A Memorable Matsuri
Graham Street reflects on what makes a Matsuri memorable, Morris Dancing and salad sandwiches.
“HOW BIG!?” David asked, nearly choking on his beer “And they parade this thing through the streets?”
Keisuke nodded. “It’s very traditional.”
“Sorry I’m late lads” Colin said as he approached Keisuke and David sitting at the table. “What's the conversation?”
“Keisuke was just telling me about a particular Matsuri celebration in Japan.”
“Matsuri, what’s that?” Colin asked as he lifted the pint of beer to his mouth. He took a sip looking at Keisuke for an answer.
“Well” he drawled, trying to put into English how to describe this most thrilling and fun event of Japanese culture. “It’s kind of like a summer fair.”
“We have those” Colin blurted. “Or at least we did” he pondered.
“I say fair but it is more than that” Keisuke added after he had thought about it for a moment. “We enjoy them during the summer. Lots of places hold celebrations. Each have their own different nuance and style.”
“Like what?” Colin asked.
“Obon, you see lots of people dancing in the street.”
“Like Morris Dancing” Colin piped up.
“Who?” Keisuke looked puzzled.
“Not who. It is a traditional dance. Performed by men. They dance around waving handkerchiefs. They have these bells tied to their legs. With one dancer playing the fool as he weaves in out of the dancers. The dancers are skipping to and fro, waving and jingling.”
Keisuke just stared at Colin with a look of pure disbelief.
“Yeah. Its a bit rubbish, but some people like it.”
“The dancing at Matsuri is usually just a couple of steps and they kind of curl their hands around like this” Keisuke did his best to simulate the dance with his arms and hands.
“Ah. Sort of like that dance from, you know” Colin paused to remember before he blurted out “that Adam and the Ants song, Prince Charming”. Colin smiled glad that his memory had not let him down. “Diana Dors at the front giving it all that.”
“I have no idea who or what you are talking about” Keisuke replied. He picked up his pint and took a sip of beer.
The television in the corner of the pub were showing the Derby Nottingham game. The last moments of the game and Derby County were to go home as they usually did, in their usual manner of sportsmanship, good losers.
After a brief lull in the coversation, Colin again picked up the Matsuri mantle and asked. “So this Matsuri, is it sort of like a summer celebration. A festival?”
“I guess so.”
“And it has a procession, floats and stalls and dancing?”
“Yeah a procession of local business, schools and civil groups. The highlight is usually when they carry the local shrine through the streets. Hundreds of folk carrying it on their shoulders. The shrine bumping along. Everyone dressed in Japanese traditional attire. The men usually wear a Happi and no trousers.”
“What a cheerful name” Colin was happy with his pun before blurting out “No trousers?” Keisuke let the question die as he drank from his glass.
“Sounds like a fun time” Colin conceded.
“We did have similar things here but not so many these days.” Colin looked morose “We had carnivals with processions but the custom seemed to have died out.” Derby had just conceded another goal to Nottingham forest. The pub was full and the atmosphere sombre.
“When I was at Junior school every year we had a field day” Seeing Keisuke look confused at this he continued “sort of like a fair. I guess it is the closest thing we have to a Matsuri. Village fetes, school field days, and carnivals. A few still happen I guess.”
Keisuke was listening
“I guess my favourite fair, an English Matsuri, was the school field day. We had a fancy dress parade where all the kids dressed up. The best costume would win a prize. One small girl came dressed up as a British crown. Her head poking out the top.”
“Sounds interesting.”
“Yes it was, that was around the time when my dad was working in Oman. He had recently popped back and had brought some Arab clothes with him. My mum helped me put on the Thobe which is the long white robe, a Shemagh cloth that goes over the head held by with the Egal head band. We had painted a couple of oil cans white and wrote the word milk on each of them. I went as a milk sheikh.”
“Did you win?” Keisuke asked.
“Unfortunately not, competition was fierce that year. Lots of great costumes. I can only guess that it didn't help that nobody understood the joke. You know. Milk Shiekh, milk shake?”
“Do you remember who won?”
“Yes, I was beaten by kid dressed up as a salad sandwich”
“I guess your favourite Matsuri is the one that leaves you with the deepest impression” Keisuke pondered.
“What? Even if you are beaten by a salad sandwich” David asked.
“Especially if you are beaten by a salad sandwich!”