Tenjin Matsuri - a festival of watching boats go by

Another hot day and another festival to go to. This time it felt much bigger with more people dressed up in yukatas, the summer kimono. It was a day filled with getting absolutely sweaty and hot. No amount of alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages could really quench our thirst.
It was a day that began with a well-thought out plan, or so we thought. Get there early, about 4pm and scout out for a brilliant spot to view the fireworks later that night.
Well, when we got to there it was already packed. Thousands of people were milling about in the Tenjinbashi-suji (the nearby shopping arcade). We stumbled into a temple off the arcade, and fell upon the opening ceremony of the festival. Men in costumes were shouting and drums were beating. We took photos of other people taking photos. Interesting and frustrating!
Then after meeting up with another friend we made our way to the river, following the men and drums for a little.
Both sides of the river were lined with stalls selling food, drinks and had various shooting/lucky-dip games. Many people had brought chairs and were getting comfy in their spots, ready for the light show later that night.
We decided to place ourselves on the bridge, hoping to stay put there. No luck! Before long, we were told to get off as the bridge was to be closed to pedestrians before the procession began.
Where we ended up gave us a great view of the boats as they floated by. A big fire was lit directly in front of us on one of the barges.




The fireworks started about 8pm, later than scheduled. Surprise, surprise...that the spot we had chosen gave us a terrible view of the fireworks! It was further down the river around a bend, so trees and buildings blocked our view. A hasty decision was made to move, along with thousands of other contenders in search for a better view. I've never been in such close contact with so many sticky bodies in my life! We were literally 'carried' by the crowd and had to fight to break free.




We ended up in some side street where we found people sitting on the bitumen in fairly neat rows. So Japanese! And that's really how we ended the night. But not before I had the immense urge to relieve myself in a toilet miles away. One thing about massive Japanese festivals is the lack of amenities. No extra portables were organized. So maybe a handful of restrooms to cater for 100s of thousands of visitors.
Check out here for more photos.