おじゃったもんせ　旬の鹿児島へ-観光地やイベント、温泉、旅館・ホテルに至るまで、鹿児島の観光情報満載です。

 Spring is in the air. The days are getting longer and warmer and best of all the cherry trees are in bloom. Though not the official flower of Japan (the imperial chrysanthemum is) the cherry blossom is the flower which has created a following all over the world. There are cherry trees with lovely blossoms in the U.S. too, but the Japanese people have formed something of a cult of worship around this cheery cherry flower. 

Every year, from the end of March through the first week of April, everyone awaits the blooming of the trees. Along with the news and weather, special reports are given as to where and when the blossoms have appeared. People then begin planning their “Hanami paati” (cherry blossom viewing parties). They’ve got to be fast because the blossoms last a very short time. 

I first came to Japan in the spring of 2003. Since then, I have taken part in some form of Hanami party or another. My first experience was in Tokyo and Kyoto. I spent a week touring Tokyo and taking in as many parks as I could. The finest I visited was Ueno Park. I don’t know how many trees there are, but it seemed that the sky was nothing but whites and pinks. The crowd was incredible! There wasn’t an inch of crowd without gawking viewers. I’ve heard that the trees at the imperial palace are the finest. Unfortunately, when I visited they had not yet bloomed. Kyoto was also very nice. I didn’t go to any sprawling parks. The city itself was still very much full of trees. I liked the simple, humble trees at Nijo Castle. Some of the trees bloomed in two or three different colors; a truly rare and precious variety. 

After my trip, I returned to the U.S. and sought out the cherry trees. Sure there were plenty of nice trees with pretty blossoms, but nothing like I had seen in Japan. The problem is we just don’t group our trees together to give people the chance to be overwhelmed with their beauty. We have a very good display in Washington D.C., but I think that’s the only one which comes close to what’s in Japan. 

Now I live in Kagoshima. I’ve been here over three years. Every spring I’ve made my pilgrimage to view the cherry trees. I’ve never had a big Hanami party with my family, though. Timing was never quite on our side. The first couple of years, our children were too young to go out and join in the fun. This last year, the rain kept us at home. There’s always next year. Still, I was able to get in some viewing each year. 

My first time was entirely unplanned. I was returning from work with my coworker. The bus let us off at the station near Kotsuki River. We had some time before the next train, so I asked if she’d like to walk over to the river and take in the cherry trees. Kotuski River is both central (just minutes from Chuo station on foot) and it has one of the best spots for cherry blossom viewing in the city. It was a nice day and the trees were in full bloom. We walked along the river, through the park and took some pictures with our cell phones. We bought some tako-yaki and beer and soaked in the atmosphere. It was simple and pleasant, as many of the best experiences are. 

The second year, I was on the same bus at the same stop with the same time to kill. I was alone this time, but no less anxious to take a walk along the river. Like the year before, I walked through the park and bought some tako-yaki and beer. When I finished my refreshments, I started taking photos with my cell phone. As I was just about to return home, I heard someone beckoning me. There was a small group enjoying the day. They had a little plot they had staked out for the day. One little old man was calling over to me. He had a beer raised and he asked me to join them. We sat and drank and stuffed our faces. They were so pleased to have a chance to practice their English too. As time wore on, some people in the group were completely drunk and could barely walk. Still, we cleaned up and went out for ramen, after shoving one from our group in a cab. We kept in touch after that day. We’ve had dinner a few times and become good friends. All thanks due to the cherry blossoms and the kindness they bring out. 

Now, my third year, I had it all planned out. There’d be nothing spur of the moment this time. I organized a party of family, friends (including that group from last year), and students. We planned the time, the day, the food and drink, everything. It was going to be great. There might be around twenty people in our group. Everyone was bringing something. And my children would get their first Hanami experience. The news predicted that the day we had chosen would be when the trees would be at their fullest. Many other people would be going, so we’d need to get there early to claim our place. Most importantly, the weather report said that it would be a bright, cool day. I got some special treats along with the meat and the beer. I found all sorts of cherry blossom related snacks at the stores. I got cherry blossom flavored chips, special box lunches just for Hanami parties, and cherry blossom rice cakes (sakura mochi). 

The day came. We were all up very early. And it was raining. Nooo…Noooo..Not this year, please! The blossoms wouldn’t last another week even if they survived the rain. But it didn’t stop. It rained all day. You’ve never seen such a disappointed bunch. We made calls to everyone. We all felt like Christmas had been canceled. It was awful. 

Even though we were heartbroken, there was always hope for next year. Next spring we’ll be all the more determined to have our party. And who knows, we might make new friends before then to invite. I hope our party just grows and grows. We’ll stretch from one end of the river to the other. We’ll sing and eat and drink our way into spring. 

Yes, yes, that’s right. There’s always next year. 

P.S. Although I recommend Kotsuki-gawa as a great place for Hanami, there are dozens more throughout Kagoshima. To tell the truth, you can’t go anywhere without seeing cherry trees blooming between the end of March and the first ten or twelve days of April. The blooming cycle tends to start in the south and move north across the prefecture. Other favorite places of mine include Kirishima, Kinko Bay Park, and Murasaki-baru. I live in Murasaki-baru. My school is surrounded by innumerable trees. I have only to walk outside to have my own little hanami walk.Anyway, please come and enjoy. Take a friend and be ready to make some new ones. Happy Spring!

Quite often, when we talk about things to do and see around town, they are things that interest the adults. Children are dragged along from place to place, sight to sight to visit and see things they have only the faintest understanding of. Well, this time let’s see what there might be for the little ones. 

 Every year as winter warms into spring, local TV stations sponsor special events similar to county fairs. This year my son received free tickets from some friends to the “KKB kodomo haku” (KKB Children’s Fair). They had been advertising the fair for several weeks and my son had become quite familiar with the possibility of riding rides, eating junk food, and even coming face to face with dinosaurs. Every time the ad came on, he’d remind us how much he wanted to go, in a not so subtle way. So, when I came home with the tickets, he couldn’t contain himself. The fair is held for one week, before the spring vacation starts for schoolchildren. We planned to go on the last Monday before everyone would be out looking for things to do. We felt sure there wouldn’t be a big crowd. It is always held at the Fureai Sportsland Park in Chuzan. There is a large open area above the park for such events. We set out a little later than we had wanted, though my son was up quite early. But one can never predict how long it takes to get young children together for any outing. The drive out was quick and light thanks to everyone being either in school or at work. As we turned up the road into the park we beheld the first cherry blossoms of the season. The road is lined with trees and so their fluffy pinks and whites beckoned us to the fun ahead. Parking was easy and free of charge. The moment my son’s feet hit the gravel he was off like a shot. I had to kick up some dust just to catch him and stop him from bowling people over. Once my wife and daughter caught up we strolled in through the gate. Immediately, one can take in nearly everything at the fair. There were some little rides and many inflated jumping rooms. There was a ball pit and carnival games. And there was the covered area for performances and then the obligatory food vendors. There were also some booths sponsored by various local businesses and even one where children can make cookies and breads. My son didn’t stop to take anything in. As soon as he came through the gate he spotted the mini steam train. He took off at warp five. He absolutely loves vehicles of all kinds, but especially steam trains. He had been waiting for this moment and he wasn’t going to waste a second. Again I had to run to catch him before he pushed his way to the front of the line. I explained that he’d have to wait his turn. Surprisingly, he did so rather calmly. He was just enjoying seeing the train up close and in person. Then he got his chance. I tried to get him up to the front, behind the conductor, but we took our place a few seats back. Perhaps that was just as well, because this was a real working steam train. It burns coal and everything. The smoke from the stack blows into the face of those directly up front. Now, as an adult I can say that the short linear track is a bit disappointing, but the kids go wild for it. My son also liked waving and blowing kisses to the lady conductors as he passed. That’s my boy! After literally dragging him from the train, we tried to browse some other areas. As a child I was never allowed to go to the carnival games section. I guess my dad felt it was a waste of money. But I wanted him to have as much fun as he could make, so I let him try anything he wanted. He actually did well at the fishing booth. He caught his fish (they are plastic) very quickly and won himself an inflatable samurai sword. My wife and I both winced, but at least he couldn’t hurt himself (we hoped). He went along to the other booths and kept gathering little prizes and candies. When he came to the last booth, the ladies running it had a fit when they saw him. They came running forward yelling how cute he was and how they wanted to cuddle him. They wanted to take a picture with him and boy did he played his cards right. After blowing each a kiss, they ran to the back and returned with a hand full of prizes. His favorite was the wind up alligator and the dinosaur egg. That’s my boy! He then decided that he wanted some of the food from the vendors. Of course there was all the really sweet and greasy stuff, but there was also very standard fare as well. We got some sandwiches, tako-yaki, and grilled chicken. I bought some cold tea and water from one of the vending machines. We plunked ourselves down at one of the tables and tried to enjoy our food. But after a couple of mouthfuls, my son wanted to take off again. Apparently, it was contagious as my daughter decided she wanted to run around too, despite the fact that she had just learned to walk. It was quite an exercise to keep them together. He ran off toward one of the jumping rooms with little Tina in tow. Before he got there he stopped at one of the booths. It was set up by a local English school as a recruiting station. They had a TV playing an ABC song and dance. My son had to stop and sing along. The young lady at the booth came up and asked him some questions. She then offered him a chance to win a prize. He took a chance at their bingo-like game and came up with two free packs of ABC picture cards and a CD. Good boy! She asked if he spoke English. She was surprised that he responded in English. I had to kind of laugh. As you may know, I run an English school and here was the competition attempting to recruit my son. After my son got his bounces in the inflatable room and ran this way and that, my wife and I decided to rein him in and get a little time to sit. We figured we’d go over to where they give live performances and just wait for the next show. On this day, there was a show starring one of many cartoon characters. Every day has a different show. We found a spot not far from the action and set up camp. It was still hard to keep the two of them from running wild. There were other families with our same plan and just as little success in keeping their little ones from bouncing all over. So, it became something of a nursery during that pre-show time. It was a circle of parents hovering around a passel of kids gone mad. But they were having fun. Then the show began. Basically, it was a bunch of people dressed in costume, dancing and singing. I could see how children between five and seven might be entranced. But I’ve got a three year old and a one year old. They can’t sit still for a second. Rather than have them chase themselves during the whole show, we decided to move on. It turned out to be a really good idea. As most people were enjoying the show, the lines were wide open. My son, Shion, took this chance to hit the train a couple more times and get in other rides and games.

Then we came to the dinosaur section. There was a long tented area set up with every indication that there might be something alive inside. Once again, he could hardly contain himself. Here was the other reason to wake up this morning. He was about to come face to face with dinosaurs. I held his hand and he skipped his way in. As we entered, a giant T-rex head thrust outward and roared viciously at us. Shion detached himself and ran out as if he was on fire. It took time to convince him that the dinosaurs weren’t going to eat him. This time he followed, gripping my hand tightly and staying slightly behind me. Meanwhile, my daughter waddled in. She took one look at the roaring T-rex and promptly told him off. I’m not quite sure what she said (she can’t really talk yet), but I think it was something like “Why don’t you just shut up!” That’s my girl. We walked along the path and each stop put us right before different dinosaurs, roaring and growling, hissing and stomping. It was impressive for a fair of this size to have such realistic animatronic dinosaurs on display. Throughout most of it, my son shook and whined, but my daughter seemed to have a field day telling all the fearsome creatures to stick it. She even clapped her hands in approval at many of the herbivorous dinos. After we made our way through the main section, we came out into a museum-like place which displayed real fossils. There was also a photo corner and a dino-toy shop. The kids started to get tuckered out after all that excitement. Shion insisted on a going to a few more rides and of course catching the train again. As he rode along the tracks, his little sis slipped off into dream land. When he had finally had his fill and he had given all the ladies a last kiss goodbye, we gathered up and shuffled back to the car. My wife and I were beat. Tina slept all the way home, but her brother had to regale us with his day’s adventure.

 I wanted to take a cue from Tina and close my eyes. But it was good to hear everything he felt. I’m glad he had such a good time. Seeing and hearing how much it all pleased him made it worth every loud, tiring, hot minute.

It was a very nice week, this Valentine’s week. It had family, friends, good food, and of course lots of chocolate to make it special.

National Foundation Day

The Monday which preceded Valentine’s Day is a national holiday in Japan. It’s known as Kenkoku Kinenbi. According to tradition, Japan’s first emperor was crowned on this day in the year 660 BC. It is known as National Foundation Day, in English. As it is a national holiday, my school was closed. With the day off, my wife and I considered how best to spend the time. We thought it would be nice to go to the park for and picnic and a bit of plum blossom viewing. There is a good park in Chuzan called Fureai Sportsland with a large open area of grass and plenty of trees to picnic under. There’s also a playground for the kids, a walking path, and an indoor area with a pool and a hot spring.We packed the kids in the car and grabbed some bento boxes on the way. The weather was cold and cloudy, but the weather report had said there would be no rain.Upon arriving we were dismayed to find that everyone else seemed to have had the same idea about how to spend their holiday. The whole park was overflowing with people. It turns out that some professional soccer player were also at the park that day to meet and take photos with children. So, it was even more crowded than on a normal holiday. But we weren’t going to let the holiday hordes drive us away. It’s actually a very spacious park, so despite the overwhelming numbers, we still found a great spot near the plum trees. We laid our things out and I got a Frisbee game going with my wife and son. After several runs, my son wanted to go over to the playground and hit the slides. He’s gotten quite good at climbing up the various stairs and ladders. There was a crowd of children like you wouldn’t believe, running this way and falling that way. It was fun just bobbing and weaving our way to each section. It was also hard to keep him away from the sand pit. I knew the last thing his mom wanted was him to some back with his pockets and cuffs full of sand. I had to promise him cookies just to get him off the slides. Once I got him away, we went back to our little island under the trees for lunch. Sitting there with a handful of picnic food in the bright February sun was very relaxing. If it weren’t for the temperature I could have easily taken a nap. The view of the plums trees was also very peaceful. They are as charming as the ever-popular cherry blossoms, with the added benefit of having a soft, fruity fragrance. Once we had polished off our lunches and my son had crammed some cookies in for dessert, we thought about going for a walk. My son insisted we return to the playground. He just had to conquer the tallest of the slides. I must admit, I wasn’t relishing a return to that mass of munchkins. Just when it seemed I must accept my fate, the heavens granted me a reprieve. Suddenly, the sky clouded over and a cold rain began to fall. The children at the playground hardly noticed. They continued running through the sand and up the equipment as if it were a warm summer’s day. Before my son could get any funny ideas, I grabbed him and went to pack up our things as quickly as possible. We got him and the baby back to the car before it turned really bad. 

Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is more than the day of chocolate hearts and cupid’s arrow. It is also my wedding anniversary. Unfortunately, I had to work most of the day. But I did have a few hours in the afternoon to be with my wife.In the morning, I met with many students and friends to exchange gifts and chocolates. I received at least a dozen boxes of chocolates from students and friends. You see, here in Japan Valentine’s is slightly different. Here the women give chocolates to the men. Sometimes these chocolates are given by a potential or current sweetheart, or they are given in the form of “giri choco”. The idea of giving “giri choco” is truly Japanese. The “giri” in “giri choco” is something like “duty” or “obligation”. This is why women will give “giri choco” to their bosses, senior co-workers, and teachers. If the relationship is special, a woman may even spend all day making customized handmade chocolates. Because I run an English school, I like to have some things foreign style. So, I also gave chocolates to many of my female students. Typically though, a man is required to reciprocate on White Day (March 14). After my classes, I ran out and bought my wife some flowers. She loves Gerber daisies. I bought one for each year of our marriage. I also had a box of French chocolates I had bought during a secret trip to the shopping mall. I returned home as quickly as I could and surprised her with her Valentine gifts. But there was more in store for her. I only had several hours before I had to return to the school, so I planned the time carefully. We went out for lunch at a sushi restaurant and then she had her choice of spas to visit. I thought she’d also enjoy a relaxing massage at the spa before returning but she chose to reschedule for a day that we could both go. She’s such a sweetheart! I came home that night late, as usual. I usually finish classes at 9pm, so I get home around 10pm most nights. We made sure to share some wine and cheese before bed.I’m sure that we’ll return to one of the spas again soon and finish our special day. Until then, we’ll share chocolates and watch the plum blossoms flutter slowly off the trees. 

Welcome back, everyone! Are you ready to hit the festivals? Have you got your yukata or jimbei on? Don’t forget a “sensu” (folding fan). It’s hot out there!
Alright let’s head off to Roku-gatsu do! Hey, wait a minute. What’s “roku-gatsu do”?

Roku-gatsu do
The Kagoshima summer festivals which take place at or near Shinto shrines are called “Roku-gatsu do” (June lantern festival). All other festivals are given the generic name “Natsu Matsuri” (summer festival). The name “Roku-gatsu do” is used only in Kagoshima. At these festivals, paper lanterns are hung throughout the fairgrounds and around the shrine. The lanterns are decorated by children with pictures of themselves or their favorite theme. Additionally, they write a message or a wish to be conveyed to everyone, including the gods.
Although the festivals are said to be held in June (Roku-gatsu=sixth month=June) the festival season doesn’t actually begin until about mid-July. The season continues until late August, but even these August festivals are called “Roku-gatsu do”.
The idea that the festival season begins in June is due to the continued reference to the ancient lunar calendar for certain holidays. In the Japanese lunar calendar, July is the sixth month, not the seventh.

The two largest and most popular festivals take place at opposite ends of the festival season. The first of the two is held at Terukuni shrine in downtown Kagoshima, near the main shopping district Tenmonkan and next to Chuo Park. The second is the “Kagoshima summer nights” festival at Kinko Bay.

Terukuni
Terukuni shrine is perhaps Kagoshima city’s most visited shrine probably because of its size, history, and convenient central location. Terukuni shrine was founded in 1863 in remembrance of Shimadzu Nariakira. The name “Terukuni” is written using two Kanji characters. They can be literally translated as “shining country”. But “kuni” can mean either “country” or “land”. So, I would say “shining land” is closer to the impression that the written characters give.

The festival at Terukuni shrine is held the third Sunday and Monday of July, during two days of a three-day weekend. The third Monday is also a national holiday called “Umi no Hi”, which means either “Sea Day”, “Ocean Day”, or better still “Marine Day”. Marine Day was established to remind everyone of the blessings that the ocean brings to Japan. Some people make a point of visiting a beach and taking a dip to mark this day.

The Roku-gatsu do festival at Terukuni shrine begins, like all festivals, in the late afternoon and culminates with a fireworks display. If you decide to visit the shrine during the festival, be sure to purchase an “omikuji” (paper fortune). The fortunes are said to reveal your level of luck as well as provide guidance with personal issues and problems. There are typically five different levels of luck one can have. The highest level is called “dai-kichi” (great luck) and the lowest is “dai-kyo” (terrible luck). Though great luck is hoped for, many people seem to prefer the more balanced “chu-kichi” (medium luck), because it is believed that with great luck comes great responsibility. There are separate fortunes for adults and children. The children’s omikuji are shorter, more playful, and are written in the less complex Japanese script, while the omikuji for adults make use of Kanji (Chinese characters adapted to Japanese). I have never seen any omikuji written in English. If you cannot read Japanese then I suggest having a friend read it to you.
You may also like to approach the shrine’s central building and make an offering to the resident god(s) (O-kami sama). Just follow the crowd as they make their way up and in. Inside you will find at least one large box with slats on the top. The box is used to collect monetary offerings to the shrine. The amount you offer is up to you. Toss you offering into the box and then, if you like, hold your hands in prayer. There is a specific procedure (ritual) when praying at shrines. But because of the large number of people in attendance, the simplified method I have described will suit you best during festivals.
As you leave the central building, you may like to have a cup of amazake and buy a good luck charm (Omamori). Amazake (sweet liquor) is a sweet form of the Japanese rice wine that most foreigners are familiar with. The drinking of amazake is not for recreation. It would be extremely bad form to drink it repeatedly. One cup is all you should have. If you’d like to buy a good luck charm, they are available just outside the central building. There are many different kinds of charms. Some are large and elaborate and some are small and simple, but they are all lovely. Some are simply for good luck, but there are charms for almost every conceivable need. Please remember, these charms make excellent gifts for family and friends. They are inexpensive, beautiful, simple, and deeply meaningful.

Kinko Bay Festival
The second of the two major festivals is held in downtown Kagoshima, not far from Tenmonkan, at Kinko Bay. It is known as the “Kagoshima summer night’s festival”. It does not take place at or near a shrine and so is considered, simply a “Natsu Matsuri”. For some people, this festival marks the end of the season, despite the fact that there are still other festivals throughout the prefecture. The reason may be that it is the last large festival. And it is very large! I can’t give you exact figures as to attendance at an average festival, but everyone knows that the attendance at the “Kinko Bay” festival exceeds 11,000 people. This is many times more people than at most festivals and the figure doesn’t take into account the people watching the fireworks display, all over town. That’s right. People all over the city seek the highest point they can find to watch this very special fireworks display. You see, this festival not only has the highest attendance. It also has the largest fireworks display. There are over 10,000 individual fireworks launched during the display. It is the most fantastic fireworks display I have ever seen! It takes the pyrotechnicians over an hour to perform the display. They are geniuses at their art! The combination of different fireworks produces colors and patterns usually not found at most celebrations anywhere. There are a couple of intermissions to allow the smoke to clear and the technicians to reload for the next chapter of the display.
The bay is the perfect choice for a display of such as this. The clear, calm water acts as a mirror and the 10,000 bursts of light become doubled. Some people even take boats out into the bay to view the fireworks by their reflection in the water. They say it adds rhythm and depth to the already intense beauty.

Without a doubt I recommend both the Terukuni and Kinko Bay festivals. But if you are unable to reach either of these, know that there are several other very good festivals throughout the prefecture. They are listed below in no particular order.

Kanoya Natsu Matsuri—one of the last festivals in August. It takes place in Osumi.

Sendai Garappa Matsuri—a mid-season festival. However, this one plays on the local lore of the kappa. The “kappa” (river child) are mischievous river creatures which are prevalent in Japanese fables. The city of Sendai is said to be (or have been) home to many kappa.

Sendai Otsunahiki—Yet another festival in Sendai. This one is now more like a county fair, but it has a very long history. The festival originated about 400 years ago with the samurai warriors who fought in Korea. The games and competitions at the festival began as morale boosters for the troops. There is still a very exciting tug-of-war competition at the festival. It is probably not like any tug-of-war you’ve ever seen. The rope, made from rice straw, is 365 meters in length (one meter for each day) and five metric tonnes.

Kirishima Tenson Korin sai—This festival, held in arguably the most beautiful part of the prefecture, is more than just for fun. As you might already know, Kirishima is home to Japan’s creation myths. The festival is a commemoration of the descent of the gods from the heavens when they created Japan. This festival combines all of the best elements of any festival. Its location is beautiful, the food is great, and the crowd isn’t overwhelming. Also, you walk away having learned a very important part of Japanese culture. But most of all, you’ll have a wonderful time.

Well, I hope every visitor to Kagoshima in the summer is ready for some great festivities. Over a month of singing, dancing, games, and fireworks are sure to make for a full itinerary. Everyone will undoubtedly return home with many happy memories of the spectacular sights, sounds, and flavors of summertime in Kagoshima.

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.