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Rokko Island Festival At the end of August, Rokko Island had its summer festival. Kou-chan, the Hidaka River Eel and Shrimp Catching Champion, came up from Gobo to see the festival and spend the night at our apartment. Naturally, Calvin wanted to take him to the Sony PlayStation showroom in the Kobe Fashion Plaza. |
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| Later, we all went outside and watched the preparations for the festival. The food bazaars were quickly up and running, so the kids got those traditional Japanese festival treats, cotton candy and soda. |  |
| Lacking experience with these traditional festival foods, Calvin ended up looking like a billy goat. And with both hands occupied, the tongue becomes the only appendage capable of rescuing the wayward bit. |  |
| Brian managed to jump into the river when Daddy's back was turned. |  |
| Flea markets are a common sight at Japanese festivals these days, but this 'stall' was set up by a couple of foreigners, a first for Rokko Island despite its large contingent of foreigners. |  |
| Each of the major building complexes on Rokko Island sponsors a kid's mikoshi (portable shrine). The kids carry or pull it around the mall, yelling "wasshoi!, wasshoi!" (translation: 'hey, anybody gonna help me pull this thing?). |  |
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