Obon Voyage!

The night before last we Miyazu JETs met up with the other Tango JETs for the final night of Obon – the fireworks! We started off on top of the Fukusuke getting our yukatas on without the help of a Japanese person, so it took twice as long. I couldn't get mine on no matter what I did so I ditched it in the end (which I'm glad I did) as it's really big and difficult to put on neatly, as I noticed Masako had trouble the night before. I also had a real obi to contend with unlike the others that had “one-touch obi” as Masako calls them, pre-tied obi that just clips onto the back of the a sash that just wraps around the waist. We had planned last week that we would all meet up, get ready and be outside Mipple to get a good seat by 5.30pm but even though most everyone who was to wear a yukata turned up early, we still arrived at the festival unfashionably late. All along the waterfront eight or so versions of the same six stalls were dotted around in a single line selling yakisoba (grilled noodles), takoyaki (dough-balls with octopus, my favourite – I had two boxes!), yakitori (grilled chicken), kakegouri (shaved ice), and Doraemon themed castella (a Portuguese cake that is very popular here and has been since the opening of the country to the outside world in 1868 – minus the Doraemon).

It was getting dark and the heavy clouds that had hung around all afternoon blotted out what little daylight was left as we wove our way through the thronging crowd who were idling around the food stalls. We actually managed to get a good place to lay our gouzu tatami mats out on grass, after walking further around the bay. Some unlucky latecomers were forced to sit on the paved areas, while others had to stand. It seemed like everyone in the city and the neighbouring towns was there as, as far as the eye could see along the bay all the way to Amanohashidate, people gathered with their mats and umbrellas anticipating the coming rain. Others met up with us shortly after and after getting dinner we settled in ready to watch the first part of the night, the lantern lighting. Already the six professional teams of Odori dancers were out on the water on covered raft-like boats dancing in time to the music playing from the loud speakers attached to the awnings of the boats, and when the clock struck 7.30pm the dancers stopped and began placing red and white lanterns on the water that drifted off away from the shore in a long wave, as the sound of a Buddhist monk chanting in an eerie monotone into a microphone echoed around the bay. These lanterns each contained a letter written by someone in Miyazu to a dead loved-one and it's thought that eventually the water would carry the letter to the recipient. Small shrines covered in flowers and ornaments were also set on the water, then set alight as they sombrely followed the lanterns further out so sea before burning up completely, their charred remains slipping silently beneath the waves.

The state of inner peace we had all ascended to was abruptly dashed as the first firework was sent up and exploded with an almighty bang that scared all children, animals and Maggies within the vicinity and set off car alarms. The fireworks lasted one hour and every 10 to 15 minutes the silence on the ground was broken by sudden shrill heavy metal guitar music being blasted out over the loud speakers as the commercial break started and the companies that had sponsored the event were announced, the music was so out of place and so startling that we couldn't stop laughing every time it started up. Towards the end of the fireworks it started to spit and as soon as they ended at 9.00pm the rain just came down after trying to hold it in all evening. We stuck around despite the rain and met up with more JETs from the area who had arrived just towards the end, and went to see and take part in the odori again, teaching it to the others. By that night I was a pro at the Miyazu Odori dance as it was the third night of doing it, but this night it was more fun as it was haphazardly danced by fewer people, many of whom hadn't done it before while most people were wearing their wet weather gear that included ponchos with frog head hoods. One couple we did see did the entire thing in motorcycle helmets that had microphones attached to them, it was all pretty bizarre. The rain had eased a little for the odori but as we finished it just bucketed down. I luckily had my umbrella with me but many of the JETs hadn't brought anything to protect them from the elements so were soaked to the bone. They seemed pretty happy about it, but then again they had been drinking. We hung around for a little while at Mipple waiting for the rain to ease but there was no end in sight so we split off to go home.

That was one experience to add to the true Miyazu experiences list – Obon in the rain. It was probably most memorable and more fun because it was rained, but it was definitely a great night. Today however I'm going to buy a cellphone with Maggie and Nishihara-san and tonight is volleyball. Saturday is Maggie, Jen, and my trip to Maizuru, one of the nearest bigger cities, then on Sunday all three of us will take the train to Kyoto, a day earlier before Kyoto Orientation starts to do the tourist thing. At the moment Maggie and I are looking at places to eat in Kyoto and the Ninja Restaurant looks pretty appealing. The wait-staff are dressed as ninjas and they drop down from the ceiling to give you your food apparently. We watched a video of it on YouTube and if you have something that is to be flamboyed they attach a fuse to it and light it making it set on fire briefly. An obvious choice for a restaurant.