Matsue Maihimetai – Idol Group
Last year was the 400th anniversary of the completion of the castle of Matsue City in Shimane prefecture and the whole prefecture put on a huge effort to attract tourism and visitors. Despite all the things going on in north eastern Japan at the time they really did great and I took full advantage of being the complete tourist for my two day trip to the city. This being Japan, Matsue did the rather clever thing of putting up an idol group just to promote the city during 2011, the Matsue Maihimetai, which roughly translates as the Dancing Castle Maidens of Maihime (or at least that’s what I would call them if someone had asked me to give them an English stage name!). At their official site you can download one of their songs and learn the lyrics to some others. Here’s a rather simple video online showing their performance in front of the gorgeous Matsue Castle, and also singing about it.
No matter how famous they became or how much they helped to put Matsue on the tourist map during their short time on stage, I think that it’s a great use of a city’s marketing budget, especially as they sent them out on a summer tour across the country. Local talent promoting their own city and showing that it’s not only Tokyo that can do idol groups!
The photos I took of their very sunny midday performance at a stage below Matsue Castle aren’t very good at all, since I had to use my longest lens for the day, a 70-300mm Sigma that is absolutely not built for these situations. But one uses what one’s got, right?
I always wonder how you manage to get so close!
My biggest problem is that I’m always too far away from the people to take decent photos! ^-^;
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Hm… I usually just walk up as close as I can without bothering anyone, but for these photos I had a 300mm lens. Not so much on a full size sensor camera but still… (^-^)
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traditional dance, good!
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Yes! (^-^)
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Matsue City! I lived there for 1 1/2 years! beautiful little city! there is a festival called Houranenya (ホーランエンヤ) cant remember the Kanji of the top of my head, but this festival is the third largest in all of japan (or was it third most culturally important). Anyway it only happens every 12 years. I was lucky enough to see the last one which was in 2009 you’ll now have to wait for the next on on 2021. It is a festival lasting 3 days, where by boats, that have been beautifully decorated, parade along the river. Saying this I should make it my next blog post!
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I really have to go and see that in 2021! It must be great! Matsue City is such a cute little town. I love your photos of the city on your blog! (^-^)
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Yes it is a very nice city, its so laid back there. p.s. be on the lookout for a new post on Horanenya later today.
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I saw it! It looks great! (^-^)
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