Feeling a bit green

When I was a young child, I would sometimes complain that I was bored.  I was told that there was always a remedy for boredom.  My parents were more than happy to give me chores to do, or I could find something on my own. 

As an adult, I rarely sit with nothing on my agenda for long.  A day with nothing to do is a choice for me that sometimes I relish, but often chose not to partake in.  Instead I seek out adventures, experiences, and hobbies to fill my time.  It is part of who I am.  And, luckily, it is also who my husband is.

When our tentative plans for today were not going to come to fruition, we sought out another plan.  One of the best things about living in a big city is that there is always something to do.  If you are bored in Tokyo, it is a choice. 

This weekend was the I Love Ireland Festival celebrating St. Patrick's Day.  Instead of sitting on the couch all day, we put on green clothing and hit the road to Yoyogi Park.  There is something going on pretty much every single weekend in an area bordering Yoyogi Park and the Yoyogi National Stadium. 

I have been to several Irish festivals in my day, and Tokyo's festival is very similar to those that I've been to before.  There were lots of people donning green clothing, Irish food and Guinness is plentiful, and music filling the air. 

My son loved jumping in the huge green melon jumpy house and playing a game balancing a rugby ball on his head.  There was a large rugby presence at the festival, in part, because the World Rugby Cup will be in Japan this year. 

After wandering around the festival, we walked over to the parade route.  I wasn't expecting much, but my son loves any parade.  The crowd was thick, but not unmanageable.  We found a place on the curb and cheered as the parade began.  Group after group of walked past us, each displaying their Irish spirit. 

I was shocked when it took almost an hour for everyone to file by!  So many people wanted to share their enthusiasm for Ireland.

There were a couple odd things that were obviously Japanese interpretations of Irish culture, but I'm sure the same could be said about any festival. 

So many people come to Japan and expect all things to be totally Japanese.  But Japanese people love other cultures as well.  It was great to see everyone joining together in the fun.

We definitely were not bored today.  Finding a little luck of the Irish was a lot of fun and even provided a little escape from Asia.