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| Sumo!!! [9.28.2013] |
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| Odaiba [10.12] |
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| Kawagoe Matsuri [10.19] |
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| Fellow Teachers @ the Kawagoe Matsuri |
Did I tell you that I went to a sumo tournament??? It took me awhile to upload the photos from my camera onto my laptop... I finally took the time today to upload the photos to my laptop and some to Facebook. So here we go!!!
It was a new experience to watch sumo. It was my first time watching it! I never watched it on TV or online or anywhere, and so the first time I saw a match was at the dohyo in Tokyo. I enjoyed my experience because there were various traditions that go along with sumo. From the design of the dohyo to the actions of the rikishi, every action and design is planned and is part of a ritual. It is amazing how the tradition of sumo integrates Shintoism to the practice. It was an interesting experience and I would like to attend another tournament. Luckily, the tournament comes to Tokyo three times a year. The next tournament in Tokyo will be in January. I hope I can go again!
Yesterday and today was the Kawagoe Autumn Festival. The Kawagoe Matsuri is the third weekend of October, and it occurs once a year. I was fortunate to attend yesterday's festivities. It did not rain until mid-afternoon. By then we were done with our duties of pulling the dashi/ float. We returned our "happi" coats, but we were able to keep the other fabric. I'm not sure what it's called in Japanese, but it says Kawagoe Matsuri on it!!! It was a great honor to be able to participate with the local community in this amazing event!!!!! I was so overwhelmed with joy that I almost cried... There were crowds of people in every direction. The streets were closed. There were no cars, but the people, food booths, dashi-s filled the streets. Happy to have the happi-coat. Happi-ness.
