Mikoshi. This event has changed my life. Before Mikoshi, I had already heard about Japan being a pluralistic society. However, I didn't quite understand it completely. I had a theoretical understanding of it, but I didn't really grasp it until I experienced it. This has changed me in such a positive, awesome way, and I owe it all to my friends at the Shinkaen in Kamakura, Tokyo. Makoto, Paul, and everyone else, Thank you!!
Now I'll describe how it went as I experienced it. Mikoshi is done during festivals called matsuri in Japan. It invloves many people carrying a portable shrine (weighs a lot, like several metric tons) throughout the town or area that the host temple serves. As the shrine approaches a house of an individual or business that contributed financially to the festival, the shrine is shaken vigorously. Because the shrine is so heavy, frequent breaks are taken throughout the route, where beer and snacks wait for the people carrying the shrine. So after several stops, one becomes quite intoxicated.
But the thing that really got to me, and what I believe is the best part of this event, is the realization that everyone carrying the shrine is giving 100 percent, if not more. We carried these shrines for several hours, and after the first few hours, it began to rain. Being very drunk and carrying something that is extremely heavy for hours on end is quite tiring. I began to feel like I was reaching my limit and would collapse. But every time I was about to give up, someone would start cheering, and I could hear in their voice the same exhaustion, but there was something else there. There was a determination and a refusal to quit, fueled by the fact that everyone was going through the same struggle. Through the cheering, I forgot my pain and doubt, and really became energized when I realized that everyone was giving their all, and probably hurting just as much, if not more than myself. My paradigm shifted from me to everyone.
In short, if you have a chance to do Mikoshi, DO IT! Don't think, just do.
I've posted photos of the event, most of them taken by my friend, Paul. I didnt bring my camera on account of the rain, big mistake.
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