Party Central

After meeting Maeda-san, I was going to go and have my final beer down by the sea, but instead got side-tracked into partying big time with the people who had taken part in the day's festivities.

The parades etc were over but everybody was getting ratfaced.

I wolfed down my beer and then found a vending machine to buy a One Cup Sake.

Within seconds of standing around, holding the One Cup, Mr Yakuza, plus his friends, had taken me under their wings and given me a huge bottle of really high quality sake.

Another guy came over and gave me a festival wand.

And another guy gave me a necklace -like the one the man second from the right is wearing in the above picture. It's way cool.

Throwing rice cakes into the crowd

I spent the next couple of hours having a fantastic time, talking to all kinds of drunk Japanese having great fun.

And then it was time for everybody to go home.

p.s It was the Yutampo which brought me so much attention. Folks were well-impressed by my find. They said, 'That's probably worth something, you know!'