Sakura Festival in Sakurashinmachi / 桜新町のさくら祭り

Sunday was another nice day and as this is also my wife's day off, we decided to go on a date.  We were having a hard time deciding where to go so we just hopped on the subway and decided to wing it from there.  We were thinking of maybe going to Kamakura or Enoshima.  Or perhaps go in the other direction to Kawagoe.  But then we thought if we really wanted to enjoy those areas we should leave earlier in the morning.  So, we decided to get off the subway at Sakura Shinmachi.  This area is known for the long running and popular anime series "Sazae-san".  The area houses the "Machiko Hasegawa Museum", creator of Sazae-san.  As we left the subway station and made our way to the streets we were surprised to find that a festival was taking place.  I was only thinking of taking pictures of the recently added bronze figures from Sazae-san and then we would walk to Gotokuji, the shrine said to be where the maneki neko (the beckoning cat or lucky cat or good luck cat in English).  A stage was set up in the middle of the shotengai (market street) and when we were there, hula dancers were performing.  The local fire department had their fire trucks on display, there was truck where you could experience what its like to be in an earthquake and of course quite a few souvenir and food booths.

日曜日の天気も凄い良くて、妻とデートに出かけることになった。二人で何処行こうかと迷い、都バスで飛ばす的なところに行くか。それともちょっと離れた鎌倉・江ノ島周辺とか。もしくは川越。でもちょっと遠いところ行くのはやっぱりもっと早い時間に出かけなければなんかちょっと損する感じで、もうちょっと近いところに散歩しようと話した。中々決めず、そのまま江ノ島方面で地下鉄に乗った。で、一つのことを思い出した。桜新町にサザエさんファミリーの銅像が建てられた。前に桜新町を探索したときそれはまだありませんでした。あっ、知らない人もいるかも知りませんので、桜新町は日本を誇る代表の人気アニメの「サザエさん」の著者である長谷川町子美術館があるところです。駅から出るとなんと今日は商店街でさくら祭りの真っ最中！ステージでフラダンスのパフォーマンス、商店街にはいろんな屋台やお土産のボースがずらりとならんでて、町の消防団も消防車を展示してるとか、地震体験出来るトラックなどもありました。結構賑やかな感じでしたね。

 

 

As we were walking along the shotengai, I happened to come across Fune-san (the matriarch of the Isono family - Sazae's maiden name)

 

商店街を歩いたら、磯野家のフネさんと遭遇。

 

 

 



Of course I had to have my picture taken with Fune-san.

もちろん一緒に写真を撮って貰った。

As we continued to walk, I also met with Fune-san's husband Namihei and his brother Umihei!

商店街の散歩続いたらこんどは磯野家のお父さん波平と兄弟の海平と遭遇！

And then I ran into their son-in-law, Masuo-san (Sazae's husband).

次会ったのはサザエさんの旦那、マスオさん。

So if the parents and Masuo-san are here, that could only mean Sazae-san should be nearby as well.  And yes, I met up with Sazae-san as well.

フネさん、波平兄弟とマスオさんが居るということは近くにサザエさんもどっかに居るでしょう。はい、会いました！

And if the adults of the family are here, that must mean the kids - Katsuo, Wakame, and Tara-chan are somewhere to be found as well.

磯野家とフグ田家が居るということは、子供達も居るに違いない。

Why is an American like me so happy to meet up with Sazae-san and family.  The answer is simple.  I am an army brat and my elementary years (1st thru 4th grade) were spent living in Tokyo.  So I grew up with Sazae-san as well (did I mention it is a really long-running anime series?).

どしてアメリカ人の僕が磯野家と会ってこうなんい興奮してるのかって？答えは簡単。僕は小学校時代（一年生から四年生）まではずーと東京に住んでました。もちろん毎週の日曜日サザエさんも見てました。はい、このアニメは僕の子供ころからずーと放送してるです！


These festivals bring out the kid in me.  A chance to check out fire trucks - boys will be boys, of course I had to check it out.

こういう祭りは子供心を蘇るな。消防車に乗れる？大人になった男はやっぱりガキの時代に戻る。もちろん覗いてみた。

Should I become a volunteer fireman?

ボランティア消防団に入るか？

This is the truck where you can experience what its like to be in an earthquake.

このトラックで地震体験が出来るものです。

 

 

 

 

Sazae-san's family can be found in many different places.

サザエさん家族はいろんなところに出会える。

There is even a Sazae-san cafe which opened recently.

サザエさんのカフェも最近オペンした。

Sazae-san in front of the Sakura Shinmachi Koban.

桜新町交番前に立ってるサザエさんも居た。

This is the Machiko Hasegawa Museum.

長谷川町子美術館。

Sazae-san Park / サザエさん公園

 

 

Where is Fune-san?

 

フネさんは何処？

 

 

Apparently shopping on her own.

 

一人で買い物してるみたいですね。

 

 

The festival was fun, but it was time to continue our walk.  We decided to go to Gotoji from here.  It would be a 30 to 40 minute walk.  But the weather is so nice that it will be enjoyable walk.

 

さくら祭りを堪能したあと、桜新町から豪徳寺に散歩すること決定。３０－４０分位でたどり着くはず。天気もまだ良いし、本当に散歩日和なので、出発！