There is so much beauty that can be found within the human
spirit and this energy can be contagious when we are encouraged to be apart of
something. Besides the established
public holidays that are officially marked down on the Japanese calendar in an
effort to stimulate the economy, there are many other festivals and gatherings
that celebrate historical tradition, culture, and even lighter and simplistic
aspects of life in Japan. I have
always been one to enjoy celebrations and the festivals that I’ve been to in
Japan have completely blown me away.
Since my stay here thus far, my favorite festival that I attended was
the Daimonji Gozen Fire Festival in Kyoto. “Records from the beginning of the Edo era show that the
Daimonji Festival was already in existence, and it is said that the tradition
originated when the monk Kobo-Daishi, praying for an end to plague, lit up the
character representing 'large' in flame.” The fires are lit as a way of guiding spirits from the dead
back to the Buddhist Pure Land (Kyoto City Web). It had been raining all day and my friends and I had been
contemplating whether or not it was a good idea to travel all that way to only watch
the rain put the fire away… However,
we were informed that it was not going to get cancelled and as we were so interested
in seeing kanji characters get lit on fire, we decided to go! And the rain was by no means of
hindrance!
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Daimonji Gozan Fire Festival in Kyoto. August 16, 2011
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We arrived too late to watch the kanji get lit up in the
mountains, but there was enough fire in ‘large’ amounts for us to experience. It was an incredible sight to see!
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Although I wouldn't consider a ‘ramen show’ to follow along
the lines of a historical ceremony, it can be looked at as a renown
celebration. Every year, the most
famous ramen shops from around the country gather together and host the Tokyo
Ramen Show. I just so happened to
be in the right area of Tokyo the weekend that it was being held and got to encounter the local
specialties of 27 different booths of ramen noodles. There were thousands of people at the show indulging in famous
ramen, shopping in the gift shop tents, drinking beer, singing, and most
importantly just enjoying life.
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| Komazawa Olympic Park |
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