Home » Japan » Japan Summer of Peace, Love, Festivals, Beer, Mountains, and Rock and Roll

The temperature heats up, the humidity is on overdrive, and all the students are off for the summer. As for me, what summer vacation? Although no students are at school and there is nothing for me to do, I have to be there! I could be traversing the many incredible destinations in Asia, yet I guess instead it has been a summer of saving money, and relaxing in Hiroshima. So, what did I do to fill the rest of my time in July and August? Well, tons! In fact, it was a great summer relaxing, doing fun things, meeting all the new JETs, and definitely doing all things humanly possible to beat the humidity and heat.

Japan Summer of Peace, Love, Festivals, Beer, Mountains, and Rock and Roll

Casey Lary
2007-03-08 21:19:48

Displayed times (last time: )

The temperature heats up, the humidity is on overdrive, and all the students are off for the summer. As for me, what summer vacation? Although no students are at school and there is nothing for me to do, I have to be there! I could be traversing the many incredible destinations in Asia, yet I guess instead it has been a summer of saving money, and relaxing in Hiroshima. So, what did I do to fill the rest of my time in July and August? Well, tons! In fact, it was a great summer relaxing, doing fun things, meeting all the new JETs, and definitely doing all things humanly possible to beat the humidity and heat.

FESTIVALS
Japan is definitely the place to go if you like festivals! Since festivals usually consist of fun costumes, dancing, and drinking...I am a big fan of them! Throughout summer I feel like there is a different festival every weekend....just in my prefecture! Every city, town, and village is throwing some sort of summer festival. I went to four: The Hiroshima City Festival (early June actually), Yassa Festival in a town called Mihara, the Suigun Festival (Pirate festival) on an island called Innoshima, and the fireworks festival on Miyajima. The Hiroshima Summer Festival is held in early June to welcome summer, and designate when it is okay to wear summer kimonos and yukatas, which are much lighter than the heavier winter ones. All the streets are closed to visitors, the token food stalls are everywhere, and young girls and boys are decked out in the latest yukatas and kimonos- which are absolutely amazing. I had been waiting all year to put on a yukata and finally got my chance! i felt like a princess walking around in my yukata!

For the Yassa Festival, as gaijin we made our own dance team to participate. I am unclear of the purpose of this festival, except for drinking and getting to dance in the street. Team gaijin got decked out in orange yukatas, vaguely learned the dance, and set out to show the other ...