In keeping with the theme of “Senokaku,” I’m going to let
the pictures do most of the talking.
American parades and Japanese parades differ in a few ways.
First, American parades usually occur during the day. The Michinoku Geino parades
didn’t kick off until about 7pm. Maybe this is a Japanese thing, maybe it’s a “it’s
too damn hot when the sun is out” thing, but either way, it’s very cool.
Secondly, American parades have floats. Japanese parades
might have floats, but what’s more common are the large, ornate altars and
lanterns that large teams carry on their shoulders. Every team marches together
in sort of a little prancing march, while reciting a rhythmic chant to keep
together. Some of these suckers are pretty big, too!
Thirdly, American parades are basically a glorified jaunt
down the street. “I think I’ll take a stroll, and while I’m at it, maybe I’ll
wave at people on the way and carry some balloons.” But not in Japan: if a
crowd of people are going to be the center of attention, it’s going to be a
coordinated event full of spectacle and precision. Japanese people don’t so
much “march” in a parade as dance! The M.C. shouts “Let’s have a parade!
Start!,” music begins to play and the rows and rows of people start swaying
their arms, taking little timed steps and spins, smiling all the while. It was
pretty easy to pick up the dances and I was on the sidewalk with the best of
them walk/dancing in place.
Almost everyone dresses in yukata for summer festivals. They’re
basically kimono, but made of cotton, not silk, and there are fewer elements
involved.
For weeks, stores sell yukata for men and women (and the cutest baby
yukata you’ve ever seen) as well as the shoes, hair ornaments and bags. Yes,
there are special bags to go with yukata. And then there are the fashion
forward who can’t settle for just a typical yukata and instead opt for…
I used to hate fireworks. I’d go out for the Fourth of July
and watch fireworks, but the noise was too much for me. Eventually, I grew a
set and now I absolutely LOVE fireworks! Watching fireworks, like so many
things in Japan, has a specific name: “hanabi.” Sounds like “hanami,” right?
Flower viewing. Nothing quite like watching highly explosive fire flowers in
the night sky on a muggy summer night with a cold beer.
I camped out on a railing across from Tenshochi Park,
waiting for the show to begin and during the course of the evening was spotted
by a fair share of my own students! It’s surprisingly rare for me to run into
any teachers or students from my schools.
Even though the area is relatively
small, I live in downtown Kitakami and my students live closer to their schools
in Hanamaki or outside of Kitakami. 
So it was exciting to see some of my kids
and it was even more exciting that they ran to me with smiles screaming “Ma-ta
sensei!” I think the greatest kick I got out of it was asking two girls how
they were and one said “So-so.”
I made a big show of explaining how hanabi is
fun and I was so happy. But she gave a shrug. Go figure: the concept of “meh”
is a worldwide phenomenon. Her friend, however, gave me the first original
response of the evening: “Wonderful! I like hanabi!” Anything other than “Fine-thanks-and-you”
is great but an original thought is more mindblowingly awesome than a basket
full of baby unicorns that shoot eye lasers.
To wrap up the night, I grabbed a little souvenir…off the
street. Or should I say “wall?”
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