A party and a town on fire

This is the story of the time that Fujiyoshida set their town on fire in order to appease the goddess of the mountain so she would not blow up the beautiful volcano looming over us. Or rather this is the story of this year's festival as last year's festival was a soggy mess in a typhoon. This year, no better weather could have been had. it was beautiful and clear and even a bit cooler, despite the flames of course. But first there was a meeting with Interac in Nirasaki, which wasn't so good, and a dinner party/ BBQ at my place, which was wonderful! We ate spring rolls, and fried chicken, taco salad, dango, yakiniku, chocolate tart, grapes and drank Kahlua cokes. I got to meet a few new faces around the prefecture and a few old ones showed up and all and all it was a roaring success!

On Sunday, I lazed about the house until festival time. First we went to Sengen shrine, my favourite in the prefecture, wait! except maybe Takeda shrine, hmmm..., anyways a very lovely shrine tucked in the woods with a long row of trees and lanterns leading to the colourful complex. There we bustled around with the crowd and watched them take the mikoshi, portable shrines like parade floats, out of safe keeping and into town. There was prayer and priests and sun dappling the grounds, it was very beautiful.

In town we followed the mikoshi down the main street, where torches sat at dusk preparing for fire, and stopped only for food: tacos, gyoza and okonomiyaki. Oh and I got run over and shoved out of the way so many times that Chelsea, Laura and I started count which ended with Fuji 11: Gaijin 0. Anyway, we found a good spot (with jostling) and watched the mikoshi make it's way down the street and two the city hall followed by these men with tall hanging lanterns that dashed up and down the street (running us over to gain Fuji some more points) in order to light the torches. Now the real fun had begun! It was amazing and magical and unworldly. An endless strip of fire under lanterns and a near full moon with Fuji as the backdrop bearing it's trail of lights, ambitious climbers for the summit, and the bells and flutes of traditonal shinto music: I can't imagine a more perfect atmosphere. Somehow at this point I was separated from the herd and I spent my time weaving through the street, watching the fire sparks while trying not to get set on fire or run over. I ended up with a cinnamon churro and eventually found myself under the torii gate that marks the first leading up the mountain. I sat on a curb and contemplated my luckiness until the lantern bearer came and posed for me, I found Kevin and posed for a picture of my own.

In a little bubble of contentment I followed the others back to the car, happy and sleepy and ready for the first day back at school the next day. It really had that feeling of being the last day of summer, and it ended so well.