The Silk Road Kimono Festival and Fireworks

Hi everybody!

Well, this has been a fun week. The beginning of the week was quiet, because the kids were all home with swine flu. Everyone but the third graders, anyway.

I put up a huge construction paper Jack and Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas in the English room. I haven't taken a picture of it yet, but I will, and when I do I shall post it. Thursday I went to Ishikawa elementary, and Friday I went to Iwataki elementary. (And had school lunch again. Whee!)

Now, these two elementary schools are soooo different. Ishikawa is very small, and only has one class per grade. The children are polite and sweet, and always help me to understand them. They're very well-behaved, but still very vivacious kids. Iwataki elementary is very BIG, there are three classes per grade. The kids are rowdy and raucous. The three boys who always scream after me when I'm on my bike going home are in this school. The teachers are more strict with them, and every time I come out of class, the school secretary asks me very sternly if any of the students asked me any inappropriate questions. I have no idea, because I can hardly ever understand their Japanese. When I ask them to slow down or tell them I can't understand, they stare at me and then run away. But they're back two minutes later with another question. Both are adorable in their own way. XD

Friday night we went out for karaoke with some visitors from Yosano's sister city, Aberysthwyth, Wales. (I think. Welsh! OI.) The karaoke machine was old and kept screeching. I thought I sounded awful (I sang "Blackbird" by the Beatles and "LoveFool" by the Cardigans and I don't remember what else) but Alex said I sounded great...husband filter? :3

Saturday was a day to shop. Toshiko came by and took us to K-Stanky where we FINALLY got our new printer/scanner and I bought a new camera! It's so cute! I love it! And it was on super sale. So you'll be seeing a lot more pictures from here on out since this new one is a ton more portable (and comes with a rechargeable lithium battery pack instead of having to change out AA's all the time. <3). style="font-style: italic;">Chirimen Kaido Kimono Matsuri, or the Silk Road Kimono Festival. Yosano is famous for its special type of crepe silk, so this was all about that. Yay!

PICTURE TIME LULZ

First, we went to a rich silk merchant's house from the 1800s that had been kept in very good condition. Yay for really old-style Japanese houses!

This is one of the kimonos worn by one of the owners of the house. His surname was "Tsuru" which is Japanese for "Crane." The little white circles on the back and sleeves have cranes in them. Yay for cranes!

This room had a lot of really neat decorative screens and stuff. But I won't bore you with every single picture I took.

There's a bit of the deer-decorated shoji sliding door in this picture, and the entrance to the house. And some tatami mats. Yay tatami mats!


Here's the other side of the deer screen. Yay for deer? Again? There were also some beautifully decorated closet doors. Everything is painted very ornately in this house.


Here is the garden that is bordered by the guest rooms. This little garden is specifically for guests to use. There's a bigger one in the middle of the house (the house is shaped like a two-story square ring) but this one was so cool I just had to take a picture. I love Japanese lanterns and stuff.


This is all of us sitting in the room upstairs together! We are, in order from left, (I don't know), Myeko, Aberysthwyth person, Alex, me, Kimiko, and (I don't know). Ambiguity is fun!


Look! Look! The sliding doors had baby chick handles! HOW ADORABLE IS THAT!? I don't have much to say but I love it.

Okay. There were at least two bathrooms in this house. These two pictures are both of Japanese baths. The one on the left is embedded in the ground. It's kind of small around, but it's very deep. My dad, who's pretty tall, would probably be able to sit in it and have water coming up to his chin.








The second is another type (probably older) of bath style - an outer bath. Notice the little stool to help you get in it, and the cover that keeps the water warm so multiple people can use it in succession. Before you get grossed out, remember - the Japanese don't wash in the bath. They wash thoroughly BEFORE getting in the bath, because they keep in mind that other people will want to use it after them. The bath is just for relaxing.



Here is a bridal palanquin. In olden times (the Edo period) Japanese brides were delivered to their husbands' family's estate in these thingies on the rejoicing shoulders of their servants and/or families. It kind of looks like a crunch to me.

It brings a whole 'nother meaning to 'mail order bride', doesn't it?






Here's one half of a traditional old Japanese kitchen! Note the sake bottle, baskets, etc. That's actually a really old sink in the picture.

What you can't see, is that hanging above was a kind of water spout, and there was a pump off to the side and on the floor. There was a pulley system that, when you pressed the pump, it would pump water up and through the spout, and water would fall from above into the sink for use.





And here's the stove!

As you can see, it kind of looks like a brick oven. But the doors underneath are for burning wood, and weren't used as ovens at all. They were more just for heating the 'stovetop' above.

The circular parts on top with the wooden lids are for rice. They're actually pretty deep, and the stick-spoon thing on top is an old fashioned rice paddle.

The wooden box thing is a steamer, for fish and vegetables.

And that's Kimiko over in the corner. Hiiiiii, Kimiko!!





Once we got out of the house we got to (had to) take a picture with the Kimono Queens, who just happened to be on their way in. They're all wearing the long sleeved furisode that practically scream "I'm brightly colored, female, and single!"

My shirt is pooched weird. Ugh.

But Alex sure is cute!!






Then, we went to this place; another traditional Japanese residence that was attached to a Buddhist temple, for an informal tea ceremony. We drank matcha, which is sweet, creamy green tea that is whisked until frothy. I really like matcha. It's goooood.

Also, curiously, there were CD's hanging on long strings from the roof of the shrine. Alex and I curiously looked at them for a while before asking Myeko what they were for. She answered "To scare off the birds." Genius!!! At very least, birds that are more interested in shiny things would smack into those instead of the windows.


There were a handful of street performers around, and I wanted to get a picture of them. So of course, when I say anything (or even make the motion of raising my camera to my face) the camera is immediately taken from me and I am shoved into the picture that I had really rather been candid, with hapless Alex dragged behind. This type of entertainment is called Chin-don-ya and consists of people dancing playing and chanting in the streets. Apparently it was an old form of advertisement, actually. This troupe came from Osaka, it seems, to perform at the Kimono Festival. See the look on my face? WE ARE NOT AMUSED.

One of the big events of the kimono matsuri was the kimono parade. It's where, aptly, all the people who wore kimono parade slowly down the silk road, with the Chin-don-ya people blaring and dancing in front. Everyone behind them got to shuffle behind slowly in their geta, or traditional Japanese sandals (the ones that KILL). The Aberysthwyth (sp!? Whatevs) people also were put into kimono and haplessly walked by.

HERE IS A VIDEO. HA HA HA HA HA.



This was the beginning of the parade. You can hear the Chin-don-ya people playing, and at the beginning was a troupe of people dressed as if for a traditional old Japanese wedding, with all sorts of old costumes. The two ladies at the end are Toshiko and Kimiko. The conversation was basically Kimiko protesting that I was taking video and me playfully responding that she wasn't allowed to protest since they made me take the picture with the Chin-don-ya. XD

Hey look! Lots of people in kimono!

There were a lot of gorgeous kimono today, but it was a lot colder. A lot more people are seen here in their fall and winter kimono; not as many bright colors as usual. In fact, I think the only people I saw wearing bright colors were the UK kids....hrm.










This is Yuuko, posing alongside a giant, anthropomorphic grain of rice.

Yes, the grain of rice is wearing a kimono.

Oh Japan.










Hey look! Some classic cars!

They had these on display too. I'm not really sure why. But hey guys, isn't this cool! Old cars! ...or something.





















These two are Toshiko and Junko, who were in the video. This is probably the best picture of Toshiko I could have asked for. She's definitely an Enneagram type 7. Anyway, Toshiko and Kimiko are both in our eikaiwa group, along with Junko from before. Toshiko is boisterous and fun. Her English is fantastic, and she loves to tease me about everything. Kimiko is much more gentle-natured and very sweet, but she's a little forgetful, frequently late, and has a 'second stomach' for sweets. :) They and the rest of the group take really good care of us.

After we finished at the matsuri, we went home for a little while and then went back out to watch the fireworks over the bay. We saw a lot of my students there and met a couple of the students from Wales, as well. I took two videos of the fireworks, but I'll only subject you to one of them; the first one is easy to find on Youtube (same title, just part 1 instead of 2. :3)

Kimono-matsuri Part II (We Have Photos!)

So, Nat has told you about most of what happened at the kimono festival. I get to show you the photos!

This first picture is probably the last one that got taken. It's right outside the house of the family who lent Nat her kimono and helped us put them both on. Everyone remarked on how well Nat's purse from Calabash matched her obi (kimono belt). The men's kimono I'm wearing is technically too small for me (in all dimensions), but was considered good enough. If I were wearing one more properly sized, the collar would have closed a little higher up. I should have also worn a different style of undershirt as that really shouldn't be visible. Also, sitting became awkward. Normally, a kimono shouldn't open in the front just because you sit down. Since mine was too small, I usually ended up holding the fish on my lap to keep the folds in place.



Next is our lunch. Technically, this was most of Nat's lunch (3-11) and part of Maryann's lunch (1 and 2), but Nat didn't get her full lunch in the photo, so this will suffice. I outlined the lunch so you can see how many dishes are actually involved.

1. Mochi covered in red bean paste - This is dessert. We ended up having more for tea later.
2. Tempura fried shrimp and vegetables
3. Chilled soba noodles in...a particular broth intended solely for cold noodles.
4. Dipping sauce for the tempura
5. Sashimi (raw fish). There was some sort of fish that Nat had already consumed by the time she took this, squid and a huge prawn with the head and tail still attached, but the middle was bare meat. Everyone took off the head.
6. Pickles (not pickled cucumbers)
7. A spicy octopus and cucumber salad
8. Soy sauce
9. RICE
10. Green tea
11. Clear soup (with a fish sausage ball and kelp)

A lot of people ended up not finishing their meal for one reason or another. Most people were too full.

After lunch, we ran around and won some prizes. As Nat mentioned, I noticed a tour guide slowly walking up to us on our right. I thought she looked like she was trying to offer to show us around. Since we didn't really need showing around (particularly since Ken, Yuko and Taichi were with us), I looked away and noticed a photographer trying to snap a picture of us from the left. I quickly went back to looking candid. After I looked back, both the photographer and the tour guide were scurrying away. I was amused.

Somewhere during the running around for prizes, we met up with the rest of our group and caught a ferry that did a quick trip through the bay and back. Since this festival requires you to be in a kimono to participate, only people wearing a kimono could ride (yes, even the baby). It was really nice. It's probably hard to tell in this picture, but the obi of the woman second from the left (in the gray kimono) has a playing card pattern on it. It was really fun seeing it. Most kimono and obi have more traditional motifs (though a group of ladies won the award for best obi; their obi were tied and pinned to look like various flowers in the back). While we were on the ferry, a group of seagulls started following us. One even landed on one of the masts. A grandmother started rooting around her grandson's bag for a biscuit to offer the seagulls. Meanwhile, a hawk decided that it wanted a seagull lunch, so it started diving through the flock. The seagulls, never deterred from the prospect of a meal for themselves, continued following the ferry in a more elusive pattern. The grandmother finally found a biscuit and held it high above her head for the seagulls (who were too busy evading the hawk to notice). In the end, the hawk never caught a seagull, the seagulls never got any food, the grandmother resigned to feeding the biscuit to her infant grandson and there were a whole bunch of jellyfish floating in the channel. It was all pretty impressive while it lasted.

This is a group picture. It is not even close to including everyone. The mother and father of the house are not in the photo (as well as some random boy I noticed, peripherally, who was watching TV and did not partake in the festival). Also, we had separated from Ken, Yuko, Taichi and Maryann long before this picture was taken. I don't even know everyone's names. The people I do know are Junko-san (far left; a member of our English conversation group and our driver for the day) and Ai-chan (second from the right in bright red). This is also a perfect example to tell you about different types of kimono. At least ones worn during this time of year. You might notice that Ai-chan is the only one wearing a kimono with long, draping sleeves. This type of kimono is only worn by unmarried women (everyone else in the picture is married, in elementary school, male or a dog). They are typically made with brighter colors and bolder patterns, though a delicate color or pattern is not uncommon. The long sleeves are believed to be more suitable for attracting a male suitor. There are traditional poems and plays saying as much. The bright kimono worn by Ai-chan's cousin (second from the left) is a children's kimono. These kimono have the tendency to have more eye-bleedingly bright colors and more outlandish themes (some young boys' kimono have cowboys on chartreuse), though neither are necessary. Men's formal kimono (like the one I'm wearing), tend to have the most sedate patterns and colors tend to be dark or masculine. Khaki, black, navy, gray, brown and olive green are typical colors for men's kimono. Also, I'm the only one wearing the geta (Japanese sandals) that are elevated with a couple thick strips of wood. This isn't really a men/women thing. These were just the ones available I thought would best fit my feet. But it's also a good way to show you some different kinds of geta. The tabi (toe socks) I'm wearing are technically too small for me as well, but they actually got on my foot. The more traditional tabi I was originally offered...I would have had to cut off my toes to fit into.

Junko-san and Nat.

All in all, it was a lovely day. I guess there was rain either last year or the year before (or both). We were home by 5:00, which somewhat surprised me. The family who helped us put on our kimono live right next to the bay where I walk, sometimes. I had even said hello to the mother and the grandmother on one occasion. It was really fun.

This is a picture of our funeral home neighbors after a storm (perhaps the typhoon, but I don't think it was). There was a brilliant rainbow that Nat caught just as she was getting home from work.

Kimono Festival

Today was the Kimono Festival in Miyazu, right on the Amanohashidate. I took a few pictures so I'll put them up in a later post. It was a lot of fun!

First Junko (from the English Conversation Group - pronounced June-ko) picked us up. She's super sweet. She took us to her friend's house where a bunch of people were putting on kimono. This was a really huge house....the daughter of the house had been Kimono Princess last year, and like...I think they collected them or ran a kimono shop or something, because they had a ton of kimonos. The mother was about the same general size as me, so I wore a pretty black kimono with white butterflies on it, and a pretty dusky purple obi (the wide belt) with a silver and violet tie on it. They put up my hair with these cute pink flower pins and I wore Japanese toe socks. I'm sure I was cuter than I felt.

Japanese sandals are MURDER OH GOD. As I type this post, my feet are crying. Literally crying. I remember the first time I came to Japan I got a cute pair of shoes for my aunt, and now I'm realizing what an awful present that must have been because oh god.

Anyway. There were lots of really cute kimonos today. There was a girl with cute poofy pigtails in an orange and green kimono who I wanted to take a picture of, but she vanished before I could. Later, she won some contest. So I guess a lot of people shared my taste. We walked around a lot, and had lunch at this restaurant all together. (We met up with Yuuko and Taichi and Ken, three of our twentysomething Japanese friends who are all very good at English, at the festival, along with Maryanne, one of the other JETs in the area.) I took pictures of the lunch because it was epic Japanese.

Then when we got out, we were considering what to do next when Alex ('cause I didn't see) noticed a tour guide sneak up alongside us and a photographer sneak up along the other side of us, snap a quick picture of our group (mid-conversation) with the tour guide beside us, and the two of them slunk off. So we'll probably end up in some tour brochure. If I find it I'll scan it for laughs, but...seriously!?

Actually a lot of people were taking pictures of us. It was fun. "Foreigners in Kimono" will be the theme of next month's VOGUE-U.

We rode on a boat...

We got our pictures taken near the rotating bridge...

We drank complimentary green tea and ate mochi (pounded rice cakes - sticky and chewy - with sweet red bean paste on top. It's supposed to make you wise. Oo) and talked with some other JETs we met there.

Uhmmmm....

Oh! There were lotteries and stuff. Last year Holly (the JET who was here before me) won the huge TV we have now. I won a cute little wrap made of local silk for my lunchbox.

Alex won a big honkin' fish.

It was pretty epic. We ended up giving the fish away to Junko, but he carried it all around the festival with him. What a guy!

There was a lottery at the end, too, and I won a soy sauce set, and Alex won some soba noodles, so that'll be fun.

They made me and Alex enter the "couples" kimono contest. I'm glad we didn't win.

I'm tired.