AJET Connect MAY 2014

BLOCK 9Block 9 Shimanami KaidoCharity CycleMay 31—June 1Onomichi, HiroshimaCyclists donate 3,500 yen to ride theShimanami Kaido, a 77-km seaside andisland-hopping route bridging the SetoInland Sea between Honshu and Shikoku,ending in Imabari, Ehime. Check out theGoogle Doc for more: http://bit.ly/1eBesZI.Tottori Shan-Shan FestivalAug. 9—15Tottori, TottoriThe largest matsuri in Tottori celebrates thecenturies-old tradition of praying for rain bydancing with umbrellas. The dance—4,000people strong—is the pivotal part of theevent, but there is plenty else to enjoy, suchas local food stalls, dance instruction, anda fireworks show.http://tottori-shanshan.jp/top_en.htmlBLOCK 10Kangen-saiJuly 13Miyajima, HiroshimaA Heian-revival type of event, this festivalis all about traditional court music, orkangen, floating among the various shrinesin Hiroshima Bay. This event is the famousItsukushima Shrine’s most importantfestival, and is considered one of the bestfloat festivals in Japan.http://bit.ly/1dumTFUHiroshima Peace MemorialCeremonyAug. 6Hiroshima, HiroshimaThousands of people come to PeaceMemorial Park each year to pray for peaceon earth and memorialize the souls ofthose who died after an American bomberdropped the world’s first atomic bomb. At8:15 AM, the crowd pauses for a minute ofsilence as the Peace Bell is rung and sirensalert the town.http://bit.ly/1kGHbwjNagasaki ALT UndokaiMay 17Fukuoka Big Day OutMay 24Kokura Gion Taiko Drum FestivalJuly 18—2080Nagasaki, NagasakiFukuoka, FukuokaKitakyushu, FukuokaNearly every ALT has witnessed a school Join JETs from around Block 10 for a July is the month of drumming in Kokura,undokai, or sports day. The Nagasaki ALTs massive day of baseball, beerhall andare again hosting their own sports day, and clubbing. The baseball match should besome time to fill out this81it’s guaranteed to be much sillier than theone your students do. Read up about theevent on page 75.one of the best of the season. Feel free tojoin any or all parts! Keep a lookout for theregistration form to come soon.BLOCK 11Yamaga Toro MatsuriAug. 15—16Yamaga, KumamotoIn Kumamoto, the Land of Fire, fire festivalsare a big deal. And this matsuri is one of thebest fire festivals there is. Over one night inobon, 1000 women wearing lanterns ontheir heads dance softly until sunrise.http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/spot/festival/yamagatoro.htmlhttps://www.facebook.com/events/1412053805715890/Kirishima International MusicFestivalJuly 18—Aug. 4Kirishima, KagoshimaA music festival unlike any other in Japan.Classically trained musicians come fororchestral concerts, promenades, andmaster classes.http://www.kirishima-imf.jp/english/about/index.htmland the main attraction is this three-daytaiko tournament held at Kokura Castle.Drums are pulled through the streets onfloats, kicking off the competition as teamsput on percussive performances. Bonus:plenty of local JETs are members of thesetaiko bands, so show up to support themand this awesome Japanese tradition.http://www.kokuragiondaiko.jp/THIS CAN’T BE IT FORCONNECT MAGAZINE!No need to cry, Tsusu-chan!We’ll be back and betterthan ever after a short breakthis summer. Until then, takesurvey and tell us what YOUwould like to see in futureConnect magazines!You can access the survey byclicking HERE.CONNECTCONNECTEVENTS EVENTSMay Issue 2014 May Issue 2014With love, theAJETCONNECTmagazineteam