Laura and the Centipede...

On Sunday Mateo and I decided to head to Toyota Oiden Matsuri (summer festival). We met up at Kanayama station and took the subway all the way to the end of the line in Akaike. There we jumped on the Meitetsu train line bound for Toyota (about 45 minutes total). The whole way there we saw people in brightly coloured yukatas (lightweight summer kimonos). It was interesting because some girls and guys looked very traditional and proper and then there were the bad asses who had their yukatas open at the neck or had some seriously died, sprayed and molded hair. It was a very couple-y event with people holding hands and looking very lovey-dovey (not something you see everyday in Japan).
(crocodile Dundee guy and his traditional looking girlfriend...I didn't get a pic of this silver tooth/fang bracelets)
(I practiced my 'walk-by' photography on Mateo)



After we alighted the train (that was for you, Steph!) we emerged into the crowds at Toyota station. We followed the crowd down the street and saw lots of booths selling everything from grilled squid to hot dogs to plastic anime masks. At the end of the street there was a bridge where people had started marking their territory for the fireworks display. I never even thought of this, since in N.A. anyone who tapes a Finding Nemo towel to the ground and then leaves for food would return to find their towel gone and a family sitting in their spot.


We decided to walk around and explore. Walk we did...for over 2 hours. We walked along the hill where people were sitting in anticipation of the fireworks (they send up test fireworks so you can tell if you can see from where you are sitting), we walked along the streets, we found a random shrine, we saw the entire staff of the seven-11 yelling out for people to buy stuff and we watched people try to catch tiny goldfish with a paper net. It was sweltering so we finally got something to eat (octopus filled dough things, with of course, mayonaise...Aaron, they were like those squid things we got a First Markham, only huge) and sat in a parking lot to wait for the fireworks to start. Unfortunately, when the test fireworks went off, a building was blocking our line of sight. Then we decided to perch on the edge of a ditch/drainage system...only to get eaten by mosquitos. Seriously, the mosquitos in Japan are nasty little bugs! They devoured my legs and left huge purple and red welt-like sores...DISGUSTING.





We finally decided that when the fireworks started we would climb the hill, evade the firework police (yes, they were making sure people were not blocking the exits or sneaking into the VIP section) and watch. Picture me scrambling up a steep hill in a skirt and my new superhigh wedge sandals! It must have been an odd sight. We stood behind some people and I held onto this pole that was holding up some lanterns or something.


ATTENTION: Here comes the centipede story...

At some point during the TWO HOURS of fireworks (and we are talking about constant, amazing fireworks) I felt something on my neck. I thought it was only my necklace caught in my hair so I went to brush my hair away. That's when I felt something drop down my shirt! If only someone had been filming me they would have captured me jamming my hand down my bra only to find a centipede about the length of my index finger crawling around down there. I grabbed it and threw it as far as I could. It landed where Mateo had been standing just a few minutes earlier and scurried away. Needless to say I felt creepy-crawly the rest of the time and I was paranoid that another one was coming after me. Where did it come from?? I have no idea. Maybe it crawled up my arm and I didn't notice?? Maybe it dropped from a lantern?? Who knows but darnit, it freaked me out. I don't think it was the dreaded mukade...because it didn't bite me...but it was definately a centipede because I saw it slither/scurry away and it felt all scaly and leggy...YUCK!!

We started walking towards the station after about 1.5 hours of fireworks (some of them were choreographed with opera music! And yes, I filmed some of it!) and got caught in a huge crush of people. Mateo thought we could cut through the parking lot of Denny's so we ran around the back. There we found a wire fence....So I ended up climbing the fence (In a skirt and wedge sandals people!) and scrambling over the other side only to find a closed door. Luckily it was unlocked and we eventually made it to the station, back on the train and hobbled back to Kanayama on our tired, broken feet.

So, this was my first Japanese festival. Pretty much every weekend in August there is a festival somewhere in the prefecture. We are going to try to find another one this weekend. Mateo thinks there is some famous star festival, which should be fun. I just have to say, the Japanese know how to do fireworks. They beat any fireworks I've ever seen before!