Photoclubalpha

On Saturday we drove to the small town of Yoshida to attend their natsu matsuri (summer festival). This is the time of year when towns all around Japan hold summer festivals. We spent time there in the afternoon, then went to our hotel for awhile, and in the evening returned.

In the afternoon there were so many children in the very shallow and flowing river. They had small nets and were catching fish that had just been released. They played taiko drums at night. The announcer said that the largest one was made in 1648. Still using it! There was a very tall pole erected in the center of the river. There were several dozen young men held back on the shore and then at the correct moment they were released. They made a mad dash through the shallow river water to the 5-story tall pole and were trying to climb to the top. There were a mound of bodies at the bottom and one was able to get above the others and was slowly going up the pole. He slipped back down and another took his place. 4 or 5 failed, but finally one guy was able to get to the top to retrieve a banner hanging there. He hung on to the pole with one hand and waved the banner around. The fires in the river and all the men with torches were below. After all of that suddenly fireworks started shooting off from the top of the mountain next to Yoshida. Cool!

On Sunday we drove to another even smaller town for their festival.

Photos are in the Japan gallery:

http://www.bakubo.com/Galleries%202/index.html

Often I was called Sury Matsuri by those who had Japanese heritage/background.
Very nice set Henry.

Sury

sury wrote:Often I was called Sury Matsuri by those who had Japanese heritage/background.
Very nice set Henry.

Yes, the rhyming sounds good. I have taught a few kids here:

"See you later, Alligator!"

And the reply:

"After while, Crocodile!"

Just for fun and something different from the English they may be studying in school and something their English teachers (who are Japanese) almost certainly don't even know.

Thanks, Sury. It was fun. Towns and cities hold multiple festivals at different times of year. Often they have something unique about their festival. For example, in spring 2013 I posted about a couple of others I went to:

http://www.photoclubalpha.com/forum/vie ... =17&t=7696

http://www.photoclubalpha.com/forum/vie ... =17&t=7697

In the afternoon this man climbed to the top of this very tall pole and hung a banner or placard:



Then at night there was the mad scramble of young men running through the water to the pole and trying to climb to the top to retrieve it. Here you can see the one guy who was able to do it:



For this second photo I am standing on the bridge that you can see in the first photo.

Is it also a kind of multicultural celebration? I'm curious about all the flags in that last picture.

Interesting ritual Henry. There is a similar in concept that takes place in India during
the festival of (colors) Holi and yet another festival. Instead of climbing a pole, the
teams form human pyramid and reach for a pot of gold (or cash and other goodies).
In both festivals, the underlying theme is same: Celebrating Hindu god Krishna's childhood pranks.
This is NOT my image. Source: http://goindia.about.com/od/festivalsev ... tivals.htm

Seems like a hell of a job to get that pot of gold sury

the_hefay wrote:Is it also a kind of multicultural celebration? I'm curious about all the flags in that last picture.

No. Yoshida is a small town on Shikoku and I am pretty sure I was the only non-Japanese there.

Sury, that is wild! I wish I had been there.

I wonder which would be worse? Being at the bottom or at the top.

bakubo wrote: I wonder which would be worse? Being at the bottom or at the top.

For me it would depend on how they planned to get the top guys down. If there is any "tumbling", "falling" or "collapse" involved I'd rather be the bottom guy... in the outer rim. Besides, I don't think these guys would appreciate a 6'1", 220 lbs guy standing on top

If it is "wild", being top or bottom is a matter of "personal" taste/choice, me thinks.

Sury

Fascinating pictures, Henry - thanks for sharing and the explanation.

I think young men climbing up things must be a cross cultural thing. It used to happen a lot in beer tents in the UK when I was younger. Luckily there are no pictures of this. Let's just say it was not a flag waved at the top! .

Birma wrote:Fascinating pictures, Henry - thanks for sharing and the explanation.

Thanks, Andy. Japan has local festivals going on all the time and many of them date back hundreds of years.

Birma wrote: I think young men climbing up things must be a cross cultural thing. It used to happen a lot in beer tents in the UK when I was younger. Luckily there are no pictures of this. Let's just say it was not a flag waved at the top! .

I can imagine what the Scottish guys must have waving and swinging about when they are up on a pole.

Birma wrote:I think young men climbing up things must be a cross cultural thing. It used to happen a lot in beer tents in the UK when I was younger. Luckily there are no pictures of this. Let's just say it was not a flag waved at the top! .

So what you're saying is that noone caught it on film when you were at the top not waving a flag?

Luckily (in retrospect) I was never the athletic sort who could shimmy up vertical poles even when sober