My first matsuri

From Ochanomizu JR station, we rode to Shinjuku JR station. Outside, we walked toward the Flags shopping mall, mainly because we wanted to check out if we could crash into the show "waratte ii to omou". But the entrance was chained. So we just wandered in the shopping mall, until we exited the centre and walked toward kabukicho.

 

The city lights were turned off and, and after walking past mugshots of hostesses and hosts plastered on giant boards in the red light district, we stumbled on a  street filled with  food stalls so we hurriedly followed our stomach and landed int he middle of Ootori matsuri, which was at Hanazono shrine. There was a huge quue of people at the shrine and we contented ourselves with the smells and sights of the different stalls before settling for an oden shop.

 

It was my first time attending a festival like this, in the evening, so I was overjoyed. We walked it off on the other side of the Shinjuku station and got to view the Shinjuku lights, just past Takashiyama department store. 

There was a light display made of plastic bottles which was quite impressive: from fr, i really looked like it was made of ice. After that we took a fully packed train to Mikata, with my huge suitcase. I have never been so compressed in a wagon before, and I hope I won't have to be in that situation again. I was lucky I still had intact ribs and face in that motionless stampede.