A Little Piece Of Japan, Is What This Is.

Today is a gorgeous late summer day here in Kamakura. I regularly come to this place, to relax by the beach and to just clear my head. It being so very close to Tokyo I am able to jet off to the south west and relax. The marking of the beginning of the autumn season begins from the 14th to the 16th here in Kamakura, a tad earlier in Tokyo on the weekend where just around the corner from my dorm was dancing and noh theatre. A tiny little shinto shrine that I go to built a stage a few years ago, so I`m told, to hold certain events. Usually you have to shell out a bit of cash to watch noh theatre. The last time i got a chance to see it was over four years ago in Kyoto. It was early in the season so it was fairly cheap. I unfortunatel missed the free performance five minutes from my place but my friend Mariko who lives around the corner from myself showed me pics when she walked her dog, and got a chance to catch the performance. I was out and about taking pictures. Too bad.

In Kamakura the festival begins on the 14th marking the start of celebration of the Hachimangu Shrine, the main Shinto shrine here in the city. The first day is for the shinto priests to walk and do their purifying, the 15th is for the procession of masks, and today; the 16th, is for the mounted archery. The path`s that the horses ride on are set up the night before, with ropes marking off where spectators are able to stand, crouch, or whatever. The security people are hard asses about stuff. I was told to get off the fence where I was trying to get a good couple of shots. Not matter, I was in a good place to do what I needed to do, to see what I needed to see. It is still odd for me to have one day chilly and dark, the next being hot and well...hot. Maybe it is my mind being stupid because I`m sure we get that type of weather over in Toronto at this time of year. This being a Shinto festival it is marked with purifying ceremony, rituals and the like. Priests are in the bottom temple before the main temple of Hachimangu blessing and purifying the arrows and quivers of the riders. Incidentally, Hachiman is a deity dedicated to war. The riders are dressed as they would have been dressed during the Kamakura Period (1185-1333), flowing robes, meshed hats etc.

There are five riders, each run one by one, all five then complete their runs. They begin again and the whole process is completed after five times. So essentially each rider runs five times. There are three targets made of bamboo (stands) and the target it a piece of wood. The arrows are tipped with hard rubber. The horse begins the run, after it is led by another man (or men if the horse is a little pissed off) where the horse takes off like a shot. The archer slides the arrow from his side and shoots, once, twice and thrice. It all takes about three mintues to run the length of the track. We applaude and groan simultaneoulsy whether the marksman makes or breaks his shot. I have been wating quite sometime to see this portion of the festival, and it did not disappoint. Beautiful. People line up, crunched together in rows with cameras. The heat was a tiny bit oppressive, but not too bad. It is an amazing feat to ride a horse, balance yourself, and then shoot an arrow precisely into a pice of squared wood. I am happy to finally have witnessed the act. Ok, I`m going to the beach to watch the sun go down.