Japanese Autumn Festivals

well there's some japanese festivals around where i live like the cherry blossom festivals. but i rather experience festivals in japan because i haven't experience festivals when i went to japan.

what is up with all the free stuff? free takoyaki? free ice cream? free shu mai? gahhhhh. and yea they sell choco bananas here atleast by the beach when its hot. would like to try the raffle in the first picture atleast once. its the one where the colored ball comes out right? hehe..

I wish Nihon Machi in San Francisco had at least half of these things during Sakura Matsuri and stuff. At least it's still fun to go to.

FREE TAKOYAKI?
FREE ICE CREAM?
HAS THIS WORLD GONE MAD?!?!?!

FREE RAMUNE?
Ramune is like AUD$3.40 the cheapest where i can find it. T___________T

I recently found out that there's a Chinatown over here but, nothing close to having festivals on this scale or anything related.
Thank you for the coverage, Danny m(_ _)m It's always a fun and interesting experience, reading these types of articles.

That was a festival free foods,play some games and do anything. In our country they have a "Fiesta" its a type of festival during january and its both doing like Free food,Games (actually a extreme game) and Drink some more beers for free.

There are some, but nothing awesome like that...
Looks so interesting... I wish I could be in one of those while I was a kid...
Well, I wish I can still be in one of those while I'm an adult too. XD

Thanks for the pics Danny.
That's one of the big reasons why I love being here... I'd never get to see such typical japanese stuff if it wasn't for you.
Makes me want to be in Japan even more, if that's possible. :P

Hmmm... craving for takoyaki now...

FREE??? where where
back here, if anything was free, they would be snapped up in an instant. and lol at the girl jumping before the ball was released!

I want some yakitori now!

Man I'd hate to lose at a game in japan, I'd get hurt so bad ^^;
Wish we had festivals over here in the grotty England-land, they seem so light-hearted and fun.

so the "no free lunch in the world" is wrong uh..

wow, cool you're coming to Singapore? :O

ahhh... japanese festivals! Just by looking at the photos taken. The japanese really know how to celebrate a good festival.

One of my goals when i reach japan is to see the famous Cherry Blossom Festival.
Seriously, i really want to see one.

Looks like some fun. Especially with the cute attendant, even if she isn't 2d. I'm looking forward to hopefully getting into an exchange program when I go back to college, just so I can actually experience these festivals first hand.

I hope to impress some kiddo's with what my imaginary gold fish swooping ninja skills. Free Ice cream is pretty win too.

wow such generous hearts ^.^ , you can't find anything for free here in my place....even if you do find it u probably won't have the chance to have some =.= ,plus you may even get hurt trying to get it =.=||

i really wish to visit one of this festivals

No japanese festivals in Brisbane, as far as I know.

Re your surreptitious photos of the young lady attendant, you should have pretended to be a tourist and got her to pose with or for you.

Another reason to Japan.... I'm hungry NAO!!

doesn't sound like anyone want to lose in all these games ^^;
Great festival with a lot of free food ;-) make me hungry now........ *calling McD*

Wuuuuut>?! Malaysia had such festivals? I didn't know! Where? where?!

wow, looks quite funny =)
another reason for go to jap x'd

spend the afternoon by playiong games & eating free delicious food? DO WANT!

I voted no for the most part because it's rare you find a nice festival with free stuff.

lol on your loser jokes, about the (name-of-thingy-goes-here-because-I-forgot) isn't that a lotto machine? about Japan Festivals, none here. although I remember some universities here would sometimes hold a special Japan day. no free food though, just an excuse to decorate the school with stuff from Japan. ^^
btw girl on image ID#22970 looks like my sister. ^^

ooh I love Tako Yaki. And that retro TV's cool.

lol the choco bananas. I was a little shocked first time i saw those in asakusa.
Also, dunno where you found a free festival but woo! I always have to pay for my foods at festivals ;(

sadly we have no japanese festivals here. they give a way alot of free food there. every festival I go to I end up paying alot of money. tako yaki sounds good right about now.

Cute girl!!! Is she free too?

okonomiyaki reminds me of horikita maki in Teppan Shoujo Akane...
i do notice japanese girls are very camera shy... when i was in Japan, i asked permissions from many cute girls (maido, policewoman, waitresses) "totte mo ii desu ka"
all of them gave me a bit NAI with a big X ultraman hand.
why is that so? was a bit disappointed that my trip ended without much cute japanese girl pictures..

Isn't the thing in the first picture a tombola?

I asked a couple of friends back here about the alcohol btw Danny ^__^ I hear theres no ale, just fizzy pop and whisky <__<

oh my this is a cruel world. losers get treated so badly. :-(

they really give a slap in your face???

isn't that raffle thing in the first pic called a kujibiki or something?

Waaah that looks so fun, I want to go. Where I live (Portsmouth, United Kingdom) we don't have any Japanese festivals. Or many festivals at all really.

In Southsea though, there is a small Japanese Garden, with a zen garden, but its only a ground level layer of cemented in sand. If they used real sand, the chavs would just eff it up.

Okay, now I'm getting hungry...
Free food...
Japanese Festival has it all!!!!!!!
It makes me wonder if every festival in Japan is like that...

Free stuff? Now I'm even more confused by this "Credit Crunch" thingy...

LOL @ the punishments for the losers, Danny. That is quite sadistically creative. *Shudders*

TAKOYAKI BANZAI
days ago I went to JIEXPO (Japan Indonesia Expo) and takoyaki stand got a long fat queue (4 lines at one end, 1 line at the other end)

Nov 9th, Nippon Matsuri in JIEXPO Jakarta, Indonesia. some nipponjin told me to visit Tokyo next year for international anime fair. did I look so ota?

Danny: A pharmacy with its goods spilling out onto the pavement - unmanned and very common in Japan to have this sort of display. Probably would not work in Hackney London.

So true haha, would probs be worse in Peckham London. XD
Just jokes all you cockney people... ^_^

Thank you for this photo image ID#22970 and following up to get this photo image ID#22974

I really hope she is at least old enough for it to be ok if I think she is beautiful. Because I do think she is beautiful ^_^;;

You're right Mr Danny. That lady sure is cute *drool* XD

I don't know of any Japanese festivals held here. The festivals here are way different than in Japan though. It's pretty much like a party. There are food stalls too but they're not free. x_x

Don't know of any Japanese festivals in Sydney u_u~ I do know there's a Little Tokyo in Bondi Junction though, but I haven't had the chance to visit yet ;_; Sydney people, lets meet up! xD;;;

Nice photos Danny, looks like lots of fun~! Nothing like it over here that I'm aware of, people generally go to the shopping centres and surrounds to socialise or for events.

Interesting...btw your winners-mentality really shows Danny: losers always get punished severely by you ^^

I find the slap game fascinating. I hope you can remember the name so I can add it to my blog post. I looked up kujibiki as OP commented with no luck.

Like always awesome coverage of Japan Danny, I've never tried takoyaki. What does it taste like and what are the ingredients?

Haha. The chocolate banana was funny. It does look a little distasteful.

They really hold such festivals out of their own pocket money?? The shumais and all. Gracious Japanese. The reason why I have to migrate over.

Wow free food. We have like local festivals here, not seasonal or anything, but everything costs money. Heck, most food ends up from comes from fast food places. And all of it costs money. Really rips out your wallet. Course, we don't have nice alleyways to set up shop. It has to be in a gym or stage or church or something.
Though there was a street sale thing at the Hong Kong market plaza this one time. Which was like a festival. But all the booths were selling stuff and there wasn't anything to do but eat or buy. Weak community here.

sometimes they offer free food in indonesia, not limited to festive though ^^

Have one annual festival called the natsu matsuri held in the japanese school near changi... they have bon odori, ramune and the likes. Had much fun there ^^

Ah, good ol' Japanese festivals, I miss those. Festivals in USA are so much different than ones from Japan +_+

I wish I could go to a real Japanese matsuri. Closest we have here is the Lilac Fest in the spring. It is still very very very American except for all the Japanese visitors walking through the gardens with there cameras.

I love to drink Ramune, in fact I have about 13 in the fridge right now!

Oh, man. Seeing the band picture reminded me of how much I miss it. I should see if I can sign up for next semester. There's a fabulous thrill that goes with playing in synch with a large group like that.

If you live in the wrong place in the states then you will never see any japan type festivals.

Nice pictures! And even better comments:)

Pasar Malams (night markets) are pretty good with all the food you can eat.. :P
Sometimes we do have festivals here and there, and I think there's a Korea fest coming up somewhere...

Didn't really know how Aki-Matsuri is like so that's pretty interesting.

One shouldn't expect to see much Japanese-related events/items in the UK; they just don't seem to mix together (you usually see either Chinese or Indian stuff associated with the UK at most).

But the little games did remind me that of the time I helped out a village with a few friends of mine on a local carnival or something. The villagers were really friendly and we got rewarded a big can of Celebration chocolates for helping out. Well you know, people in the rural region are *very* different to those in the urban (e.g. London or Hong Kong).

Your comments for the losers sounds scary Danny lol, Free siu mai? Wow! :P~~ I think there's some Matsuri-ish type festivities here but I haven't been to any just yet ^^; saw some notices at the Japanese supamarketo before ^^

I did go to a picnic that was hosted by the Japanese heritage society.

Closest thing we have to this here is a big scale annual summer fair with games, rides and prizes. Absolutely nothing is free tho, and is rather expensive actually. More skanky girls out n about wearing very little than cute girls there. Hmm... I guess that 'show' is free.

somehow, the prize for the loser in each game become more gore as i scroll down thru the post. ∑(゜△゜;)

but on the Kingyo Sukui, i see some very large goldfish, is it really possible for them to scoop it up using that paper?

image ID#22970 reminds me of a game I see on television show. The game, called Plinko, is where you take a disc and put it against a board. You watch this disc hit a bunch of pins and see it change directions all of the time. Depending on the slot you land into, it is depending on how much money you win.

Those are some very harsh penalties, feels like a SAW festival for the whole family, yay!

I remember having okonomiyaki and mondoyaki when I was in Tokyo, down at Asakusa.

Delicious... oh god... I just got back from Japan three weeks ago and I'm already wanting to return.

There isn't much Japanese festival to be found here in Belgium, usually Chinese festival (if there is an asian one)

looks fun . Yay for the looser and poo-poo for the looser lol.

There are matsuris being held here as well sometimes.. Wish I could go there in Japan.. Life's looking good there.. A great place to free myself from everyday worries..

Ewww the casing or whatever of the siu mai isnt yellow!!

i really want to go to one of these some day when I arrive to Japan...Like..really badly.

So much free food.
Matsuris in SF happen during the spring and summer months, with the big one being the Sakura Matsuri in April. No free food though.
Now I am hungry.

You all want to know why they give out so many free things. It is so all the losers from the games have something to cheer them up after they get said punishment for losing.

Me: Wow, I see a lot of battered and beaten people at the festival. Let's see what they have to say.
Boy: I got a pencil in the ear, but it's ok. I got free ice cream!
Girl: I got a club to the leg, but it's ok. I got free takoyaki.
Otaku: The pretty girl gave me a slap in the face, but it's ok. I got some free pantsu.
Me: Huh!?! Pantsu!?! They weren't giving those out.
Otaku: Shhhh...
Me: @_@

There are some festivals like that in Finland but really not as many as I think you have in Japan and no free stuff most of the time.

About the prizes, is it Danny your way to get your fighting spirit up for the competition that you imagine you will get punched in the face if you lose? :P Good there wasnt a competition where winner gets to choose one figure from the losers collection...

Wow, that looks like loads of fun, especially for the kids. Also, love the american flag shoes this lady has ^^ http://www.flickr.com/photos/dannychoo/3010305256/sizes/o/

Favourite prize: a mouth full of camel droppings for the losers.

I think there are some here in Malaysia but not lucky enough to have gone to one... Looks like great fun, plenty of free foods as well!!! Is siumai called siobee(hokkien) in Singapore? cause where I live it's called siobee...

The closest thing we have here is when the Japanese garden in Saginaw opens. And it's always on a weekend when I can't go.

There were some small japan-type festivals here before but they are a small part of a much larger event...

I wanted to experience one and not just otaku events if ever I get to Japan in the future ^^

Have fun in Singapore Danny. I found it a relaxing place with some unusual teas and juices to buy. Its kind of a pricy port visit though, and the vending machines did not except $10 Sing bills I found out. ^_^;

For where I come from, theres hardly any people. I used to live in Texas where there are more cows than people. Theres no Japanese festival, or Japanese people where I came from originally.

the losers always get some free-binta? i thought evry1 loves free-binta

Hopefully I do not forget to go to festivals in Little Tokyo

the punishments... sound too harsh.

I like the caption is on top of the photo. I always get confused which photo the caption is referring to without reading both and checking the picture.

Well it's rare here, and only limited to Little Tokyo mostly...what's the point of the glass ball in the Ramune anyway?

Ahh that's nice...but what's with all the free food!?
I love Ramune! I laughed at my friends for breaking the bottle to get the marble out...XD

The only Japan type festivals in L.A. are the festivals held during Nisei Week in August of every year. That's right, i have to wait a year for this. And this year they didn't even have a Tofu Festival. It was cancelled.

Those are some pretty rough penalties for the loser, I guess it's to make you try harder. As for the octopus balls, it never gets old.

Anime had me assuming that these were strictly held at shrine's and in parks. This looks like your typical street fair which, in retrospect, makes much more sense.

Japanese festivals sure are a lot more fun compared to most of the crappy festivals here in the Philippines~

free food stuff is amazing!

The first time I saw "Winners get x, losers get x" I wasn't too fazed. Then as they continued, I got more and more shocked. Then as they continued some more, I noticed you were joking.

I hope o_o.

There should be festivals like this worldwide for every culture to make things more fun and diverse. The okonomiyaki looks neat. ^_^

Free food? Awesome. We don't have any festivals like those in Japan.
In Prague, in December, they sell choco banana at Old Town Square's Christmas market. It is the top-selling among fruits in chocolate.

Danny makes losing sound like a SPARTAN-II boot camp. XD

Would love to try a bottle of Ramune though - wonder what it tastes like...

hey danny you are coming to singapore?

any plans to have a singapore reader's meal or something?

as usual, ur food pics make me hungry ^^

The missing word for picture one is...... TOMBOLA!!

Can I join in with the playing in picture two when I visit?

The only 'festivals' of the type photographed where I live is a local school fete to raise funds, or a folk/hippie style 'peace and love' day. Both are usually in the school holiays, so we all hope that they will fall sometime during the three days of sunshine which are our summer ^-^

There's a Cherry Blossom Festival in my city. It's mostly traditional arts like taiko, dancing, drama, and karate.

the things the loser gets are quite violent!
looks fun,i wouldnt mind playing the goldfish game,it looks fun^^

Always wanted to go to a japanese style festival, but I might stay away from your local one. Do they have paramedics on watch for all the loser?

"Is Japan the only place where they can get away selling these chocolate bananas without being arrested?"
I could not hold my laughter in!!!!

I don't mind losing and getting slapped by the cute lady, as the Chinese saying goes... um.. hit me something love something? oh wells, as long as it is a PURTY young lady! *smooch*

Shiu Mai! love it with soy sauce. And its free!
Shame, nothing like this in the UK, if there were, I'm sure Chavs would of nicked and gunned down home to munch on their loot.

Not the greatest looking food, but I would like to try the chocolate banana.

There's Japanese festivals down here, and they're really fun. They only come around a few times a year though...sigh.

if i was a kid, i wouldn't want to loose any game i played here. every form of torture except throwing a kitchen sink on the head was included.

I knew almost everything here, except that slap on face, OUCH!! and *shocked* !

YAY TAKOYAKI!!!! Where I live every year around April and May they have a cherry blossom festival! They have all this fun stuff there but my favorite part is all the Japanese food and snacks. Thats where I got to try takoyaki and I love the stuff ^//^. But may I ask what is Shiu Mai?

So much free food. ;A;

I actually made a news bit of the San Jose Japan Town fall festival. Quite fun indeed. Too bad it did rain half of the time or so.

Haha I wish we had free food when we have festivals.

The prizes for losers are kinda scary...XD

Too bad we don't have these in the uk or in Hong kong. The japanese festivals always looks good.

food, prizes, lots of games, tons of food with squid in them...
Count me in! I'll bring my American friend and force him to have some!

During August the japanese school downtown organizes a festival. Some people wear yukata to it, and there's always taiko/sumo demonstrations, and food +_+ Yay takoyaki <33

neck of the woods XDD???? imi wakanai

I WANT FREE FOOD XD

The mystery game in the photo with the cutie attendant number (image ID#22970) is Pachinko !

Hard to recognize the original pachinko board without the sound super-loud techno being pumped out, the heavy smell of 9000 cigarettes in the air, and the loud clackity-click of the the steel pachinko balls..

BTW I love the Japanese festivals such much , its a shame they dont have these in the States or Europe, but that has a lot to do with European version of SHinto (Paganism) being wiped out (along with a lot of Europe's culture) by the arrival of Christianity.

LOL at your comments for the loser.
In San Francisco's Japantown, they do have the celebration once in a while. The common one was the Cherry Blossom Festival. Not sure about the Autumn though.

if only festival in malaysia is like this... it would be fun... here it was full with crap shop... not fun at all... bleh...

Im familiar with some of these festivals, love living in Hawaii because of the multi cultural fun mostly Asian festivals XD..... WISH WE HAD GOLDEN WEEK!

There's just happen once a year here...

Whatever the season, festivals in Japan are always nice. I really want to go there to eat sweet potatoes

I wish the festivals and celebration here had that kind of food.

Wow, I didnt even know theres a Japanese Festival in Malaysia. I should know because I live there.Can anyone tell me if there is a festival again in Malaysia > Thanks ^^

Did those kids win a figure of those little games, iwanna taste those chocolade things!!

:O! THE CHOCOLATE BANANAS lol!

Danny, I totally approve the second young lady attendant pic, err..., I mean, the prizes pic.

About the festivals here in Brazil, they're not small, but there isn't so much to do. There's only food (sometimes unnecessarily expensive food) and in rare occasions there's some traditional stuff such as Kingyo Sukui.

I heard that the "Japan Experience" festival this year was kind of nice but I haven't attended it. Some people say our Tanabata festival is awesome, but I never managed to visit the Japanese district during it as well... =/