Blog - Shitamachi Tanabata matsuri
Shitamachi Tanabata matsuri
Saturday was Tanabata, and we went to check out the Shitamachi Tanabata matsuri held between Asakusa and Ueno, on a shopping street called Kappa-bashi.
1. Kaminari-mon, the typical Asakusa photo. I think it had been about 2 years since last time I had been to Asakusa, and it was fun to look around all the tourist shops.
2. Start of Shitamachi Tanabata matsuri in Kappa-bashi.
3. A lot of shops in Kappa-bashi have a "kappa" figure in front of them.
4. Shitamachi Tanabata matsuri
5. Chindonya, musicians on the go. I think they were the only ones parading around the matsuri.
Then we moved on towards Yanaka, but on our way there we passed Hasu-ike, a lake full of lotus in Ueno! Most of the flowers were gone, so I took photos of what was left.
And in Yanaka, I saw this curious flower that looks like gakuajisai but much smaller, each was only about 5cm maybe! Looking it up, I found out that it's called Lantana camala.
Larger sizes and a few more at Flickr
Posted on July 8, 2007 at 02:53 | Tweet
|
Comments RSS
Lantana is considered a rabid weed in Queensland - it's everywhere, and out of control in some parts. It has a pungent smell that I always associate with my home town! The hot, wet climate encourages majorly rapid growth. It was weird to come here and see it used as an ornamental plant. The flowers are quite pretty.
Lovely pics of the matsuri, btw.
Posted by Martine on July 8, 2007 at 09:57
Thanks!! :)
Funny about Lantana! It's the first time that it caught my eye and I thought it was quite pretty too. Too much of anything is no good though. :)
Posted by Patrick on July 8, 2007 at 12:05
That looks like heaps of fun. Weather bit less tho. Is the rainy season already over in Japan??
Posted by Papigiulio on July 9, 2007 at 22:21