I sincerely meant to get a lot of knitting done on my trip last weekend. Really, I did. But despite not having a whole lot to do except eating and relaxing, I didn't even think to pick up my knitting. Even on the train ride there and back, I preferred to admire the passing scenery instead. Japan is a mountainous country with great natural beauty, and it's wonderful to be able to see a bit of that on this trip.
Though no knitting took place, my grandma did teach me how to make this:
A leaf-shaped, crocheted pincushion for darning needles and larger pins (it's not really suitable for sewing needles as they could easily get lost in the lumpy crocheted surface). She designed it for herself years ago and recently remembered it to show me. It was a fun little project and a great way to use up leftover yarns, even the ugly ones-- the pincushion is stuffed with bits of scrap yarn. The needles apparently will not rust if you use 100% natural materials-- in this particular version, we used wool. The one I made is in the center, and grandma made the other two.
On the second evening, we went out to the Hanagasa Matsuri-- the famous 'flower hat' festival in Yamagata. To get into the spirit of the summer festival, I even dressed up in my 'yukata'-- an informal kimono for casual occasions:
Here are a few random photos from the parade (sorry they aren't that great-- our camera doesn't handle nighttime lighting & movement very well):

There were all sorts of groups participating in the parade-- school groups, businesses & companies, community associations, special interest groups, clubs, etc. Some danced the traditional steps while others improvised a bit to give it a unique twist, so it wasn't ever too repetitive or dull. There were also taiko drummers, both on floats and off to the sides of the parade, drumming to the beats of the Hanagasa song. If you are ever in the area at the beginning of August, I highly recommend it!