In my country we say, “April showers bring May flowers.” Then May closes with its fresh spring beauty, and we all roll into a hot, lazy summer. Here in Japan, the April showers are rather light. They do lead to May flowers, but they also prep us for what follows--the rainy season. Though it’s thanks to the rainy season for Japan’s verdancy, I have yet to meet someone who likes it. It is difficult to like a full month of tropical rains. Of course, rain levels vary each year. For example, the first two rainy seasons I experienced here were declared to be “empty rainy season” (kara-tsuyu) by everyone. I still thought it was rather rainy. But it was no problem, I’ve been to Seattle. By my third rainy season, it seemed Mother Nature was going to make up for the last two years. In that year, the rains came two weeks later than expected. We watched the weather reports track the rain from Okinawa and up the small island chain, waiting for it to reach us here in Kyushu. Everyday, people made predictions about “when” and “how much”. When the rain finally arrived, over 1.2 meters (about four feet) of rain fell in less than 30 days. That probably sounds like a lot of rain, and it is. Still, what would Japan be without it? Thanks to the wonderfully porous volcanic soil, it was all quickly soaked up before the last drop hit the ground.
The rainy season (called tsu-yu, which means “plum rain”) marks the transition from spring to summer. In many people’s minds, it isn’t until the rain stops that summer truly arrives. After the rainy season, there are still rainy days. But they are very intermittent. Actually, those days are quite nice. They clean the air and cool everything off just a little. It’s interesting to note that there are several words in Japanese for several subtly different kinds of rain. It’s kinda like the Eskimos and the snow, I guess.
Ahh, yes…summer in Japan. It means so many things to so many people. For me it is an especially nostalgic time of year, because I first arrived in Kagoshima in the summertime. The cries of the cicadas and the smell of the rain on the trees and hills will always recall that first summer here.
For others, summer heralds long, hot days spent slurping up cold somen noodles while relaxing beneath the air conditioner. The children look forward to summer vacation from school; a month of riding bicycles, playing baseball, and gorging on all the ice cream their allowance can buy.
Summer Festival
One thing everyone looks forward to equally, are the summer festivals (Natsu Matsuri). Japanese summer festivals tend to be something of a cross between a county fair and a Shinto celebration. All across the country, just after the rainy season ends, festivals spring up at shrines, parks, and even shopping center parking lots. Lit up with paper lanterns and children’s bright faces, crowds of revelers dressed in yukata (basically a thin summer kimono, usually purchased for use just at summer festivals) or jimbei (thin, hip-length robe with knee-length shorts) file past vendors’ booths on their way to offering their prayers at the shrine. Most of the vendors are food vendors. I take great pleasure in searching out the best food at each festival. The wafting smells and sizzling sounds always make my stomach growl. Though the variety depends on the size of the festival, there are a number of obligatory items at every gathering.
First there are the grilled foods, called “kushi-yaki” (literally “stick grill”). “Kushi-yaki” is a generic name for any grilled food on a stick. There are many kinds, but the most common are charbroiled chicken, pork, or squid. Although the squid is grilled, and it is served skewered on a stick, it is not really considered to be a “kushi-yaki”. This is because the stick used for skewering is thicker (about the thickness of a chopstick). The typical “kushi” is just a very long toothpick. So, grilled squid is just called “grilled squid” (yaki-ika).
I love kushi-yaki and yaki-ika! My favorite is the pork. The juicy, tender meat is ideal for a grilled kabob, and Kagoshima’s pork is some of the best in the world. I would say it’s a must have. Actually, I must have two or three of them every time.
There are also frankfurters, French fries, corn on the cob, grilled noodles (yaki-soba), okonomiyaki (something like a savory, vegetable-filled pancake) and fried octopus dumplings (tako-yaki). Before you pass by these vendors with a look of “I can’t eat that” on your face, just remember, you’ve come here to experience new things. Give it a try. It’s good. I promise.
For dessert there’s ice cream and shaved ice treats in a rainbow of colors and flavors. Everything is washed down with a cold beer for the adults and an icy bottle of Ramune soda for the kids.
Beside the food vendors are toy vendors. The toy vendors offer many choices in shiny, flashing, spinning, and noise-making doo-dads. I must admit, I still have a weakness for some of them. Next to the toys are the plastic mask dealers (O-men). Masks have a long history at festivals. The traditional versions are of gods, demons, and silly looking people. However, many are now popular cartoon characters to attract the children.
Then there are the games. What festival or fair is complete without games? The most popular game is probably the “catch a goldfish” (kingyo sukui) booth. Both children and adults seem to enjoy the challenge as much as the prize. The prize is that you keep all the goldfish you catch. Participants crouch over a shallow pool of water filled with goldfish and using a thick paper scoop, they must catch as many goldfish as they can before the paper becomes waterlogged and breaks. Some people profess to be able to catch many fish without even water logging or breaking the paper. I am not one of those people. It must be something in the wrist.
Other games include: shooting galleries, crafts, grab bags and raffles. Nearly as popular as the goldfish catching booth is the balloon fishing booth (fusen tsuri or bon-bon). Players attempt to hook a balloon by its rubber band tie as it bobs in the pool. The children are delighted by these small, hard balloons which are treated something like yo-yos.
Every festival, whether large or small, will have some kind of live entertainment. At large festivals, various dance troupes of hundreds of people perform traditional songs and dances. In some cases, the public joins in on the songs and dances, but most often volunteer performers engage the audience from a stage. At small community festivals, the performers are local artists and children. The performances range from traditional dance and/or singing, accompanied by traditional instruments, to pop music, rock, and even karaoke.
So, are you ready to hit the festival scene? Well, join me again next time when we take a look at some of the best festivals in Kagoshima.
