Toukasan
In Hiroshima, on June 8, 9, 10th when people feel summer has come, and when they begin to wear summer clothes, they visit Enryuji temple at the downtown in Yukata (Summer Kimono) for the first time in that summer season. This traditional early summer festival is called "Toukasan" and it means the festival to pray for a good harvest of rice. On these 3 days, the downtown is crowded with many many people even at night. Young people are looking forward to enjoying it with their lovers.
My Family's Toukasan
As usual, in the evening, we went out in Yukata our house owner made for me 3 years ago. At first, we visited Enryuji temple and drew some lots after praying. I was sorry the prizes were just wet tissues and instant tea bags, not the travel for Okinawa.
It had been rain on the previous day, but we had no rain this day. So, all the people that could not go out the day before came to the downtown. A lot of young women in beautiful Yukata made me feel the breath of the early summer.
At one of Yatai shops (small shops often seen at festivals) standing along the street, papa challenged to catch small dolls
by paper-made thread. As soon as he dipped it into the water, it was cut without dolls. At another Yatai shop, the woman
with her children caught 10 small fishes by a paper-made spoon. It's very skilful. When the spoon was broken, she returned
all the fishes she caught into the water box saying that she could not keep them in her house. Dolls...yes, if papa had
got, even if 10, 50, or 100 dolls had been caught up, it would have been possible to keep them all in my house !!
Mama bought a strange banana and Watagashi(sugar candy looking like a cloud) for me.
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Tokyo,Japan