Mikoshi Festival…

Well, there was a Mikoshi Festival here Sunday, and it’s quite the experience if you’ve never seen it…

A mikoshi (神輿 or 御輿?) is a divine palanquin (also translated as portable Shinto shrine). Shinto followers believe that it serves as the vehicle to transport a deity in Japan while moving between main shrine and temporary shrine during a festival or when moving to a new shrine. Often, the mikoshi resembles a miniature building, with pillars, walls, a roof, a veranda and a railing.

And they not only carry it, they dance, and there are drummers, and ‘everybody’ gets in the act…

Dancing…

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Pulling the drum wagon…  Even the little ones help…DSC01259

And they have fun!!!DSC01261

The base opened the gates and easily 10,000 came in to ‘help’ the festival and enjoy the time on base…

It seemed their ‘favorite’ take home food was pizza!!!

And a short video of one of the palanquins…  I’d have needed a beer or three (dozen) after listening to that for a couple of hours of ‘dancing’ that thing along…

But it was fun! And it is amazing how the Japanese clean up after themselves.  No messes, everything piled by the trashcans, and everyone was polite!

Comments

Mikoshi Festival… — 11 Comments

  1. Well, this certainly fired off a few dormant synapses for me. I went to quite a few of these festivals during my five years in Nippon.

  2. Very cool! My daughter would have enjoyed something like that and I have never been to one.

  3. The West could learn a great deal from our Japanese friends. And what we learn would make us a stronger nation.

  4. “No messes, everything piled by the trashcans, and everyone was polite!”
    One of the many benefits of a racially homogeneous society.

  5. Ed- LOL, you’d think so…

    Buck- I’m sure you did!

    Fargo- Loud… And these went by for about an hour…

    CP- True!

    Differ- Correct, and one that DOES take personal responsibility for their actions!!!

  6. How’s ’bout some pictures of YOU, dancing with them ? 😉
    BTW, the FodGuy got your 2 books for me – they’re next, after I finish Linda Fairstein’s series {sorry, but I was already into it when he got me yours}.
    Also, let your former seatmate know where you are – he’s retired to southern Virginia for the moment …………….
    Travel SAFE !!
    {Were you able to get to my blog yet ? }

    Semper Fi’
    DM