*** From My Diary ***
*It’s Awful! [0711]
It was shocking news that only 12 years old student killed
a little boy in Nagashaki. But the more stunning is the speak of a ministry.
He said that the parents of the boy should be punished publicly. He cannot
understand how deep this problem is. Every parent has possible to have
such boy! His speech should be coursed.
*Recent Japanese Festival [0722-26]
The festival of my town is hard to keep up with. I participated in it only a little, but really understand that there is the mentality to seek excitement in my town, too. It can be found everywhere originally, but rare in Japanese rural places because of the decrease of population. Actually, when I was a boy, the portable shrine was carried by car due to labor shortage. The reason why men now carry it is the cooperation of the people who likes local festivals.
At least, the members of four different shrines take part in each festival. Being the core, they confirm their community and take over its tradition to next generation. Some high school and junior high school students take part in festivals with a small reward. For junior school students, there was a little portable shrine to be carried. On the former day when adult men carried real one, they carried it.
Thanks to the effort of local people, the festivals of shrines in Oita city are firmly established among us. In August, portable shrines in city assemble in the main street of Oita city and demonstrate their active performance. It is one of the big events for Oita citizen, Funai Pachin, which means the battle game of Funai (the old name of Oita City). Some festival groups in Oita compete their performance each other with portable shrines or special cars that are decorated and pulled by many people. Originally, the festivals had been related with Shinto shrines, but now it is precious opportunity to reconsider local community.
Also, it is interesting that some Buddhism temples, for example Jodo determination, are cooperative with shrine festival. The portable shrine visited the temples, and sometimes monks carry it. Not all Buddhism determination cooperate Shinto festival, but it shows Japanese religious tradition of the Shintoism and Buddhism.
Any way, the enthusiasm found in traditional festival represents the power of local community. I have seen the excited people who carry the statute of the Virgin Marry in Spain when their football team got the championship. Also, according to Old Testament, old Judea people carried the portable shrine, and there were men who danced without clothes around it. Now, in Japanese festival, there are many women who corporate with the march of portable shrine. They lead the line and fans men who carry portable shrine. Also, some of them ring bells and play the flute. However, the people who carry portable shrine are only men. I guess, in old days, women could not take part even in the march. We can find here traditional aspect of Japanese festivals.