Utsunomiya Castle Park

Inside Matsugamine Church

christmasy chrysalis

at a butterfly park in Moka

Happy Holidays!

Hinomaru

Flags marked the Imperial Birthday today

Otariya at Futaara shrine

Neighborhood shrine

Along Route 4:

Yummy!

At a local bakery:

Inside Utsunomiya yatai okocho

before all the little eating and drinking holes open for business.

Bee on a leash

Seen at Utsunomiya Gyoza Festival.

Utsunomiya Gyoza Matsuri 2011

Long wait to get this:

There were a lot few stands than last year:

But the press people were as obnoxious as last year:

More of the same

Her real name is Ms Nozaki

Batto embu taikai at Nakamura Hachimangu shrine in Moka.

More girls with swords

This one we nicknamed "Azumi":

Batto embu taikai at Nakamura Hachimangu shrine in Moka

Girls with swords

Batto embu taikai at Nakamura Hachimangu shrine in Moka:

At Jokoji temple in Nikko

Old Nikko city hall

Before the main office moved to "downtown" Nikko in Imaichi.

Nikko JR station

Futaara shrine maidens - miko

Priests praying

at Futaara shrine in Nikko:

Kinutaro on the steps

The angry demon of Kinugawa Onsen:

Kinutaro - the angry demon

dancing in Kinugawa:

Miya Matsuri 2011 - not quite dressed up

Girls from one of the mikoshi teams.

This is also a Black and White Weekend entry. Click on the link for more gorgeous bw shots.

Miya Matsuri 2011 - all dressed up

Miya Matsuri 2011 - chillin'

Miya Matsuri 2011 - bonten

Cleansing (purifying) the streets before the mikoshi procession:

Miya Matsuri 2011

Sorry about the long silence. Sometimes a girl just needs to take a break, you know...

Last weekend we had our annual summer festival - Miya Matsuri. And I realized I never really did a festival in black and white. So that's what it's gonna be this week - Miya fest in black and white.

My favorite drummer boys:

Ryuosai festival

And here's a video. Sorry about the background noise - it's the Ryuokyo waterfall.

Accidents do happen

Riding on a mikoshi:

Falling off a mikoshi:

Mikoshi and me

All dressed up and ready to go:

Listening to the speeches of our dear leaders telling us to behaving ourselves:

And off we go:

In 34 degree heat

They wear all this:

Hairy?

Or not?

One, two, three!

Instead of a cooling pad

a cup of ice cold beer does the trick

The station series continued...

Utsunomiya JR station as seen from the 10th floor of LaLaSquare:

In the morning

Utsunomiya JR station

Nikko line

Lazy Sunday morning

Beautiful Japan - Not

Yep, we live in a poor area.

Our neighbor's flowers

Trees

Poppies

Taken last month in front of our house

Same street as before

But looking the other way.

Street

This is my entry for Black and White Weekend.