Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture
Friday July 23rd - Sunday July 25th
It's summer festival season in Great Japan, so get out your yukatas and sandals, light up your sparklers, put on your crazy masks, and eat all the flavored shaved ice your brain can take!! Ichigo kaki-koori hitosu, por favor!!
In the city of Minamisoma, way way way up on the Northern Pacific Coast of Fukushima Prefecture, a traditional 3-day festival takes place. Whether it has anything to do with the Obon Holidays (Japan's more-serial version of Halloween), I don't know, but I do know that there are lots of samurai and horses (hold your nose). For over 1,000 years, the people of Northern Japan have been participating in this event, not much unlike the Civil War reenactments popular in the USA. This year had over 500 entrants and about 10,000 specators.
Though it's a 3-day festival spanning the weekend, I was only there for Day 2 (Saturday), so I'll share with you what I can about this grand event that my shougakkou no kyoto-sensei (who lives in this city) brought me to.
Grab your armor! Grab your banner! Grab your long metal pointy-stabby thing! Let's go, Ed!!!!
"Nooooo, Wilbur!!! You know I have a court-order to stay away from mock battles!!! Neeiiiggghhh!!!!!"
Day 2 - Grand Procession
Basically a parade... well... pretty much exactly that. All the riders marched down the main road leading up to the Minamisoma Equestrian Park where the main events of the day would be held.
Fully-adorned in armor, both the riders and the horses brave the intense heat of the day. Every competitor has a banner representing a certain clan.
"Here's lookin' at you, samurai!"
Aside from the different clans, participants were also fighting on behalf of a certain local shrine. There were three in all, each one represented by a congregation of various members. These members are carrying the Mikoshi (god house) of their shrine. I like the white robes because it makes it look like the mikoshi is flying on a cloud.
No, kid, don't do it!!! The Cracken doesn't do well on dry land!!!
"Today is not the day that the courage of man will fail!!
I ran out of movie references.
Worth noting, there were a few female riders, too.
Vid 1 - Some of the more spirited participants gave speeches... probably boastful intimidation, or perhaps carefully-placed ads for the newest lime soda. I dunno, I can't speak Japanese. I just guess based on what seems logical.
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