yassa festival

mihara's big local festival is called the Yassa. Yassa literally means hurry up. The revelries date back to the 1300s i think when mihara castle was being built and the local residents would get dressed up and dance around singing hurry up - build the castle!



the castle is gone but people still get dressed to the nines on friday and saturday night. every organisation, suburb or school forms a team who parade down the main drag in the MOST garish yukata you can imagine. turqoise satin and neon yellow yukata, ANC yukata, black and white formula one yukata. each group is separated by a vehicle of sorts (nissan, lexus, ambulance) covered in paper flowers and whenever a dancer gets parched they pop into the back of their slow moving vehicle and grab a beer.



tonight is the last night of the fest and there are going to be fireworks! I have heard that a japanese fireworks display is nothing to be scoffed at. lookin forward to it.


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