Summer in Japan means (among other things) typhoons, insane heat, summer vacation for the kids, O-Bon Festival (even though it's not really a festival), beach parties, BBQs, and the infuriating sound of cicadas when trying to sleep-in on Saturday mornings. For those of us that live in Tokyo, don't forget that you can also go down to Yoyogi park practically any Sunday during the summer (assuming that weather allows) for a carnival-like atmosphere even if there are no official events being held across the street at the NHK Hiroba.
More than anything else though, late July and August is the time when the huge Japanese Fireworks Festivals (Hanabi Taikai) take place all around the country, of which the most famous has got to be the Sumida-gawa Hanabi Taikai where close to 900,000 people are expected to gather and watch.
The festivals are more than just a pretty show though, and actually have a long and interesting history in Japan. As a result, many people believe that Japanese fireworks, and the shows put on by the various pyrotechnic guilds, are the most advanced in the world. Be warned though, at most of the major events you'll need to arrive early to secure your plot of rocky riverside real-estate, take care to keep yourself and the kids hydrated in the sun, brave the long lines and the stench of the portable toilets, and then spend, in some cases, more than an hour getting back to the station after witnessing the 20-40 minutes of colorful explosions.
That being said, there is a reason that so many people keep coming back year after year despite the obvious inconveniences; it's fun. Choose your venue, prepare in advance, keep your calm, and your family will have a great time.
If you hate fireworks, at least you have the "Mount Tsukuba Toad Festival" to look forward to in August. People gather to give thanks to all the toads sacrificed to make toad grease for the protection of warriors during feudal Japan. An 800kg toad-shaped shrine is carried through the area and you can buy "toad oil"....
Site News and Stats Piqniq's user base continues to grow at the steady pace of approximately 200 new users per month and as of July 22nd, total registrations number more than 2300 members. Between June 20th and July 20th, 50.2% of Piqniq visits (including non-registered members) were from within Japan with the U.S. once again coming in at a distant 2nd with roughly 20%. The #3 position goes to Canada this time with about 4% of the pie.
Blog & Forum Highlights And now a recap of some of the more interesting and active blog entries and forum topics from the last few weeks.
Rainy Days and Laundry (Blog entry by mamajoy) "For many years we always used to hang our wet laundry around the house for days on end for it to dry during rainy season every year. Especially once our first child was born and the laundry increased 2-3 times, amazing how some cotton diapers and little clothes can add so much bulk to a laundry load."
Getting A Bank Account In Japan (Blog entry by Objective Trading) "For newcomers, there are a series of rather predictable steps one must take upon arriving in Japan to get settled. And invariably, after housing and other immediate needs have been sorted out, the question of how to open a bank account arises."
Nagoya: what do international kids do in the summer (Forum entry by smithnagoya) "My son attends the Nagoya International School. We're looking for things for him to do in the summer. My wife and I are both working parents and we don't want our son to just watch tv all summer. What do other international kids do in the summer?"
Got an Earthquake Survival plan? (Poll by Rob) Piqniq's current Poll asks whether your prepared for the next big quake. Click the link above to see results or cast your vote on the BLOG page on the bottom right side of your screen.
Upcoming Events! Finally we'd like to let you know about a few fun events that are coming up in the next few weeks. Please note that some of the links below will lead to external web sites.
Fireworks Festivals in Tokyo "The 29th Adachi Fireworks Festival Date and time: July 26 (Thurs.), 19:15 - 20:45 *In case of rain, it will be postponed to the next day Access: From Kita-senju Stn. on Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line and Tobu Isezaki Line
The 29th Sumida River Fireworks Festival (2007) Date and time: July 29 (Sat.), 19:10 - 20:30 *In case of rain, it will be postponed to July 30 only Access: >From Asakusa Stn. on Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, Tobu Isezaki Line, and Toei Asakusa Line >From Ryogoku Stn. or Asakusabashi Stn. on JR Sobu Line
The 49th Itabashi Fireworks Festival Date and time: August 4 (Sat.), 19:00 - 20:45 *In case of rain, it will be postponed to the next day Place: Upper area of Arakawa River (near Toda-bashi Bridge), the Arakawa River bed near Arakawa Toda-bashi Bridge (on the side of Itabashi)
2007 Jingu Gaien Fireworks Festival (hosted by The Nikkan Sports News) Date and time: August 16 (Thurs.), 19:00 - 20:30 *In case of rain, it will be postponed to the next day Access: >From Shinanomachi Stn. on JR Sobu Line >From Gaiemmae Stn. on Tokyo Metro Lines "
The 51st Tokyo Koenji Awaodori Dance Festival (Koenji Station) "Tokyo Koenji Awaodori Dance Festival is held annually on the last Saturday and Sunday of August. About 188 groups(ren), 12,000 dancers perform Awa dance to lively music and parade through the nine routes set up along the shotengai(shopping promenades), located on both north and south side of JR Koenji Station, and Konan Street of the south. Koenji Awaodori is the second largest of all the Awaodori festivals held throughout Japan, following the one in Tokushima.
Location:Suginami-ku, Near JR Koenji Stn. Access:Koenji Stn. on JR Sobu Line Inquires Koenji Awaodori Ren Association [TEL] 03-3312-2728"
Daimonji-Gozan-Okuribi Traditional Event (Kyoto) "Daimonji on the Nyoigatake peak in Higashiyama, "Myoho" at Matsugasaki Nishiyama Higashiyama, "Funagata" at Nishigamo Funayama, Hidari Damonji at Daihokusan near Kinkaku - ji Temple, and Toriigata at Senojisan in Saga are all lit up together for this poetic summer event in Kyoto."
Date : August 16 Place : Yoiyama : Near Shijo Karasuma Yamaboko float course: Shijo Karasuma to Kawaramachi-dori to Oike-dori to Shinmachi-dori Access : To get to Shijo Karasuma take the Municipal Subway Line to Shijo Station. Information : Kyoto Municipal Office for the Preservation of Cultural Properties 075-222-4112
Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2007 (Osaka Business Park Enkei Hall) "Aug 3・ Osaka Business Park Enkei Hall, Osaka The Short Shorts Film Festival is back in Osaka. Short here means from one minute to 25, but whatever the length, all these films exhibit the skill and discipline that is required to tell a complete story in such a condensed form. All famous movie directors started out with short films so at festivals such as these you might be watching the work of up and coming talented film directors or tomorrow's big names. In the competition program, selected films from more than two thousand entries from all over the world are going to be shown, which provides a dramatic diversity. Films to watch out for include, The Little Matchgirl, a US film based on the old Danish story, Destino (Destiny), Eine- der Andere, Der (This One and That One), Ichi Nicht (Not Me) from Germany and Shinhwa from Korea. Time: 11am・0pm Getting there: JR Osaka Loop Line, Kyobashi stn west exit Admission: one program ・1,000 advance, ・1,400 on the day; three programs ・2,800/・3,600 Tel: 06-6343-8711"
We are still having difficulties finding out about events outside of the Kanto Area. If you know of any events, festivals, exhibitions, etc. in or around Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka, or Sapporo, suitable for a family outing, please let us know