Kitakami Photoblog
Daily photos from Kitakami, a small town in Northern Japan, and its surroundings.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
A bouquet to all of you in the world
Engrish on a flower wrapping paper. English (and franponais as well) is very popular in Japan, whenever somebody wants to look his products modern and fancy.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Up and away
I'll be absent for a few days (we visit one of the most southern islands of Japan), so no new posts until Wednesday. I hope this seaside shot (an algae covered mole) will console you.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Fascinating fire engine
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Monday, May 21, 2007
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Friday, May 18, 2007
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Monday, May 14, 2007
Friday, May 11, 2007
Festival theme week, end.
To finish this local festival theme week, here some photos of people enjoying the parade:
Fireworkers on duty, but not seeming to mind:![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2k984s103DIdCEOA8NI_DxSxHRr5Z6hYI8GN403KzwYwNeMyiuSyWvbKZux_vCZ3fTv-s_Rc4wxHJoHuJMpKGuuSiiEqz1UhMD5evdO-qkvS6sP7P6z9p9UyAlkP31hqLFE6RoA/s400/IMG_7142.JPG)
She just made him get up from his sofa to come and watch the parade with her:
And now I'll give you a rest - I will be away for the weekend and be back on Monday, then again with normal one-picture-posts.
Fireworkers on duty, but not seeming to mind:
She just made him get up from his sofa to come and watch the parade with her:
More colourful couple:
Green order and security men everywhere:
Severe jury: "Did you see her, she isn't doing her dance steps properly!"
The where more interested in themselves than in the parade:
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Festival theme week, part 3
Today, I will show you some other groups participating at the procession.
Young girls' float:
Old men walking:
Everybody is proudly giving a hand:
Harmony in blue:
42-year-old women, giggling:
Float with full taiko drum power:
I still wonder how there could be spectators (and there were many!) - the whole town's population seemed to participate at the festival. Probably all visitors came from other cities.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Festival theme week, part 2
In Japan, the ages of 25 and 42 are considered as important and often hard ones, where you may have to take difficult decisions and which might be important turning points of your life.
At the Esashi jinku matsuri, the largest two performing groups where the one of the 25-year-old and the one of the 42-year-old; I have been told that it's not optional to participate for those belonging to one of these age-groups, but an obligation.
Both groups had a big float on which the musicians were sitting (all of them 42-year-old, too) and were performing in the streets of Esashi in the afternoon before the big procession as well as after, until late at night.
42-year-old women...
-------
Sorry for the picture overload, but I really liked this festival!
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Festival theme week, part 1
I have so many nice pictures from last weeks festival that I decided to use at least some of them for a special theme week about this festival. (Although it's not exactly in Kitakami, but in the small neighbourtown Esashi, 10 km south. But Kitakami has a very similar festival in late summer.).
This festival, called jinku-matsuri (jinku means lively song, lively dance), is held during two days in early may, and probably every single inhabitant of the town is participating. The main event is a procession of dozens of groups (school, companies, banks, association and clubs, etc) including several thousand people parading through the city. The members of all groups are dressed in the same costume, and all those people perform the same dance to always the same song, the local festival anthem.
A group of elderly ladies. Usually, these groups have the best dancers.
A group of bank clerks.
Housewifes dedicated to traffic safety.
Tomorrow, I'll show you the procession's special events.
For the sound of the festival, click here, here or here (I uploaded some short videos).
Monday, May 07, 2007
Carp family
The silk carps are also raised as decoration at lots of places, here at the cherry avenue along the Kitakami river.
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Kodomo no hi
This is on of the numerous kodomo no hi-arrangements sold in all department stores and some smaller shops specialised in such traditional stuff.
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Friday, May 04, 2007
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
May theme day: City exchange
This month's theme is " Post a photo of another city (than yours)", so here it is - though it's not exactly a city, not even a village:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioaD99w4tTmMBVE-dHyjavyKsLZz19nrANheOEWqcCniM7k3eVNUa1pVp0LNKWNVHWqpSsSm-G7gMo7io7QNw96fcpnHW8ooO28KImC9OAOSTIRApcrO1f2go5JifHKI98L75czA/s400/FotoSahel.jpg)
I had the chance to do ethnobotanical field research there, spending every year 4 to 6 weeks at this place, during five years. It was a fantastic experience.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At least 75 other city daily photo blogs participate in this theme day, why not pay them a visit? (Due to time difference they might not all be ready when you visit them.)
Monte Carlo, Monaco - Rome, Italy - Singapore, Singapore - Tenerife, Spain - Rotterdam, Netherlands - London, UK - Montréal (QC), Canada - Melbourne, Australia - Naples (FL), USA - Bastia, France - Hong Kong, China - Mazatlan, Mexico - Buenos Aeres, Argentina - Manila, Philippines - Arradon, France - Madison (WI), USA - Evry, France - Seoul, Korea - Shanghai, China - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - Sequim (WA), USA - Singapore, Singapore - Budapest, Hungary - Baziège, France - Hamburg, Germany - Toruń, Poland - Nelson, New Zealand - Madison (WI), USA - Vantaa, Finland - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Mainz, Germany - Dubai, UAE - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Cork, Ireland - Stockholm, Sweden - Menton, France - Tel Aviv, Israel - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Kitakami, Japan - Stayton (OR), USA - Szentes, Hungary - Stavanger, Norway - Grenoble, France - Villigen, Switzerland - Paris, France - Hyde, UK - Moscow, Russia - Joplin (MO), USA - Jakarta, Indonesia - Greenville (SC), USA - Cape Town, South Africa - Asheville (NC), USA - Seattle (WA), USA - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Madrid, Spain - Auckland, New Zealand - Oulu, Finland - Lubbock (TX), USA - Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Baton Rouge (LA), USA - Sydney, Australia - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Vancouver, Canada - Seattle (WA), USA - Selma (AL), USA - Chandler (AZ), USA - Sharon (CT), USA - Manila, Philippines - Lyon, France - New York City (NY), USA - Los Angeles (CA), USA - Brookville (OH), USA - Hayle, UK - Wailea (HI), USA - Saarbrücken, Germany - San Diego (CA), USA - Boston (MA), USA - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Cypress (TX), USA