As Obon,
the equivalent for All Saint's day in Japan, is getting closer (usually
mid-August), you can find festivals (matsuri in Japanese) a bit everywhere in
town recently.
This one was celebrated in a junior high school in Jingumae, just by my place.
It is always a pleasure to attend that kind of events: they remind me how much Japanese are still close to each other, as if they were still living in a small village and everybody knew each other.
The main attraction is a
traditional dance in the middle of the courtyard, performed by both
experienced dancers and people in the audience, who would like to learn the
dance and enjoy dancing altogether.
The little girl in the picture was dressed in a summer yukata for children made of very light cloth, which design is probably an heritage from the past, perfectly suited for celebrations during warm evenings like at this time of the year.
