I’m quite resilient to high summer temperatures, but in Japan, the summer sun can be scorching.
And since the last two of my Japan trips took place during summer (and this year’s trip will be the same…), I looked for the best ways to spend a hot summer day.
Of course, there are a lot of terraces (ever tried a matcha ice-cream?), pools or water-parks, I tried sailing and going to mountain, but… of course, this kind of activities can be done at home or anywhere in the world (OK, maybe not the matcha ice-cream…).
But, if you look for some “only in Japan” moments and if you’re at the right place at the right time, you can enjoy some unique experiences…
Yes, that’s right, I’m talking about Matsuri… but with a lot of water!
On July 14th, at the Gonsho-ji Temple, the Mizudome-no-Mai (Rain-Stopping Dance) takes place, a festival where you can cool yourself and have a lot of fun at the same time… :D
The participant continuously throw buckets of water…
… regardless if you’re a local or a tourist…
… and if you want to film or photograph from up close, you need to be well prepared…
… and if you’re a girl, :p you have to choose your clothes carefully, like this TV reporter…
I somehow managed to take my pictures without getting too soaked… just enough to cool myself during that warm day… B)
This is a little known matsuri, with only a few tourists visiting, but if you prefer something bigger, then the “Water-Throwing” Festival from the Fukagawa Hachiman Shrine is for you.
It takes place on August 14th, and once every three years a huge Mikoshi parade takes place, featuring the biggest Mikoshi in Japan (4.4 meters tall, weighting 4.5 tons).
The festival takes place since the Edo period and now it draws an audience of half a million visitors.
On the other years, there is a smaller version of this festival (the big one took place two years ago), so the last year featured a smaller parade and the big mikoshi was just displayed.
But we still had a lot of fun and… a lot of water:
Along the route, water is thrown over the mikoshi, with buckets…
… or hoses…
… or with both…
… but during the big festival, the water is sprayed from the fireman’s hoses and there are very slim chances to stay dry! :D
