matsuri – Susan Spann, Adventure, Mystery, and Mountains

The Hydrangea Festival at Hakusan Shrine

Susan Spann Blog June 12, 2018June 12, 2018ajisai, festival, flowers, hydrangea, Japan, matsuri, Tokyo

As I wait for the snow to melt on the hyakumeizan peaks, I’m also visiting sites of interest and festivals (matsuri) taking place around Japan. Flowers are a particularly important part of Japanese culture, and Bunkyo City, in Tokyo, celebrates five major flower festivals every year. Last weekend (June 9-10) was the Ajisai (Hydrangea) matsuri, celebrating the spectacular hydrangeas that bloom in Tokyo–and across Japan–each June.

The Joy of Tokyo’s Festival Foods

Susan Spann Blog December 21, 2017December 21, 2017festival, food, Japan, matsuri, Sensoji, snacks, Tokyo

Last weekend, I went to the hagoita-ichi matsuri (festival) at Sensōji, in Tokyo. I love shrine and temple festivals for many reasons – and festival food is high on the list. On normal days, the wide pathways in Japanese shrine and temple yards offer visitors plenty of space to walk and meditate. At festivals, vendors line the paths. selling a wide assortment of treats.

Sensoji’s Hagoita-Ichi Festival

Susan Spann Blog December 18, 2017December 18, 2017festival, hagoita, holiday, Japan, matsuri, Sensoji

Hagoita are wooden paddles used in the traditional Japanese game of hanetsuki. Visually, the game is a lot like badminton, but without a net – players take turns batting a shuttlecock back and forth, using large wooden paddles (hagoita). The game was traditionally popular during the New Year holiday, and though it’s not as popular now as it once was, decorative hagoita are available for sale throughout Japan. Each December, Sensōji–one of Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist temples–is home to the hagoita-ichi matsuri, a festival featuring vendors selling decorative hagoita in both traditional and modern styles.