Kawagoe Festival

On the third weekend in October we took a local train to the outskirts of of Tokyo. The Kawagoe Festival is Koedo-Kawagoe 's main festival of the year.  Famed for its Kurazukuri (traditional architecture) this city is one of the Kanto Region’s foremost sightseeing spots, and it attracts many visitors each year.

The Kawagoe Festival is a weekend long event. The Kawagoe Festival's strongest feature is the festival float event which reproduces the ’Edo Tenka Matsuri’ festival. Spectacular festival floats carrying exquisitely crafted dolls and men dressed as animals and musicians are pulled around the center of Koedo-Kawagoe’s landmark Kurazukuri (traditional architecture) Zone. There are many festival floats and it can get very busy as they pass by each other when meeting at an intersection. The traffic lights were moved to one side to allow the tall floats to pass by unhindered.

This is a family event and everybody appears to be very relaxed and happy. The wonderfully decorated floats from different towns and villages are pulled along by groups all dressed in matching kimonos.

Each float has a group of musicians and when two floats cross paths, they have a 'face-off' and play music against each other. The floats move around the town all day and there are many competitions between them. Apart from the floats, there are numerous stalls selling foods, saké and small souvenirs. Families spend the day wandering around the stalls and watch the floats competing against each other. When evening approaches, the floats take a break and after that, when it is dark, they are lit with lanterns and travel through the town again.

This was one of the most relaxed days we have spent since we came here. Families all seemed to be carefree and enjoying themselves. Some of the men appeared to be imbibing slightly larger quantities of saké and gradually became more and more red-faced as the day progressed, remaining cheerful and friendly all the while.

And even the doggies get dressed up for the day.....

Back on my bike

Well, it has been a long long time since our last post. Our lives changed somewhat at 2:46 on March 11th when a 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck off the east coast of Japan near Sendai. The earthquake triggered a huge tsunami and many lives were lost. We felt the quake in Tokyo-it was like riding on a runaway freight train. The whole house moved (I was at home at the time) and everything fell off shelves and onto the floor. It was noisy and terrifying and lasted what seemed like a lifetime, but was actually 6 minutes. We experienced over 500 aftershocks in the 5 days that we stayed on in the city. With the news of the damaged and leaking nuclear power plant (150 miles from here) getting worse by the hour, we decided to follow the embassy personnel and evacuate out until it was safe to return. With plans to be in Fairfax for Henry and Cat's May wedding, it was time to be at home for a while.

Now we are back and getting used to life here in the city again. I am planning on catching up on some wonderful events we attended before the earthquake, but which I did not manage to write up earlier.

I will try and write about the most interesting experiences and sights in chronological order, going back as far as the end of last year.

Throw Those Beans!

Today (February 3rd-for some reason the date above is still on Wednesday, which is USA time) it is time to say sayonara to winter with the annual Setsubun festival. Setsubun was originally celebrated four times per year, but gradually became a spring-only event. Shrines across the country mark the beginning of February with the custom of mamemaki (bean throwing). The tossing of the soy beans is thought to drive out demons and bring in good luck for the coming year.

Today I went with some friends to Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa, to see priests throwing beans into the huge crowd, a tradition first recorded in “Edo meisho zu-e,” an ancient pictorial record of the city.  A big crowd gathered under a perfectly blue sky to hear the cry of “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!” Demons out! Good luck in!

As they shouted this the priests and dignitaries in traditional yukata robes tossed handfuls of beans towards us and everybody jumped to catch the beans in order to have as much luck as possible. I managed a handful, mainly in my scarf that I held out as a net. Hopefully enough beans to bring good luck for the coming year. I am glad I was wearing glasses and did not get a soy bean in my eye!

 

As you can see in the video clip (apologies for my finger blocking the view), the crowd was jostling for the beans, but still polite and cheerful. I have not yet had an experience in a crowded situation (and there are many of those in this heaving city of nearly 13 million people), where I was at all concerned by the huge numbers of people all squished into a small area. I have always felt very safe and secure and happy to be around a group of people obviously having so much fun!

Back in Cyberspace

Well, it has been a long time since my last post and for that I apologize. Before Christmas I was in England with Tony's mother and once I got back it was full steam ahead for the Christmas run. Hugo and Ryan arrived 5 days before Christmas and Henry and Cat piled in on Christmas Eve. They all took side trips to Kyoto and Hugo and Ryan had a couple of days in Osaka. In between times we took in some great days of sightseeing and shopping (mainly window shopping at the current prices and exchange rates) and had some terrific meals. One of the highlights was New Year's Eve. We had dinner at Gonpachi, a famous restaurant used as the backdrop for a well-known fight scene in the movie, Kill Bill. Then near midnight we went over to the Zojoji Temple, near the Tokyo Tower.

There was a huge crush of people and the sides were lined with stalls selling food and drink. At midnight everybody released clear helium balloons and the year was lit up on the tower. There was much good-natured cheering, singing and jostling. If you have to be in the middle of a huge crowd, this is the place to be! We attempted our own little 'gaijin' corner singing Auld Lang Syne, but were less than effective.We nearly lost Tony as the crowd heaved and he thought he might land in the middle of the stand where they were frying potatoes (the Japanese LOVE potatoes), but we managed to hold on to him. The crowds were enormously jolly and very well-behaved.  It was a truly memorable night....I am including a video of the temple, showing the balloons being launched and the tower in the background;

Asleep on the train

I will let this one speak for itself. Click on the video, taken with my iPhone as I sat across from this weary traveler on the subway!

A little language goes a long way

Just a brief comment. I am now taking Japanese language lessons. A teacher comes to the house twice a week and I thought that I was getting pretty darn good. So when we were out to lunch with a group of people the other day, I thought I would be brave and utter a few words of Japanese. I had hoped to say, "this is very tasty" of the meal. Unfortunately, what I actually said was, "I am very tasty".

Oh well, I will keep trying..............

Of greater interest is the piece (below) about the Samurai Horseback Archers.

Samurai Horseback Archers

In October, we went with a group of friends from the Tokyo American Club to Kamakura, where we enjoyed a wonderful display of Horseback Archery. This art is called Yabusame. The archers ride at full gallop and shoot at three targets as they ride. This skill dates back to the Kamakura period when the shogun of that period, Minamoto No Yoritomo, became so concerned about his samurai's archery skills that he organized the Yabusume as practice.

It was a glorious, early autumn day. We went on the train to Kamakura and had a delightful lunch in a Japanese restaurant. We then went to the shrine and witnessed a wonderful ceremony, where all the participants went to pray before the competition.

 

Immediately following this ceremony, we went to a narrow area, alongside the track where the archers would ride. We had seats and where able to watch a wonderful procession of all those involved in the competition. 

After the procession, the 'competition' began, although it appeared to be more of a display than an actual tournament. The archers started at one end of the track, their names were announced and then they came careening down the track, shooting at each of the three targets. We were alongside the middle target. The archers flew by, reloading with remarkable speed and agility, and with their robes flying behind them. As they shot at each target, many of them let out thrilling, blood-curdling yells. 

Yabusame

Yabusame was designed as a way to please and entertain the myriad of gods that watch over Japan, thus encouraging their blessings for the prosperity of the land, the people, and the harvest.
A yabusame archer gallops down a 255-meter-long track at high speed. The archer mainly controls his horse with his knees, as he needs both hands to draw and shoot his bow.As he approaches a target, he brings his bow up and draws the arrow past his ear before letting the arrow fly with a deep shout of In-Yo-In-Yo (darkness and light). The arrow is blunt and round-shaped in order to make a louder sound when it strikes the board.

Experienced archers are allowed to use arrows with a V-shaped prong. If the board is struck, it will splinter with a confetti-like material and fall to the ground. To hit all three targets is considered an admirable accomplishment. Yabusame targets and their placement are designed to ritually replicate the optimum target for a lethal blow on an opponent wearing full traditional samurai armor (O-Yoroi) which left the space just beneath the helmet visor bare.

Yabusame is characterized as a ritual rather than a sport because of its solemn style and religious aspects, and is often performed for special ceremonies or official events, such as entertaining foreign dignitaries and heads of state. To be selected as a yabusame archer is a great honor. In the past, they were chosen from only the best warriors. The archer who performs the best is awarded a white cloth, signifying divine favor.

A truly memorable experience. I hope to add some video footage soon (when I have figure out how!).