My Time in Tokyo

Festival Hopping - Pt. I

Summer in the deep Noto is a blast since we there is a festival somewhere every single weekend. I love the energetic atmosphere of country festivals so I go to as many as I can. In fact, everyone keeps asking me if I have travel plans for the Summer, and I just say "Nope. The beaches are gorgeous and there are festivals every weekend- so there is no need to travel away from the Noto in Summer!"

I have written a few times about the main festivals that my town has had (and there are a couple more to come!) but I also want to share some of the festivals in other towns and villages that I have been able to experience this summer.

小木イカす会　- June 1st

One of the villages that I work in is famous for their fantastic squid fishing industry. In fact, Ogi sends squid to fine seafood vendors around Japan including Tokyo and even overseas to China and South Korea. Every year at the beginning of squid season the town has a squid festival to celebrate the town's livelihood as well as petition for a a great fishing season.

My friend and I arrived around 9 a.m. and sampled various squid items to munch on while waiting to see if we got selected to ride on the commercial squid fishing boat. Everyone wants to ride it, but there is only so much time and space. Only two forty minute boat rides accomodating about 30 passengers are given during the festival. So people get tickets and then are selected through a lottery system. Luckily enough, we had the right ticket!

The boats were all decked out with young bamboo stalks and special flags, 大漁旗. These banners are hoisted to call for a rich haul of fish during the trips.

The water is so clean and clear- you can see all the way to the bottom. Also, right around the port there were so many jellyfish floating in the water, pictured here is one of the long tailed poisonous ones.

More 大漁旗, the banners were hung up around the wharf to make it bright and festive for the festival.

The kids got to fish for squid

Rows of tables and grills were set up so people could buy fresh seafood then chat while they enjoyed their lunch on the grills.

Munchies! Squid stuffed with mochi rice and grilled, and freshly sliced squid sashimi- the product of the boys fishing in the tank!

Riding the boat was so much fun. I have never been on a ship that big. It was a full ship, with living quarters, kitchen, toilets, shower and everything because the crew regularly goes on trips that go from 2-6 months in duration. It was lovely being out on the water with the cool breeze and sun. The Ocean is so beautiful here. Its completely clean and blue! We could look down and see all the jellyfish floating around us too!

They have a tradition to send off boats by tying hundreds of strands of paper tape and holding on as long as possible as the boat pulls away from the wharf. It is quite pretty actually to watch the boats take off with a rainbow trail blowing in the wind...