Kobe Minato Matsuri (Kobe Port Festival) – Story of a Flower Princess

I published this post to honor a promise I made to Azita of   7 Legs  and   Fig & Quince   (post date moved from 9/18/12)

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Kobe, Japan was one of the cities to open for trade with the West, following the end of the policy of seclusion (Tokugawa Era 1603~1868) and has since been known as a cosmopolitan port city. To celebrate its international affiliations and multi-national settlers, to this date (in a different format than decades ago), Kobe City celebrates Kobe Port Festival every year around the first weekend of November.

Around September of each year, the city contacted all international schools in its vicinity for candidates for Flower Princesses. Princesses represent their countries in the celebration and perform year-round, with a charter and platform for international peace. I recall the candidate had to be a 7th grader or above. Interested girls fill out an application consisting of essay writing, school achievements, and a few recommendations, and then wait for a response.

Flower Princess Certificate
~ sorry, I took my full name, date, private info off the top

I was an 8th grader when I applied. Shortly before my 14th birthday, I received a response. I was in!!! I was to represent my county of birth, Iran. We were to wear a costume from our Nation during most events. My ecstatic Mother got busy, making me a new national costume.

We participated in many activities, treated like royal princesses and showered with fantastic gifts. My most important moment was being introduced on stage, after which Miss Kobe was crowned. One by one, Princesses were presented, and then I heard, “Iran, Flower Princess, Fae Surname”.

We were then transported to our respective floats. Princesses with sponsoring nations, such as Japan, Hong Kong, the USA, and a few from Europe had their own floats. Other European Princesses rode on a float called ‘Europe’. Finally, there was ‘International’ float for Princesses without sponsors. As a “Citizen of the World“, naturally, I was associated with the ‘International’ float!  
Guess what? Our International float was most popular with the Media! This was due to the fact that colorful costumes from a variety of countries were present. The International float was already pretty cramped when Princesses with sponsored floats also boarded our float for media/photo opportunities. It did not take too long before festival organizers returned them to their respective floats.

For two to three hours, we were driven all around the city. All we had to do was smile and wave to spectators. It was so exciting, to say the least !!!

18 Photos

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Kobe Port Festival
by Hide Kawanishi (1894-1965)

(I found this article on artelino.com)

“Kobe Minato Matsuri” – the Port festival was held around November 7th or 8th. The interesting characteristic of this festival was that the parade on land was organized by the foreigners in the Kobe area and by the Japanese as well. The international parade presented Miss Kobe in front of the decorative floats made by people from different nations. At the beginning, Miss Kobe dressed as a Western princess to add an exotic feeling to the parade. But later she wore a beautiful Japanese kimono. After world war II, I was sure that the International Port Festival would have continued. Unfortunately, the “international” was taken away from Japan, and “port” became nothing but a name. I am hoping that Kobe Port Festival can be revived before this picture (above by Kawanishi) becomes only a memory of the past.

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Video clip I found on Youtube by Pirjo (later my classmate) from the late 1950s, almost a decade before my time:

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