Summertime in Japan means matsuri – festivals throughout the length and breadth of the nation. Traditionally, matsuri call upon the gods to ward off sickness and scourges, to bring about a bountiful harvest – and ensure safe passage for the spirits of ancestors coming home.
These matsuri took root with the Shinto religion, and later evolved to encompass some seasonal rites associated with Buddhism. In the mystical mechanics of the Shinto religion, deities known as kami – divine forces of the world we can’t see – live in mutually nourishing relationships with humankind: gods serve people and people serve gods. Matsuri are manifestations of this mutual dependence. They give folks the chance to offer the gods prayers, gifts and reverence.
The celebrations go something like this: costumed worshipers parade past to the sound of drumbeat-metered music. These parades are replete with floats, paper lanterns and fireworks. Sometimes the reverence morphs into a carnival-like atmosphere.
All of us at Cheapflights love to travel, to meet new people and immerse ourselves in different customs. Matsuri are opportunities to do precisely that. This reporter’s second-oldest son and his wife lived in Japan for three years. I took every opportunity I could to visit, to get off the traditional tourist path. The Japanese are consummately cordial, but can also be a bit reserved. Matsuri are opportunities to mix and mingle with local folks, to see them in a more sociable, less constrained light. These celebrations, in short, afford you the opportunity to see people as people. That’s the essence of many an excellent adventure.
Going on right now is perhaps Japan’s most famous festival, Gion Matsuri. It’s the celebration associated with Yasaka Shrine and though the parade of floats takes place Tuesday, July 17, the celebration proper consumes the entire month of July.
(Image: 顔なし)
