Seattle's Bon Odori Festival 2014: OOTD

 
This past weekend, I went to the Bon Odori--a traditional Japanese Summer festival-- at the Seattle Buddhist Church located in Seattle's Central District, just south of China Town. Not only have I been going to this event for years, but it is just fun to mingle around, see people you haven't seen in awhile and catch up, dance to the traditional songs, and of course, eat and drink!
 
In the beer garden, drinking my plum wine =)

 
Here's a quick look at my outfit. It wasn't super hot as it had been the past few days, but it wasn't too cold either. The kimono was perfect for layering over a tank and the hat was nice to keep any harsh sun rays out of my face and to also keep my hair in check!



 

 
Outfit details:
 Kimono: Marshalls
Hat: Forever 21,
 Crossbody bag: Michael Kors,
Sunglasses: Forever 21
 
 
 Now on to pictures from the actual event!
 
Of course the first stop my friend and I went to was the beer garden and we both had a Kirin (Japanese brand) beer.
 
 
Then after a beer, we were getting a little hungry so of course we had to get the ever so popular Somen sold at the festival. Somen is a Japanese noodle dish, usually served cold,  with a light dipping sauce, called tsuyu, that is made with a katsuoboshi base (like a fish stewed flavor) and I like to top it with lots of green onions and some togarashi (a mix of peppers)
 
 
Then, this was the first time I have seen them make this at the festival, but they had grilled mochi which is one of my favorites! Mochi is a Japanese rice cake made out of glutinous rice that is very chewy in texture. This one was grilled and topped with a sauce made out of soy sauce and sugar. The mochi was nice and crunchy on the outside, and very warm and chewy on the inside. It could've used a bit more of the sauce, but it was still good!
 
 
And here's a look at the street that was blocked off for the festival. You can see the streets covered with lanterns and many of the people dressed in traditional Japanese clothing such as Kimonos and Yukatas.
 
 
The picture below shows the Taiko drummer playing to keep the beat for the dancers.
 
 
 My friend and I then went back to the beer garden and we met up with some old friends =)
 
 
 
Back to the dance on the other side and this time we actually participated. It is so fun to dance along with everyone, though it can be a bit confusing at first since you don't know what you're doing! But the dance is very repetitive, so you can usually pick it up in a few runs or so.
 
Break time, and we had the shaved ice with azuki. Azuki is Japanese for red beans and they are usually sweetened. For this dessert, the azuki is placed on the bottom. The shaved ice is poured on top and then drizzled with sweetened condensed milk (sorry the picture is blurry!)
 
Then as night came and got darker, the lanterns were lit up and the dancing continued. By far, this is one of my favorite Summer events in Seattle and if you ever have a chance to come to Seattle during the summer or have a Bon Odori festival in your city, you should definitely check it out!
 
 
 
Have you been to any Summer festivals this summer? What are your favorite ones? Let me know in the comments below! =)

2 comments

  1. So stunning.you look lovely.
    Love the whole pairing.
    Keep intouch
    Cheers

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you so much! Glad you liked the outfit! It was fun to style and wear out =)

    ReplyDelete

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