November 4, 2007

• Karatsu Kunchi 2007

  We went to Karatsu to see the Kunchi, written 供日。 There were several floats being pulled all over the city with the pullers yelling "Enya, enya!!"  I understand that this goes on for three days.  Here is the first movie that I took, with a marvelous close up of the fish lips.  I think this was my favorite float.

  Here is an Internet explanation of the festival:  The Karatsu Kunchi is the Karatsu Shinto Shrine's fall festival in the city of the same name in northwestern Saga Prefecture facing the Tsushima Strait. The three - day event kicks off on November 2, and the highlight is the parade featuring 14 huge wheeled floats whose models of a carp, dragon, lion, and the shachi killer whale are auspicious symbols. These floats are wheeled through the city streets accompanied by the sound of taiko drums, clappers, and the vigorous shouts of the handlers as they perform their back-breaking work. And there's no question that it takes a lot of work - the floats are seven meters high and weigh from two to five tons. It's impressive to watch these handlers deftly maneuver objects as big as a three-story building. The older floats date from 180 years ago, and include a crimson carp and a bust of a fierce - looking, helmeted Uesugi Kenshin, while the newer ones are a mere 120 years old. They all have in common original color schemes, decorations, and unique shapes. These floats were costly to build. Each took two or three years to complete, using what is called the ikkanbari method, in which hundreds of sheets of Japanese paper are layered over a wooden frame, coated with lacquer, and applied with gold and silver finishing work.

   

  And lookie here!  Mr. Compukermann made the newspaper!

  

  Gershon's - now there is a deli serving the most delicious sandwiches in the area!  I can just taste the roast beef on rye!  This lady drove into a garbage truck and onto Gershon's patio??  Why wasn't she ticketed?  What's the story, nalla5?  Later:  Mrs. C had an operation on her shoulder and Herr C went to Gershon's for a sandwich in the meantime.  Apparently the lady mistook her accelerator for her brake and missed Herr C by about 10 feet.  Scary!

  Ok, back to the Karatsu Kunchi.  It isn't the Macy's Parade, but it was colorful and interesting to watch.  Here is the first float that passes by, a black kabuto helmet.  Underneath each float is a group of musicians.

  

  

  

  

  We managed to find a good place along the parade route.  The floats are pulled one at a time around a corner and will proceed to pass by us and turn right into a sandy schoolyard where they will be lined up for display.   Pulling the heavy floats in the sand is quite a feat and requires a final show of strength on the part of each team. 

  I didn't get any still pictures of the above red shishi lion head float along the parade route, so here is a video.  It was the first time for me to attend this event, but I think that this was a good spot for pictures.  My only complaint was that the sun was not in the right place.  I will consult with God about that next year and see if He is not willing to solve the problem.  Next is the tai sea bream float again.

  

  Here is the giant tai, or sea bream again - all of the float handlers are in fishy uniform! 

  

  Next is the swimming version.

  

  Here is the next float coming down a narrow street.  I first thought it was a giant chicken, but was informed that it is actually a phoenix. 

  
  This bird comes with a ship attached.

  

  These fancy shirts identify the phoenix team.

  

  Next is the dragon float.

  Here comes a dragon down the narrow street!  Are the people fleeing or pulling?

  Here comes the dragon again.  The fellows all yell "Enya, enya!" in chorus and then break into a group roar.  Salt is being thrown on the float for purification.

  The dragon exits for the schooyard.  It is a wonder that the band members manage not to get their heads bopped as the float rocks.

  The golden lion is next.

  

  

  GROWL!!

  The lions just keep on coming - next are red and green.

  

   

  

  Extended Enya!

  And the green lion exits.

  The next float comes from a traditional children's story "Urashima Taro," which is an undersea version of Rip Van Winkle.

  The Enyas just keep on coming!

  Urashima Taro is supposedly riding on the back of a turtle, but a scarier turtle you never saw.

  

  Here is another helmet of which I did not get still pictures, a golden horned version.

  These fellows are yelling "Yoisa" instead of "Enya."  Variety is the spice of life.

   

  Here is a black helmet docorated with a gold lion.

  

  Exit helmet... 

  

  Next is a red helmet.  It can be viewed below avec Enyas.

  

  Next is a black lion.

  In the background you can hear a conversation between hub and a bystander.  The fellow is asking where I am from and hub tells him to ask me himself.  It is a bit annoying to have a nosy country bumpkin who thinks he wants to practice the few English words that he knows making inquiries without realizing that I am the wife of the askee.

  

  Next is a "Shachi" which is a scary version of a killer whale.

  

  We have come to the last float, a dragon boat.  A man rocks the boat from the roof to give the impression that it is being rocked by ocean waves.

  

  I thought this picture was kind of cool. 

  

  Here are the floats all lined up and displayed in a local schoolyard.  The playground is covered with sand, which makes pulling and positioning these floats quite a feat of strength.  This picture is of the floats to the left. 

  

  Here are the other floats lined up at the opposite side of the schoolyard.

  Here is a live version.  Quite a bit of dust has been kicked up by the shutterbugging crowd.  Now that the floats are all safely parked in the schoolyard, the local policeman thinks it is all right to allow normal vehicular traffic to commence.  Judging by the boisterous frequency of blasts from his whistle, methinks that the road may have been opened too soon.

  

  Here are all of the floats again, this time lined up in a souvenir shop. 

  • 09:39
  • 4 Comments