Ikea & Fireworks

On Saturday we took a trip to Ikea.  There are about a half a dozen Ikeas in Japan, two of which are around Tokyo.  We had to take the trains and subways all the way to the other side of the city (across the bay) to get there.  We bought ourselves a new couch, a chair and some odds and ends.  It was more or less the standard Ikea experience except we had to ship it all back to our house.  I don't know how Ikea shipping works in the US but here you have to pack it up yourself if it's not already in a box.  They provide boxes, tape, padding and tables to do it on but that's it....does anybody know if it's that way in the States?  Ikea is complicated enough as is, but having to do all that, plus tell them where to ship it in Japanese?  Sheesh.

from the train platform just before crossing Tokyo Bay,
looking back into the city

the mothership

At any rate, we made it back (on the train) to the neighboring town of Ashikaga just in time for.....a fireworks festival!  Ashikaga holds a fireworks festival the first week in August every year.  Why?  As best we can figure, just because they feel like it.  It's a pretty big deal around here, supposedly it's one of the bigger fireworks shows in the country.  We caught a little bit of it and it was a pretty decent show.....comparable to the July 4th show in Greenville.  When we got off the train, I intended to take some video of the fireworks, and I thought I did, but now that I plug the camera into the computer it appears that they didn't take.....all I've got are a few bad photos.  Oh, well.....

the fireworks (in the right side window) started while we were
still on the train, it was a fun way to see them (I know the
photo is  horrible, it was with the point-and-shoot)

some girls bust out their best kimonos for the
festivities.....I've got a whole post planned about
kimono-wearing....