Taki and Hanabi

I forced Misato to just get on the train and go somewhere with me today. She is really hesitant about the whole idea because she really loves to plan things out. It was so hot outside, we got off the train at the last stop karasuyama and we walked around for about an hour until we found this nice little waterfall just off the highway at the previous train stop named Taki. Not really a town or anything, just the waterfall a restaurant and an ice cream shop. The next weekend was the annual festival for fireworks in Utsunomiya, so Misato, Satoshi and I rode out to the park which was packed with people and food vendors for the fireworks show. It was a pretty amazing show that lasted a few hours with an intermission to go to the bathroom. Normally there is no music with the fireworks, but for some reason there was music this year. At the very beginning of the festival some kids had designed mini fireworks shows from local schools and the winners were chosen to actually display their show.

Taki and Hanabi

Miya Matsuri and Free Concert at Oya

Miya Matsuri is the biggest annual festival in Utsunomiya. There is a big parade where teams carry these Mikoshi (mini shrines) on their shoulders. The Mikoshi look pretty heavy and people also stand on them. At the end of the parade the Mikoshi are carried up to the shrine... seems like a lot of hard work. This is a two day festival for Obon holiday. Obon is a celebration bringing family spirits back home. I missed the floating lanterns in the river so I was a little bummed, good thing I will be here for 2 years. Misato and I found a free concert at the Oya stone mine she took me to the first time we hung out. I was very nice with a bunch of beautiful candles in Oya stone sculptures, a few were made by a local kindergarten class.

Miya Matsuri Oya concert