A Kakeshi Cacophany.

 On the way from Tono to Morioka, I espied a fruit stand and outside saw some freakish effigies. 

So we pulled over into the Shiwa Furusato Center and sure enough, there was a カカシまつり (Kakashi Matsuri) or a Scarecrow Festival going on. The motto attests, "Don't lose to Corona!" In the photo above, the comedian Ken Shimura was the first Japanese celebrity to succumb to the disease.

There were 79 scarecrows made and to their credit, I didn't see a single crow hanging around there.

 

 

 

Vikingman on the left and a traditional Scarecrow on the right.

 

The Camera-head guy is an illegal video pirateer. The fairy won a Grand Prize.

 

 

 

I've seen that bug around, it was popular a few years ago.

 

 

Basketball and baseball players. No Eagles so no interest.

 

Oh, my mistake, there is a crow.

 

 

 

 

Finally a character I recognize. Doraemon! (Hey, where is his mask?)

 

 

 

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, the Movie is playing in all the theatres now with several showings a day.

  

 

 

 

I, of course, had to get in on the act as well...

I managed to find three nice pumpkins at only 3 bucks a pop. Smallish but not 4000 yen!

I plan to teach my adult students how to carve a pumpkin tomorrow night. We shall see how we do...

I also picked up a couple of turnips, since they were the original veggie for Jack o'Lanterns.

I'll use these place mats to carve upon so not to gooey up the tables.

Speaking of veggies, this マンダラケ (Mandarake) is a plant that was used for alchemy in the Middle Ages.

I'm going to go to bed before 11:30 for the first time in weeks...

...if I can fall asleep, that is.