www.womanthismonth.com March 2016 67 ISE, JAPAN You probably didn’t see this one coming but Japan is one of the major destinations to celebrate this Irish tradition. In the city of Ise, the Japanese and Irish flags fly side-by-side as hundreds of people gather at the Ise Shrine to participate in the day’s activities. A non-profit organisation called Irish Network Japan is in charge of facilitating all events in what is considered to be Asia’s largest St Patrick’s Day parade. Japanese residents flood the streets, performing jigs and playing bagpipes while dressed like leprechauns. Celebrations also you can take a fishing trip or have a beach barbecue and explore the many wonders of this quaint seaside town. You can catch the parade in Tokyo as well which features more than 1,500 participants and 50,000 visitors who show up for this event, which is sponsored by the Irish Embassy. CHICAGO, USA New York and Boston might be close contenders when it comes to the scale of their St Paddy’s celebrations, but what beats them fair and square is the mega carnival that Chicago stages. The Saturday before St Patrick’s Day, spectators from all over the country gather in the Windy City to watch the annual Chicago River dyeing. After the river turns a bright green, a parade commences that includes colourful floats, Irish step dancers and marching bands of bagpipers. Every year an average over 400,000 people attend the festival, creating a sea of green bodies to match the river. After the parade, there is a ceremony in which ‘The Parade Queen’ is named and there’s cabbage and corned beef dinner for everyone to enjoy. The Irish American Heritage Centre of Chicago also hosts an event that features contemporary Irish music and dancing. One of the largest cities in the United States, Chicago’s urban landscape, arty nooks, heritage buildings and a bustling eating-out and nightlife scene provide a long must-see-and-do list. include an Irish music dedication concert, which takes place at the Ise Shrine pond, where you can catch live performances by violinists, cellists and fiddlers. After the party, try the confectionary at the 300-year-old sweet shop, Akafuku Mochi, the signs of which you’ll see everywhere in IseShima. When not visiting the Shinto shrines, Akafuku, the 300-yearold sweet shop St Paddy's Geisha St Patrick's Day parade Millennium Park Chicago river dyed green People join in the parade
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