The (very) local Wakoshi Chuo 2-9 summer festival

Yup. This is the street where I live. As every year, mid July brings its summer festival (matsuri). Matsuri are events related to the shinto tradition and every shrine in Japan holds at least one matsuri festival every year. Usually during summer / autumn. 

There is no shrine is this area of Wakoshi but the locals decided that this was no reason for not having a matsuri :-)) Of course this is as local as it gets, literally involving one single street. It is mostly organised for kids as this is the middle and the highlight of their summer vacation.

This is the portable shrine (mikoshi) carried by the kids, ready for the parade. The mikoshi parade usually starts and ends at the main shrine, but in this case it just went from down-the-street to up-the-street, guarded by the firefighter squad of Wakoshi. Of our street. You get the picture :-))

So much for carrying the mikoshi, kids! Isn't that rather being pulled while standing on it? :-))

Yea OK, there's a little bit of work there. Good girls.

After this utterly exhausting 120m long parade, it's time for a well deserved chilled beer soda, all set up in somebody's garden.

And of course a beloved classic of the Japanese summer: watermelon. I was kindly offered a piece as well even though I was only paparazziying about. Thank you neighbours!