I went to "Hakubutsu Festival! 11"!

#20250720-561

※ There are photos of insects. Please be careful if you are not comfortable with them.

July 20, 2025 (Sun)
There is an event I look forward to every summer.
It is "Hakubutsu Festival!", or "Hakubutsu Fes" for short.

https://www.hakubutufes.info/

As an insect lover, my goal is mainly insect-related goods, but once I enter the venue, there are so many fascinating booths that I find myself staring at things other than insects as well. To describe it in one word, it is an "event where items like those found in museum shops are lined up in an even deeper and more diverse way".
You can experience, learn, and purchase related products for insects, of course, as well as marine life, plants, astronomy like space, birds, creatures in mountain villages, science, chemistry, minerals, ruins, and ancient creatures.

The 11th event in 2025 was held for two days, July 20th and 21st.
The venue was moved this year to Tokyo Big Sight in Ariake.
(Until last year, it was at the Science Museum near Takebashi Station.)

I get excited easily, so I keep moving further and further down the aisles, and then I lose track of where a certain booth was. To prevent me from getting lost and to act as my guide, Mu-kun (my husband) is essential.
I think the right thing to do is to buy whatever you like right away.
Since there are many handmade one-of-a-kind items rather than mass-produced ones, they can sell out. Even knowing that, I am inevitably overwhelmed by the number of booths, and at first, my purse strings are tight. Once I buy a few things, the strings loosen up, but I keep moving without buying anything because I want to "see everything properly."
Since Mu-kun stays close by, he immediately puts what I buy into the eco-bag he is carrying.

I don't usually wear many accessories, but there are so many items that I want to wear at times like this that I stare at them intently.
A jumping spider choker, a leopard gecko ear cuff, a green onion pinky ring, leather-crafted goldfish, and a bowl with a glossy tree frog clinging to the edge.
Ah, all of these are pure bliss and a feast for the eyes.
They are just too cute!

My goal this time was a "bookmark", or something that could serve as a substitute for one.
As I stopped at a booth and scanned the items lined up, someone suddenly grabbed my arm.
When I looked to see if it was Mu-kun, it was actually an insect-loving friend who is also a fellow mother! I was surprised to meet her in such a large venue! She said that since her child is still young, she couldn't bring them into this extreme heat and crowd, so she left them with her husband.
We agreed to have tea if our departure times matched, and then we each went our own way. Time is precious for both of us.

At the experience booth, you can also touch insects.Giant burrowing cockroach's spiky legs are actually quite painful.
When I laughed and looked back, Mu-kun was giving a bitter smile. He comes along to the events, but he seems to want to refrain from this kind of experience.

I contacted the insect-loving friend I met at the venue to say I was about to leave. She said she was leaving too, so we immediately showed each other our "harvest" (purchased items) at a nearby cafe.
Since we were still excited, we got heated even just explaining, "This is like this, and I liked this part."
Oh, it's irresistible.
I was able to fully enjoy it again this summer.
One of my "things I want to do this summer", 1 achieved!

※ This is an article I wrote previously. For your reference.