Start:	Oct 6, '07 10:00a
End:	Oct 6, '07 2:00p
Location:	Kodomo kogakukan

Setiap tahun di bulan Oktober, sabtu minggu pertama, Tochigi ngadain festival yang melibatkan beberapa negara. Disana ada stand masakan, buku2 bekas tapi masih bagus, baju, flea market dan tak ketinggalan atraksi dari beberapa negara, entah itu tarian, permainan alat musik ato lagu.

Start:	May 27, '07 5:00p
End:	May 27, '07 9:00p
Location:	Kanuma

Hanabi is fire flower festival. Every year in Spring around April or May, Japan held hanabi.

Start:	May 13, '07 10:00a
End:	May 13, '07 3:00p
Location:	Maronie Plaza

In Fiesta My Utsunomiya, it held Stage, Jazz, Dance and Flea Market.

Start:	Mar 2, '07 10:00a
End:	Mar 2, '07 11:00a
Location:	Seiki sensei House

Hina Matsuri ( doll festival) is girl's festival that the held on March 3 every year. Ｊａｐａｎｅｓｅ　ｐｅｏｐｌｅ decorate them on the day to pray for the girls' health and happiness now and in the future.

Each doll has a special place to be on the 'steps' and a special meaning. The top layer is reserved for the emperor and emperess. The dress of the dolls is from the Imperial Court during the Heian period. Row two are ladies in waiting; row 3 five male court musicians; row 4 two ministers and trays of food; row 5 guards with and orange tree and cherry tree

Since last month, at Store and Mall, I saw ohinasama decoration with variated price. Ehmmm,....I started to think about Hina Matsuri.

Hina Matsuri ( doll festival) is girl's festival that the held on March 3 every year. Ｊａｐａｎｅｓｅ　ｐｅｏｐｌｅ decorate them on the day to pray for the girls' health and happiness now and in the future.

Each doll has a special place to be on the 'steps' and a special meaning. The top layer is reserved for the emperor and emperess. The dress of the dolls is from the Imperial Court during the Heian period. Row two are ladies in waiting; row 3 five male court musicians; row 4 two ministers and trays of food; row 5 guards with and orange tree and cherry tree.

Shinto not to be outdone by Buddhism also gets onto the bandwagon during summer. In Utsunomiya this can best be seen in the "Furusato Miya Matsuri". Miyamatsuri held on the first weekend of August. This year on August 5th and 6th, Utsunomiya held Miyamatsuri. The streets teem with the powerful surge of about eighty 'mikoshi', over two days, bouncing up and down rallying along Odori in front of Futaarayama Shrine.

The 'mikoshi', or 'o-mikoshi', (portable shrine) is believed to carry the spirit of a guardian Shinto deity which has descended into this sacred palaquin on festive occasions. The bearers, stimulated with this presence, vigorously shout out a chant, and wherever the mikoshi goes a divine purifying power is thought to pervade, exorcising evil and spreading blessings all around.

Generally, people are welcome to 'jump in'('tobe-ire') to held hump to portable shrine. It can result in quite a workout, blistering shoulders and aching muscles. The stars involved, however-whatever properly imbibed, don't seem to mind getting 'dog-tired'- stairway to Heaven'(for a day or two)! "Heaven help us"!

Note: taken from The Tochigi Times by Richard J. Hayes