Golden Week

This morning Kiichiro grudgingly pulled himself out of bed, shaved off his cute wee beard and suited up.  Monday mornings are always bad but coming after a week of holiday makes them ten times worse.

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan

Last week was Golden Week here in Japan where several holidays are celebrated together including the Emperors birthday, greenery day and Children's day.  People don't really celebrate the individual holidays so much (except taxi drivers who put miniature Japanese flags on the front of their car for the Emperors birthday which makes you feel like a Japanese ambassador when riding in one) but see it more as the only time of the year when it is ok to take more than three consecutive days off work.  I am sure Hawaii and Guam see it as the week the Japanese take over their island.

My favourite part of Golden week are the flags/kites put up for Children's day (originally boys day but Japan has started to get politically correct and changed the name) known as Koinobori.

These kites are put up outside homes and temples and across rivers in their hundreds and represent the Mother, Father and each boy in the household.  The Carp is the symbol of strength in Japan (there is a story about a boy who battled a Carp that turned out to be a baby dragon or something but no one I ask can tell me the whole story) and so they are hung in honour of sons each year in hope that they grow up healthy and strong.

Ok the only hat I could find with a koi carp on it was a baseball cap but I did find this amazing goldfish hat.

I also bought the unbelievably funky iron fist shoes below last week so will set to work on a hat to match (as soon as I learn to walk in the shoes that is).

My Golden Week was spent paddling in volcanic rivers, visiting cheese factories and pretty lakes,exploring as many of Sapporo's restaurants as a weeks worth of meal times would allow and battling the weeds in my garden.  Not very glamorous but lots of fun.

For you I have put together a collection of golden hats as the fish theme really wasn't going to work.

 They may not be wedding guest attire but I couldn't help myself.

All of the above can be found on Etsy and all below are from our favourite couture milliners.

As cool as my Iron Fist shoes are I have to admit that I would trade them in a second for these Alexander McQueen beauties.

Hope all of you here in Japan had a good Golden week.