Matsuri Time
Ho-Hum,
it's been a little while...
In that little while I have been schooling and so forth, went to a conference in Shizuoka to inform me how to be a better teacher, and been to an observation lesson to watch how a seasoned third year JET handles the crowd. All most informing I can assure you. I've given lessons on bodyparts, directions and facial features. I've been told I have a "beautiful beard" by students... twice! Only one was a girl... not sure about that. I've been screamed at by a group of san-nensei girls "We love you" across the space between the two school buildings while teaching a class; much to the amusement of my assisting Japanese teacher and my vice-principal who could hear it in the room below. I've been entertained by two of my teachers at my different schools. All the while I've been waiting for my new bicycle... due to arrive any minute now I wait for the call.
And somehow I managed to squeeze in the Yuto Matsuri - the local Shinto festival which every local town has once a year, wind, rain, snow, blistering heat or typhoon regardless! I was lucky enough to only have to put up with constant drizzle, and mild humidity. Basically from 10.30 in the morning you don the 'hapi' (over-garment specific to each locality) put on your two-toed slippers if you got 'em and hoist a large taiko drum on a float around the town. It wasn't my local town but my Canadian friend Douglas' town, he provided hapis for myself and Kevin (Irish) to parade around in for the day. Or rather two days.
Well, once you've begun to hoist the thing around tight backstreets with rather large rope the drinking begins. And the drinking continues for the rest of the weekend. Being of a somewhat tall Viking-like disposition I could not help but draw the attention of the locals who proceeded to run at me brandishing kettles full of sake and were generally quite insistent that I partake to the rousing chants of "Aisho! Aisho!". I think I held up my end of the bargain admirably. This continues for some time as you weild your drum around and bang out your local towns song accompanied by fue (bamboo flute). Every hour or so you sit down at someones house and they bring out a feast to accompany your drinking. Huge amounts of food are given you and the parade slows to a mild drinking pace while everyone that has come of age, or is new to the town, or is a foreign spectacle (I couldn't hide from it), stands up and introduces themselves and downs a litre or so of beer.
"Aisho!" , quite.
I managed to concoct "beer nomimashyo!" (Let's drink beer!) Much to the consternation of Kevin, who had to follow me, and despite being Irish, is a poor drinker.
This pattern of events carries on into the evening at which point all the different towns congregate –with their floats– at the local shrine where they continue to bang out their particular song alongside each other. Each trying to better their rivals and prove themselves the greatest drinkers, eaters, singers, drummers, and ipso facto the greatest town. At this point the groups are barely able to stand and this, combined with bravely swinging around drum sticks the size of baseball bats results in a frenzy of jumping Japanese people, not dissimilar the liveliest mosh pit at a Slayer concert. Only less hairy.
I believe it was at this point of the evening that I began hoisting my female companions: Mina (Korean-American), Lisa (Chinese-American) and Melinda (Japanese-American... and also technically, my boss) into the air and jumping around. The results if you truly care to behold them are here.
but I warn you, it is not for the faint of heart.
The pictures come courtesy of Melinda. But I am told that I also appear heavily in the collected photos of Kevin, Mina, and Pin... ahem.
Well, that's your lot! Are you happy now?
it's been a little while...
In that little while I have been schooling and so forth, went to a conference in Shizuoka to inform me how to be a better teacher, and been to an observation lesson to watch how a seasoned third year JET handles the crowd. All most informing I can assure you. I've given lessons on bodyparts, directions and facial features. I've been told I have a "beautiful beard" by students... twice! Only one was a girl... not sure about that. I've been screamed at by a group of san-nensei girls "We love you" across the space between the two school buildings while teaching a class; much to the amusement of my assisting Japanese teacher and my vice-principal who could hear it in the room below. I've been entertained by two of my teachers at my different schools. All the while I've been waiting for my new bicycle... due to arrive any minute now I wait for the call.
And somehow I managed to squeeze in the Yuto Matsuri - the local Shinto festival which every local town has once a year, wind, rain, snow, blistering heat or typhoon regardless! I was lucky enough to only have to put up with constant drizzle, and mild humidity. Basically from 10.30 in the morning you don the 'hapi' (over-garment specific to each locality) put on your two-toed slippers if you got 'em and hoist a large taiko drum on a float around the town. It wasn't my local town but my Canadian friend Douglas' town, he provided hapis for myself and Kevin (Irish) to parade around in for the day. Or rather two days.
Well, once you've begun to hoist the thing around tight backstreets with rather large rope the drinking begins. And the drinking continues for the rest of the weekend. Being of a somewhat tall Viking-like disposition I could not help but draw the attention of the locals who proceeded to run at me brandishing kettles full of sake and were generally quite insistent that I partake to the rousing chants of "Aisho! Aisho!". I think I held up my end of the bargain admirably. This continues for some time as you weild your drum around and bang out your local towns song accompanied by fue (bamboo flute). Every hour or so you sit down at someones house and they bring out a feast to accompany your drinking. Huge amounts of food are given you and the parade slows to a mild drinking pace while everyone that has come of age, or is new to the town, or is a foreign spectacle (I couldn't hide from it), stands up and introduces themselves and downs a litre or so of beer.
"Aisho!" , quite.
I managed to concoct "beer nomimashyo!" (Let's drink beer!) Much to the consternation of Kevin, who had to follow me, and despite being Irish, is a poor drinker.
This pattern of events carries on into the evening at which point all the different towns congregate –with their floats– at the local shrine where they continue to bang out their particular song alongside each other. Each trying to better their rivals and prove themselves the greatest drinkers, eaters, singers, drummers, and ipso facto the greatest town. At this point the groups are barely able to stand and this, combined with bravely swinging around drum sticks the size of baseball bats results in a frenzy of jumping Japanese people, not dissimilar the liveliest mosh pit at a Slayer concert. Only less hairy.
I believe it was at this point of the evening that I began hoisting my female companions: Mina (Korean-American), Lisa (Chinese-American) and Melinda (Japanese-American... and also technically, my boss) into the air and jumping around. The results if you truly care to behold them are here.
but I warn you, it is not for the faint of heart.
The pictures come courtesy of Melinda. But I am told that I also appear heavily in the collected photos of Kevin, Mina, and Pin... ahem.
Well, that's your lot! Are you happy now?
posted by Jyon-sensei at 6:10 pm
2 Comments:
I was reading through the post thinking to myself: "Hmmm, maybe Jon wasn't so keen on that hapi and two-toed slippers outfit: there's no pictures"... but I wasn't disappointed afterall - you seemed very happy wearing it! Yuto Matsuri looked wild - why don't we have festivals like that here?!
When did you become such a piss-head? It rather suits you.
Sounds amazing. But how did you feel the morning after...? xx
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