Season of Cherry Blossoms

My daughter Emi has had a son this spring, namely he is my grandson.  We went to a shopping mall to buy clothes for him, then went to a nearby park to watch cherry blossoms.

My daughter Rina graduated from her college a month ago. I went to her college to take pictures of her on the day of her graduation ceremony or the commencement day. 

I enjoyed seeing blizzard of falling cherry blossoms at Futarasan shrine the other day.

3x3 World Tour / Day Time Session

 Carrying Mikoshi and breakdancing shows attracted many people gathered to the 3x3 basketball court.

I Go to FIBA 3x3 World Tour

3x3 World Tour was held in Utsunomiya the other day.

They showed exciting games with excellent music and narration.

Thanks Utsunomiya city governor for inviting FIBA and having done such a well organized event.

Kikusui-sai Autumn Festival

Many people wearing traditional samurai clothes marched with horses in the central Utsunomiya city. The parade was very beautiful and they held Yabusame practices.

Yabusame is a traditional Japanese mounted archery; an archer on a running horse shoots wooden targets.

Yabusame practices had been held in front of Futarasan shrine, banba-hiroba space before, but this year, it was held in castle park.

Miya Matsuri Summer Festival

 Miya Matsuri summer festival was held last weekend.

Baked apple candies and chocolate coated bananas are the two most kids' favorite sweets in a Japanese summer festival.

Many young girls in Yukata, or summer version of Kimono, were gathering around the Futarasan shrine Torii gate.

Several men were preparing Mikoshi shrine for the night time parade of climax of the festival.

Japanese shrines hold festivals to celebrates Shinto gods, and to pray for prosperity and good harvests.

Futa-ara-yama Shrine and Cherry Trees

The season of cherry blossoms has almost gone in Japan.

I saw cherry flowers in many different places this year.

My home town Matsue, Kiyohara park near tennis court, Ueno park in Tokyo and here today's post, Futa-ara-yama shrine neighboring to my home condominium are examples.

3x3 World Tour Utsunomiya Masters

'3x3 World Tour Utsunomiya Masters' was held at Futa-ara-yama Shrine last month.

The games were so exciting that even Gods at the shrine might have been surprised.

TV monitors were set outside the main basketball court and people who could not enter the venue enjoyed watching games through the mointors.

People were dancing at the music festival held one day before the 3x3 World Tour.

Top Season of Cherry Blossoms Is Passing in Tochigi Prefecture

Cherry Trees at Futara-yama Shrine.

Two kids are playing at campus of Utsunomiya University.

Pink and White flowers are blooming at campus of Utsunomiya University.

Reflection of my wife Kiyono walking at campus of Utsunomiya University.

First Summer Festival in My Town is Held

The first summer festival in my town is called miyaichi-sai.
The festival was held in the time between rainy season and hot summer season expressing people's joy of coming summer.

I happened to take some pictures of the very final scene of the festival.
They thanked the success of the festival and prayed their future happiness by clapping hands together.　
This 'clapping hands' is a common way of closing a festival in Japan.