Matsuri
The events I`m about to describe took place on the 15th of May...the saga of my attempts to get a domestic internet connection has ended in defeat...now, with the aid of the lovely Hayley, with her considered, practiced and above all, reliable signature, we should be online in about...two months...
A Matsuri is a festival. There`s all manner of Matsuri - they generally involve traditional dress, drunkeness in the streets and the procession of about fifty people carrying an Omikoshi. An Omikoshi is a "portable" shrine that God sleeps in...
...that`s a child sized Omikoshi - believe me, they get bigger.
This particular matsuri marked a time when the good people of Oda, still reeling from a draught, prayed for copious amounts of rain, and got it in spades. Interestingly enough, shortly after the Matsuri was completed, it rained as if Thor had come out of a mid-life crisis with a rediscovered zeal for his work.
It was centred around the lovely shrine near me...
...and I was invited to come along, as one of my schools was carrying an Omikoshi.
There are my students, being given a safe manual handling course by a local boss - and good stuff too. Needless to say, God is exceptionally heavy. Omikoshi, as well as being made with solid gold, are carted around on massive log frames, which are jostled up and down as everybody shouts "ASE!" (roughly "hupp-hurr") - the shaking of the Omikoshi supposedly wakes up God, but I think its real purpose is to crush weaklings.
There they are with members of the local community (in green) lugging God around Oda. The dashing fellow with his head sticking up out of the Omikoshi is Komada sensei - look at him. He loves it.
Despite the years of tradition, and the alleged solemnity of the Japanese, it was a pretty informal affair...
...and as I`ve mentioned, drunkeness in the streets...I made friends with one highly intoxicated old man who couldn`t speak a word of english, but seemed to like me. Later I got invited to a banquet held in a secluded hall (such is the way of Japans` wind-y narrow streets)...
...and yes, the bastards got me drunk. Breakfast that morning was a couple of beers, and some sake...in closing...
...of course I wore mt gert lush T-shirt.
Labels: cool places, culture (shock), folklore, fun, I wasn't expecting that, Japan, school, students, tourists
posted by Shining Love Pig @ 7:53 am
sake belches: 9
9 Comments:
Sedition law's use stirs up Singapore blogging community
Singapore, wary of alienating its Muslim Malay minority, has cracked down hard on two men who posted racist remarks on the Internet, but the move caused concern in the growing community of bloggers.
Great blog, very interesting. I bookmarkedalready. I have a retire early site. it has retire early INFORMATION, It is great is you want to quit your job:-)
You and your foul spam is doomed my "friend"
hello darling thingthingthing
Hi there Chris - STILL no internet? You'll be back in England by the time they sort it, I'm thinking. No matter - we all look to the lovely hayley to solve this one. Llve to you both!
Couldn't resist delivering a big sake belch from Calgary
Enjoyed the blog to date - will look out for next update
(Hayley - get this techno-heathen sorted with his Internet will you!)
ah...word verification...that`ll keep the dratted spammers out...
ooo...hello Hayleys` uncle Rob...techno-heathen? That sounds like a challenge to an all night dance if you ask me...
Looks like the Crowning of the Madonna ceremony I've attended several times in Italy. Although in Italy the statue is carried by lots of fat sweating men, rather than small children. Those kids do seem to be grimacing a bit...
My brother used to have a portable shrine he slept in. It was an old 1970's camper van and the top opened up like a mushroom.
Dear Agent,
I thought the purpose of your mission was to the disemination of mis-information among the japs, instead it seems you have been teaching them correct Engerlush and getting intoxicated in kariokee bars with our man in the beeb, making a fool of yourself and her majesties government by attempting to sing silly so-called 'pop songs', becoming involved in riotous religious street parties, visits to illicit secret drinking dens ( an issue which I recall also came to the fore during your last assignment in St. Pauls). Worst of all you have even got a bloddy woman involved this time, how are you supposed to concentrate on your mission when you are fornicating on the fouton 24-7. For Gods sake man (and that of our dwindling blubber stocks) get on with the job. In your next report I want to see evidence of those little critters thinking that god is dog and dog is god whilst scrating their heads chanting "Bring back Maggie" and munching on rich tea biscuits. I've had the PM on my back for weeks now looking for some concrete results. Might I also remind you in case you don't fully grasp the seriousness of the situation, we known where your Captain Beefheart albums live. Yours MMM
Post a Comment
<< Home