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During the summer festival season in Japan, we visited the Kansai region in 2017. One of the festivals we were able to attend was Tenjin Matsuri in Osaka.
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Performances were a big part of the celebrations. From the umbrella dancers passing through shopping arcades to traditional drummers in temples, crowds gather around to share in the festive mood.
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Well-wishers sounding bamboo clapboards in front of a businesses in the shopping arcade. I suppose this is similar to the lion dancing done in front of shops in China, where the idea is to bring fortune to the store in the future.
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Boats with portable shrines and marchers sailing down the Yodo River, part of the flotilla that includes boats with noh and other performances.