Oktoberfest

Japan has a long tradition of adopting foreign festivals and adapting them for a Japanese audience. Christmas has been commandeered by cake manufacturers and KFC as some kind fried chicken and desert food festival (you really need to be in Japan around christmas time to see the nonsense). Japan adopted Valentines and for good measure added White Day, exactly one month later when women give chocolate to men. Added to this tradition comes Oktoberfest, the German beer festival, originally held in October (in case there was any doubt).
Japanese Oktoberfest is a nationwide tour starting in Kyushu in April and passing through Matsumoto in July. Oktoberfest was in Matsumoto, set up next to the castle, for a week. I went last Thursday with some friends. We drank German beer, ate German food and watched various musical acts. The warm up acts were Japanese rock bands of varying quality. The final act was an actual German band dressed in Lederhosen singing German folk songs. There was a friendly atmosphere and the food and beer were excellent. It was relaxing start of my summer holiday. I'm off to Thailand and Laos for three weeks starting tomorrow.