Today was Kobe Matsuri!  If you know what a “matsuri” is (a traditional Japanese festival), then Kobe Matsuri is 100% not that.  What it is is a big ol’ party, a 4 hour parade, and apparently a lot of Samba.  As in, half naked Carnivale Brazillian style marching and brass bands; right up my alley.  So when I wasn’t chatting about the many issues in America and Germany with my German friend, it was all party all the time (though in Japan “party” means “performers go crazy and are really good, and audience quietly watches and claps when appropriate.  I chose to dance instead).

 I’ll let the pictures, of which there are many, do the talking.

Before the parade we caught this surprisingly skilled dance troupe, average age…13? Maybe?  You’d never get American kids to be this coordinated!

Pirates! For some reason!

Before the parade, there was…