ネイティブが教える英会話のジェムスクール☆Teachers☆

Perhaps my favorite author is Franz Kafka,
considered by many to be one of the most
important writers of the 20th century. Kafka
was unique in his exploration of themes such
as alienation, anxiety, guilt and absurdity.
The word "kafkaesque" has entered the English
language denoting absurd and seemingly
meaningless events. Kafka was a German
speaking Jew living in Bohemia, now the Czech Republic. He worked in the legal department
of the Bohemian Workers Compensation board. Before his death from tuberculosis, he asked his
friend Max Brod to destroy all his writings.
Instead, Brod had them published, thus assuring
Kafka's place in history.  

Festivals in Japan are quite popular and available at many times during the year and in all prefectures. Some are done to celebrate the seasons, upcoming harvests, various historical and cultural periods, and to remember ancestors. Some are small at the local level, and some are large and held around the same time of the year in many different prefectures.

I have been fortunate to visit and participate some of the more popular festivals in Japan. I have been to the Snow Festival in Sapporo;
the Sanja Festival in Tokyo; the Tanabata Festival in Kanagawa; the Gion Festival in Kyoto; and a great amount of smaller community-style festivals all over the country.

Most festivals offer some type of activities to honor deities or events from the past. There is singing, dancing, food, drink, laughter, and general good cheer all around for all to experience. My next festival to visit will be the Awa Odori Festival in Tokushima. It involved a local form of dancing and lasts for four days. It is well know throughout Japan and in various countries around the world. It looks like
so much fun! If you have an interest in Japanese culture, I highly recommend visiting a festival if you get the chance!