MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Thousands of participants dressed in their traditional yukatas and petite wooden shoes were the eye candy for spectators at one of Hiroshima’s favorite features, the Toukasan Festival, June 3-5.
Toukasan is the summer festival in praise of the god Touka Daimyojin at Enryuji Temple, Hiroshima City.
The festival is also known as the Yukata Festival, starting the beginning of the yukata wearing season. The yukata is a lightweight cotton kimono worn during the summer season. In Japan, the yukata is widely worn for everything from festivals, special events, summer daily wear to simple night attire.
“Everyone was wearing a yukata. If you weren’t wearing a yukata, you stood out in the crowd.” said Lance Cpl. Matthew Dewitt, Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron aviation support equipment mechanic. “They all had different colors with different prints on them. I saw one with cherries on it.”
During the three-day event, people of all ethnicities enjoyed the hundreds of street stands on Chuo Dori Avenue that offered unique foods, kakigori (flavored shaved ice), games, haunted houses and shows. Some of the more popular game stands were the goldfish scooping and balloon fishing stands.
“They have many different stands that sell grilled chicken, doughnuts, and cotton candy,” said Yoshiko Kihara, Marine Corps Community Services Marine and Family Service Center cross-cultural specialist. “They also have game stands, a dancing stage, a table tennis tournament, radio station stands, origami bird stands and yukata market stands.”
With fried squid in one hand and a bag of goldfish in the other, spectators gathered on the side of the streets to enjoy the parade of cheerful bon-dancers who performed for the coming of summertime.
“The dance they performed at the festival was the Hiroshima Ondo (Hiroshima dance song),” said Kihara. “They also performed the Yosakoi dance, an Awa dance, a jazz dance and hip hop dances while wearing a yukata.”
“I was there to enjoy the street drummers who were awesome,” said Dewitt. “First they had a group of women drummers and then a group of males. It was like battle of the bands when it comes to who was better. Both groups were really talented and loved showing off to the hundreds of spectators.”
After enjoying the parade, street stands and immense culture overload, Dewitt knew this was a night he would never forget, “I am so glad that I got the opportunity to enjoy this event. I tried fried squid, attempted the balloon scooping game and really enjoyed everything the festival had to offer. I recommend everyone check this out next year, they won’t regret it.”
As for Kihara, the festival has been an event that she has appreciated for many years, “I have loved this event since I was a child. I love wearing my yukata and seeing other trendy yukata’s as well. Whenever I attend this festival, I feel like summer is coming soon!”