Fukuro Festival

I was lucky enough to see a Fukuro festival during my time in Japan. The name roughly translates to bag, meaning shopping bag, in commemoration of the opening of the shopping district in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. To me, shopping is maybe something that would be celebrated with a sale, and some banners, or maybe a small show with a live musician. But in Japan, they go all out with endless parades of dancers! It’s a glorious sight to go hold.

 

Wave after wave after wave of dancing troops marched up to strut their stuff to music. There must’ve been over 100 different groups. I think they really trained hard for this event as per evidence of their skill. Each group got about three minutes to impress everyone before being replaced by the next. You can really see the enthusiasm and energy on the performers faces. 

 

 

 

And all throughout the streets I found more performances, more parades, and delicious food. I got some fish cakes on a stick that were grilled to perfection with a light soy based barbecue sauce. You’ll find plenty of food on a stick in Japan, even candy! 

 

Honestly, my expectations of Japan were set pretty high after witnessing this event. I think there were a number of other activities going on in Tokyo that day. Do they put this much effort into all their celebrations? Do they put this much effort into everything they do?