summer festival

It is summer festival time in Azabu-juban (our neighborhood). I wandered around a little Friday as vendors were setting up, well before official starting time but when I got to the end of the street and turned around things had picked up so much I had to duck down a side street to avoid being jostled and bumped with Marlena in her sling. Even in the early afternoon vendors had already started in on their own drinks and were trying to out do each other with very boisterous welcomes offering ginger pancakes, roasted corn, fried octopus balls, and of course lots and lots booze. Heat and smoke poured off the grills making a hot day even hotter and I didn't stick around to watch the festivities really kick in. Though I would kind of like to, its funny to be sitting in our quite little flat with one of Tokyo's biggest summer parties just a few blocks away but the streets are small and the crowds are big.