Bandori Festival

This weekend we went to a festival at Zosoji Temple near Tokyo Tower (Japan's smaller but equally stunning Eiffel Tower). Japan has several different festivals, especially during the summertime, to celebrate different things such as the first blossoming of sakura in the spring. This particular festival we went to was a dancing festival. People usually wear yukata (summertime kimono) to such events. Although we frantically searched the streets of Harajuku and Shibuya to find a store that sells yukata hours before the festival, in the end, we were unable to find the store.

Upon arriving at the temple complex, we slowly began to take in all of the events going on; people dancing in circles in slow, graceful movements, others eating a meal, and others sitting on the steps of the temple as spectators to the drones of dancing people below.

Before we had enough time to take everything in, we were quickly pulled aside to embark on a special and private tour of the temple complex. Due to the great connections our teachers have, we were able to enter the private tomb of the emperors of the Zosoji era, a tomb opened only once a year for a special occasion. We heard all about the history of the era and deceased members of the imperial family (all in Japanese of course).

The tombs and headstones were massive and impressive!

But even more massive were the mosquitoes! There must have been a horde of mosquitoes living in that locked up tomb. The second we entered, they latched onto our legs and left the largest bug bites I've ever had in my life. Marks I'm still recovering from weeks later.

Next, we ate lots of food and drank some refreshing Japanese beer. After loosening up after a few beers, it was time for us Americans to take a stab at Japanese festival dancing. There was one tower in the center of the area where 3 people were playing instruments. Also, up in the tower were workers of the temple who led the dances. And finally, below on the ground level were those brave enough to attempt the bandori (night dance). The music was catchy and the dances easy to pick up on.

The dancing lasted into the night, long enough for us to see the beautiful Tokyo Tower lit up in the distance. And as the night went on, our dancing became don don (increasingly) better.