56th Furano Heso Matsuri (Navel Festival)
Furano’s kooky, crazy Heso Matsuri celebrated another fun year this July 28th and 29th. Great numbers and great participation on day 1. Unfortunately, it rained pretty steadily on day 2, which kept many away. But not all!! Just as in showbiz, the parade must go on!!
Not only is this a fun, lighthearted festival, it provides the photo op of a lifetime for courageous souls willing to have generous amounts of body paint applied and bare their navel to the world. Yes, you too can be in the parade!! This year saw Japanese participants from as a far away as Fukuoka (at 1,500 km, just about as far away from Furano you can get in mainland Japan). Foreign participants hailed from the UK, Germany, USA, Canada, and France, with many others just there to take pictures, thank you very much.
Besides the parade, there are many fun activities and stage acts throughout the day. Japanese drumming (taiko), kid’s singing contest, a pre-school rock band, Hula and Hip-Hop dance demonstrations, Japanese folk songs and dance, and a baby crawling contest.
Put it on your calendar for next year. Always on July 28 and 29, so it's easy to plan for. The first and second days’ navel dancing are identical, so pick one and we’ll see you next year in Furano.