Yukata redux


If only the real Himeji castle wasn't in a box...
Himeji's Yukata Masturi is an annual festival taking place in Japan's most famous castle town of Himeji. Unfortunately, construction has prevented me from ever seeing the actual castle structure, and so this model in the tourism office will probably be as close as I will ever get (reopens in 2015!). 

The festival took place the weekend of June 22-24, with over 800 food vendors and amusement stalls open the whole day--and stage fashion shows, singing, and dancing picking up in the evening. 

One of my girl friends who lives in my neighborhood and I, we went to the festival early in the afternoon, when the crowds were thin and we were free to slowly wander back and forth through the stalls. We had a delightful day of eating festival food, fried chicken, soft serve ice cream, tai-yaki, yakisoba, and I can't even remember what else now. There were hundreds of girls in yukata of all different colors, and quite a few boys wearing samuri yukata as well. It was a really nice and chill type of festival and I'm glad I woman-ed up enough to iron my yukata and wear it out again. 

Here are so semi-creepy photos I took of the adorable little ones wearing yukata. 





Every girl needs her accessories. 
Me in front of the castle-in-a-box.

 We found an art display nearby the shrine, and this popped out at me because of the English.


Wearing your obi in the front means that you are a courtesan (because it's easier to undress). I wanted to take a picture of my obi-handiwork before I stripped off the yukata in the middle of Sannomiya station...

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