Since today is the second of July, we're now in the middle of the year. Which makes me wonder, wouldn't today be the perfect day for a bellybutton themed holiday? But such a thing only exists in Japan.
"Although navel exposure has become a recent trend in fashion in Japan, annual Heso Matsuri ("belly button festivals") have been held in Japan since the late 1960s. The tradition of the Hokkaido Heso Odori ("belly button dance") began in 1968. Dancers make their heso ("belly button") into a face, using paint, special costumes, and props. Many variations of the dance have been developed, leading to competitions among dancers, who compete for prizes in various categories.
A similar type festival is held at Shibukawa, north of Tokyo. The idea was formed based on the location of Shibukawa, which is also referred to as the "Belly Button of Japan". The festival is based on a traditional Japanese form of entertainment where revelers paint a face on their torsos and stomachs to appear as a head. A kimono is wrapped around the waist, and the person's real head is hidden by a large cloth hat. The belly button is traditionally painted into a mouth. In recent years, modern motifs and Japanese anime designs have appeared in the festival."
Leave it to Japan to be one step ahead of us when it comes to admiring the bellybutton. If only western cultures jumped on their bandwagon.
