Spring has come. One of the distinctive features of Japan is its vivid transition between the four seasons, each of which has its own distinctiveness, and "spring" evokes warmth, beautiful flowers, cherry blossoms, the start of newcomers to lots of companies, and so on. I remember the springs like it was only yesterday when I entered medical school and I became a doctor.
Today, I joined an annual activity of Matsuyama Chuo Lions Club (336-A 1R 3Z), associated with Matsuyama City Spring Festival. In order to make the festival more enjoyable, we held an outdoor tea ceremony at the foot of Matsuyama Castle Hill for citizens and tourists. We also handed out pairs of red and white rice cakes which are thought to be auspicious and are consumed particularly in the beginning of the year in the hope of good fortune. Cherry trees are usually in full bloom at this time of year, but this year the period of the blossom has already passed by. However, a number of tourists were swarming around us.
Another attraction was "the period procession" in which some three hundred people dressed in costumes representing various periods paraded through the streets. Some of the pictures show the preparations of the parade. A popular actress is featured as the queen, the wife of the local lord every year and I was lucky to see her preparing just before the start of the parade.
Sounds like a great day.
Posted by: Jennie | May 01, 2013 at 01:13 PM