged me and told me the festival was happening!
I was working a bit late that day. I decided to walk home from my station, and noticed a lot of people biking, and groups of high school boys laughing and heading the opposite direction. My husband called me and we briefly met as he was heading out to meet his previous coworkers. He mentioned that the festival was going on and LOTS of people were there. I continued home, thinking it was too late to catch the festival because it was already 8:30ish, but when I passed by the shrine, it was still crowded with people! I quickly went home to grab my camera. I knew I wouldn't have fun going alone, but I was slightly hopeful I'd meet someone cool or someone I knew, or something good would happen. I got some nice pictures.
Alas, I met no-one. I felt lonely. It's extra lonely going to a festival alone and seeing all the people having fun like through an invisible barrier. But, I had that stupid little hope pushing me to go. This is the 3rd time this year I ended up at a festival alone. Maybe one of my students was here. A friend. A random old man who lived in America and wants to talk to a foreigner in English. A girl who thinks my clothes are cute. Anything! A local connection.
Day 1, I was not so lucky. But, I got some really cool pictures I guess.
Festival Day 2
My husband was meeting another previous coworker. I have my craziest and longest day of work on Saturdays because that's how eikawa works. I walked home again from my station and saw lots of people heading home. I got to the Lawson convenient store that's 4 minutes from my house and there were SO MANY BIKES parked there. I was planning to cross the street and just head home, but I couldn't with that much excitement nearby.
I wandered toward the festival yet again. I didn't feel as lonely as last time, then I suddenly felt like I wanted to cry, then I decided to go further into the shrine than I did Friday. I heard drums. Japanese taiko drums I guess? Something about them just captivates and moves me. The first time I realized and felt this way was the Washington DC Cherry Blossom Festival the one time I went. Anyway, I followed the sound until I was at a Japanese style theatre (that I learned the name of at some point during my theatre and/or Japanese studies but forgot) and I watched. I was captivated. This person had a mask and a really long white wig on and was just walking around shaking some bells to the drumming and flute thingy, but I couldn't look away. I wanted to run home and grab my camera but I couldn't leave. I did get some video.
Then it was over. But I went deeper into the shrine and saw that they had ikebana displays (Japanese flower arranging). I took a class on in it Nagoya when I studied at Kinjo, so I wanted to have a look. There was a lady taking them down, she said that this was the last day and handed them to the person she was talking to. Then she wrapped up some more, turned around, and handed them to me!
I was feeling low, coming to this festival again, alone, watching and listening to everyone else's fun. But the show and the flowers brightened up my mood and my urge to write this blog.
Wow, where to begin! Sooo much stuff and so little rest or sleep happened this weekend. I am exhausted right now and trying to write 2 papers that are due tomorrow while writing this because I want to while it's still fresh in my mind!
Got the skirt from Anna House, bow from Bodyline, top from Book Off, and cute umbrella from a hyaku yen shop.
At Tully's Coffee in Sakae
We did karaoke too! I love karaoke so much; I wish we could go more often! Anyway, the walls were glittery and super pretty. I want glittery wallpaper for wherever I live in the future.
Singing to AKB48!
And here's some pictures from the festival and the parade.
I love this picture for some reason.
He gave his fish to some of the little kids in the crowd, then took it back XD
After that, we went and got sushi with a few more friends, then me and my lovey buns <3 went to hang out with his old roommates.
I'll try to get another post on later today about Sunday!
