Clock dedication ceremony, North Park, Omiya

This photo was taken a year or two after I joined the Mutsumi-Kai. We were dedicating a clock, the money for which we had raised during our annual Charity Mochi-Tsuki (rice cake making). In the years since this photo was taken, we’ve raised money to install three more clocks. Rest assured that every little kid in Uetake knows what time it is.

I chose this photo because, for me, it’s a metaphor for my Japanese experience. To wit:

1. Ceremony – I suppose you haven’t really experienced Japan until you’ve stood under a blazing sun for an hour listening to a succession of local dignitaries wax effusive about the wonderful “whatever” that’s been erected/commissioned/repaired/removed.

2. Hierarchy – Not unique to Japan but certainly a key element in the experience. Front and center we have the chairman of the self-government society – the bespectacled gent wearing the Mutsumi-Kai hanten (袢纏). To his right is the former chairman of the self-government society, to his left the local politician. I have no idea who the other folks are, but they are “somebody”.

3. Sake – Look closely and you’ll see a cask of sake behind the chairman. Social lubricant, the great equalizer, joy juice. Another constant.

4. Purpose – After a quarter century of raising money for the neighborhood, we’d begun to run out of things to do with the moolah. So we surveyed the households – which is to say we talked to our wives – and discovered that the most pressing need was for kids to make it home in time for dinner. It wasn’t enough that the neighborhood chimes sounded daily at 4 and 5 PM. Nope. Little Taro had to be home before the public address crackled awake, but how could he possibly know without a clock?

5. Men – Japan’s public administrative face is male. The private household face is female. This is not an indictment, merely a statement of fact. Japanese women are smart enough not to be caught standing under a blazing midday sun listening to a buncha guys wax effusive about a clock.

Just about says it all about the character of our members

If you’ve spent a summer in Japan, chances are you’ve tried ramune at least once. If you’ve seen a nostalgic drama about life in the Showa 30s era, chances are you’re acquainted with the iconic image of sweaty, dusty, barefoot young kids in white t-shirts and tatty shorts sipping a ramune. Back then the only flavor was “original” – sugary like Sweetarts with a slight lemony edge. These days you can get strawberry, peach and, in this case, green melon.

Back at the neighborhood meeting hall after the jaunt to Hikawa Shrine. I'm standing next to the adult o-mikoshi, but to the right you can see the one for children. Quite a difference in terms of size/weight - 30kg versus 500kg

I'm looking at a fleet of warships in line of battle

From our spot near the head of the line the view is a sea of bodies and lanterns - an awesome sight, really, punctuated by the clap of wood blocks and the clang of bells.

The folks from Miya-Cho - we're playing in their backyard today.

One of our neighbors

The view from our position at the head of the line - we're the closest to the bridge that leads into the shrine. First to arrive and last to leave, we'll spend the next three hours in this spot waiting for priests to arrive from the Imperial Palace with an icon, then we'll head into the shrine, circle the grounds and have the o-mikoshi blessed.