Escaping to the shade

We have been experiencing extreme heatwaves of around 35 °C in Osaka for more than a month. So most people here are nearly soft-boiled now.

日陰への避難

今年の夏も異様に暑かった。下手な節電などするよりスイスにでも避暑に行きたいものです。

Still life

In the burning air
Chorus of cicadas
Vigorous song of the earth
Listening to the music
Shell stands still

(tanka by me)

静物

灼熱の　蝉時雨降る　木立にて　幹の抜け殻　じっと聞き入る　（拙作）

Watching the festival

These women were watching a festival parade at Tenjin-Matsuri, wearing Japanese traditional yukata.

祭り見物

浴衣姿のお姉さんを見るのも祭りの楽しみの一つでしょう。

The first festival

This baby was wearing a festival headband around his head at Tenjin-Matsuri in Osaka.

最初の祭り

赤ちゃんですが大阪天満宮の鉢巻きが似合ってます。

Photographing the festival

This is a scene from Tenjin-Matsuri, which is my third festival this summer and the biggest one in Osaka. There were tons of spectators around me with their cameras.

祭り撮り

こちらは大阪天神祭りの光景。言わずと知れた大阪一の祭りでもありカメラ片手の観衆が山のようにおられました。

The sound of festival

A festival float usually has four percussionists inside, who make a powerful and exciting festival music all day long.

祭りの音

祭りには多くの楽しみがあるが祭囃子もその一つ。この今福・北之町（大阪市城東区）の演奏は重厚な迫力と緊迫した高揚感が共存し祭囃子の芸術と言えるほど。

Pushing through the night

Guys were pushing heavy wooden festival floats all day long with many others pulling them.

夜の躍動

こちらは今福・北之町（大阪市城東区）のだんじりを押す男衆。かなりの重労働でしょう。

The night at the festival

This is a picture from my second festival in this summer. A little boy, on his father's shoulder, was looking at a festival float illuminated with beautiful lanterns. And I was recalling my old days as a child.

祭りの夜

こちらは今年二番目の夏祭り（鴫野・今福夏祭り）からの光景。お父さんの肩の上でだんじりを見つめる小さな男の子。私も自分の子供の頃を思い出していた。