Just add Santa

On December 23rd, we walked around Hekinan, Mandy and me, because there were thousands of people out for a street festival.  The attempt to create Christmas was pretty amusing.  They sing Christian carols in Japanese, dress up like Santa, but it's not a sacred thing.  We ate banana chocolate crepes and candy apples.  My impression of Japanese people is that they love festivals, and don't need much excuse to throw a party.  
This is a sort of Japanese biathlon, guitar-playing and chainsaw woodcarving.  Skiing and shooting, same thing.  Someone was doing woodcarving demonstrations for the people.  It was comforting to hear the festive sound of a chainsaw meowing through wood chunks.  
The crowds gathered to watch an intense break-dancing showdown between two rival groups.  Maybe some day we in Canada will adopt the Japanese tradition of break-dancing in the Christmas season.  

Represent-in' artsy folk around the world: pony-tail guy!  Some things, it seems, are universal.

It's fun to be able to walk around town in the 'dead' of winter and not freeze.  People are out a lot, and there are several times during the season in which it is possible to find street vendors and festival activities.  I wonder whether people spend any time at home sometimes.