My Neighbour Snowtoro

Balancing acts

The girls from across the street.

And then..

In what can only be perceived as the greatest depiction of irony, this is what I saw outside.

A performing monkey.

(Japanese) girls just wanna have fun.

So this is what Japanese girls do for fun..

It was basically hell, but the decorating part was ok. Li was in her element.

Flea market

Merchants at Fukuoka's biggest flea market.

At the sea-side, Fukuoka

Oniyo fire festival

The smallest member of the parade holding a traditional lantern.

Oniyo fire festival

One of the many wooden beams. The ropes holding these structures together are cut away after the fires have been lit, and can be purchased for good luck.

Oniyo Fire Festival

One of the largest Fire Festivals held in Japan, a symbol of driving away the demons from the previous year.

Hundreds of men in traditional Japanese dress (or lack of) set fire to huge wooden beams and carry them around the temple before extinguishing them in the river.

My camera battery died at this point so the other photos taken are courtesy of Li Dan.

Totoro and I

A lucky persimmon.

A New Years feast!