Shizuku Matsuri

This past weekend there was another matsuri (festival) in town, the Shizuku matsuri. This was one was a bit different from the traditional Spring and Fall matsuri, which are quite beautiful but if the Fall one that just passed is any indication, a bit less lively. For one thing, this one involves drinking. So already we're off to a good start. It's also a completely modern invention. This year was only the second time the matsuri has been held. It's the offspring of the collaboration between a local sake brewery and a city sponsored youth center. Rice is collectively grown and tended year round by the youth, harvested and then given to the brewery for distilling. The result is a one time batch of festival hootch that is given away to anyone with a dixie cup. There was also a bunch of food booths, as well as the prerequisite pre-teen dancing group doing the g-rated hip-hop ho and pimp dance routine.

But the party really started when the taiko drumming got going. I have got to try me some of that. I don't think that I could be nearly as impressive as this dude:

I very much doubt that I would look as good wearing, basically, a hand towel. He's from a group called, Dossin, that also has a number of very attractive female members. I mean, how sexy is a woman rythmically beating a huge drum, sweating and grunting. How about 2, synchronized.... you can check out the group here.


On the other hand, I might fare slightly better than Mr. Look on the right. He seems to be having a most truly excellent adventure.

But really, how great is it that this festival, which is centered basically around drinking, got it's genesis from a civic sponsored program. It reflects a much more relaxed and elightened atitude than what I fear could be found in the scenic mountains, of say, a Red state.