Today was the 8th district speech contest in Tokyo. We only came away with one prize this year, Emi Shirakawa, got 3rd prize in the free speech contest. Even though she went blank twice during the speech, she did really well and she was rewarded for it. Had she notforgot she would have definately taken first prize.
On the way home I stopped by the drum store to pick up another pair of sticks on the way back I happened acroos a local, Tengu festival. They were carrying two hiradaiko and escorting the seven lucky gods and at the end came a Tengu who was throwwng out beans to the crowd. The beans are to scary away the evil demons. This is setubun season so for the next couple of days there will be people out throwing beans.
Japan is still a country with many interesting and centuries old customs and events that pop up every now and then. For the most part even though the festivals are rooted in a religous background, for the most part that is lost on the modern Japanese, and is seen as tradition or opportunities to make community.
As Christians in Japan I wonder what we are doing to build a spirit of community with those we live with and encounter on a daily basis. How can the church better plug into the mind set and bring the spirit of the festival into our events and outreach to the community.
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