Today we planned to go to a tug-of-war festival in a part of the island west and south of us. I did my best to locate the area on a map (not the easiest of things because most streets are unamed or are in kanji.) We headed off around 3:00 because there was a parade scheduled for 4:00 and the tug of war at 5:00. Now, I'm not just talking about a small game of tug of war here that the kids play in the back yard. I'm talking a huge, thick rope that the whole town gets behind and pulls. The picture in the paper showed people being carried on top of the rope! As we approached the area for the parade, we saw people beginning to line up on the streets so we knew we were close, unfortunately there was no parking. So in our efforts to "circle around the block" we got lost and ended up on some back streets that were as wide as a single lane at home! Meandering down one street, we saw what looked like a rope with some men in costume so we pulled up the next street and parked behind two other small cars. Off to the side was an awning under which about 10 older gentlemen were sitting looking over a small green field. In my now standard form of charade-communication I asked the men if it was OK to park there. Hai, hai! So we get out and start walking back down the street toward the rope. As we are descending, an older Japanese man pass us and tells us (or rather indicates to us) that we should follow him. The parade will be following the street and we can see it fine if we go back to where the car is. Sure enough, with a lot of noise (gong banging and conch shell horn blowing) here come these two teams of men carrying a very tall bamboo pole with a very large decorative flower on top. They loop up into the field in front of the elders and proceed to hoist the flower pole up and down and, I'm guessing here, show their strength to the elders. Then there was a karate demonstration, and a team of young boys doing some kind of moves with poles, and then the teams with flowers start up again. And then, and this is where it started getting really funny, they recruit Steve to join in, give him a small stick/pole and have him join the other men in a circling of the Maypole-type dance! When the show for the elders was done, everyone meandered back down to the bottom of the street near the large rope. Steve's newly aquired Japanese friend totally invited us into the celebration, brought him a beer (after we assured him that I would drive!), me a little can of orange juice and the kids had free snow cones!
After waiting around and with a few more shows of force by the guys with the giant flowers, the tug of war kicked up. The men of the village pulled out two pieces of rope, each with a huge loop on the end. Again, I'm not talking a stretch of rope that you get at Lowe's, I'm meaning a hand woven 50 foot section that was a good foot to 18" in diameter. The village men were all sizing Stevie up and since he stands about a head taller than the average Japanese man and weighs a little more (I'm being nice here) with bigger muscles, the "yellow" team recruited him onto their side and set him up with one of the prime lifting/carrying positions! It was a hoot!
They passed out "Oki towels" - basically sweat rags - to all the team - men, women and children. Stevie took his position up front while Cannon jumped in with the other kids. Lundy was too bashful and Emmy was too busy playing with the vending machine to join in. To the banging of gongs the people picked up the rope and "wove" it into the middle of the plaza where it met up with the other half of the rope being carried by the red team. They had to thread one end of the loop into the other side's loop and then a huge wooden dowel locked the two together.
When this was accomplished (it was actually more of an effort than it sounds, as according to Steve, "the damn thing was heavy") then the two halves of the village (plus Stevie and Cannon) started pulling with all their might.
This was no wimpy half-hearted effort - the sweat was pouring! Alas, the yellow team lost - the first round. As soon as it was over all the men sat down on the rope while others dashed out with a cooler full of beer for all the participants! More dancing around the Maypole by the red team victors. Then they pull the two halves apart and start again! Stevie was pooped and dripping sweat but we knew it was an honor for him to be invited so off he goes again manipulating a massive rope down the street towards another massive rope. This time the yellow team whooped the red team! And of course there was another round of cooler filled with beer and another Maypole dance.
This was an experience I'm sure we won't forget for awhile and it just really impressed on us how friendly the Japanese are. It was such a coincidence that we got lost, parked where we did and ran across this man who took us under his wing and welcomed us into the festival. Sometimes when your plans don't go "right", the "wrong" is a better alternative. There is no way we could have planned this experience if we tried!
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