LUMINARIE (December 2010)

So in December, I attended the Luminarie in Kobe. It is basically Japan's Light Up the Town. There were so many people that it took me an hour and a half to get through.

 BEWARE: some of these pictures are really blurry because i was walking while i took them in a crowd of pushy people.

 DIAMARU is a high end department store that has AMAZING toilets. :)

 This is the walk in the line towards the lights.

 Look at all those heads. so many people...

 I finally see the first signs of the Luminarie.

 getting closer.

 and closer...

 I FOUND A BANANA REPUBLIC IN JAPAN!!!! You do not know how happy I was to see that!!!

 anyways... and closer....

 and even more closer...

 FINALLY there. That whole process took about a half hour.

 Look at the details in those lights. When I got inside it felt like day time. It was so bright in there.

 Oh and I found a Barneys. :D

 There were people standing around asking for donations. If you gave them 100 yen then you get a little slip of paper about the Luminarie. I got one.

 That was the end. or at least I thought so. I kept walking and I saw this.TA-DAAAA!!!

 It is the castle of the lights.

 There were so many people in there I had to push my way through.

 Those strings were used to hold up the walls.

 People were throwing coins at the bells to try and get them to ring. I think.

 Donations.

 I think this was the mascot.

 Look at it's arms.

 This guy was selling Okonomiyaki  in a DORAEMON mask. and he posed for me.

 This was the fair outside of the lights.