I have been looking forward to this festival for ... as long as I have known about it! Japanese Hagoita are wooden paddles that used to be used in a traditional New Years game with Japanese girls. The game was similar to badminton and used a shuttlecock as well. The game is no longer played, but Hagoita are still created and collected as a symbol of good luck for the New Year. They have also evolved into a form of art that has expanded and adapted to our modern culture. Hagoita now come in all shapes, sizes, colors, themes, and of course price ranges. The "Battledore Festival" takes place every year in December and dates back to the Edo period. I didn't buy a paddle at this particular festival as they were WAY EXPENSIVE! But I do love the antique paddle I got at a bazaar a month ago. Lilia came along and enjoyed the sights and sounds of Tokyo that day. We got to see a lot! I am eternally grateful to Mari for coming with us. She was a trooper when it came to traveling with a baby. Lilia had a near blow out at the end of the day and I had to change her in the middle of a train station PLATFORM (complete with Japanese spectators.) It was quite the adventure, but I am really glad we went!!!!
3 comments:
It looked like fun. Too bad things here are so DANG expensive.
Okay, I just got REALLY excited that you were wearing a plaid suit. Tricky, tricky ;) I am so jealous of all these adventures you're having in Japan! I think it must be so much fun to really delve into a different culture the way you guys are! Way to go, taking time to do things like this, these will be priceless memories for you guys!
What a fun day. A great experience too!! Gotta love onlookers when you have to change your baby.
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