There are matsuri (festivals) all over Tokyo during the summers. The matsuri, apart from being a time when the mikoshi is carried around for good luck, is actually like a big Japanese block party. Not only is it ok to drink beer outdoors from early morning until late at night, but there are lots of stalls selling food, snacks, toys and games. These colorful stalls are set up side by side on many blocks all along the road which leads to the temple. At the temple you can stop by the front of the alter, drop in a 5 yen coin in a large box, ring the bell and say a short prayer. Walking past the stalls you can see so many goodies. You find sweets like wataame (cotton candy), kakigori (crushed ice with flavored syrup), layers of thin round wafers with condensed milk or chocolate, and fruits like sumomo (Japanese plums), anzu (apricots) and mikan (tangerines) coated with mizuame (a clear sticky sugary syrup). The smells food just lure you in as you pass okonomiyaki, yakisoba, yakitori, jagabata (buttered steamed potato), ikamaruyaki (grilled squid) and more. For children there are lots of fun games, like kingyosukui – you try to catch as many goldfish as you can using a thin paper scooper. There’s another game with a similar idea and you try to catch as many floating in a bin of water using a thin little wafer cup. There are also many things that come in popular cartoon characters – omen (masks), yo-yo’s which are made of small inflatable balls attached to a rubber band, and other knick knacks. Yuki has fond memories of childhood matsuri time. I think Keiji and Arisa will too.
