Mito Summer Festival

Japan, a nation that can never get enough of festivals! Regardless of your length of stay in Japan, it's apparent that August is the "Month of Festivals," and as foreigners, we are often invited to attend or even participate in some kind of fireworks celebration (hanabi taikai) or street festival. Nonetheless, these amusing festivals also have something to give. That being said, I recently had a blast indulging myself in one of the most captivating festivals in Mito, the Mito Kōmon Matsuri.

The festival started on Friday August 6, with an hour and a half of fireworks illuminating the Mito night sky. While most people went to Lake Senba for the viewing, I decided to have a more intimate approach by riding my bicycle around the neighborhood to capture the moment.

The initial performance on Saturday started at the crack of dawn. At around 10:30 a.m., I was already outside the Mito Art Tower giving my full support to my friends' dynamic blues band, "the Samurai Cowboys." They played a few of their original songs before a small yet enthusiastic audience. The band even had a live interview with the Ibaraki radio station, amidst its own peculiar groupies at the art tower.

Following the exhilarating Samurai Cowboys came another group of truly "amateur" elderly magicians, who put together a nostalgic magic show. Regardless of their amateur skills, their professionalism in proper attire for the occasion without a doubt gave them top marks. As for the entertainment factor, their striving performance indeed stole many laughs and cheers from the audience.

However, it was without a doubt the Yosakoi Sōran dance group who stole the stage that morning. Passionately performed by dancers from Urizura Town, the age group ranged from an energetic 60-year-old granny to a very adorable 4-year-old kid. The Yosakoi Sōran is a dynamic and rhythmical folk dance that combines Hokkaidō's song and Kōchi's folk dance. The dancers had pairs of "naruko" (clappers) on their hands as they danced joyously to the beat.

After a fascinating morning at the art tower, the afternoon was all about the dance parade along the main street of central Mito. Along with fellow JETs Robin, Sarah, Tod, and a few international students from different parts of Ibaraki, we got dressed up in yukata and joined the Jōyō bank staff for a full four hours for the dance parade competition. Over 60 bankers dedicated themselves in participation and our team was by far one of the largest teams on site.

Regardless of the relentless heat that day, there were over 50 various dance groups who were soaked in their own sweats for this annual competition. From twister rumble wannabes to elderly aloha dancers wearing flowerpots on their heads, the main traffic road in central Mito transformed itself unexpectedly into a spectacular carnival.

While the four-hour-long "obon" dance piece (the traditional Japanese dance which is performed almost solely with hand movements) might seem a bit rhythmical, our incredible team spirit finished us up with a sweet 3rd place. That said, I'm a little dubious about the judging criteria.

There may be a lot of festivals in the summer, but everyone I know who attended the Mito Kōmon agreed the festival was indeed the most serendipitous event we have experienced in Mito.