On the weekend it was our local area’s Autumn Festival and as residents we were invited to participate. We started the day off at 8am and walked to the local shrine in our happi coats. This is where the festival began with lifting of the portable shrine (mikoshi), a lion dance and of course sake drinking – never too early for that in Japan!
At the shrine
The lion dance
The shrine up close
The boys lifting the shrine!
Drinking sake - at 8am!
Tina and I in our happi coats - feeling genki!
We then wandered around the streets of Shinzaike with the portable shrine on wheels and all of us following it. Many people came out of their houses to see the shrine. The morning involved a few breaks for beer, sake, icecream and cakes! At one of the breaks we met up with some other shrines for a jostling session!
Walking the streets.
Jostling
Me with one of the cool pom poms!
Some of the people from my apartment building.
How cute!
We ended up at the park near our apartment building for lunch, lion dancing and shrine “fighting”! Tina and I got a chance to be involved in lifting the shrine for the “fighting” and I think we were lucky to survive! I had to leave as I had thongs on and my foot got cut and I thought I would fall over! Tina nearly got taken out but she stayed in to the end! It was so exciting though and it was a privilege to be involved in the festival.
Our great lunch!
Some of us with the kids at the festival.
The 4 shrines jostling! I got out of there just before this photo - it was crazy!
After the festival we had time to rest then we had all been invited to the local community centre to go to a party! There was a lot of food and the drinks kept coming and it was all paid for! We took some foreign alcohol as a thank you present. As we were leaving some of the men were very surprised how tall I was, especially one little man who only really came up to my chest! He just grabbed me and luckily Cecy was quick enough with her camera!
It was a great day and night and I really hope I am here next year to participate again!
1 comment:
This was maybe my favourite festival because we actually got to be involved. How exciting was that??
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