Toukasan is one of the main festivals (matsuri) in Hiroshima, organized in honor of the god "Touka Daimyoujin". The festival starts every year on the first Friday of June and lasts three days, and its history goes back almost 400 years!
The festival signals the beginning of summer and the inhabitants of Hiroshima are celebrating this occasion by putting on a light, summer kimono - Yukata, for the first time in a given year. No wonder this festival is also known as "Yukata Matsuri" (Yukata Festival). Then on the streets of Hiroshima you can meet many people dressed in patterned Yukaty.
During these three days, many Japanese go to the Enryuuji Temple to ask God Touka Daimyoujin for happiness. However, this is not the only goal of this festival.
Equally, for most it's a great opportunity to show up in Yukata, spend time with loved ones, watch street parades, take part in various games and activities, or eat tasty street food.
During the festival on the main streets you can find hundreds of stalls with snacks such as: Kakigoori (dessert made of finely grated ice, poured with syrup with fruit additives), Takoyaki (poured with dough, fried pieces of octopus), Bebia Kasutera (small balls, resembling small Polish donuts, however, made of pancake batter) or Watagashi (cotton candy). It is worth noting that most of them are available only during matsuri.
Yuki Mizunaga-sensei, Gdansk
