DreamIllumination InTakamatsu
2010年12月21日
http://www.its-mo.com/season/illumination/detail/IV3708/
Now here’s a great little winter event in Central Park that’s held in December in Takamatsu. This year it runs through Dec. 18th~25th. Enjoyable, fun for the kids and best of all free. JC packed me off to see this and gave me 100 yen for an ice-cream which I suppose is pretty damn decent of the man considereing I never get any salary …
It started off this year at the Dome in the arcade I wrote about a couple of blogs back. I love the dome, it gives the feeling of ‘plaza’ to Takamatsu and it seems to look bigger and better each time I see it now that more buildings are being replaced in the arcade. There’s always something going on there, such as the night kick off for this year’s Dream Illumination in Takamatsu. A bloke kitted out in Blues Brothers black with a black hat and shades was playing his sax played Christmas carols in a trio and there were candles on the tiled ground and circle area spelling out the name of the event and where. Very pretty … I couldn’t help but notice the girl on piano kept blowing her hands to keep warm.
I arrived at the park just after dark and the lights were turned on and the people started filtering in. The food stalls had started selling dogs, okonomiyaki, and other favorites. These places are colorful and so are some of the characters that run them. (er, hem …)
The centerpiece is the large tree-like set of lights and as the park is on the small side, it’s easy to get around, find a friend, have a beer and a dog and there’s even a food tent where we can take our grub and eat.
Takamatsu’s Dream Illumination has a lot of fairy lights and a maze of the same we have to queue up (alright, to keep the Americans happy, ‘line up’) to go through. It’s good for us all to be children again, even if only for a short while.
The main stage events are the dancing and singing groups, then the Enka singers, on stage quizzes to name but a few. There are also two stages running simultaneously (no easy feat in a small area I think) and this year I saw the Takamatsu Ritsurin Lions Club selling sweet potatoes to raise money.
Still, if you’ve missed this year’s even there’s always next year’s at the same time and it’s a vibrant part of Takamatsu’s social life right in the heart of the city. Please see the map on the link above.
Keep all those cards n’ letters coming in. Have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and I’ll see you in January with my killer report on the foreigner who has walked the henro pilgrimage right around Shikoku, not just once but twice.
Now here’s a great little winter event in Central Park that’s held in December in Takamatsu. This year it runs through Dec. 18th~25th. Enjoyable, fun for the kids and best of all free. JC packed me off to see this and gave me 100 yen for an ice-cream which I suppose is pretty damn decent of the man considereing I never get any salary …
It started off this year at the Dome in the arcade I wrote about a couple of blogs back. I love the dome, it gives the feeling of ‘plaza’ to Takamatsu and it seems to look bigger and better each time I see it now that more buildings are being replaced in the arcade. There’s always something going on there, such as the night kick off for this year’s Dream Illumination in Takamatsu. A bloke kitted out in Blues Brothers black with a black hat and shades was playing his sax played Christmas carols in a trio and there were candles on the tiled ground and circle area spelling out the name of the event and where. Very pretty … I couldn’t help but notice the girl on piano kept blowing her hands to keep warm.
I arrived at the park just after dark and the lights were turned on and the people started filtering in. The food stalls had started selling dogs, okonomiyaki, and other favorites. These places are colorful and so are some of the characters that run them. (er, hem …)
The centerpiece is the large tree-like set of lights and as the park is on the small side, it’s easy to get around, find a friend, have a beer and a dog and there’s even a food tent where we can take our grub and eat.
Takamatsu’s Dream Illumination has a lot of fairy lights and a maze of the same we have to queue up (alright, to keep the Americans happy, ‘line up’) to go through. It’s good for us all to be children again, even if only for a short while.
The main stage events are the dancing and singing groups, then the Enka singers, on stage quizzes to name but a few. There are also two stages running simultaneously (no easy feat in a small area I think) and this year I saw the Takamatsu Ritsurin Lions Club selling sweet potatoes to raise money.
Still, if you’ve missed this year’s even there’s always next year’s at the same time and it’s a vibrant part of Takamatsu’s social life right in the heart of the city. Please see the map on the link above.
Keep all those cards n’ letters coming in. Have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and I’ll see you in January with my killer report on the foreigner who has walked the henro pilgrimage right around Shikoku, not just once but twice.
"Pat has lived in Takamatsu continuously since arriving here on a one year study and leave 1981. Originally from Tasmania, Australia, he was involved in education at a variety of levels including as a specialist teacher for children with learning difficulties, and at senior high schools throughout the state. Pat is employed full-time by the i-pal Kagawa International Exchange as a co-oridintaor for international relations amongst other duties including traveling to schools and giving talks in Japanese to kids about Australia. He has been involved with youth education exchanges between Japan and Australia for many years.
Pat has been many things in his colorful life including a seaman, helmsman, welder, carpenter, traffic warden, scholarship/studentship winner at the university of Tasmania, staff at the Australian Embassy in London to name but a few. Pat has far too many hobbies which include tennis, playing jazz flutes and saxes, riding bicycles with the Takamatsu Cycling Club all of which his long-suffering family tolerate. Recently he's become interested in painting again. His wife wishes he would put more time in to helping around the house and the garden which he artfully avoids ..."
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Posted by pat at 19:12
│art
この記事へのコメント
You said it, Pat. It's such a vibrant part of Takamatsu's social life. Every year, you hear people talking about this event. I believe many of my university students went. As you said, if you didn't make it this year, there will always be next year. It's also fun to just drive down in front of the city hall, and see the beautiful lit up trees. But, if you can make it to an event like this, if you are from Takamatsu, you're likely to run into someone you know, too. That's the wonderful thing about this city.
Posted by RT at 2010年12月21日 20:23
thank you RT. a few typos here I'm sorry. I blame pre- christmas merriment. hic ...
Posted by pat at 2010年12月21日 21:41
Takes me back to my first visit to the festival so many years ago. Loved the beer cabin. Maybe it's time to go back...
Posted by Steve at 2010年12月22日 20:27
It's something I have yet to see in Takamatsu. Maybe next year?
Pat (or anyone else in Takamatsu reading this), as you're mentioning the dome, I have a question for you.
Last time I was in town (in October) they were tearing down the roof of Marugame-machi (they were doing it at night, I know because I was staying in an apartment on Marugamemachi, my (amazing) bedroom was above the street, I spent that week sleeping in the living room...
So my question: do you know if they're replacing it with a new one (it doesn't seem that old) or taking it out (which would be sad)?
Happy Holidays
Pat (or anyone else in Takamatsu reading this), as you're mentioning the dome, I have a question for you.
Last time I was in town (in October) they were tearing down the roof of Marugame-machi (they were doing it at night, I know because I was staying in an apartment on Marugamemachi, my (amazing) bedroom was above the street, I spent that week sleeping in the living room...
So my question: do you know if they're replacing it with a new one (it doesn't seem that old) or taking it out (which would be sad)?
Happy Holidays
Posted by David at 2010年12月24日 09:28
that's a good question as it is a work in progress. from the top (mitsukoshi end), it's evolving as an open-planed roofless area following the old arcade street.
however the other day I saw more construction going on with what seems to be either a new building span where a part of the old roof was near the 114 bank branch. it's clearly too early to say, but I'll keep an eye on it and report back when I can more easily see what's going on there.
pat
however the other day I saw more construction going on with what seems to be either a new building span where a part of the old roof was near the 114 bank branch. it's clearly too early to say, but I'll keep an eye on it and report back when I can more easily see what's going on there.
pat
Posted by pat at 2010年12月26日 08:31
Thanks Pat,
I just saw that Cathy Hirano has started talking about the area. So I'll follow closely both your blogs (as I always do, cause you guys are my favorite Takamatsu news source while I'm away)
I just saw that Cathy Hirano has started talking about the area. So I'll follow closely both your blogs (as I always do, cause you guys are my favorite Takamatsu news source while I'm away)
Posted by David at 2010年12月27日 19:22
