Author: Philbert Ono

Everybody loves Okinawa. Named Okinawa Mensore Festa (沖縄めんそーれフェスタ), a week of Okinawan entertainment and food was held at Sunshine City in Ikebukuro, Tokyo during May 30-June 8, 2014. I went…

by Philbert Ono Whenever I see a new book about Kyoto, I tend not to pay attention. As if world-famous Kyoto needs another book for PR. There’s no shortage of…

The Shibuya Kagoshima Ohara Festival (第17回渋谷・鹿児島おはら祭 ) is a dance parade held annually in Shibuya, Tokyo in May. I saw it on May 18, 2014. About 2,200 dancers in 63…

Kurayami Matsuri (くらやみ祭) is Okunitama Shrine’s most important festival held annually during April 30-May 6 in the city of Fuchu in Tokyo, Japan. The main festival days are May 4…

Ome Taisai is a float festival held annually on May 2 and 3 in Ome, Tokyo, Japan. Twelve ornate wooden floats are pulled along the main street near JR Ome…

The White Heron Dance (Shirasagi-no-Mai) was very elegant in front of Sensoji temple in Asakusa, Tokyo on April 13, 2014. I caught them walking through Nakamise leading to Sensoji temple.…

Cherry blossoms at the Imperial Palace’s Chidorigafuchi moat was superb. Also, for the first time, they allowed the public to enter the Imperial Palace to view cherry blossoms along a…

Very sad to hear that all the plum trees in Ome, Tokyo’s Yoshino Baigo will be cut down in an attempt to stop the spread of the plum pox virus.…

Tokyo Marathon was held on Feb. 23, 2014. Here’s a collection of the most outstanding and incredulous costumes. I was near Suitengu Station which was about 10 km from the…

Here are two videos of some stage entertainment held during the Yushima Tenjin Shrine’s annual plum blossom festival (湯島天神梅まつり) in Feb.-March 2014. First, belly dancers from the Haruna Aki &…