How was it? - It felt shady and dangerous, yet beautiful and fun.
Bruised here? - Yes you will bruise.
Hey guys and girls on Ask Japanese, it's Cathy Cat.
This time we're gonna go ask Japanese people about MATSURI their summer
festivals which are a great spectacle you should not miss
when you come to Japan. Let's find out what cool and quirky festivals there
are and how Japanese people enjoy them. Let's go Ask Japanese.
Ask Japanese.
What festival
will you never forget?
There is a festival in Shinjuku at the Hanazono shrine.
That festival is right in the heart of Tokyo
It's a shrine in Shinjuku.
It's near the night entertainment area Kabukicho.
That seems dangerous.
It felt really dangerous. But we had fun.
The festival is beautiful and the lanters have sponsor names on them.
That looked really beautiful.
If it's in busy Shinjuku, is there enough space?
Well, it's a small area but there are many stores.
They are out on the streets too.
The streets of Shinjuku are already so crowded! - It's hard to walk.
Squeezing the parade through?
Like that? - Yes everyone is like that during the festival.
Why did you want to go? - Why?
It's infamous so I went to see it myself.
And going there? - It's....
It felt kind of shady and dangerous but It looked nice and I had fun.
What seemed dangerous? The stores?
There are some people whose real occupation is suspicious.
They seem really strong? - There are some scary looking men there.
Well... - But they try to have everyone enjoy the festival
True, I had fun. - Were there foreigners? - Yes.
So everyone is welcome to join? - Everyone had fun.
What was the best part?
There was some great jacked potato with butter. - potato?
They sell huge tasty steamed potatoes.
That seems yummy. I'm from Germany and we love potatoes.
That's true. - Potato and butter yum!
What do you have at Japanese festivals?
I like the chocolate bananas.
At chocolate banana stands, I often see a sign
With three hand signs
Like this. What does it mean?
If you win rock scissors paper you get another for free.
If you win! - Yes
Rock scissors paper go.... ah
same one
Ah I see...
If the store wins I don't get any
but if I win I get it.
Is that for adults or kids only?
Anyone can do it. - What do you have to buy
at a Japanese festival? Top3! - Chocolate bananas
(laughs) - Yes chocolate bananas
Yakisoba noodles
Why Yakisoba? - Generally it's a big portion
You can fill you stomach? - Right!
What's number 3?
Potato with butter!
After that you're full. - I won't be able to eat anything.
Do you love festivals? - Love them!
Where are you from? - Shimane prefecture.
Both of you. - Yeah. - That's far from Tokyo
It is. We come by plane.
We're asking about summer festivals. Are there any
in your prefecture. - We have a festival called SUIGOUSAI
Suigousai? What's that? - Fireworks
We have about 10,000 fireworks there. It's near a lake
in Shimane. From there we can watch it.
Do you go every year. - I do.
Me too. It's a very beautiful fireworks display.
What do Japanese boys do at a festival?
Shimane has a local beer that's really good
Like a craft beer? - Yes.
Craft beer and what? - Scooping goldfish!
Do adults scoop goldfish too? - We do it
for the kids. - Yeah. - I have my own kids too.
They ask me "daddy get me a goldfish"
So I do it for them.
What's the best at a Japanese festival?
I think the finale of the fireworks.
The finale is the best moment!
Many fireworks explode in quick succession. It's super cool.
I will go this year too, our kids want to see it.
Is a summer festival different with kids?
It is.
The kids are excited, and I am happy just to see that.
Also I have a girl and she looks cute in a yukata.
Is there something as man that you want to do at festivals?
I would like to one day work at a goldfish scoop store
That would be fun. - I would also like to have a stand there too.
Do you have a local festival?
I do. Do you know our portable shrines?
How would you explain a mikoshi shrine to foreigners?
We all carry it on our shoulders
At festivals people shout together, carrying it.
It's a common thing. - Like a car for the gods?
Yes like that. - The god rides on it
and everyone drives it. - Like that.
Have you done it before. - I have. - Wow!
It's super heavy. But it gets everyone into the festival mood
If I wanted to do it, could I? - Maybe yes.
I would like to. It seems to be heavy. - I got bruised.
Ah! - It's that heavy. - Heavier than a person. - Lots heavier!
A bruise there! - Bruised here yeah
Do you wanna do it again? - No but I had fun
Once a life at least? - Yes once in my life.
Have you participated in a festival? - In Fukushima we have the "Fighting Festival"
What FIGHT?
We have bigger portable shrines
and we bash them against each other...
What? Aren't those shrines super expensive?
There are people on top of the shrine and
then those shrines bash against each other. Lots of injuries every year.
A very expensive shrine with people on top...
carrying a precious god... and you smash them?
BAM! - Like that.
Do these expensive, precious shrines not break?
I think they fix them. It's a battle with winners and loosers.
I think at least one breaks per fight.
Break? Something so precious? - Yeah.
So if this god and that god bash against each other...
if one breaks, is the winner luckier for a year?
Hmmmm I wonder if that was it...
So when the gods collide....
do people not get injured? - Oh they do. I saw it...
everyone was so into it.
They collide the shrines.... even though they are so heavy....
I think they were all in pain but they gave it all they had.
And afterwards the ambulance? - People had to get carried away yes.
... Wild. Sorry I lost my polite language.
She just said "wild"! - Well..
Everyone gives their best, collides, injuries...
maybe the shrines break.... - Still...
We do it every year. It's an old tradition.
Japanese people are strong! And your festivals are dangerous!
They are dangerous! - So wild!
Did you ever want to join in that festival?
I think just watching is enough. - (director) did you enjoy watching?
I did! - Those were all questions, thank you.
So that's what Japanese people do during the matsuri festival
season. To be honest it's one of my favorites in summer.
The summer festivals that are all across town.
Many Japanese people dress up in summer yukatas
summer kimonos "yukatas" it's really great for just taking
part and many festivals let foreigners take part
as well, for example the odori festivals where people are dancing, you're allowed to
wus... did you just... what did you just...
do? I thought that was a massive insect that flew there...
ah anyways. So many people are allowed to take part, even foreigners are allowed to take part
in the festivals for example the dancing one. If you want to carry a shrine you need to
register beforehand about that and find out if it's ok to do that.
Yes if you come to Japan don't miss their summer festivals!
On that note, have you heard about any cool or quirky summer festivals that we need to
go to and feature for you. Let us know in the comments down below. Looking forward
to reading your comments. Also I hope you have subscribed
if you haven't would be nice to have you on the team. Catch you soon on Ask Japanese. Bye.