Since the start of the summer vacation, the Sasahatahatsu area has been filled with festivals held by various town councils every weekend! While the afterglow of the Sasazuka Summer Festival was still lingering, July 28 was the Rokugozaka Noryo Festival in Hatagaya, which was held after a long absence since the end of Corona.

Hatagaya Shinmichi Park was lined with booths selling everything from cotton balls to draft beer, yo-yo fishing, and other festival essentials, and there were long lines at all of them. I gave up on draft beer, but something cool and stylish caught my eye. It was a sherry cocktail sold at a stall of HowLovely, a pastry shop in Honmachi. I had never had sherry before, but when I tried it, I found that the carbonation was infused with homemade fruit syrups, and the tangy alcohol was a nice accent to the perfectly sweet fruit soda, which made it extremely delicious! It was the perfect drink for a summer evening.

At 6:00, the Bon Odori dance finally began! Following in the footsteps of the expert Bon Odori dancers from the Women's Association, we danced as we watched and imitated, gradually becoming comfortable with the rhythm and movements that are etched in the DNA of the Japanese people. Men and women, young and old, formed a circle, sometimes holding hands, sometimes bumping back and forth, and when I looked around, I saw smiles on everyone's faces.

After dancing for a while, there was a performance by Yoshimoto comedians. My 4-year-old watched the comedic performances of these comedians live for the first time. The relentless children's jokes were also amusing. Mock stalls + Bon dance + entertainment. This is what Japanese summer festivals are all about! We had a great time at the festival.