Tag Archives: mikoshi

daycare Summer Festival

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The daycare staff picked a good day and time to have the summer festival/natsu matsuri. It started off at 5:30pm so when we left our house, there was a cool breeze blowing, not humid at all.

At the registration table right before the entrance, Yui was given a sling that would keep tab of all our “purchases”.

Yui keeping tab of what we've ordered so far ^-^

Yui keeping tab of what we’ve ordered so far ^-^

The first floor was where we could buy festival food – frankfurts, yakisoba, choco banana. It’s only for the older babies and adults though, we had to bring Yui’s food with us. It felt weird to bring food at the daycare since they usually provide food for Yui. With a couple of the senseis.

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We ate our fill at one of the rooms of the second floor. Dad and Yui while Mom eats her yakisoba. It was the most bland yakisoba I’ve ever had though – naturally, because it’s also meant for kids.

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Yoyo ball pool!

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We didn’t get one for Yui. Turns out she wants one for herself!

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We had this for Yui though.

Please tell me what to do sensei

Please tell me what to do sensei

Art time! Design-your-own-fan.

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Mikoshi time! For the older kids. Sorry for the blurred photo.
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Obon dance time.

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Thankfully, the time was right for Yui’s sleeping cycle that’s why she didn’t have a meltdown. A lot of kids had a meltdown however towards the end of the program (it lasted about two hours). Hubs and I could understand. Both of us were actually tired after the activity, to think we just looked around. How much more overwhelming it would be for the kids, and the teachers for that matter!

Instilling culture right at a very young age. Very nice. Thankful.

 

 

 

Mikoshi in Gumyoji

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Hubs and I doesn’t really keep ourselves updated with the community billboard hence it came as a surprise to us when we went out the house and met some Mikoshi-costumed people and heard the boom of drums a few minutes after.

Right around the end of August, just when the peak of summer has just passed and temperatures have started to drop a bit, Mikoshi (神輿) parades are held all over Japan. The Mikoshi is actually a sacred palanquin where the spirits or diety of that particular festival are ceremoniously enshrined. Mind you, the mikoshis really are elaborately designed.

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The Mikoshi is carried around by the people taking part in the parade.

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The sacred palanquins are preceded by the drums, announcing its passage.

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I once participated in a Mikoshi parade back in 2007 and interestingly enough, it was also here in Gumyoji. I can’t say though that I’d do it again. We didn’t wear tabi (足袋 or たび or the traditional Japanese socks) though like what this year’s participants did.

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And it seems more elaborate this year because the priest paraded with the group.

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Yeah there’s a high probability that I just didn’t notice the priest parading with us back then, laden as we are with the Mikoshi (yes, it is heavy!). But I do believe this year’s Mikoshi is more festive, more passionate, more feverish than it was years before. I could think of one reason why it is so but whether I’m right or wrong, it makes me happy that this kind of tradition that has been around for centuries is still going as strong as ever.