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So it`s called omikoshi.
It`s an exquisitly hand made shrine that is supposed to house a god inside. These shrines take a year to make and cost more money than you could imagine. Gold inlay, diamonds.. and the woodwork.. if you took one look you`d know it was special.
So this weekend I joined my girlfriend`s omikoshi team and together we carried this 3 ton (that`s right 6000+ pound) shrine through the streets of Yokohama. The event begins at 8:00 am when we meet and all get on a charter bus together. At 8:12am I am handed an alcholic beverage, by noon the bus arrives in Yokohama and I`m hammered. At which point the omikoshi boss says "lets go for a smoke" (if you know what I mean). Oh and did I mention that most of the people who do this are in the Yakuza?
The uniform... consists of essentially a loincloth and a jacket so basically your ass from the T-back down is open to the public. No problem, most of the people who do this have never seen a day in the gym in their lives. I however, squat 310 for six reps and do cardio 4x a week. The most noticable reaction was from the grandmas who seemed to appricate my athletic ass.
More drinking.
More smoking.
More drinking.
We carry this heavy ass shrine and we chant as we do "Yoi-to" calls the boss "YOI-TO" calls the team and on we go... yoi-to YOI-TO yoi-to YOI-TO... buyo BUYO buyo BUYO buyo BUYO...
As we go down the street, people open their windos and stare as we block traffic in all directions. We stop occasionally for more beer or shochu or smoking. We`re tough, nobody is going to ask us to stop.
OH AND DID I MENTION THE OLD MEN THROWING WATER ON US? These bastards (eh revered fathers) filled the back of a pickup with water and were using buckets to scoop it out and douse us the whole time, we were soaked.
Finally after my shoulder is totally damaged and we are back at our starting point we do one last hooray. A 12 year old Japanese girl dressed in a short tight red dress, hair pulled back in a bun (and she`s soaked too) jumps on top of the shrine and waving her white fan as she yells "ha!" to which we respond "HA" and we bounce the 3 tonne structure up in the air. She looked like one of those anime fighters from Tekken or Street Fighter. Again and again we go "ha!-HA!-ha!-HA!-ha!-HA!..." It was weird, I`m not into kids but her presence had an effect on all of us. We bounced that shrine like it weighed 60 pounds, not 6000. Nobody was going to quit. 50 men carrying a heavy piece of wood on our shoulders and one kid standing on top egging us on so we don`t stop.
I`ll post some pics soon.
SD
It`s an exquisitly hand made shrine that is supposed to house a god inside. These shrines take a year to make and cost more money than you could imagine. Gold inlay, diamonds.. and the woodwork.. if you took one look you`d know it was special.
So this weekend I joined my girlfriend`s omikoshi team and together we carried this 3 ton (that`s right 6000+ pound) shrine through the streets of Yokohama. The event begins at 8:00 am when we meet and all get on a charter bus together. At 8:12am I am handed an alcholic beverage, by noon the bus arrives in Yokohama and I`m hammered. At which point the omikoshi boss says "lets go for a smoke" (if you know what I mean). Oh and did I mention that most of the people who do this are in the Yakuza?
The uniform... consists of essentially a loincloth and a jacket so basically your ass from the T-back down is open to the public. No problem, most of the people who do this have never seen a day in the gym in their lives. I however, squat 310 for six reps and do cardio 4x a week. The most noticable reaction was from the grandmas who seemed to appricate my athletic ass.
More drinking.
More smoking.
More drinking.
We carry this heavy ass shrine and we chant as we do "Yoi-to" calls the boss "YOI-TO" calls the team and on we go... yoi-to YOI-TO yoi-to YOI-TO... buyo BUYO buyo BUYO buyo BUYO...
As we go down the street, people open their windos and stare as we block traffic in all directions. We stop occasionally for more beer or shochu or smoking. We`re tough, nobody is going to ask us to stop.
OH AND DID I MENTION THE OLD MEN THROWING WATER ON US? These bastards (eh revered fathers) filled the back of a pickup with water and were using buckets to scoop it out and douse us the whole time, we were soaked.
Finally after my shoulder is totally damaged and we are back at our starting point we do one last hooray. A 12 year old Japanese girl dressed in a short tight red dress, hair pulled back in a bun (and she`s soaked too) jumps on top of the shrine and waving her white fan as she yells "ha!" to which we respond "HA" and we bounce the 3 tonne structure up in the air. She looked like one of those anime fighters from Tekken or Street Fighter. Again and again we go "ha!-HA!-ha!-HA!-ha!-HA!..." It was weird, I`m not into kids but her presence had an effect on all of us. We bounced that shrine like it weighed 60 pounds, not 6000. Nobody was going to quit. 50 men carrying a heavy piece of wood on our shoulders and one kid standing on top egging us on so we don`t stop.
I`ll post some pics soon.
SD
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