On Monday night (July 24), Tash and I headed over to Aki-machi to visit our friend Jessica and to check our her local matsuri (festival).
Local girl (above) wearing a yukata (cotton summer kimono)
The highlight of the festival (below), a fire dance on a boat in the river. According to a local that chatted us up, the fire ceremony is a revived tradition dating back to olden times that pays tribute to the spirits of the river.
Jessica will be going to the University of Arizona in Tucson (about 2.5 hours south of Scottsdale where my family lives) to finish her masters program this August, so I hope to be able to see her again soon.
Japanese Festival Food
Grilled corn-on-the-cob
Ikayaki (grilled squid)
