EPTThe festival is hosted in the same prefecture - Tottori, in a town called 吉岡 - Yoshioka, which is famous for its hot springs. Yoshioka is not too far from where we live. In this area, there is a pond called "Koyama Pond" and it is the largest pond in Japan. Our university is located on one side of the pond, and the Yoshioka is about the exact opposite.
We took a bus for 20 minutes from Koyama to Yoshioka, and everything went well as we immediately found the entrance to the town after we got off.
![[image loading]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3002/2591747819_be246f7e44.jpg?v=0)
Yoshioka is an onsen (hot spring) town so it gets a number of tourists from this part of the country. Other than that, it is mostly a farmland.
![[image loading]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3271/2591747879_c7c90a536e.jpg?v=0)
Rice...
The town is small and cozy, and people are very friendly towards outsiders. There were numerous occasions when the townspeople attempted to help us just because we had confused looks on our faces.
We found the bridge to observe the fireflies without much trouble. After which we had food at the only restaurant in town.
![[image loading]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3220/2591748089_3523e42ddb.jpg?v=0)
The bridge...
![[image loading]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3041/2591748329_54aaa89d14.jpg?v=0)
The restaurant...
The restaurant was extremely darkly lit, and had this very "old" feel to it (not exactly my type of restaurants). We ordered a bowl of ramen, a plate of yakisoba and a roll of sushi. The food was exquisitely delicious. The owner of the restaurant was a cheerful old man, upon learning that we were from Canada, we were informed that the owner's daughter is currently living in Toronto, which we thought was surprising. At the end of the meal, we were given a Japanese dessert (some sort of moshi - sticky rice) for free.
![[image loading]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3241/2592586760_4079a3b1b6.jpg?v=0)
Inside the restaurant...
Because we arrived very early, we had a lot of time to burn. We began by exploring the town a little bit and found numerous interesting buildings/temples/houses, followed by a very relaxing time at a public foot bath (足湯 - ashiyu).
![[image loading]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3292/2591747941_717ee801a1.jpg?v=0)
![[image loading]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3254/2591747987_538e47650a.jpg?v=0)
![[image loading]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3262/2592586538_5b65c6ddb0.jpg?v=0)
![[image loading]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3245/2591748163_059e2cc41a.jpg?v=0)
![[image loading]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3064/2592586722_79b87633c0.jpg?v=0)
![[image loading]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3290/2592586992_ab751ffe63.jpg?v=0)
![[image loading]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3063/2592587054_c700b0e698.jpg?v=0)
![[image loading]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3246/2591748583_50fbe8e795.jpg?v=0)
![[image loading]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3082/2592586922_91e3f51a56.jpg?v=0)
My "It's really fucking hot" and "I'm on camera" face. The water is 53 degree C, and therefore, is actually painfully hot in the beginning... (then you get used to it).
Finally the festival began. There were a lot of kiosks selling various snacks, and we obviously seized those opportunities to stuff ourselves.
![[image loading]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3271/2591748643_291c295131.jpg?v=0)
![[image loading]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3032/2591748677_abee2ae687.jpg?v=0)
Japanese people make really good cakes...
![[image loading]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3187/2592587330_e7a92df60f.jpg?v=0)
![[image loading]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3216/2591748835_10daa3eb17.jpg?v=0)
Takoyaki FTW~~
![[image loading]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3101/2592587434_f72b92b438.jpg?v=0)
Ahhh... premium Japanese beer bought from a vending machine.
![[image loading]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3128/2591749037_4b1be80b2e.jpg?v=0)
A frenzy of selling/buying food.
![[image loading]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3055/2592587608_a3904931e3.jpg?v=0)
Rice wrapped in leaf.
![[image loading]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3281/2592587640_98fa6f5c88.jpg?v=0)
Onsen egg (egg boiled in hot spring water)
The performances included:
1) Japanese traditional drum
2) Japanese dance
3) Singing and dancing
... (missed some events because we went back to the foot bath)
n) Dragon Dance
The dragon dance took place directly opposite to the foot bath "hut", so I sat there with my feet inside the onsen while watching the dragon dance performance - most pleasurable experience ever!
Of course, the day ended with observing a ton of (green ) fireflies around the nearby bridge. A very beautiful sight.
Random pics:
![[image loading]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3188/2592587276_d987900d6b.jpg?v=0)
Us and the Tottori Prefecture Mascot - Nashiita (Nashi means pear).
![[image loading]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3099/2591748953_dc3a70c431.jpg?v=0)
Children molesting the two mascots, notice that Nashiita's clothes are ripped off...
