Monday, July 18, 2011

Gion Matsuri Part Ni

We went to Gion Matsuri two more times this weekend. Saturday night we got together with friends. The boys wore jinbei and yukata. (Jinbei are the shorts outfits on the left; yukata on the right). The friends gave A&H these yukata as an end -of -year present.
Boys in jinbei are very cute!

We walked around the streets looking at hoko and yama.
We saw more kids in yukata!

"If only Mom would let me shoot, I would totally win that thing. "
We saw lots of street food. Like this ham.
Beer and kakigori....
Karaage....
Kakgori (snow cones; one of many)
Curry cheese fried dough.
We saw more valuables in people's houses and businesses:
And many cool hoko and yama.










The boys played this game; try to fish gel-marbles out of the water before the small net you are using that is actually made of tissue paper shreds. (Tip: Don't be greedy).
Doggie in a yukata....
Next morning (Sunday), we went back out to Oike street to see the parade.
It was hot.
We saw a lot of this. Guys pulling the hoko, which weighs several tons and is also loaded with a bunch of musicians playing the same screechie flute music/drum/tambourine movie over and over...

These pullers are about 4 hours in. It was about 35C that day.




The view down Oike as we crossed the street.
These things do not have axels. To turn them, first they lay down strips of bamboo on the street and roll the wheels on top. Then they pull it all sideways. After about four cycles of this, the thing finally turns 90 degrees. Watch in time lapse.

Here they lay down the strips.
Get ready...
Good pull, guys.
Three or four guys stand on the front and yell and point with their fans to tell the pullers to go.




Finally! 15 minutes later the thing is turned.
Here's a funny hoko.

Our friend P was in this puller crowd. He was instructed to show up at 8:30am and to wear white underwear.
After this, we walked home and sat in the air conditioning. And that was Gion Matsuri, 2011.

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