Kintai Bridge Lantern Festival 7/24/11

It's a beautiful Sunday afternoon, and we're crossing the Nishiki River, headed for the Kintai Bridge. This evening is the Kintai Lantern Festival, when people will walk across the bridge with lighted lanterns, which should be a beautiful sight. We're taking our bikes, a small cooler and our camp chairs so we can sit in comfort & relax by the river & watch.


Ladies in parasols near the bridge.


Kintai Bridge area is always busy, but especially today.


A little girl insists on carrying her own little table as she & her dad join their family under the shade of a tree.


People walking on the bridge & a swimmer enjoys the cool water in the river below.

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Beautiful blue water of the Nishiki River running under the Kintai Bridge, Iwakuni, Japan.


A fisherman using a very long rod under the bridge.


Beautiful cherry trees in July.


Under the shade of a large cherry tree.


Mother and cute little frog baby. This one's for you, Ingrid . . .


Two of the summer college students who are here teaching swimming at the MCAS indoor pool.


Watch this short video for some of the sights and sounds as we sit by the river.

Two beautiful women enjoying the shade in their yukata - summer kimono.


Food area. After we parked our bikes & set up our chairs, we decided to get some late lunch.


This trailer is an entire restaurant!


Including tables & chairs inside!


More of the food booths.


Oh, this sounds promising - Sasebo Hamburgers. We've heard they were famous for their hamburgers (although we've never tried them when we visited Sasebo). So today's the day! Of course, we had to wait while they were cooked fresh and to order.


Closer view of sign - that guy looks familiar . . .


Sign near the Kintai Bridge. Good reminders.


Stan's walking back up from wetting his "sweat rag" in the pristine river. This looks like a perfect location to watch the Kintai Bridge Lantern Festival in a few hours.

Stan & I sat in our camp chairs & enjoyed the cool shade & the beautiful view. At the bottom right, is a trash bag hanging on the front basket of my bike.


Little boy jumping up the cement steps below us. Such fun!


Up on the street behind us, you can see examples of vines being used to shade windows from summer sun.


What a great idea!


And nearby is the ice cream stand. Of course we did!


Long wood boats in front of the Kintai Bridge.


Closer view shows the steps that cover the arches of this bridge. Many, many steps . . . Of course, it's good luck to "walk the bridge." I have once . . . that was enough for me.


Meanwhile, on the stage behind us, koto players are just finishing. If you want to hear what this beautiful Japanese stringed instrument sounds like, click HERE


Now, dancers have taken the stage.


We saw this group in a parade last year downtown. I LOVE their hats!


Closer view

Everyone is enjoying this warm summer day.


Children are cooling off in the river.


Cute little girl in front of us is posing for her dad, but much more interested in looking into the river!


Behind us, two people in beautiful costumes.


Taiko drums are set up in the center of the bridge.


Pretty girls in pink kimono atop the Kintai Bridge.


Wow! Look at this - the opening ceremonies have begun as a long flowing banner is carried across the bridge.


This is the front of the long banner.


That may be the pretty young woman we saw in a fancy costume . . .


How pretty . . .

And here come the flag bearers behind us headed back toward the staging area from the bridge.


Meanwhile, a boat with a large basket of firewood hanging out the front is headed this way. Baskets inside the boats contain cormorant birds who will do the fishing for small silvery sweetfish. They will have a rope around their necks so when they are pulled back in, the men can get the fish from their mouths.


That's a lot of firewood!


Something is going to happen now, as these beautiful young women in kimono approach in front of us.


They're taking something down the stairway into the river. Notice the man on the small boat in a grass skirt?


Talking on his cell phone! Great example of "old & new" in Japan . . .


Looks like this is to be a lighting ceremony for the fire boats. The fish will be drawn to the light of the fire, so the birds can catch them.


The young women are lighting the wood with a special lighter - likely with hot coals.


Look at their beautiful hair and summer kimono.


Success! Where there's smoke, there's fire!


And this boat will light all the other fire boats.

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