A Spot of the Shintos

Tokyo, Japan
Special Guest Blogger - Allan E.

Guest-bloggart Allan E here. We went to the Mitama Matsuri Shinto festival yesterday in the Chiyoda ward --- I'd been in Tokyo for 4 hours, and this certainly helped orient me as to where I was in the world: Japan!

It was in this enormous shinto Shrine, with a huge central walkway with glowing fifty-foot high walls of hanging paper lanterns on either side; there were kimono clad shintoists, nappy-clad wackos (who's job turned out to be drummers) & a ton of nattily turned-out younsters in traditional garb. It was really beautiful. Rave lighting too! Shinto is a religion that moves with the times all right. And is that Asahi they're all drinking? --- best religion ever!

As fortune would have it Mik3 happened to be well versed on the subject of Shintoism and told me of four sacrements we were to embody that evening in order to be down wit' the gods. I remember embodying at least two:

• we had a bathe on the way in (in this handy big communal sink with big wooden ladels)
• we stuffed our faces with all manner of tasty Shinto grub
  

Or at least they stuffed their faces...I started but was brought to a spluttering halt halfway into the first item on the menu, which was meat-on-a-stick. Feeling adventurous, I chose a different stick to the others. Why is it that whatever country I go to in the world, whenever I try to experiment with the local cuisine I always, ALWAYS, get tounge. Yech. Tasty cabbage pancakes to follow though. And then banana-on-a-stick! I just knew I was going to be impressed by the technology in this place.

Anyways, this must have been just enough to get me down with the gods (or perhaps it was my jet-lag) for as we watched a display of traditional Shinto dancing I found myself sorely wanting for the deep inner-harmony that these people seemed to posses. They seemed so at peace with their funny circle dance, and their grooving nappy drummers, that I truly felt I was missing out on something. Back home, the most harmonious event that ever seems to happen to me is if two or more people chance to feel like boozing at the same time. Bah. I've realised there is a real gap in my life. Need to buy me a maypole or something.

Anyways, we are about to get evicted from our swank downtown gaff and the OC is moving on to Kyoto --- shame I could only spend one day with the boys, but it was a good one. It finished at 5am with Mike curled in a foetal ball on the left foot of Jonny R (C)'s beautiful ladymate in a truly magnificent display of pure helplessness. It was poetry (or something), and a fitting end to our evening spent cock-bungling our way round various Tokyo nightspots.

Shouts to all OC blog-readers, most especially beautiful wife Laz...I am sorry you can't be with us. Japanse girls are all fat. x