And I’m back! After a (big) technical snafu I can now access my blog again. (Thanks Sebastien!) :) So I’m long overdue for my post about Oiden – this is a yearly summer festival that is held in Toyota on the last weekend of July. On Friday and Saturday they do a huge dance production and Sunday there are fireworks and most everyone dresses in yukata (cotton summer kimono). The dancing part is not at all what you’d expect. People organize into teams and choreograph aerobics-like dances to the same music (which is blared all over Toyota City) and wear the same costumes. They dance in the middle of the streets and move very slowly in a great big loop around the city. The dancing continues for around 3 hours and apparently there are judges because some of the teams get awarded cash prizes at the end of it all. The costumes are also surprising. I guess this is the time of year for people to shed their conservative button downed image. It looked like Miami on Halloween! Everywhere you looked there were half naked people – anything you could think of, they were there. So here are some photos of the first two days of Oiden:
Ah, so many memories. Goofy people and wide eyed foreigners… So then there were fireworks the following day! And most everyone from Nova went to see them. I took a TON of pictures but edited them down to what you see here.
In quite a few of the pictures you can see the bridge that goes to Toyota stadium (especially in the second to last picture). The show lasted abour an hour and a half. Pretty cool!!! :)
So good to have you back, Katie! (Thanks, Seb) Fabulous pics. Looks like they know how to have fun when it’s time. Did you have a costume or did you just dance in your undies? Love you!!!!!!!!!
You mean the fireworks lasted an hour and a half? Marshall would’ve loved it! Of course he would’ve loved looking at all the funky costumes too.
Really nice job on photographing the fireworks. I’ve always had a hard time getting them to look that good. Nice to see that you’re up and posting again. Hope all’s well with you too!
Dad
I miss any fireworks this year.
Last weekend,I would go Ichinomiya to see the fireworks. But I was sick in bed.
Now,I am getting to be well.I have to rest from work until this Thursday.
I’m going to call　NOVA　to book a lesson,and to meet you,Kaite!
And,I give my favorit shoes store’s URL
http://www.rakuten.co.jp/salus/
Thanks for posting the wonderful pictures. I was in Toyota City last May and they had a mini street fair with some of the dance teams from the Oiden festival were out dancing. It was cool, but our business trip ended before the Oiden Festival. The next two years I should be there in July thru August for business. I hope I get to see the fireworks and dancing. I want to experience it first hand.