Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri Festival

Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri Festival (Video 5.6Mb)

Started with a nice lunch with our two guides for the day, two lovely ladies, Yoshiko & Yuriko. I had a dunburi style meal, consisting of rice, shredded egg, finely sliced tuna and wasabe.. delicious. Also had spring egg (an egg lightly poached in hot spring water... break yoke with chopsticks and stir in soy and then drink.)

Train to Kishiwada.
Very hot & humid. Nearly everyone has a fan. (I have some video of a grandstand and all you can see is the animated movement of fans). This was a day where Dekavita C was a saviour. (search around Santori Vending machines for this drink, it is a pleasant tasting vitamin/stamina drink, tastes a bit like creamy soda with a hint of ginger ale to cut the sweetness)

Through the day we had 4 main vantage points for the festival, basically we walked an almost full loop around the town/circuit. We met another couple of ladies who swapped fans with us (special festival ones with nice dan-jiri pics), much bowing and thanking was done. The politeness & freindliness of people here, leaves a great impression on me. A country where service is king, even the ticket inspector on the train (whose job is not to check tickets, but rather be there to help if you need to buy a ticket or correct the fare) bows both when he enters and leaves a carriage. Or at a restaraunt where all staff (including kitchen staff) thank you and wish you a good night as you leave. Western companies really need a refresher course in service... service is free, not an option extra that you charge for

Danjiri are large moveable shrines, towed by hundreds of people, young & old, male & female.. during matsuri there is no class, rank or culture difference between people. The danjiri weigh between 4 to 5 tons, and the crowd cheers as the fly around the corners whilst a dancer balances on top. The corners are the most exiting bit, as this is when they gain a lot of speed and great coordination is needed to prevent the danjiri from sliding into the crowd or walls etc. Usually people die each year, either from a fall, crushing or just the heat. We saw a few broken dancers being carried toward first aid & ambulances.

After danji we went back to Osaka and had tea at an English styled Japanese Tea house. I had a delicious (aquired taste) iced powded green tea, with a selection of fruit and motsi balls. Liquid sweetners were poured into both. Gillian, I and our guides talked for about two hours while the staff kept bringing us ice cold water.. much needed after the heat of a day of standing in full sun and crowds.