Wacky Biwako!!

The day started of like many other traveling days for me and shiv. We got up super early with Lake Biwako on our adgenda. shiv had researched and we were off to see the sunno festival. The thought we were going to see a huge procession of shrines held by shinto followers, and attended by thousands of people. In reality a much more fun day was waiting for us in Biwako!! we got on the trains and headed to kyoto. It was such a nice day out we decided to walk through kyoto city to the hanshin rail station. Kyoto is such a cool city, we get lost and find so many interesting things in kyoto each time we go there.

The train ride to biwako was awesome, its always so nice to get out of the "armpit" that is osaka, and see sky, trees and greenery. When we got to the train station we were sort of suprised to see pretty much no people, but oh well, we though they must be further up the mountain. We stopped for some japanese bakery goods. (god bless japanese bakerys, they know how to do baked goods!) the lady at the bakery confirmed with us that there was a festival going on, so we were excited and started up the mountain.

Sweet Sakura! the whole promenade up the mountain was alive with cherry blossoms. At this time Middle Kansai area of japan was still in the cherry blossom madness phase, and so along the whole promenade was alive with people eating and drinking under the trees. Japan in the spring is a sight to be seen. we took tons of pictures then hiked up further to the temple area.

On our wau to the temple we passed through this vine covered grove area, that had some monestary like buildings and minks walking around. By far the oddest thing was 2 caged monkeys outside the monk buildings. Why were the monkeys in a cage?
rabies, bad behavior, for fun... the whole situation was just weird.

We got to the main temple and a guy in full shito priest gear informed us that the festivities didn't get going till about 8 pm that night. WHAT!! so .... yeah, we we'rent sure what to do, so we decided to walk around this temple community and just wander. We found some a neat ryokan in the forest and a nice stream/waterfall. But what was really exciting was waiting at the bottom of the cheery blossom promenade, back on the main streets.

We were walking by, and we saw about 10 men in these short bum-revelaing robes, with japanese construction booties carrying long buring bamboo shoots. This was interesting, so we decided to sneak some photos, we were'nt sure if we were allowed to take photos, but soon one of the men crosses the road. We were like "uh oh" but he was really nice, his name was diasukuye, and he had the accent of a cith dweller from portlan oregean. So i asked him where he was from, and he said "biwako" hmm embarrassing much!! he said that we could follow the procession, and me and shiv were right in there getting some first hand shots and sights of a small town shinto festival.

It was the strangest feeling to be the only foreigners there. It felt like we were spectators of something really special, almost like we were not supposed to be seeing this event. I thought it was great that the men in the parade just sang and chanted like no one was watching, but in actualtiy as they weaved through out the tight streets of biwako, children and old people came out to give their support and watch the procession.

These men were starting the 1st part of the "climb" up the moutain to start the portible shrine festival. At the meeting place a few streets over, friends and family members were waiting for the men with crates of beer, tons of sushi and other japanese delicacies. It was amazing to be right in the middle of something so vibrant. we took our place in the corner near a wall, and it was great to note that people were smiling at us, an older woman offered us food and drinks and sent us home after the festivites with rice balls and Moochi ( japanese soy bean candy) wrapped in a banana leaf.

It was alot of men(more joined while we were there) were drinking and smoking and getting really pyshed up about the trek up the mountain. Duyusuke was saying that in the past, the shear number of men and the close proximity of the heavy shrines often crushed people to death. This festival is the oldest of its kind, it has been going on for 1000's of years, and untill recently, people died each year the festival was held.

the procession started, and they were off, we were so giddy and excited from all the chanting and festivites we had just witnessed and it set the tone for the rest of the day.
we roamed the town and made it down to Lake Biwako. A beautiful lake with a little bit of sand on the shores, we met some small dogs, and some fishermen. Shiv talked for quite a while, in japanese!! to a local man. His japanese is getting so good, i am lucky that he knows so much, because we are able to get direstions and information easier each week that we are here. i am learning bits of japanese via Pimslers Japanses cds, and i think im doing ok. I spoke to the cleaning lady. shiv on the other hand can go shopping and talk to random people about most any thing. i am dead jelous.
lastly we ate some more japanese bakery and had a smooth train ride home.

wowzers!!