Jap Blog 28th of July 1996

Up at 8am. Breakfast consisted of cooked salmon, rice with natto – fermented beans that tasted like coffee [author’s note: one of the most disgusting things to be faced with at any time of the day] and misoshiro – tofu soup. Friends of Yuko’s cousin, including Iwow, Yoichi and Shino alia – WOW! YO! And SHIT NO! Dressed up again and pulled the float to another area. All the floats came and there was a huge omikoshi. Lots of drinks and music followed by a chanting/running/getting wet session before carrying the omikoshi for some 40 minutes up and down the street and between the floats. It was a Shinto ceremony. Had to have sake as a warm up before pulling the float. The ceremony was for the fox god in the omikoshi to bless the neighbourhood. A couple of hours of all this. Lunch. A Japanese curry! Very nice and quite mild. Siesta. Moved the float. Another siesta but I watched some baseball and Olympics. Some old geezer wouldn’t let Wayne and I carry the omikoshi but Yuko’s cousin let us in his neighbourhood. It’s a pity that the Japanese are so short. I had to bend down to do the carrying. At 7pm it was back to the float and then we received an invitation to tea – soba noodles and tempura. It must have been the local doughnut shop because all the police were hanging out there. Pulled the float around town to a Shinto shrine. Bad Girl, the makeup girl, was there and painted my goatee pink and my moustache green. Her daughter, Maho, stuck with us. She is in a few photos. Back to Yuko’s uncle’s place for a shower and a change. They dropped us off at the train station. Travelled to the Kimura’s place – Naoko’s parents. They seem like great people. Mr Kimura speaks some English, French, and German. Funnily enough he was unable to understand any of these languages when I spoke to him. Is this an example of Japanese humour that backfired? Bed just before 1am.

Pic of John Lennon! (and Maho)
- posted by Hammy @ 8:27 am