Family Travel

        

(photo courtesy silverlinedwinnebago at flickr’s Creative Commons.)

“In the bleak midwinter” there are plenty of cool things to do, like the Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin, China. 

It’s an entire town built of ice, and illuminated at night. Amazing.

You probably already know this if you’re in Japan right now or planning to go there in the next few weeks, but July is prime time of year for some great fireworks.

This is especially true in Tokyo, where the Sumida River explodes with color and locals wear traditional cotton summer yukata to watch the show.

The Japan National Tourist Office has a good online article on the Sumidagawa Hanabi Taikai (Sumida River Fireworks Display,) some of which my daughter and I enjoyed when she joined me for a few weeks in Tokyo a couple of years ago.

There are always matsuri or festivals going on in Japan, but there are a lot in the summer and they are fun to watch if you can catch one.

Check out AMPONTAN, one of my favorite Japan blogs, and his post about a mad morning dash through the streets of one of the cities in Kyushu.

In a country that is sometimes (OK, often) pretty confusing and overwhelming (even experienced travelers tend to hang onto their guidebook here) it’s nice to find an event that anyone can understand and appreciate.

Technorati tags: travel, family travel, Japan, Tokyo, fireworks

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