Sunday, July 25, 2010

Fireworks and 'matsuri' at Aji

As is celebrated in countless localities all over the Japanese archipelago, the hamlet of Aji just concluded her 'natsu matsuri' (summer festival) yesterday...

Was determined to enjoy the fireworks display this year
It is quite tricky to shoot fireworks, actually... 
This is one of the better composed shots from the night...
A crowd puller, especially for the young, is the night stalls...
The pull for me, is the photo-shoot opportunity offered...
Set amongst the lanes surrounding the little fishing port, the reflections from the lights are quite irresistable to my itchy fingers... 

Closed in on this particular stall selling ice candy...
Exposure was a bit too long, on hindsight....
Before I realized it, the crowds thinned out as the stalls began to close...
A main feature of the matsuri at Aji is the use of fishing boats to carry the 'mikoshi' (portable shrine)...
These boats such as the one bouyed in the background were decorated with colorful flags calling for the gods to protect their safety when out in the sea...

2 comments:

  1. Whoa... so many festivals in Japan ya? Nice shot on the fireworks.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yeap, too many festivals than you care to partake in... this one is ok, because it is in my neighborhood...

    ReplyDelete