The previously mentioned streamers, lanterns, vendors, and Kagura-based festivities took place in my neighbourhood (Waki-Cho) last night. I attended last year, but only for a brief period of time, and after partying(read: drinking) for several hours beforehand. As a result, I have spent the past year trying to find my way back to the shrine, and I failed miserably. Granted, my memory of it was hazy, as the last time I was there it was pitch black, cold, raining, and we were all drunk. Still, I knew that the shrine was just on the other side of the main road from my house, and easily within walking distance. I’m not sure how many hours I have spent wandering through the rabbit-warren of houses looking for the shrine; I even resorted to using Google Earth to see if I could find it from space since I failed on foot, but to no avail. I joked that it had vanished, and only reappeared on special occasions, and last night totally supports that theory. Once the sun had set and the creepy hush that is night-time in the countryside had descended, I followed the strings of lanterns and faint sounds of drums and flutes through the labyrinth of squat houses and family graves, and found myself at the shrine again.
It was pretty surreal. I think the festival atmosphere is like that anyway, but it felt particularly Twilight Zone-esque after following the strange music through dark and deserted streets, alone and totally stoned on Japanese cold medicine (no joke, I’ve been walking into things, falling asleep at my desk, and I’m not really sure I should be driving . . .). The Kagura was fascinating as always, and after I had grown tired and cold, I followed the lanterns back to the real world, and couldn’t help but wonder if I’d ever find the shrine again. Sudden grunting and clanging sounds from the shadows of a house brought me sharply back to reality as I neared the lights of the main road. Someone has a baby boar (not a pig, this beast has tusks) in a cage in the alley. I’d make some crack about weird pets, but it’s probably no such thing.
It’s probably dinner.
