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2015.07.19
I went to Gion Festival in Kyoto.
When I hear the festival music, I feel like this is the Japanese summer.
The parade of floats is amazing of course, but Folding Screen Festival,
which is held for a few days before the parade, is also worth seeing.
This year, despite the typhoon hit the parade day, it took place as scheduled.
For reference, the parade has been cancelled only three times
in its over a thousand years history. (H.S)
2015.07.16
[Colors：Reprinted from Echizen Japanware cooperative society brochure]
I accompanied to the shooting of Echizen Japanware traditional industry hall.
We think black and vermilion as the color of the Japanware. It's said that the other colors also seems to have been attracting attention. (Y.Y)
2015.07.15
A petal of a bellflower isn't divided every one. The lower part is attached from half of the petal. I didn't know.
It's said that the wild bellflower decreases. It is specified in the Ministry of the Environment Red Data Book Vulnerable. (Y.Y)
2015.07.14
Today I've been to Nishiyama Zoo in Sabae city.
This zoo is well-known for its lesser pandas, but they hardly moved because it was too hot today.
Instead, Bolivian squirrel monkeys were moving around energetically.
And I found some little babies clinging tight to their mothers' back.
T.S
2015.07.09
We celebrate star festival in Japan on July 7th. By that day, we decorate bamboo branches with paper strips and ornaments to celebrate Altair and Vega’s reunion. We make wishes and write them on the paper strips and it is believed that wishes come true. I saw many wishes in my hometown. Some were serious, romantic and or peaceful, and some were very funny. I saw a girl making a wish that she wants to be the strongest creature in the world. A boy wants to be muscular like LeBron James. This boy wants to be completely somebody else. And this girl wants to be strong, she doesn’t mind if she won’t be a human being. I could not help myself laughing.
The Star Festival is a legend that is originated from China. It is a story about the two bright stars, Altair and Vega. Vega is a weaving girl and Altair is a cowherd boy. Because they loved each other and had so much fun being together, finally they stop working hard. The king got very angry and separated them by the big river or the Milky Way. He allowed them to see each other only once a year across the Milky Way on the night of July 7th. (F.T)
