Mitama Matsuri, Tokyo

The Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo celebrates the Mitama Matsuri (literally Soul Festival) in mid July every year.

The objective of holding the festival is to commemorate and worship the war dead enshrined here. The shrine is decorated with about 30,000 lanterns with their names (unfortuantely I could not stay there until they are lit). The festival includes performances of kendou (Japanese fencing), traditional dances, and songs too.


The lanterns





Kendou - one of the participants is a foriegn student






Dancers from Okinawa