toyooka_calendar

Toyooka Calendar of Events

AUGUST

AUGUST 1-2: YANAGI MATSURI - The big summer festival of Toyooka, celebrating the willow and its use in making traditional Toyooka wicker bags. The first day of the festival features the Toyooka odori (dance), in which hundreds of people wearing happi do a traditional dance up and down the main street of Toyooka, the Daikai-doori. You will probably be invited to dance with the Toyooka International Association (TIA) group, and I highly recommend it! (Don't worry; the dance is easy, and doesn't require much coordination or talent) Be forewarned, however: it's really muggy and hot, so bring a fan & a small sweat towel! The best thing about the odori is that they take short beer breaks (free beer!), and after it finishes, the TIA group has a party with food and beer! It's a lot of fun!
The second day of the Yanagi Matsuri features streets lined with food and beer vendors, game booths, and a big fireworks show at night. I've been quite impressed by the fireworks here; I think they're better than the kind we see back in the States. The best places to watch the fireworks are near the Maruyamagawa (Maruyama River), like on the bridge near the hospital, or near the Shimin-kaikan (the town's meeting/concert hall).

LEFT: Men wearing happi and carrying a mikoshi (portable shrine) in the Yanagi Matsuri's odori.

BELOW: Izushi High School's ALT (his name's Z, short for Zuiryo), myself, Steve (Toyooka Kita JHS) and Ben (now at Toyooka's Ooka Gakuen), during the odori's beer break. Photo taken at the 1999 Yanagi Matsuri.

AUGUST 14-16: BON - Bon (or obon) is a traditional Japanese Buddhist rite. The Bon Festival is held for the repose of the souls of one's ancestors. It is a time when families gather, and people return to their hometowns (thus making travel around Japan at this time a bit of a hassle, and sometimes impossible!). Towns all over Japan hold a Bon Odori (dance), the highlight of the Bon season. The local people gather in an open spot and dance in a circle around a tower with a large drum in it. The music and dance are intended to comfort the souls of their ancestors. In Toyooka, the festivities are usually held at the park near the Shimin-Taiikukan (the town's gymnasium), off of the Daikai-doori (the main street). As it is an important part of Japanese culture, it's worth checking out (although, admittedly, I think the Yanagi Matsuri's the most fun)...