Doshisha Days

Credit must be given to Caleb, Ai Ling and others who shared their photos with me. Thanks guys!

The largest and most famous festival in all of Japan hit swept through the streets of downtown Kyoto a week ago, shutting down traffic for three glorious nights and culminating in an extravagant parade that was marred by torrential rains as the rainy season finally hit Japan. The Gion Matsuri - a month long festival, the peak of which was the 14th throught 17th of July - was an impressive sight. Millions of people on the streets, drinking beer from convienience stores, eating food from street vendors, frolicking in their yukatas, cotton summer kimonos, amongst the traditional Hoko floats, which line both the main and side streets.
For someone who has spent many a day in downtown Kyoto, it felt quite liberating to be able to walk down the middle of the street with out having to worry about traffic. Of course, it was still slow going, people crowded around some of the Hoko, slowing things to a crawl at times. Still, quite the sight. Many of my friends donned yukatas as well, and I think everyone consumed their fair share of happoshu and a chu-hai.
The Gion Matsuri originated in the 9th century when people paraded through the streets in a effort ot court the Shinto gods to bring an end to a plague that was harming the city.
Basically, this needs to be seen to be believed, and so I will let photos do the rest of the talking for me. I should also state that there are some photos of the Hozugawa, north of Kyoto where friends and I went swimming. I can't recommend it enough... 

Not much to report on the Kyoto front at the moment, buckling down for the end of the semester crunch. To be honest, not a whole lot happening, a few tests and a paper, both of which are not that intimidating. This weekend is the Gion Matsuri, perhaps the largest festival in Japan, and this weekend the streets of downtown Kyoto will be closed to motorized vehicles and the street vendors will be out, selling their wares. I will, of course, be taking as many photographs as possible, displaying some on this site when I get around to it.

A friend from the US is arriving next week as well. We will be kicking it in Japan for a while before spending two weeks in the Middle Kingdom, for some shameless tourism and cheap food.

More on the Gion Matsuri later in the weekend...

You may wonder why I am wearing a dress. Believe me, so was I. This past weekend, I returned to Kochi and to Ogata town and Nakamura City, now known as Kuroshio and Shimanto respectively. It had been three years since I had been there and it was an excellent visit. Friendships were reaffirmed and ties with the community that I had left in 2003 were reforged in the beaches, beer halls and snack bars of this wonderful community. I didn't even spend that much money, at least not that I remember.
But I digress. I am wearing a dress because I was told to put one on. I admit that I was not coerced. Very few Karaoke bars are as fun as Miwa were cosu purei (Costume Play) is the name of the game. I was of course slightly - if not fully inebriated - and the cheongsam was calling me. Good memories, however fuzzy they happen to be.
I stayed with a friend of a couple friends of mine named Nina. I had never met her before, but we had heard nothing but good things about each other (i.e. outright lies). I was deeply appreciative of her hospitality. I also met up with Shiota-san, my former running partner and mentor. He is injured at the moment, but is staying in shape by swimming. He was even kind enough to give me a lift back to Osaka as he was heading there anyway on Sunday.
We went to the beach, ate excellent food and drank heavily. It was the thermo-nuclear blast of fresh air that I needed, and I return to Kyoto a man reborn, more than ready to face the final weeks of school and get on with summer vacation, and the fun that comes with it: a trip to China...