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Konomiya Shrine Hadaka Matsuri

Feb
17
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Konomiya Shrine Hadaka Matsuri
On Tuesday my Japanese friend & I joined a team from his hometown of Haruhi for this year`s Konomiya Shrine Hadaka Matsuri.

After polite introductions & a discussion about the day`s schedule, we all changed into our loincloths (fundoshi). Then, after some final preparations, & a lot of complaints about the cold, we began a tour of the neighbourhood, while carrying a long piece of bamboo with good-luck messages tied to it. We shouted "Washai! Washai!" which I guess means "Freezing! Freezing!"

We stopped at various houses to drink sake & greet people, then we did something I didn`t expect - we went to an old-people`s nursing home, where the main doors were opened for us, & we went straight into the lobby. Suddenly I was standing half-naked, holding a piece of bamboo, in front of a room crowded full of old people in wheelchairs, all clapping & cooing. It felt pretty strange...! But it made me proud to be a member of my group, & thankful to whoever arranged for us to visit the old-people`s home. They looked happy to see us.

On our 5-hour journey to Konomiya Shrine we also visited a couple of pre-schools. I realized that this festival is not just about irresponsible behaviour, but is also a kind of community bonding activity.

Next year the festival will be held on February 4 - a Saturday - so it will be much bigger than this year.

I`m looking forward to it.
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kuwa
Commented by kuwa
Posted at 2011-02-18 03:15 
Oh! you joined the hadaka-maturi? You are great!!!
It was very cold,did you catch a cold?
But you are lucky! becaus last year was rainy day.

see you tomorrow!

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Teragoya Otto
Commented by Teragoya Otto
Posted at 2011-02-19 14:39 
No, I didn`t catch a cold, but afterwards I had a sore throat from shouting  "Washai! Washai!" so much.

I`m really glad it wasn`t rainy this year. Brrrr!

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michiko
Commented by michiko
Posted at 2011-02-18 03:19 
You are REeeeeeeALLY GREAT!! I can't do it if I were a man. I hate cold. Many decades ago, my father joined the festival, he was young yet. About twenty years ago, I participated in rice cake making for the big round rice cake offere to gods in my town. It was fun!

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SUMIDA
Commented by SUMIDA
Posted at 2011-02-18 05:10 
Next year, touch SINNOTOKO !
OK?

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Teragoya Otto
Commented by Teragoya Otto
Posted at 2011-02-18 18:18 
Really?? Last time we tried it was pretty scary.... 

but OKAY!

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Jessica
Commented by Jessica
Posted at 2011-02-21 12:37 
Very nice Otto!  It's good to know you're seizing every opportunity you can to strip down and run through the streets in a loincloth.  Not to mention showing your skinny legs to the old folks.  WASHAI!

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Teragoya Otto
Commented by Teragoya Otto
Posted at 2011-02-23 17:43 
I`m sure some of those old folks were looking at me & thinking "Hmph! I have better-looking legs than that foreigner!"

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bell
Commented by bell
Posted at 2011-02-23 00:43 
Wow!!! You did!!!?
I watched the Matsuri on TV!!

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Teragoya Otto
Commented by Teragoya Otto
Posted at 2011-02-23 17:44 
Did you see me? If not, please look again next year!

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