Every October on the 3rd Sunday of October, Matsue hosts a drum festival where everybody is encouraged to join in and pound on the giant drums that are hauled on floats through the streets. These two-metre-diameter (6.5 feet) “Do” drums are pulled by children arrayed in traditional coats, and are accompanied by bamboo flutes and changara cymbals. The sound of this energetic procession echoes through the city not only on the day of the festival, but also in the evenings leading up to the day as groups all over town gather to practice in their respective neighbourhoods. Each neighbourhood as its own specific carriages, styles of drumming, and outfits.
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