Thursday, August 2, 2007

Festivals Aplenty

The beginning of August is festival time here in Ishinomaki. First up was the city fireworks show. We saw that yesterday, and it was damn impressive. It's apparently a huge point of local pride, and a lot of businesses kick in money to make it happen every year. Over 100,000 people showed up--so basically over half the city was there, clogging up the tiny patches of land bordering the river.

It was kind of like an American fireworks show, but everyone was less rowdy, smelled good, and picked up after themselves when they left. Here's a few pictures from yesterday:


Okay, here's one thing America kicks probably every country on earth's ass at: the air show. Japan made do with what it had, and sent out 6 F-16s for a very nice routine that included smoke cherry blossom figures and some good synchronized manuevers. Still, nothing compared to having your gut drop as a bunch of enormous bombers thunder over head at the Hillsboro air show, followed by the Blue Angels, followed by several billion dollars more of tax-funded aerial awesomeness.


Japanese civil servants doing their American brethren proud.


Boom!


Fourth of July, Japan style!


I went to another festival tonight, but I'm too tired to put up pictures. Instead, I'll leave you with the most awesome picture my camera has taken to date--check out his mud flap.

7 comments:

Unknown said...

Uh, Nate? How many air shows have you been to? Where are you from, like 1951? How very American of you and I'm from Texas!

Luke said...

Is the mudflap also an exhaust pipe? It looks kinda cylindrical as though it might be. That would be even more awesome if it was...

Anonymous said...

Hey Than,

So those Banks/Hillsboro days were not all in vain?! I'm so impressed that you were noticing the airspace............now let's talk about the birds you saw.......!

Lisa said...

Do you realize you made 4 references to America and Americans in that posting? Aren't you supposed to be absorbing Japanese culture for what it is, and not viewing it in an American cultural context?

Nate said...

Kendall-- In the country, it's either the air show or the tractor pull, so my family made their decision.

Luke--wrong. That wouldn't make it more awesome. It's already at maximum awesomeness.

M- no birds...I think they all got sucked into the planes' exhaust or something. If you want to look into weird birds here, find out why the crows are so huge. They're like small dogs with wings!

Lisa- It's called patriotism. It usually coincides in a country after gaining its independence, which is why the concept is confusing for you.

Anonymous said...

In Oregon, you don't even have to go to the air show to participate in it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVUXQL8-CQg

Too bad the footage doesn't show the parking lot with all of the spectator tractors.

Lisa - I don't think we have to worry about Nate turning Japanese, do we?

Unknown said...

i like the spoiler on the van in front of the motorcycle. i'm sure it really needs a spoiler to keep it on the road.