Kibichuo town, the product of an endemic merger-plague sweeping Japan, celebrated its 2nd birthday on October 1st. The town festival that happens every 3rd Sunday in October is a 950-year tradition, still going strong. It began sometime between the years 1053-1058, and some of the trees on the shrine grounds have been standing for over a millenium. It is an amazing mikoshi (portable shrine) festival that gathers 8 shrines together on this day. How I view my beloved Kamotaisai, in 3 images:
The Young
The Old
The Restless... and Bruised
My Who's Who of Kamotaisai in three images:
1) Mochidani and her would-be boyfriend. Would he be legal and not her student and not have Hair the Color of Condiments, that is.
2) Bruttney's crazy bus buddy that kept standing a few feet away wherever we went. That's a "HotRice/ Happy Day/ Every day" sweater tied around her shoulders. Sassy!
3) Some giant gaijin lady, lost deep in the Japanse shire.
Our school board superintendent (The Mummy) was conspicuously absent, but it's probably because he's already seen Kamotaisai the past 949 years. Been there, done that, carried the mikoshi, got sloshed on sake by 9am, bought the meat-on-a-stick, wore the funny sandals.... for NINE AND A HALF centuries in a row. The poor guy probably needed a break. |
i thought it was a picture of how SMALL the lady was. haha.