Happy Birthday Japan!

As I so sagely predicted yesterday, today is "National Foundation Day" (建国記念の日, Kenkoku Kinen no Hi), which marks the mythical founding of the Japanese nation and its imperial lineage in 660BC. By my calculations that's 2668 candles to go on the massive, whale-flavoured cake which in no way contains any Chinese gyoza. It's also a good excuse for the guys with the black vans to drive up and down Omotesando trying to prove to each other who has the loudest loudspeakers (always a sign of a small tadger if you ask me). In between their exhortations in praise of all Emporer Jimmu (the mythical guy who started the whole Japan thing) I heard the distant sounds of drums being hit with large sticks, and in the spirit of investigation bravely carved a passage through the crowds towards the entrance to the Meiji Shrine, where some people had come all the way from Ibaraki Prefecture to the north of Tokyo to demonstrate their drum-hitting skills, which were very good, in my humble non-expert opinion. I wish I'd brought a video camera with me, but these photos will have to make do.

Unfortunately it looks like yesterday's fine weather is not set to continue - glad I enjoyed it while I could.