Every July, over a million visitors flock to Osaka's Tenjin Matsuri, a thousand-year-old tradition and one of Japan's three biggest festivals. The city's streets are choked with wandering crowds, food vendors, and parading pageants; police officers struggle just to keep the flood of people in order. At the chaotic celebration's edges, though, quiet, romantic moments can still be found.
The woman is wearing a yukata, a light garment that you're likely familiar with if you've ever seen photos of any other Japanese summer event or an episode of Love Hina. As a general rule, younger girls wear yukatas with brighter and bolder patterns.
Shrine maidens, umbrella dancers, and thousands of other participants -- all in Heian-era costume -- celebrate Tenjin Matsuri by marching from the Temmangu Shrine to the Okawa river. Ritual drums and chants guide the procession.
Hundreds of boats parade up and down the Ogawa river, some carrying decorated palanquins and mikoshi shrines, others ferrying court dancers and traditional theatre acts for entertainment. Barges and private boats are also loaded up with people hoping to get a better view of the two-day event's main attraction.
At the festival's climax, over four thousand fireworks color Osaka's evening sky. Spectators cheer as what seems like a never-ending stream of blasts and patterns close the night.
[All photos are courtesy of Andrew Magrath.]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-08-2007 @ 9:29PM
Pizza Pasta said...
Buncha weirdos.
Reply
8-08-2007 @ 11:21PM
hvnlysoldr said...
You're even weirder
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8-09-2007 @ 12:41AM
suppi said...
Haha! I liked this :P
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8-09-2007 @ 10:05AM
Praxis said...
Nothing is worth putting the DS into sleep mode. Nothing.
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8-09-2007 @ 4:50PM
Your Lost Socks said...
Aww, cute :3
Reply
8-09-2007 @ 8:59PM
JC Fletcher said...
Dang it, Eric, DS posts aren't supposed to make big tough dudes cry.
This is like the most beautiful article ever written about the Nintendo DS.
Reply
8-11-2007 @ 5:25AM
Rubang B said...
Ooh ooh I'm going to Osaka tomorrow. I'm in Kyoto right now and I swear every train is a sea of Japanese businessmen, but each one has at least one girl in a kimono and at least 2 people playing DS.
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