Festivals are terrifically popular in Japan throughout the year, and we spent some time this weekend at the festival on Azabu Juban, one of Tokyo's oldest shopping streets, which is a 15 minute walk from our house.
On Saturday and Sunday nights, thousands of people were packed onto Azabu Juban on streets lined with red lanterns and bordered by booths selling roasting meat and seafood, corn, edamame and "kakigori", which are shaved ice treats doused with sweet syrup.
Unlike the lame New York City street fairs that seem made for tourists, this was crowded with "real" Japanese people, including many women and children wearing beautiful kimonos.
Here's the street scene:
On Sunday night, we also stopped at a similar, more modern-looking festival in the Roppongi Hills area, which is home to towering luxury apartment buildings and several investment banks. Lucinda enjoyed a giant batter-coated prawn and we tried mediocre squid and chicken with grilled corn.
We heard traditional drumming by a troupe of young women, and watched hundreds of people participate in line dances that circled from the stage into the crowds - led by women and children in kimonos. Here are some views:
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