Tenjin Matsuri

This weekend, on Saturday and Sunday, was the annual Tenjin Matsuri (festival) – a very big, very beautiful festival in Osaka that falls in July.

After returning from Walayama in the early afternoon, and after resting a little, I made my way by subway to Tenjin Bashi and the Tenma Jingu shrine, where the festival was underway.

I was a bit early, as everything became more festive as darkness approached, but I enjoyed this festival immensely. I was a bit lost at first, not being sure where it began or finished, and finally discovered that the festival covers several blocks, and maybe nobody was sure when/where the O-Mikoshi would be, and when the boats would do their floating. Definitely, nobody could tell me exactly what time the fireworks would start, or from where!

However, I walked around the streets, made my way to the river, watched some boats, talked to some local yatai (food stall) operators, and enjoyed a beer and yakitori while waiting for the fireworks.

However – as I was sitting under some lovely trees, at 8 p.m., when the fireworks began, my view was largely obscured! I wasn’t too bothered by this, actually, as I was really enjoying myself eating grilled ayu fish, and suitably impressing the chef for my Japanese way of eating the whole thing…!

Festival Boat, before sunset

Ayu on the grill