July 14, 2008
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Yamakasa!! 7/15/2008
The final day of Yamakasa has arrived! I depart home at 4AM and ride my bike downtown. The busses that go by are packed with people standing in the aisles. The race begins at Kushida Shrine, but that is probably so packed that I don't even want to think about going. Call me a coward, but I just don't like wild crowds. I went to the same place as we watched from on Saturday as there is a lot of room for both runners and spectators.
Team #1 Daikoku - see man pull over for repairs
Team #2 Higashi - We are standing next to the Higashi Team's blue water barrel. An older man scoops water into his white bucket and throws it on the float. This water is called "chikara mizu" or "power water." It is for purification, getting your rope wet, tightening up your "jikatabi" footwear or just dumping on your head.
Team #3 Nakasu - The fore runners carry thin boards bearing the name of the team.
Team #4 Nishi - Is our water barrel getting empty?
Team #5 Chiyo - I really like this team's colored banners!
Team #6 Ebisu
Team #7 Doi
After all seven floats had passed I went to the next narrower side street to catch a float go by one more time.
The race is over, and a float is carried back to its area of the city. Race results are below:
大黒流 Daikoku 29 min. 49 sec. ２９分４９秒 東流 Higashi 30 min. 28 sec. ３０分２８秒 中洲流 Nakasu 34 min. 19 sec. ３４分１９秒 西流 Nishi 30 min. 40 sec. ３０分４０秒 千代流 Chiyo 29 min, 40 sec. ２９分４０秒 恵比須流 Ebisu 31 min. 45sec. ３１分４５秒 土居流 Doi 30 min, 12 sec. ３０分１２秒
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