The traditional girls' festival called "Hanaoke-katsugi" was held in Oyama city, Tochigi pref. Japan last Saturday.
"Hanaoke" means the pail with flowers and "katsugi" means to carry. The girls who are aged five or seven and are dressed in so beautiful Kimono for visiting the shrine. At this time, they carry the pail with flower to shrine in order to prey for their healthy growth.
It is a kind of traditional rite of passage and festival for girls in this region.
The Mt Fuji can be seen far beyond over the river, called Omoi-gawa", flowing in the center of Oyama-city. The distance between this point and the top of Mt Fuji will be approximately 140Km.
When I took this picture, it was strong windy evening.
You can see the ripples emerged by the strong wind blowing on the water surface.
The one of Japanese traditional Shinto ritual called "Don-do Yaki" was carried out on 15th Jan. in Oyama city.
This is a kind of fire festival that is the event to burn off Kadomatsu and Shimenawa after first full moon of the new year.
According to the legend that it will not get any sick if people eat rice cakes baked with this fire.
