After the Yamakase festival a number of our students went to a village called Joyou about one and a half hour drive from Fukuoka. Here everyone was so kind as to let us participate in their yearly festival!Wearing a traditional coat called a happi (not to be confused with happy) our students carried a portable shinto shrine or "Mikoshi" through the town together with the local Japanese. This Mikoshi carrying involves a lot of rhythmic chanting (wa-shu wa-shu wa-shu!) en getting splashed by water to keep cool and become purified. The whole town was both watching and participating which was very intense but more importantly extremely fun and friendly. Everyone welcomed us in such a nice way that we felt a bit like we were a part of a bigger family. Friendships were formed and it was a very good learning experience both in language and culturally.
The curry provided afterwards was gratefully thrown in our, by then very empty, stomachs and as a muscle relaxation exercise the Onsen (japanese hot-spring) visit that followed absolutely necessary. At this point everyone thought they were satisfied, but there was a bonus. We stayed until the last moment. Watching a dance performance, eating takoyaki and watching the huge fireworks at the end of the festival. Check out our Facebook page for the photos and a video https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.223593871015917.52217.101811116527527.
In short, make sure not to miss out on this activity next year. It is amazing. Thank Abe-san too for being the coolest and best tour guide!
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