ALT in Shimosuwa, Japan: Ofune Matsuri, day 2

I don't even know how to start this blog, but maybe this sentence will work:

Today I did the craziest thing I think I've ever done.

Today, I helped hundreds of people (at least) pull a giant wooden float half a mile down a hill in 95-degree weather. For two hours.

I think I can say I've gotten a bit more used to walking and biking since coming to Japan, but nothing, NOTHING compares to today. And the funny part is, all I intended to do was eat some festival food and watch the parade. I had no idea that I was going to participate for half of the time.

It all started at 12:30 when I met up with Brendan, Amy, Justin, and Junta (all of them are teachers but Junta is Japanese) at the bottom of the apartment stairs and we set off to the festival. The point of today's festivities is for, like I said, a giant wooden float to be pushed & pulled through the streets of the town from one shrine, Harumiya, to the other, Akimiya. The process takes over 3 hours I believe, and I assisted for 2 hours. Anyway, first we all walked to Akimiya. When we arrived there, we discovered a procession going towards Harumiya, so we decided to join them. The people in the procession were dressed in very old, historical outfits, from hundreds of years ago. Walking through the narrow streets of this town, my town, I somehow felt like I belonged in some small part. It was a truly great feeling that helped me to forget the heat a little bit (but just a little).

When we arrived at Harumiya, we stood to the side at the shrine entrance while the procession made its way into the shrine's grounds. There were so many people- I mean, impossible to count- that I could tell this was going to be a really big event. We probably waited for a half hour or forty-five minutes. Some guys came around and handed us each plastic ropes to tie onto the big ropes to pull the float. I was like, wait, what? But we decided to do it because, you know, it's an adventure!

At about 2:15 we began pulling the float out of the shrine. Every thirty seconds or so, everyone would stop and wait for a few minutes. This is why it takes hours to carry the float a mile. While we pulled, people in between the two main ropes encouraged us to say "YOISA!!!" loudly in a rhythm. It was a lot of fun, to be honest, even though I was so hot and thirsty. The people on top of the float would wave their thingamajigs (poles with streamers or something?) and shout down at the main men who were doing the most work right in front of the float. Then they would shout back, some guy or girl would sing loudly, and then we'd start back up again. Many people were watching from the balconies of their houses, or from their doorways. Even the clerks at the small post office were outside watching! At one point I saw several of the teachers from my school & the vice principal, so that was fun to wave to them. They were just watching and not helping. <_<

Probably the most fun part of the endless tug-of-war was right before I called it quits, when we had to get the float around a corner onto a narrow street. That was really interesting. They had one rope, the one I was attached to, swing wide, then we ran- like almost tripping over each other- in a wide circular turn while men pushed on the ropes from the other side. It's hard to explain... but it was crazy!! Then we had to keep backing up and pulling several times until the float cleared the telephone poles. Then... I gave up. Well, I think I did my part, to be honest. There were hundreds of people just watching, lol, and I helped for two hours straight!

Now that I'm rehydrated and looking back on it, I'm so glad I joined in. I can say that I've done something most people probably haven't, and certainly not people in America!! Japanese festivals are crazy. Literally crazy. Oh, and I ran into a bunch of my students again today. That was kinda funny. Their reactions are priceless.

Okay, so I didn't die, and I managed to make it halfway. I know I'm going to be totally sore tomorrow, but I think I appreciate my little town a bit more. I had a lot of fun and it will be a good story to tell my children if I ever have any. :P Now I just hope I won't be too sore tomorrow to make it to the big dance festival in Matsumoto. :D (Thankfully I don't have to dance there.)

Junta & Brendan alongside the procession :P

The procession continues

The procession entering the first shrine, Harumiya. The gold hats were children and they were soooo cute!

Everybody gathering at the shrine. The float is the multi-colored thing towards the back. The two ropes are what we tied our plastic ropes to in order to pull the float.