Sendai's Suzume Odori

Float from last year's Aoba Matsuri in Sendai, carrying some Heian Period princesses and musicians.

Every spring there's a big festival in Sendai called the Aoba Matsuri. The streets downtown are blocked off for parades with floats and lots of costumed dancers. Sendai actually has its own dance, the Suzume Odori or Sparrow Dance. Despite the fact that sparrows are brown and gray, the performers wear very bright and festive costumes and dance with two equally flashy fans. Suzume Odori is really fun to watch, as it involves lots of jumps and spins.

Miko, priestesses, riding a float through last year's parade.

Suzume Odori performance from last year.

This year because of the quake, the parade was cancelled. However there was a much smaller version last weekend, with some festival tents selling food and the Suzume dancers performing through the shopping arcade downtown. The weather last Sunday was awesome- rainy season is coming soon but hasn't quite kicked in yet- so my friends and I spent a very lazy afternoon watching the perfomance and hanging out in Kotodai Park.