We started today with a Skype phone call to Mum King to wish her a happy birthday. This is the third of our family birthdays that we missed while swanning around Japan.
We were a little disappointed this morning to hear that the first of the two festivals that we had planned to attend had been cancelled due to the forecast of rain. We optimistically arranged to attend the Fire Festival tonight with Danae and Louise, a couple of American women that we met at the hostel.
As the first festival was cancelled we decided instead to pick up another Bus Pass and visit the Golden Pavillion at the Kinkakuji Temple. This turned out to be a fantastic Plan B! The pavillion is spectacular and set in beautiful gardens.
The Golden Pavillion
A little Japanese tourist
Moss covered roof
Bird (heron?) posing gracefully by the Pavillion
After our visit to the Golden Pavillion we returned to the hostel to freshen up and meet up with Danae and Louise. We discovered that the Fire Festival goes ahead, rain or shine, so we made the journey by bus and train out to Kurama.
Despite the huge crowds and occasional rain, we had a wonderful experience. The festival begins with people lighting small fires in front of their homes along the length of the street. This is followed by children carrying small burning torches (under the watchful eye of adults). They chant “Sairei ya, sairyo” which means something like “May this festival be the best”.
Cute torch-bearers
More cute torch-bearers!
Sairei ya, sairyo!!
The smell of burning wood was wonderful!
Then some medium-sized torches pass by and finally some gigantic torches, each carried by a few men in scanty attire! As they carry the torches, calling out “Sairei ya, sairyo”, hot embers drop off the torch and run down the back of the man who has the misfortune to be at that end. The lack of clothing is probably a good idea!
These torches are full of long sticks of wood and must be very heavy
The torches proceed to the space in front of the shrine and are then carried further up the street. Unfortunately, due to the huge crowd and the narrow streets, we weren’t able to see what was going on up ahead, but we thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
We went by train and bus back to the vicinity of our hotel, had a Mos Burger to see us through till morning and flopped gratefully in to bed.
Our day out resulted in 177 photographs! Hooray for digital cameras.
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