October Highlights (Part 3): Halloween 2015

This year's Halloween was great fun; I had work during the day at one of my high schools and afterwards went out around the city with some friends. At this particular school, students were allowed to dress up and given the chance most of them loved to do so. The students also got a kick out of the fact that I kind of dressed up too; I was a cowboy/western sheriff, which has essentially been my go-to costume for the past couple years. This kind of freedom is highly unusual in Japanese schools, so I really enjoyed it!

Scary mask but he was working diligently!

I let them enjoy their costumes as long as they were doing their work

They insisted we do a group photo after class :-)

Later after my work finished, I met up with some friends downtown to celebrate. We went out for some drinks and also go to see a lot of the sights and sounds of Halloween in Tokyo. In Roppongi, it was absolutely crazy; I don't even know how to describe it! Unfortunately I didn't have my camera, but here are a few pictures from my phone of the evening there:

Halloween in Roppongi is pretty wild

Doesn't look like much here, but very creepy in person 

Cosplay is very popular here, Halloween is just another excuse to do it!

October Highlights (Part 2): Yamato Fest & Hikichigawa Park

Yamato International Festival

A couple weekends later I was looking for something interesting to do when I heard about the Yamato InternationalFestival. In Japanese, the annual event is called Yamato Sekai Ryōri no Yatai-Mura (やまと世界料理の屋台村, lit. “Yamato World Cuisine Food Village”). It’s held in the city of Yamato (大和市) in Kanagawa Prefecture next to Tokyo, which I’ve read is known for it’s cultural diversity. 

It looks busier in the photo than it actually was

The event was set up right next to the train station so it was very easy to find. It was smaller than I expected, and upon walking around a bit I felt like it was a quite charming actually. 

A walkway near the festival area has many cute decorations

The focus of the event was the international cuisine offered by small food stalls (yatai) representing various countries including India, Peru, South Korea, Thailand, and more. There was also a small “stage area” where musical and dance performances went on throughout the day, including acts such as American Andean panpipes, Spanish flaminco, Okinawan performances, and others.

Jazz performance by a Japanese group

I forget what performance this was, but it was cool

Hawaiian dance is quite popular in Japan, children also join oftentimes

Hikichigawa Park

I spent a very nice afternoon at the park

After I had ate some Peruvian food, watched some performances, and snapped some photos, I decided to explore the town a little. I noticed on my map that there was some large green area not far from the station. The weather was nice and the sun was shinning, so I headed over by foot. What I found was an expansive park, which I believe is called Hikichigawa Park andForest of Friendship (引地川公園ふれあいの森, Hikichigawa Kōen Fureainomori). At first it seemed like a pretty typical park but as I explored further I discovered some very nice areas of the park developed with large sections of pretty flowers. I think I better make a trip back here in the spring though; I’ve read that thousands of pink flowers called phlox subulata bloom there.

I had fun exploring

October Highlights (Part 1): Nakano Central Park Event

October was the month in which I finally started to really get settled into my new life here in Tokyo. During the first few months, my money was so tight that I simply couldn't afford to go out much and explore. The weather was generally very good in October, so I tried to spend a lot of time outside even if it was just walking around my neighborhood.

Nakano "Bustling Four Seasons Forest Park" Event

A lively and fun atmosphere at Nakano Central Park 

One warm afternoon early in the month, I went for a casual walk to a nearby park. As I got closer I noticed a growing number of people heading in the same direction, and I knew something was going on. It turned out to be a pretty cool festival, called the Nakano Shikinomori Koen Nigiwai Event (中野四季の森公園にぎわいイベント). Nakano is the name of this part of Tokyo (one of Tokyo's special wards); shikinomori koen is the name of the park and translates to "Four Seasons Forest Park;" and nigiwai basically means "bustling" or "lively." It's actually a bit confusing because the larger park area is actually called Nakano Central Park (中野セントラルパーク).

Very cool to see: an older couple dancing salsa like no one is watching

I was seriously surprised to randomly come across this event without knowing about it, but nevertheless I definitely enjoyed it! It really was bustling; the park always has a very nice atmosphere as it's a prime destination for young families with kids. Whether there's an event or nothing special, I love going to this park just to see all the happy kids running around and playing games.

A young girl walking with her balloons bobbling behind her

The event spanned two days and featured a wide assortment of food, entertainment, music, and all the other festival things you'd expect. There are often various events at the park, but I think this must be one of the major ones each year; it wouldn't surprise me if this was the most popular local community event of the year. The website I linked to above has details about the performances and various vendors, but here's a few more pictures of the event below.

A small skate park was set up near the station and park

Music performances went on through the night