☆ Handa Dashi Festival ☆

Do you know “Dashi”? It is a Japanese float. I’d like to dare to call it Dashi in Japanese. My hometown Handa (in Aichi) is famous for Dashi. “Handa Dashi Festival” is held splendidly every 5 years. It is rarer than the Olympics. The sixth Handa Dashi Festival was held in October 6-7 last year, so you have to wait the next festival till 2011. In passing, it is said that more than 480 thousand people came to Handa to watch Dashi from all over the country and the world.

In Handa there are 31 Dashi in all, and then all of them gather. Each group pulls each Dashi and parades the streets in the city. Attraction is sculptures, curtains, windup dolls and musical accompaniments. I’m sure that you feel the history, solemnity and beauty. Because there are also street stalls, you can enjoy eating and drinking, watching Dashi.

Already have you become to want to come to Handa and watch Dashi nearby? I hope you are impressed with Dashi when you watch them. Oh, I have to warn that you shouldn’t pick a fight with groups of the festival because they are like gangs.

Enjoy!!

Movies are wonderful!!

During the summer vacation, I watched 3 movies: “Detroit Metal City,” “Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea” and “I Am Legend.”
I saw the former 2 ones at the theater and the latter one on DVD.
Now I’m going to introduce my favorite movie “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” and criticize “Detroit Metal City” that I watched lately. Incidentally, I forgot my wallet in the theater when I watched D.M.C.


First, I’d like to tell about “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.” It released in 1991 and gained big reputations. In 1991 I was 3 years old, so I didn’t watch it at the theater of course, and watched on TV when I grew up. Following the previous work, the same android T-800 (T stands for Terminator) appears in the story. But he is different from the previous work, and protects John Connor from a liquid metal new android T-1000 that aims at killing John. In adding to unfolding the exciting story, powerful computer graphics and explosions make us much more excited. I’ve watched this movie more than 5 times, but I’ve never been tired. I really recommend it to you all.


Next, I’m going to write about criticizing “Detroit Metal City.” It has been published as comic books. The story is about Negishi who aims to be a pop musician play an active part in metal music scene. He belongs to metal band “Detroit Metal City,” and he experiences a lot of happenings. I think casting is very nice, but I prefer the comics to the movie because the story is really boring. When I give points to this movie, I give 2 or 3 points within 10 points.