Her work in the fields may well be over,
but for this weekend at least, she’d possibly get paid to appear at parties.
Photographs from a small group of islands
Her work in the fields may well be over,
but for this weekend at least, she’d possibly get paid to appear at parties.
The mikoshi, or portable shrine, is a favourite of most Japanese festivals, but at the one in Kawagoe, the lifting of such far from light objects is instead forfeited for unfeasibly large floats; heavy and hulking monsters which, when manoeuvred around the city’s relatively narrow streets, are quite a spectacle to say the least.
Allowing the older fellas who lead them to feel understandably important,
and proud.
Although those doing the pushing and pulling all day are perhaps justified in feeling a little bit peeved.
But on the whole it’s a chance for participants of all ages to have a tremendous amount of fun in traditional togs,
as well as timidly tackling a little toddle around town.
When heading out to visit a haikyo/abandoned building, the biggest worries (for me at least) are whether it’ll still be there, and even if it is, whether we’ll be able to find it. So, with this in mind, coming across a long left lodging along the way is a real bonus, especially as it possibly hasn’t been pictured before, or at the very least posted in a publication.
And whilst this particular find wasn’t as filled with furniture and pointers to the past like some places, despite the gloriously green if overgrown front garden,
it still rather gloomily gave hints about possible fun,
obvious failings,
and even the future.
Seeing young Japanese kids careering about on unicycles is not uncommon, but fellas who could feasibly be their fathers tackling tricks on them is.
Yet whilst it may be fun.
It looks far from easy.
If not, it’s probably fair to say, practically impossible.