Osaka Tenjin Matsuri Festival 2015

Day 25 [part 1]

Alright guys, it is time for the biggest event of the city of Osaka and Kansai region! The word is about the famous and one of the top three festivals in Japan - Osaka Tenjin Matsuri which literally means "Festival of the Gods". It is the most famous and the most important festival of Osaka and also pretty old - around 1000 years of a long tradition! The festival is well-known for its long fireworks night show spectacle, boat ride along the river Okawa, bonfire on the boats, thousands of visitors wearing yukata and geta, lots of events including taiko drumming on the land, dancing, one of the biggest interactions among the citizens on the land and on the boat I have ever witnessed and much more...

The festival is being held on every 24th and 25th of July. We had a chance to be in Osaka on 25th of July when the "main" part and the finale of the festival occur. I have to say not many things can top the unique experience that we had being in the heart of the festival through Osaka that night as you are going to see soon.

Since this was a pretty long day, 25th of July, I decided to split this text for you into two parts describing the events in the morning and in the noon whereas the second part is reserved for the evening and the epic closing of the festival. I have too many photos for just one post, you would die scrolling down the page. This was the Day 9 of 10 with our camp and the last night we all were going to spend together.

The day before

While the festival started on 24th we were not in Osaka but rather spent a day travelling from Shirahama to Gobo and Dojo-ji (and my neighbourhood) and afterwards to Inunakiyama Onsen where we had this ascetic practice at the waterfall (what you see on the photo above). We had there lunch and dinner (and fun with wasabi) followed by the country presentation. Before sleep we had some free time in the lobby and then went to sleep in the larger rooms with the sleeping mattresses on the floor... and with lots of ants everywhere. I also have to mention we had to go showering in the evening with all other guys (and girls separately) in one big bathroom and hot tubes. It was easier for me to be naked with 30 other men as I had no glasses and thus were not bother with the details, if you know what I mean. We also had to pack our stuff as we were leaving for Osaka after breakfast.

Leaving for Osaka

We woke up around 7 a. m. and had breakfast in the big room half an hour later. We had to sit again on the floor (as we used to do it almost all the time everywhere) in 4 rows facing each other. I do not remember precisely what we had for breakfast but it was diverse, again a bit of everything. However, I remember we had a table with milk and cornflakes, ready to use.

An hour later everyone was ready at the hotel's entrance with the bags waiting for the bus. Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to one of our friends from the camp who was no more able to stay with us (exams apparently).

It was Saturday and it took us maybe 2 hours or less to get to Osaka. And then the familiar urban landscape emerged with (for me) fascinating architecture we do not have back home.

Taikouken in the city

Our bus stopped in one street where was our hotel apparently. We went there into the lobby with our bags and waited for further instructions. Then got the numbers of the rooms. I was on the 4-5th floor and each of us had its own room which I found good. I also took a few photos from my window so you can see the view (and later in the night went to friends room to take a photo of the other side).

After leaving our stuff in the rooms we all gathered in the lobby in our white polo LC Japan shirts and headed somewhere near where this Taikouken event was going to take place.

We had been walking a few minutes along the big street until we saw at one crossing a huge dark torii. We headed there and entered a smaller street with plenty of cables above our heads. We also passed by some street-market that was closed from above but had open both ends. The street this morning were not that crowded. Alright, maybe sounds stupid as we did not walk too much but still when compared to the situation in the evening it seemed like any other smaller place, not the second biggest city in Japan. As for the street-market I have to say I really find them amusing. It's just standing there and watching it makes everyone happy. Always warm colours.

Few more minutes and we came to the gates of some area where one could hear some music playing. I was curious about the whole place and here is what we saw.

Everything was in blue and red colours. The entrance looked pretty traditional just in dark colours (as opposed to the red and orange gates of the temples we had had visited so far). Once we entered it there were lots of stands and it took me a bit to register everything with my eyes and brain what do I see.

There were several stages and platforms where people performed some dance or played music. The whole area we saw at first looked like a mini square. I guess that the layout of the place was in the shape of the huge square and in the center was some kind of a big "stage" (actually a shrine) as you can see below on the photograph. The guys in the black shirts with the red signs arrived half an hour later.

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All around this square one could find many stands, smaller stages and shops. We were told we had an hour in total before moving back to the hotel and then split into several groups. The whole place was still not that much crowded and one could freely go around without losing the others out of the sight.

The man seen on the photo above was just one of many performers. There were also lots of these white and yellow "ballons" or lamps with red, blue and black kanji symbols. Another thing somehow very typical for the festival here were those columns with spiral red and white stripes. One more detail about the performers was they were wearing the white bandanas or scarves around their heads.

When talking about the souvenir shops (which were found on the other side of the central shrine... that part was not that much full of action even later) they were selling mostly food, sweets, some letters with messages and even old retro-looking toys and posters?!

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Here is several of us when visiting the other half of the square. As you can see there are those stores that were selling some yellow envelopes and papers with messages wishing probably good health and luck. I was thinking whether to buy one but apparently those messages had some special purpose and I did not want to waste my money.

Almost all the buildings and constructions here looked pretty traditional. I am not sure whether this place was built and used here only for Tenjin Matsuri Festival or is being used throughout the year and for other purposes too.

These are some of those messages written on the wooden and cardboard material. It looks pretty interesting but still of no use for me.

Here you can see the other exit to this neighbourhood. There is a big gray torii you have pass in order to enter or leave the place and for the first time I had also noticed the signs engraved in it. To the left is one of the souvenir and toy shops with pretty colourful offers. Be careful!

It was around 11-11. 30 a. m. and people started arriving in more numbers as soon the event was supposed to start.

The portable shrine and hundreds of the dressed in the parade

We all returned back near the entrance where we got here half an hour ago and were told the show was about to start soon. And indeed it was a show! I tried to document both with photography and video what was going on.

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There were several rows of people coming in through that first gate. The music became louder and we started seeing the parade of hundreds of people dressed in black, white and blue clothing playing music and dancing. There were also children being carried in some kind of boats where they were playing the taiko drums and had those white lamps above them.

The participants of the parade soon filled the area and all of the visitors had to stay aside to make space. There were also the policemen and security guys trying to get everything in order.

One of the most important and the loudest part of this festival or ritual here were the guys in the black shirts who were carrying some golden portable shrine and were rotating and dancing around at the same time. The parade was of course consisting of both women and men. They stopped eventually in front of the central building and let the portable shrine on the floor. Then the picture time started.

The rest of the people in the black shirts scattered around and then the new "package" of participants in blue and white clothes arrived from the other side. I also stopped a couple of them for a picture as seen above. Mostly the girls were selling and giving away flowers and the guides about the Tenjin Matsuri but only in Japanese. Here is also the closeup of it.

We had spent 15-20 more minutes there but after the show was done and everyone has left we had nothing else to do (and it was really hot) but to go back to our hotel for lunch and... other surprises.

On our way back we passed through some other enclosed street full of stores and then another group of youth ready for the festival passed by.

These guys also looked pretty tired. They must have already done their job in the morning. And they look pretty different from those we encountered half an hour earlier.

Lunch

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We came back to the hotel and were now trying to find the huge room or rather a hall where they preferred a buffet for lunch. The meal there was pretty delicious and especially now since we knew this was almost the last day of our adventures together so we just tried to enjoy it fully.

After lunch was done we were told to go to separately in two rooms where we were supposed to get ready for the tea ceremony. And by that they ment we were going to wear a yukata and the footwear-geta.

Dressing kimono - yukata and geta

We were directed to go into these rooms and on the tables in the middle there was a large plastic bag with some clothing inside. And not just any but the Japanese kimono which literally means "clothes"... but I referred to something more specific that looks Japanese. We were given yukata dress and even the footwear they call "geta". We were supposed to wear them during the tea ceremony within half an hour and also during the Tenjin Matsuri festival in the evening.

Each of the plastic bags had the name of the person it was aimed for. I was looking for mine and found a nice one fitting my size. My yukata is blue with some gradient tiles. And the whole kimono consisted of the main dress and then a very long dark blue scarf I had to tie around my belly. Lastly, the geta were also a pretty new experience as they are pretty thick (2-3 centimetres) and were a bit difficult to get used to walk in. But they fitted my kimono with the colours and patterns.

Besides, I felt like Samurai Jack when I had geta on my feet! Do not forget the yellow straw hat. I just need the white kimono, black belt or a scarf and... a magical sword.

But putting yukata for the first time proved to be a small problem. In the end all of us in the room had asked for help and some of the Lions Club ladies assisted us and showed how to do it properly. Then for the most of the time we had no problems and even when the belt would fall down we managed to do some trick. Not the best way but at least was not falling anymore. Also, the part behind yukata felt like having a tail.

Before we all went to another room where this tea ceremony was about to be held we were supposed to have first an introduction to the tea ceremony and a bit about yukata in general. I went along with the others back to the "lunch hall" to meet the others and have fun watching them having difficulties and problems with putting the kimono on.

Here is one photo of me fully equipped.

Introduction to tea ceremony and yukata

Okay! Time to move into the next hall. It was funny now to see all of us wearing colourful kimonos and commenting each other.

We came to one room with the tables placed along the walls (where we were going to have the tea ceremony in half an hour after the "lecture"), the center of the room was empty and on the other end was a small stage where two women came. The roof of the room was filled with mirrors which we used later for selfies. But back to the important.

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The woman with the microphone spoke English and she read us some story and notes on tea ceremony in Japan.

The tea ceremony is a stylistically simplified and refined way of drinking tea which is one of the traditions of Japan. It was introduced from China and in the beginning practised only by the Buddhist priests. Later on the Samurai warriors took it and gradually spread among the common people - us. Then there was this man Sen no Rikyuu who established the unique ceremony based on the art of serving tea. He is today known as a great master of the tea culture in Japan. And we were also going to follow his legacy. Which relies on spiritual tranquillity and simplicity of the taste. The art of drinking was influenced by Zen Buddhism but has had influenced further on the life-style of the Japanese folks and the way of thinking.

Though I am not a huge fan of the green tea being served there during the ceremony I do admit I love the sweets we are given.

We also heard a few words about yukata and its presence in Japanese culture. Simply, yukata is an informal kimono for summer. It was originally worn while one was taking a bath but later it became a kind of bathrobe worn after a bath. And at one point in 19th century people started to wear yukata in hot season not just outside bathroom and at home but also in the streets. The characteristics of yukata are the floral or geometric patterns dyed or printed on the material. When I think about it all of the hotels we had visited had yukatas so I believe most of the Japanese-styled (closer to traditional) will have yukata available for the guests.

We were also given some papers with other stories related to our topic.

Afterwards we all gathered in the room to make a group photo and also created a long waiting line in pairs (I was without a pair of course) as we were supposed to get photographed sitting on the bench behind the table (seen on the first photo above with two Lions Club women). I cannot find the photo unfortunately but try to use your imagination now.

The tea ceremony

We had the demonstration and instructions on how to drink the tea properly and I felt much more confident since I was already familiar with it (remember, I had tried this three times already! ). We were split into two large groups as there was no enough space for all of us at the same time.

I was in the second group and waited in the big room ("lunch hall") for half an hour with the rest of the campers. And then we entered and sat at the table. They gave us the porcelain cup with the hot tea and also a plate with the sweets. Here is a photo of one of them. I think everyone was looking forward to these sweets and I even took one more from my friend.

The tea ceremony lasted for about 10 minutes. We had to turn the cup in the proper direction 2-3 times and drink all of the tea inside it within maximum three tries.

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I still do not like the taste of the green tea... but I would do anything for the sweets there.

After the tea ceremony was done we came back to the big room and heard the plans for the rest of the day.

Plan for the evening (part 2)

We were supposed to go out now for the boat ride on the river Okawa and this was supposed to last for several hours. This evening was the finale of the festival and our last evening together as a camp. What mattered to me was to make sure I bring the proper equipment - my analog and the simple camera with me. Otherwise you would not be looking at the shots of the amazing evening in the second post.

But before we ran out I went quickly to the room with our bags and decided to put my shorts under kimono as I needed some space for the mobile phone and digital camera. Some saw it as "cheating" but I saw it as trying to stay professional till the end.

Thanks for reading and do not miss the part 2!