Totally Tokyo

Sakura House has God on Our side

So the town that I live in is very small, quiet and residential. It is a great escape, as well as a comparison, from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the metropolis. It has one small main street, and even though the night trains are full of school children and salary men returning from work, they disappear and are never seen again. It is only us, the foreigners from the Sakura House, that wander the streets after 9pm and get back on the train cars looking for what the night holds for us. I have always been afraid that this small town has only a sour taste in its mouth for us at Sakura House (well we know the bars love us for the business we have gave them, but what about everyone else?)
It was not until last Sunday morning, that I finally woke up after an insane weekend of celebrating Germany and cheering on my favorite thong wearing Sumo wrestler, and I walked outside to make a phone call. I hear drums coming from somewhere, but in our town you can never tell the direction. All of a sudden I saw a parade coming down the street. I went inside to grab my camera (and am I glad I did, I filled an entire memory card up!) and told as many people that I could fine. The parade was filled with some of our favorite bar patrons as well as some of my surfing instructors! And guess where they decided to stop their parade and take a rest, yep right in front of our dorm! And here in tokyo resting means downing a few asahi and chu hi's. The parade was about 100 people strong, and everyone wanted to meet us and ask us questions. We soon found out that the parade was for the god that lives at the shrine, and they bring him out once a year to show how the town had grown and prospered. Well when the parade needed to start back up, they wanted us to help carry their god! They dressed some of us in traditional robes, and gave others of us Ontakasen headbands, and others jsut wore their PJ's that they had come out in. We marched and chanted and danced and danced and carried god. God and his "charriot" were heavy!! We traveld for hours, taking a break ever 15-20 min for more ashai and chu hi's. After carry god some more we were given a catered lunch in the streets. We meet up with, what I was assuming another town, and traded shrines and carried one anothers. All while the celebration and singing and chanting continued. We reached our temple after an indirect route where there was an amazing drum performace as well as more food and art and games.It really was a beautiful experience. I truly felt welcomed into the community. Beautiful was the only word I can use, Honored is another word. A few days after the celebration an unmarked envelope came to the dorm. In it was printed pictures of us and the locals with the shrine that was taken during one of the breaks. The printed enough so that everyone that particapted could have a permant image of this wonderful experience. I am extremly lucky (this seems to be how I end most of my entries) and fourtunate to be having all of these memories.
Again, pictures can only capture the emotion so well, it was an experienced:

posted by Stephy-ru @ Friday, September 22, 2006