Matsuri madness

Summer is the season of festivals in Japan. Wherever you turn there is some wonderfully colourful celebration going on, it gets to the stage that - no matter where you go - you bump into a group of insanely cheerful people carrying a Mikoshi (portable shrine). Such was the case this afternoon when I returned to Ebina to find not one, but five Mikoshis lined up and ready to start their parade down the main street.





The best thing about the whole affair was the the little munchkins seated on their father's or grandfather's shoulders beating out the rythm for the chanting which is integral to keeping up the morale of the people carrying the extremely heavy Mikoshis.