Our community has an annual festival (matsuri) this weekend. Yesterday we had perfect weather, so we all walked over the enjoy the festivities: taiko drums, local vendors in stalls hawking their wares, crowds of families and children, and dancers.

I enjoy these brief periods of warm community in Japan. At festivals, it’s as if people emerge from hiding and suddenly want to take the stage.

The dancing is particularly energetic and colorful. Personalities on display! But…wait, they’re all wearing the same clothing right down to the slippers, and their moves are perfectly choreographed (most of the time). The sameness struck me as a feature of community when it appears in Japan. When my Japanese wife saw these pictures, she made the same observation. Being in a large group all dressed the same and moving together provides a kind of security that allows personality to emerge, but whose is another question.