Our last day in Japan, tomorrow will be consumed with getting back even though our plane does not leave until 3:30pm. We spent the day with Natsuko and her friend from Australia Haley and we did another FULL day of sightseeing. Including the Ueno Peony Garden, Senso Ji, the biggest oldest temple in Tokyo with it's attendant huge crowd as well as dozens of shops between the gate and the temple, a cruise down the river in Tokyo to a garden smack in the middle of huge buildings that used to belong to the Shogun's family ending with the view from the 35th floor of a downtown Tokyo Building.
But the highlight came early. Haley noticed that many people were coming through the train gates dressed in ritual costume, different coats, shorts, knee high leggings and boots. Perhaps there's a shrine festival nearby, she suggested.
I'm trying to understand the relationship between temples and shrines, the relationship between Buddhism and Shintoism. Apparently once per year, a small portable shrine is removed from the shrine proper. It receives special blessings and members of the community carry the shrine around to bless the area.
We are staying at Ueno, a central area of Tokyo, right next to this HUGE train station. Right nearby is a very large park with all kinds of halls, museums, lake, temple, shrine, everything. Today apparently the shrine at Ueno would have its festival. The followers wore coats of different colors as in different teams (one group in blue, etc). First the Shinto priests performed some rituals as those present bowed their heads. Then the taiko drums started up with their compelling loud rhythms. I then noticed that a tent had been set up with many suited dignitaries looking on.
Then the teams took turns carrying the shrine. But not just carried, the teams rocked the shrine back and forth wildly with so much force that the carriers on the other side were lifted off the ground. Much shouting with more drums; a procession started with some large emblems on sticks, the drums, then the shrine being rocked back and forth by the teams. The procession wound around the park. I don't know where it ended though I certainly had noticed several shrines in the park.
Really a sensory experience with the brightly colored drummers beating steady intricate rhythms, the smell of incense, the beautiful golden decorated shrine with its procession and wild rocking.
Natsuko later told me that insurance plans in Japan often will not cover injuries incurred during Shinto festivals....
1 comment:
Goodness!
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