Matsuri in Karatsu

Today is an holiday in Fukuoka and we went in Karatsu with the school to see the matsuri.
Matsuri are kind of carnival. There are some associations and the all year they prepare some floats that they show on that day.
This is the occasion for everybody to meet, eat and drink!!!

The first thing we have visited is the castle in Karatsu:


The castle looks like that in Japan.
Big (many floors) and white.

This one is from 1602

 Most of the time there is nothing to see inside, but in this one they were some paintings

and some armors.
This is always nice to see, but a bit scary no???











Here some views of the city:

 The city is near the sea and you can see some islands nearby

 One koy, this fish very emblematic in Japan.

Some vegetation, as you see very green. It means: It is raining!!!!
But ok today the weather was great.

Maybe a bit to great, I think I have a red face now!!!!!!





And then we went to the matsuri. I spent the day with Sophie a german co-student, who is also living in Zürich, did I say how many swiss people are in the school (unbelievable!!!!):

As you see these one of the float. This is quite big.
In this matsuri they were many of them.

Some guys are having an easy job, just staying at the top and telling the others what to do.

Oh it remember me something…..

These festivals are for everybody, young, old, women and men.

And of yours and because we are in Japan, there are many things to eat.

This one is one of my favorite: Tako yaki: this is a batter with octopus.
This is the kind of junk food you find in a matsuri

And now more closer

This is delicious even if my picture show something a bit ugly!!!!

I found this guy very interesting, if I was not in the matsuri I would I thought I am near a sado-maso club

But no, this guy is ok :-)

Easy job too, but the interesting part is the bandage that they have. This is very representative from Japan.
I like it very much!!!!!

In each float they play some music with the flute and some drums and they also sing
You can enjoy it in the videos later….

Well we very not the only one there.

But lucky us, the japanese are rather small, so we can see very well!!!!

Yeah life is not always easy and this hot today :-)

The traditional/modern Japan
They always have their cell phone

Well I have mine too, but nobody to call :-(

Ok that one is the not easy job part.
These guys are pulling the float and these things are very heavy

and this is the same for all ages
And please follow the rules.

One of them was not dress correctly, mama mia this was a story :-)

Some of the nice floats

The chicken was the most scary one:-))))

Most of the time, the matsuri are organized from shrines
So these are the traditional clothes

I find them beautiful, colorful, I especially like the hat





And now some videos, watch out the sound :-)

After that we went to a big supermarket where I have tried many things:
Red beans cakes (delicious), jasmine tee, nori tee: the water was great, ocean feeling but the nori inside, was for me terrible, like with some glue around oops difficult to eat :-), some dried fishes, …

very nice

After all these adventures I was dead and red
So just went to my place and rated at my cafet (no I am not eating all day, but I know some people that do:-))

You can find more pictures in the Japan page!!!