Isidori Drumming Festival

I made sure to postpone my departure from Japan, because everybody said this was a festival not to be missed. How right they were.

Each of the townships in the city of Kuwana has a huge cart/carrage of some sort that carries a big drum like the one I’m beating on in the photo shown here.

The festival consists of each of these townships beating on their drums, accompanied by the sharp ringing sound of brass bells being hit by other members of the group.

This is all on parade through the town, with the ultimate goal being the big temple in town where judges rate each of the township teams.

All I have now are a few photos taken by a Japanese friend which were e-mailed to me after I got back to the states!

About the author

Adventure Correspondent Cameron L. Martindell is a freelance adventure travel and expedition writer, photographer and filmmaker who founded Offyonder.com in 2000. He has contributed to Elevation Outdoors Magazine, The Gear Junkie, National Geographic, The Christian Science Monitor, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Outside, Backpacker, Wired, Australian Geographic, Mountainzone.com and others. He has been to all seven continents and lived on five of them, including a four-month stint at the South Pole. Cameron has more than 10 years of mountain search and rescue experience, is an Eagle Scout, has been an Australian bush firefighter, competes in sailing regattas, plans national and international youth programs, guides Oregon rafting trips and Australian bush backpacking trips.

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