On festivals, and climbing mountains

Wearing a Happi, in a non traditional print.

Festivals 
The other day I went to a Bon odori celebration, and got to wear a Happi a traditional shirt vest that looks similar to something Aladdin would wear.









Bon Odori is usually a festival done in the summer where people dance traditional dances and wear yukatas (explained as a cotton kimono).

Statue near Ni Gatsu Hall

However, near the famous Todaiji temple here, at Ni Gatsu Hall they celebrate it a little later. 

A perfect view of Nara from the top of the stairs.

This makes perfect sense to me since if you are going to be dancing why not do it when it's cooler out?

The thing that was sort of shocking to us (the 4 Americans) was how the Japanese people would take our photos, and sometimes jump right in front of us with their large lenses quite close to us and take photos of us doing everything and nothing.

I had read and heard stories of this being a frequent thing, but had not experienced it before, perhaps the celebration which had everyone taking pictures and videos made it more acceptable to do this.

Video: Lanterns.

I'm not sure about it. It seems that because where we live and shop and go to school there tend to be a concentrated amount

 of tourists so people don't stare as much as they did to me when I was in Tokyo, which got a lot of tourists but they were more spread out and not in the areas I was in so much.

Yesterday I climbed or rather hiked up Wakakusa Mountain which is 342 Meters tall and gives a great view of Nara city, part of Kyoto, and possibly Mie Prefecture.

Today I will be going to a Moon viewing festival near Kofukuji temple (5 story pagoda) and they will have a dragon boat too!

Mountains

The view at Wakakusayama as you reach the top.

At the top of Wakakusayama.