Festival season!

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A long awaited summer has arrived early! After a long and painful winter, blue skies and fresh greenery are what makes this season so full of energy, and this is my favourite time of a year. The fresh air makes everyone feel like going outdoors, a feeling which is probably common in most countries.

Early summer is also the beginning of festival season! Across the globe, a variety of festivals, overflowing with local pride, will start taking place. In Asakusa, the biggest event of the year (“Sanjamatsuri”) is just around the corner. This festival, one of Japan’s three largest, celebrates the legend of the statue of the Goddess of Kannon. This statue was discovered in a river by a fisherman and is believed to be the origin of Asakusa’s ancient Buddhist temple (“Sensoji”.) Asakusa’s present prosperity is attributed to this legend.

During a three-day period, Mikoshi* paraded through Asakusa accompanied by some traditional dancing. The festival attracts not only local people, but also so many tourists that it can take an hour to walk a distance which normally takes only 10 minutes! Even so, people continue to come—most likely because they are attracted to Asakusa’s vibrancy, an energy which is unique to early summer coupled with the excitement of its visitors.

Speaking of festival season, there is a festival in Montreal from June 1st through to June 20th. Amazing theatrical performers from around the world will gather at the Fringe Festival and perform a variety of shows. These shows will take place simultaneously at many theatres near Mont Royal. It may be a great idea to check the reviews and go to some of the hottest shows. This year’s Japanese performer is SHOSHINZ, an amusing pop star who sings and dances. Please check when she’ll be on and go see her perform!

*Mikoshi = an ornate palanquin-like portable shrine on which the ghost or spirit of a Shinto shrine deity is believed to ride.