Every year, Sendai hosts the Aoba Festival on the third Saturday and Sunday of May. I’m still learning about Sendai’s history, so here’s what I found on the internet about this festival:
The Aoba Festival, originally called the Sendai Festival, started 350 years ago after the completion of the city’s Toshogu Shrine by clan leader Date Tadamune. Like all Toshogu Shrines, they were built to honor the legendary leader that united the country: Tokugawa Ieyasu. Years later when Aoba Shrine was built to remember the founder of Sendai, Date Masamune, people slowly started to start call the celebration Aoba Festival. Today, you’ll see the history, tradition, and a little magic by some colorful characters that make the festival the unforgettable experience that it is.
I didn’t know what to expect when we arrived in downtown Sendai, but it was beautiful. You know those parades that happen only once a year whether it be the Christmas Parade or the Memorial Day parade or something like that? It felt like that. The shared feeling of anticipation was buzzing through the streets as families, friends, and curious neighbors crowded the sidewalks for a good view of the “Suzume-Odori” (a dance of jumping and spinning while whirling fans around to the beat of drums, flutes, and cymbals). My friends and I had to stand on our tip-toes to see the performers towards the beginning, but after about 30 minutes, children got bored and some of the families cleared out. By the end of the parade, we were sitting in the very front next to the event photographers! Again, it’s hard to explain the amount of beauty with my words, so here are some photos of the event:
Pingback: Week 7 – TOKIDOKI