The festival was like a mirage that appeared in a vast, snowy surface. There was a huge stage made up of snow (and a little help from white wood), igloos of different sizes also graced the occasion, along with a snow slide that both kids and adults enjoyed. Given the number of people there, I reckon this is a big thing in this town.
Different groups performed traditional Japanese dances on stage. Dressed in deep, jewel hues such as amethyst, ruby and emerald, the dancers popped out against the pristine, white stage. I was so fascinated by their performances because they were not only visually stunning, they were also genuinely new in my eyes. Yup, they don't show this in "Oh, Tokyo!" and those Japanese documentaries on Channel 9.
Food is another highlight of the celebration. More than 30 stalls sold different goodies ranging from traditional ramen to yakisoba, gyoza to yakitori, and some weird things like the "fried-fish-in-sake-drink" and the "grilled fish on a stick." We had onigiri, gyoza, yakitori and yakisoba for lunch, and I had the chocolate coated banana popsicle for dessert. Yummy!
My favorite part was seeing "Mask Rider" up close. When I was a kid, I'd watch "Mask Rider Black" on the telly and wondered what it felt like to meet them up-close. Today, I stopped wondering and started experiencing it. They had a stage play which featured 3 Masked Riders and it definitely made the festival worth the price of admission. (Wait a minute, there was no admission price. It was free...)
There was a fireworks show at night, but we decided not to stick around for that. Spending half a day there was enough to make our hands and feet frozen and numb.
I'm glad that Mark brought me to this festival because it's something totally new and uber unique - a place where fun, food and tradition are all rolled together in one icy package. As an experience, this is way more than just cool. It's chillin'!
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