10 April 2005
Last Updated:10/04/05
A lovely sunny, sakura-filled day. The parade was pretty much the same as last year, but we found a better place to sit. The cherry blossom was absolutely beautiful, and we took loads of photos as the marching bands and samurai passed us by.
Afterwards, Mary, Flick, Tom and I made our way to the banks of the Asuwa (propelled along by the masses), found a free plot, and sat supping Asahi and Chu-hi. Before long, we were absorbed into a Japanese hanami (flower-viewing) party, and so the day degenerated into drunken ramblings! (It was great fun, though!!!)
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Twirling flags at the beginning of the parade |
Very Japanese, ne?! |
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Feel a bit sorry for the guys pulling the cart! |
Japanese gaijin |
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A close-up of the "gaijin" |
A bloke on a horse |
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Another bloke on a horse |
Think these might be preists... |
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A little girl in a palanquin |
Female foot-soldiers |
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An important bloke (on a horse) |
The end of the parade (looking west along Sakura dori) |
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The obligatory photo of the sakura |
Along the Asuwa |
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Awww! What's up, Flick?! |
At the party we gate-crashed... |
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Mary, with a random dude... |
All of us together (that's definitely not a can of beer in my hand...) |
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Ruan comes to check out the fun |
Hehehe |
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Flick with her new boyfriend (sorry Lewis, guess you arrived too late
;) ) |
Gah! |
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