Sleeping Jellyfish

Last week I was lucky enough to be invited by my Japanese friend Riyo to go up to Kokunodate to see a festival. Riyo’s Kiwi boyfriend Dylan talked the festival up a lot and I am happy to say, it far exceeded my expectations. He described these big siege-engine type carts that people pull around the streets and then they face off and ram into each other. And then there’s tons of food and dancing and all the other cool things you would expect from a Japanese festival. Bear with me as I continue to figure out this blogging tool a bit better and try to space and organize things better so it is easier on the eyes. OK, ready, set, pictures!

Here we have the paper maché Samurai on top the of the carts. Some of them were pretty scary looking, others were seeming in better spirits, but they were all amazing in the detail that was put into them and the float-carts in general.

Here is the map in the middle of town where they conduct their “negotiations”. I asked Riyo what they negotiate, and she wasn’t really sure. Regardless, you can see the little arrow chips representing each neighborhood’s cart, and they are moved around the board in accordance to where the cart is in real time! You can’t really see, but the Kanji for each neighborhood is written on the chips to differentiate them.

I wish I had a picture to more accurately describe the impressiveness of the Japanese commitment to alcohol. After they would pull the cart down the street or around the corner, everyone would just sit down in a circle and drink. Each neighborhood had their own booze cart they would bring with them. Truly astonishing. Old and young, men and women. The funniest people to watch were definitely the old men, drunk off their bums, ordering the younger people around with such youthful vigor. But, anyways, here we have what I think is the best job. Not only are you constantly served drinks and food, but you just get carted around in a siege engine and get to play music. Its my dream job!

This is the good part. When two carts square off, everyone gathers on the side of it and pushes on of the beams or pulls a rope to ram the other team’s cart. Then then put a wooden beam underneath the front to stabilize it, seeing as there are still the musicians and the team leaders on top. The leaders where a special band and use the lanterns and whistles to coordinate pulls and pushes to try to push the other teams cart out of the way. Every now and then they stop for a little song and dance and then get back to it. Its all every entertaining.

Here you can see the mess of people all pulling on the carts with these huge ropes, while the guys on top coordinate the “attack”. They also used these wedge things behind the back wheels probably both for support but also as a sneaky way to inch the cart forward. You can also see a couple guys on the black team and further in the middle a few girls on the maroon team.

Kids being kids. What is their to say? They were adorable, doing the same motions and whistle blowing that their dads were doing. Grandpa is in the back, and half of grandma on the side. Mom, Dad, I should have asked for a ninja outfit for Christmas when I was 5.

And that was our trip to Kokunodate! My four traveling companions were Rachel and Holly from Australia, which are the two in their kimonos. Well, Rachel’s I think was a pretty legitimate kimono, Holly’s was just a bathrobe. And just ahead of them are Dylan from New Zealand in the hat, and to his right Riyo, friend first and possessor of a Japanese driver’s license and car second. We had a great time and towards the end met a bunch of English teachers from the area who came out for the festival. Its kind of a strange but really neat community that they have, among the international students and the English teachers, but it was great to meet some nice people in neighboring towns. I also had some food, the pinnacle being Sakura (cherry blossom) Ice Cream. Amazing. Wisconsin should be taking notes.

Right now, it is 10pm in the Midwest on Sunday the 14th. That means it is my little sister’s birthday, and so I’m going to try to call her on Skype. Happy Birthday Kailee!