Japan has many street festivals in which a particular area of the city is set up with several attractions like stalls that sell food, toys, accessories etc. Each city has a festival for limited time in a year. The city of Odawara hosts the Itabashi festival two times a year. Once during January 23rd and the other during August 23rd. I was lucky enough to catch the latter.The primary reason for its low frequency is the effort put in by the community. The streets have to be diverted, several hours of work is put in setting up stalls, and sometimes the streets have decorations too. Fireworks also go well with these mini festivals.
The atmosphere is simply euphoric. The colorful lights, the smell of food, the noisy streets, and presence of youth, makes this place simply electrifying. And whether you are 10, 20, or even 50, you will feel young and lively.
Personally, I love such atmospheres, but even if you don't, this place is definitely worth the visit just for the food. Not enough can be said of the food and the edibles offered by various stalls. And if you aren't even a foodie, there are still games and attractions that would bring you back to your childhood days.
