Peace Boat participants celebrate the Japanese Summer Festival
(written for the Peace Boat website, Jan 22, 2013 >>)
Playing the traditional Japanese taiko drum requires physical strength and a good sense of rhythm
If other ships had come close to the Ocean Dream recently, their
passengers would have heard the calling of the taiko drums (picture)
from far. Approaching they wouldn't have believed their eyes, seeing
people in yukatas dancing the Bon Odori in full summer heat, mimicking
rice farming, fishing and hunting in the middle of the Atlantic. But, as
usual, there were no other ships around. So we just share these moments
with our readers - for you to marvel.
This Bon Odori dancer imitates movements which relate to local heritage
While Japan was covered with snow, Peace Boat participants held a summer
festival on the Atlantic. For many particpants, the majority of whom
come from Japan, Peace Boat, is an opportunity to learn about cultures
and traditions around the world in the in-port programmes organised with
local partners. As one of the biggest annual festivities all over the
country, the "Natsu Matsuri" (Summer Festival) onboard is a time for the
young and the old alike to immerse themselves into regional heritage
and learn more about the diversity within their own country and to share
that with participants and staff from countries other than Japan. This
Bon Odori dancer (photo) imitates movements which relate to local
heritage and natural phenomena like wind and waves, volcanoes and the
sun. The tradition of the Natsu Matsuri started during the Obon period
as an occasion to honour the ancestors. Subsequently, in the Edo period,
it became a popular festival to relieve summer fatigue.
During the Summer Festival the sisters Mizuno Megumi (left) and Ayumi played the Yo-yo tsuri with water balloons
The two sisters Mizuno Megumi, 19 (left), and Ayumi, 26 (right), can
always be seen onboard the 78th voyage together. "We enjoy this occasion
to travel together a lot" Ayumi said. "We haven't seen each other for a
long time." Since 2009 she has been working in Hokkaido, Cape Town and
Barcelona, while her younger sister Megumi finished school in their home
town of Nagoya in Honshu. During the summer festival they played the
'Yo-yo Tsuri' with colourful water balloons, which they had fished out
of a pool with a rod.
Voyage Director Hirayama Yuuki (left) and his jury awarded the prize for the most beautiful yukata to Arimasu Shoko (right)
During Natsu Matsuri, young women enjoy displaying their yukatas, a
light summer version of the traditional kimono. Arimasu Shoko (right)
won the prize for the most beautiful costume. "My mother dyed the
material herself" the 21-year-old told the judges in the Best Yukatta
Competition. "She managed to finish it just two days before we left
Yokohama." Her story moved Voyage Director Hirayama Yuuki (left) and the
other judges. "Please tell your mother about this prize once you are
back" he told Shoko. The competition also allowed the participants to
experiment with different personas and identities; in one event, young
men dressed up in women's yukatta with full make-up and blond wigs
(background) and in the Accessory Yukata Contest, participants
highlighted their personality with fans, guitars or a sumo look.
Playing the traditional Japanese taiko drum requires physical strength and a good sense of rhythm
This Bon Odori dancer imitates movements which relate to local heritage
During the Summer Festival the sisters Mizuno Megumi (left) and Ayumi played the Yo-yo tsuri with water balloons
Voyage Director Hirayama Yuuki (left) and his jury awarded the prize for the most beautiful yukata to Arimasu Shoko (right)
Posts
