Ichinomiya Tanabata Matsuri

A bit behind but at the end of July, I went with friends to see a Tanabata festival in a nearby town of Ichinomiya  - about 30mins by train from Nagoya. You can read more about the famous Japanese Tanabata festival through the wikipedia link above.  The Ichiniomiya one is one of the biggest in this area.

Welcoming committee at the train station:

 The characteristic Tanabata decorations flying everywhere!

 Typical Japanese festival booths:

 Inside a covered street mall, there were tons of people and many dancers doing a special dance:

 ... and lots of Tanabata decorations:

 Wishes from students:

 Entering a Shrine:

 Inside the shrine, lots of decorations

 cucumbers on a stick!

 it was a bit windy

 a scary house - the people advertising it were scary enough!

 Lots of young girls in very pretty yukatas.

 A purification ring of fire.

 Drum concert:

 A wish among many:

 Some younger girls wore those more casual looking clothes (not pajamas!):

 I ate one of those squids on a stick:

 Night dancing:

 Older ladies showing how the dancing should be done: