And because apparently I do things in excess (like how I have pretty much listened to nothing but the Radwimps for the past 2 or 3 weeks; and how yesterday I listened to the same song on repeat approximately 40 times in a row), one fireworks festival just wasn't enough for me.
So Saturday afternoon, after working in Obu (where I apparently have a twin - I was told by at least three people "looking forward to seeing you next week!" and by a good 5 people "it's so good to see you again." - seriously, what was that about?), I headed over to Alexis's for help putting on my yukata to head over to the Okazaki Fireworks Festival!
Alexis had to put on our yukatas and tie our obis, as we were totally incapable.
I wore my new yukata that I got from Miyoko - it was my first time in yukata, and I was super excited about it!
me in my new pretty butterfly yukata - thanks for tying it, Alexis!
When Alexis finally got our yukatas on, we walked painfully slowly in our geta (which, despite all of my best intentions, I had not worn in) to catch the bus up to the castle fireworks area.
Alexis, Vickie, Me
Alexis and Martin had headed over earlier in the day to put out mats, and it was a good thing, too, as there were SO MANY people there's no way we would have found a place to sit if they hadn't headed out earlier. Apparently, 70% of the fireworks in Japan are designed and made in Okazaki, which basically means that the festival, which has at least 20,000 fireworks, ends up being HUGE! It was.
When we got there, we met up with Martin and Paul.
And then Mai and Voi.
me and Mai
I was waiting for Mai and Voi by the bridge when everyone else was taking pictures, so I don't really have great pictures of everyone. Though I did manage to get a nice picture of most of us.
Me, Vickie, Joanna, Sandra, Zack, Alexis, Mai, Voi
And the fireworks were AMAZING! Seriously. . .I thought the ones in Gamagori were pretty spectacular, but really, they had absolutely nothing on Okazaki.
They lasted for about an hour and a half, and the start was like the mega intense end in Gamagori. And then it just kept getting bigger and bigger. Apparently they kept making stars in the sky with the fireworks, but I kept missing them. :-( I did see a heart, though! (I would have much rathered a star)
My camera's definitely not the best at fireworks pictures - I bet Zack got some nice ones, though
After an hour and a halfish of amazingly impressive fireworks, there were SO many people leaving that we decided to hang around by the river talking for a bit, and we got to witness someone jump in and swim. Interesting. . .
It was an AMAZING evening, and I'm so glad I got to go this year - I missed it last year as the day after the festival, in which I danced yosakoi and did the obon odori, I headed down to Hiroshima and Miyajima.
And that's it! Totally awesome day. . .(and the next day I went to see the new Transformers with Nathaniel, which was AWESOME, despite what everyone else says!).
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