One of the nice things about living in Japan is the chance to take in some of the culture. There are of course the scenic spots and historical sites. There are also the festivals, celebrations held anually or bianually, which bring a liveliness to the atmosphere, and enjoyment to be experienced for a limited time. This past weekend, we went to the Tochigi Autumn festival and had such an experience.

The Tochigi Autumn festival, also known as the ‘Float Festival’, is held every two years. During the festival, the road is blocked off to traffic, and a number of floats parade back and forth throughout the day. The dolls on the floats range from emperors, to warriors, princesses, and so on. There is even a float representing the famous Japanese fairytale protagonist ‘Momotato’ (Peach boy, the boy born from a peach). However, our float of choice had to be this lovely thing:

Each float has musicians inside that play drums, flutes, and occasionally sing and shout. Each float has a different set of music associated with it. When two floats encounter each other on the road, they have a sort of ‘battle’, playing their music loudly, before crossing past each other.

As with other festivals, a main draw was the pleathora of food stands serving delicious assortments of fried goods. There were of course many Japanese stands, but we also saw stands that served Korean food, and even two that served Turkish kebabs (one of them run by Turkish people).

We were fortunate to stay long enough to experience the transition from day to night. Though it’s easier to navigate during the day, the illumination from the lanterns on the streets and floats adds to the festive air. As oppose to other festivals I’ve been to, which are confined to a single area that can be explored in about half an hour, this festival being spread out along a city street allowed for a more explorative environment. It reminded me of going to county fair back home in California.

After having our fill of food and floats, we decided to head back. A nice little autumn outing. I’m glad things are beginning to open up more and more recently. I’m looking forward to the next destination.