As usual there were a lot of food, drinks (beer) and of course dances.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Actually some of the food – frozen, white, sweet liquid in the form of sausages was distributed for free. On the next picture you can see what is happening when it arrived in the center of the festival.

Just one more picture of the dancing people:

It is really nice that both old and young people are participating. There are many local festivals like this in Japan every year and I thing they are one of the reasons to keep the communities “healthy”.

The official Obon Odori finished around 9:00 p.m. but after that the people started many small hanabi’s (fireworks). Here is a picture from our own one:

Proud to say that we were the last to stay in the park. It was almost 11:15 when we finally finished with the fireworks. I was really surprised that the people leaving in the neighbors didn’t call the police (some of the firecrackers and small rockets were really very noisy). But it was Obon Odori night after all and may be even the policemen themselves were celebrating somewhere :)

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Every year there are chrysanthemum festivals organized throughout Japan. The photos are from one of these festivals organized in Osaka castle in the autumn of 2008.

It was truly amazing – I never saw before a whole artificial hill composed of flowers.

If you look carefully you can see a small ropes and bamboo bridge on the chrysanthemum hill:

In the background of the next photo you can see an old military building. This used to be the Fourth Division Headquarters during the World War II. It explains why the castle was heavily damaged by areal bombardment during the war:

Yellow (golden) and red were the predominant colors but at some places the composition changed:

Just one more fragment of the flower canopy:

Just in case you have any doubts you are in Japan – some samurais lost in the crowd:

During such festivals there are usually some performances (dances for example) but we were apparently to late for this one.

One last photo from the chrysanthemum festival (and looking forward for the next one):

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The dance was performed just in front of BB Plaza Museum of Art. Here are the photos:

At the edge of the umbrellas there are small golden like metal things. That is why every type the dancers move the umbrellas make a very specific sound (you can here it in the movie):

Click here to view the embedded video.

And the rest of the photos:

The real reason for the dance was actually to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Kitaro (鬼太郎), a horror manga hero (there is an exposition dedicated to him and the rest of the Japanese yokai (monsters) in the nearby Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art). Here is the main culprit holding one of the umbrellas:

Well – that’s how it is in Japan during Obon weeks – traditions and manga in one :)

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The observation point was the same as the previous year – HAT Kobe marine promenade:

The main difference this time was that we climbed high on the stairs of Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art so we had a nice vintage point toward Kobe Harbor Land – the main source of the fireworks. Needless to say we were completely surrounded by people (you can hear their voices in the background of the videos). It is interesting also that this time the fireworks continued for almost 40 minutes without any big interruptions – a really worthful to see event if you are around Kobe on 7th of August.

So let’s not lose time any more but jump right into the middle of the Hanabi action:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I took and a few shots with my camera but keep in mind that the main event was several kilometers from us and I had to use a really big zoom. Nevertheless some of the pictures are quite interesting. This is my favorite – it looks like battleship in its final hours (actually it is one of the Sannomiya storehouses):

Here are a few more “classical” photos from the fireworks:

After the end of the official city fireworks we moved (together with friends) to the nearby park and the hanabi continued for another almost 2 hours. Here is a small selection of our hanabi materials (and these were by far not the most powerful):

I think this night the inhabitants of HAT Kobe must have been very happy that the marine promenade park is well isolated from the rest of the complex by a chain of big office buildings :)

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The blossom was full or almost full (on some places you can see partially blooming trees).

We started again from Sakuranomiya station and went all the way to Tenma-bashi bridge (the distance is at least several kilometers). The cherry trees were continuing even further but we had to go back home.

Here is selection of some of the best photos.

I would like to start with one from the area around Kawasaki bridge (this is a small pedestrian bridge just before the big Tenma-bashi).  I think you get a good idea for the sakura roof under which we were walking:

Just two more photos with the white sakura roof above our heads:

On the last photo to the right you can see some of the colorful kiosks which are everywhere. They sell usually bear and all kinds of yakiniku (grilled meat). Most often – yakitori (grilled chiken), buta (pig) and ika (squid). Be careful with the prices though. A small can of bear will cost you usually two or three times more if you buy it from these kiosks (500 yen) than in a ordinary shop. Speaking for the devil… here is a picture of yakiniku (most probably yakitori):

Now back to sakura.

A very beautiful “pinku” sakura tree next to OPA Towers (the bamboo structure is here just to help model it in the desired form):

Okawa river:

Kawasaki bridge (if you look carefully you can see the Osaka castle to the right but even if you can not see it – do not worry – a zoomed version of it is incoming :))

Here comes and the Osaka castle (I think you can easily go all the way to it starting from Sakuranomiya station if you have around 1-2 spare hours). By the way – medieval castle, sakura trees and railways bridges – it definitely must be Japan:

The dawn was coming over Tenma-bashi area.

It is interesting that the darker was getting the more people were coming especially around the drinking/eating kiosks.

The last photos are from Tenma-bashi bridge area by night. This is the furthest point we reached even though the sakura trees were continuing alongside the Okawa river for much further:

Last but not least the Sakuranomiya bridge (apparently violet is one of the main fashion colors in Japan this year):

As I mentioned the blossom of the trees was almost full. Actually in some areas (apparently the more shadowy one) the trees were in rather early stages of blossoming. So I think that there is at least one more week of sakura in front of us (or at least in Kansai area).

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First I will start with the photos from our camera:

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There were many different kind of lucky charms but we bought fukusasa – a bamboo branch with many lucky charms loaded on it (3000 yen by the way). Apparently fukusasa are typical for the Ebisu festival. Our one was plastic though.

Here is the video (I think the ritual is for bringing luck and prosperity):

Click here to view the embedded video.

All the rest of the photos are from our iPhones. They are mainly from the streets surrounding the main shrine  where the matsuri was going on (by the way the name of the area is Nishiyanagiwaracho – just a few hundred meters from Hyogo JR station). On some of them you can see the charms they were selling. As I said there were many different kinds of them and one of our main task in the near future will be to identify them all.

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It was really reach of Shinto traditions experience day. We realized that we got wrong some of the rituals. For example you are supposed to tie your paper fortune (omikuji) to the tree only if you do not like it (we did it anyway last time as we thought this is the right way to do it). A lot still left to learn :)

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Georgia (own by Coca Cola company) apparently decided to use the historical appeal approach to boost its sales. Cool but still not my favorite brand.  And in general I prefer when they add small presents (toy cars) to the coffee cans as a form of promotion . Then at least you can give the toys to the kids and make them happy:) Anyway to the manga and Play Station heroes beverage’s can design now we can add and the samurai theme. Kampai minnasan!

PS. I took the picture today in the nearby Daily Yamazaki shop.

Update 6th of November – even more samurai coffees from Georgia:

For the second shot I even had to rearrange the cans but the shop clerks didn’t make an issue out of that – after all I am a regular customer there :)

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First is the light sphere:

And the video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Second are the light circles:

And the video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

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The watches (just listen to the sound):

Click here to view the embedded video.

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From this one there is no video but it was a lot of fun (at least for some of us:)):

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Just so you can not say that it was all about art I am presenting you and the tilted bar:

Yes it is tilted (first), second – they cook delicious curry and chicken rice in it and third – they have real Mexican Corona bear. That sums it all.

Most probably I will visit the biennale for a second time (the ticket is still valid) so you may expect an update.

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First – if you have never been on Rokko Island just take the Rokko Liner from Sumiyoshi JR station or Hanshin Uozaki. I took several movies from the liner so you can see them on YouTube. This first one is from Sumiyoshi to Uozaki station (from Uozaki station you can take also the Hanshin train – just keep in mind that the local Hanshin train is much slower than the local JR train).

Click here to view the embedded video.

This movie is from Uozaki to Minami Uozaki stations:

Click here to view the embedded video.

From Minami Uozaki to Island Kitaguchi stations (you can see the Osaka bay and some industries and at the very end you can see part of the park surrounding all of the Rokko Island residential area):

Click here to view the embedded video.

And finally the Rokko Island itself (you can see even part of the Halloween Carnival from above)

Click here to view the embedded video.

In case you need the Kobe Rokko Liner (and Port Liner) schedule and map – you can find them here.

The carnival is fun. There was face drawing, pumpkin gutting, Halloween parade and many other activities. The only annoying thing you can expect (especially if you are with ‘gaijin’ kids) are many, many unauthorized photo sessions. I am quite OK if these are really old obasan, ojisans (grandmothers, grandfathers) even though still I expect them first to ask but when this is a relatively young guy with unprofessional camera and pinku tea-shirt (and especially when he comes twice to take pictures), well – then you can expect a little bit gaijin behaviour from me.

Anyway overall it was a very omoshiroi (entertaining) experience. Here are the pictures and the movies:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

And here are the photos:

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And here comes the flea market (at least you must agree that it is quite colorful):

Click here to view the embedded video.

And the photos:

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The paper lanterns:

Click here to view the embedded video.

And the Obon dances:
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Click here to view the embedded video.

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