Gazillion Summer Events

Last Saturday I went to take some pictures for Japan Mode Photo Gallery to Asagao Ichi (Morning Glory Fair) in Uguisudani, and last night I went to the Hozuki Ichi (Ground Cherry Fair) in Asakusa also to take some pictures. I was at the morning glory fair in during the day and the hohzuki fair at night, and both were very crowded and made me re-feel the crazy crowd here in Tokyo.

Since both are fairs selling plants, the atmosphere was basically the same. The vendors were energetic and the customers were sort of elegant with their summer yukata on. Because I’m not originally from Tokyo, it was quite fresh and fun seeing how the summer fairs and festivals are like in Tokyo.

For the details of the fairs, give me just a little more time and I’ll post the pics on Japan Mode PHOTO. Keep tuned!

Anyway, I noticed that from July throughout August there are a BUNCH of events going on somewhere everyday. The fireworks start in the end of this month, and it really makes me feel summery. Besides the fireworks, swimming pool and sea. A number of beaches swimming pools at amusement spots have opened at once for the season just recently. There are so many swimming pools in Tokyo where you don’t just swim but play, like water sliders and wavy pools and spas where you can go in with your swimming suit on, so on so forth.

Still, my favorite is the one I went to a lot when I still lived in Osaka, and it’s called Freizeit Bentencho (it’s called Yunokuni Japon now: http://www.eeoyu.com/konamiyu/benten/benten.html ). It’s a dome style swimming pool so you can swim there all year round, and the best part was the one called Sky River. Sky River is a swimming pool built in the air with transparent boards, and because the water and boards are all transparent it makes you feel like you’re swimming in air about 5-6 meters above the floor and it’s really cool. I loved it so much. If any of you reading this live in or near Osaka, I strongly recommend the place.

For those of you who’d rather go to salt water, in Kanto the place would be Kamakura Chigasaki or Kujukurihama in Chiba. If you go a bit further down along the Pacific Coast as far as Izu, then you get more clear water. In my case, if I had to step out of Tokyo anyway, I’d go as far as Okinawa :-D