Sekkasai, Snow Festival in Summer!

by Chiseko

It may be a much smaller snow hill  than I imagined but it is very difficult to preserve the snow mountain in this season.

 

The name of the festival in Mumata Town in Sorachi sub-prefectural area is SEKKASAI. Snow board and ski aerial competition is held in this suburban area of Numata Town.

During the competition, the slope should be repaired again and again to avoid falling down and extract the best performances.

It was so cool for the beginning of summer that I had to eat hot noodle soup at the venue of the festival.

The performers showed us almost perfect 360 degrees turn and monkey flip on this slope.

The mayor of the town, Mr.Kanehira  will visit British Columbia of Canada for sister relationship of the municipalities. 

All the performers were enjoying their going overboard in their play.

Those are the present to the superior performers. Of course, rice produced in Numata Town. I am eager to eat the rice.

I think this is the only one place to do snow fight in summer. In winter, the snow fight tournaments are held in various place of Hokkaido.

If the member of the snow fight team was hit by the snowball, he or she has to get out of the battle field.

The firefighters team was so strong and showed very nice teamwork and speed to conquer.

YOTAKA ANDON MATSURI(Fighting lantern festival) will be held in Numata Town on August 24(Fri.) and 25(Sat.) this year. I strongly recommend to visit and see the festival because I extremely enjoyed the festival last year guided by the mayor.

Everybody is enjoying the performance and the food sold at the stands.

Skewered grilled chicken and hot noodle soup were so popular in this cool weather.

I got very nice FUKI, petasites japonicus, at the venue of the festival and it will be in my lunch box tomorrow after boiled, sauteed and flavoured with soy sauce with broth.