Speaking of summer, let’s party!
It’s the second day of the Odawara Lantern Summer Festival today. I rushed here today because there was the drum performance.

When I got to the Odawara Station, I already heard a drumbeat. Soon I left the station I saw the people drumming.
Though it was a hot day, the place full of people. Downtown is lively and all in festive mood.

The venue of the festival is Odawara Castle square. The contest of an ice sculpture is being held on the main street of Odawara Castle.
Because temperature is quite high, the workspeed of the participant is needed. Otherwise ice melts before being completed.
This was very interesting to watch.

The sculpture of this goldfish got the favorable reception among publicity.

Lantern are displayed all over in Odawara-jo Castle. When the night comes, this place becomes the exhibition of the light and it’s more beautiful than the day.

A large number of people have already gathered in the open space. It is an ukulele performance on a stage.

This is the first time for me to listen to an ukulele performance. I has a nice tone.

The stands of foods and games lines in the open square. There is the handmade-lantern class, too.

Weather was too hot and ate two sno-cones.
A sno-cone with strawberry and condensed milk was really delicious! ( • ̀ω•́)✧

Awaited drum battle finally began! Drums, soooo fire up!

The first stage is the performance of the children. I was impressed by the figure which children performing as hard as they can with their bare foot in this hot weather.

Next is an ‘Uiro’ drum. “Uiro” is a cake of long-established store of Odawara. It’s the employees of the company making a performance.
The performance to beat a drum while dancing is just splendid.
By the way, leader of them is good-looking man resembling Kazuki Kitamura. (tsu ‘ω`c) …

Next is Hotoku drum.

Finally, the main group, Shonan-dagaku Tamayura’s performance. It is very interesting idea to take traditional musical instruments for stage percussion show.

A heroic drum echoes in a castle and everyone’s hearts race.

It is a mikoshi portable shrine parade after a drum battle. This is the most lively event every year.
Mikoshi portable shrines and bearers stand by.

Remarks for parade to begins. It is a grandmother with the white hair to open this. I’m sure the aliveness of grandmother affected bearers.

When I become that age, I want to be well in the same way.

There are 22 mikoshi portable shrine participating in a parade in total this year. After remarks has done, a program of a miniature shrine departure follows.
With a shout of “Wacshoy Wacshoy (Heave‐ho, heave, heave‐ho!)”, the spirit of everybody rises.

This is the state of the parade in town.

Let me take a picture as a souvenir!

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