Bright Lights, Little City
National Geographic Traveller India|December 2019
Shinjō Matsuri, a summer festival in Japan’s Yamagata prefecture, transforms an idyllic town into a bustling hub of craftsmanship and culture
Julian Manning
Bright Lights, Little City

Laughter rouses me from my curbside stupor. Three young women, wrapped in dazzling yukatas and wearing updo hairstyles that seem to have been sculpted rather than styled, let me know they’re amused by my appearance. With my backwards baseball cap, a camera bag slung over my shoulder, and an entire grilled fish clamped in my mouth—my hands busy tinkering with my DSLR—there’s no way I could look less like a peculiar tourist.

I set down my skewer of ayu, a small river fish prepared with a heavy coating of salt, eaten head, intestines and all, and wash down the embarrassment with a swig of Asahi. Yet my ignominy is short-lived, for what distraction could be better than half-a-million happy parade-goers? The small town of Shinjō, in Tohoku’s (northeastern Japan) Yamagata prefecture, swells from the humble size of 40,000 inhabitants to 5,00,000 from August 24-26, the tail end of Japan’s summer festival season known as matsuri. It is arguably the most popular celebration of the region.

The 20 neighbourhoods that make up the town compete against one another by erecting intricate, colourful floats depicting vignettes from kabuki theatre, a tradition that is over 260 years old. Shinjō’s feudal lord Tozawa Masanobu began this festival centuries ago after a bad harvest, using the festivities to both appease the gods and distract his people. Today, there are no hard times to be seen as thousands of people gorge themselves at concession stands and small children run up and down the streets with ice cream cones in their hands.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 2019-Ausgabe von National Geographic Traveller India.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 2019-Ausgabe von National Geographic Traveller India.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER INDIAAlle anzeigen
Best Of The World 2023
National Geographic Traveller India

Best Of The World 2023

Travel inspiration is everywhere. The question is where to go next. Here's our annual list of enlightened destinations for the year aheadplaces filled with wonder, rewarding to travellers of all ages, and supportive of local communities and ecosystems. Framed by five categories (Community, Nature, Culture, Family, Adventure), these destinations are under the radar, ahead of the curve, and ready for you to start exploring.

time-read
10+ Minuten  |
November - December 2022
Α ΗΟΜΕ IN THE HILLS
National Geographic Traveller India

Α ΗΟΜΕ IN THE HILLS

Skyview by Empyrean is a onestop destination for adventure and leisure in Jammu

time-read
3 Minuten  |
November - December 2022
ENTER THE PICTURE POSTCARD
National Geographic Traveller India

ENTER THE PICTURE POSTCARD

A stylish luxury hotel in Thimphu's northern outskirts is where illustrious Bhutanese and travellers alike are finding their happy place

time-read
6 Minuten  |
November - December 2022
48 Hours : Seattle Leads The Way
National Geographic Traveller India

48 Hours : Seattle Leads The Way

The jewel of the Pacific Northwest is one of America’s greenest and grooviest culture capitals

time-read
8 Minuten  |
November - December 2022
BIG BINGE: DUBAI FOR THE JET-SETTING GOURMAND
National Geographic Traveller India

BIG BINGE: DUBAI FOR THE JET-SETTING GOURMAND

Delightful degustation menus, French brasseries with art-inspired menus and Japanese diners excelling at nostalgia—the Dubai Food Festival 2022 justified the city’s status as one of the world’s premier food capitals

time-read
4 Minuten  |
November - December 2022
CULTURE COOL - UNDER THE EMIRATI SUN
National Geographic Traveller India

CULTURE COOL - UNDER THE EMIRATI SUN

Home to one of the world’s grandest mosques, an exciting emerging arts district on Saadiyat Island and an entertainment hub promising genuine thrills, Abu Dhabi has arrived in the league of extraordinary family destinations

time-read
4 Minuten  |
November - December 2022
ONLY IN OTTAWA
National Geographic Traveller India

ONLY IN OTTAWA

ACTIVE ADVENTURES, BUZZY BREWERIES AND NEIGHBOURHOODS THRIVING WITH BARS AND BOUTIQUES— CANADA'S BIJOU CAPITAL HAS PLENTY TO DISCOVER BEYOND THE HALLS OF PARLIAMENT

time-read
2 Minuten  |
November - December 2022
OF FRENCH FINESSE
National Geographic Traveller India

OF FRENCH FINESSE

QUENELLE DE BROCHET IS A REGIONAL LEGACY DISH HAILING FROM LYON. THE OVAL, POACHED PIKE DUMPLINGS ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN INVENTED BY A PASTRY CHEF TO REGULATE FISH OVERPOPULATION

time-read
2 Minuten  |
November - December 2022
Coorg: A WILD ROAST
National Geographic Traveller India

Coorg: A WILD ROAST

Back in another timber den of Karnataka, native wildlife and humble stories surprise Suhas Dwarkanath as he sips on a bold cup of robusta.

time-read
10+ Minuten  |
November - December 2022
DIVING INTO RAS AL KHAIMAH
National Geographic Traveller India

DIVING INTO RAS AL KHAIMAH

THE U.A.E'S NORTHERNMOST EMIRATE IS ALL ABOUT ENJOYING NATURAL TREASURES, FROM SOARING OVER THE AL-HAJAR MOUNTAINS ON THE WORLD'S LONGEST ZIPLINE TO PERUSING PRECIOUS PEARLS BY THE SEASHORE

time-read
6 Minuten  |
September - October 2022