When I left our house here in Meguro for the office this morning, I found a group of local men opening up the little garage on the opposite side of the road. Until now I've never seen it with the doors open, and always wondered what was inside. It was too narrow for a car - and the roof was unusually high.
This morning, all was revealed!
Inside, there was a small Mikoshi (Japanese portable shrine), which later on today will be strapped to a couple of wooden rails and carried around the neighbourhood as a part of a local Matsuri (festival). Behind the Mikoshi was a huge Taiko drum on a purpose- built trolley - this will be pulled around behind the mikoshi, its steady rhythm booming down the road, keeping the accompanying musicians in time. Usually, they spend a good hour or so criss- crossing the streets, before making their way to the local shrine.
Like many neighbourhoods in Japan, we have a few of these little festivals every year. I really enjoy them, as there's a great sense of community, but there aren't the crazy crowds that you'll find at the big festivals such as the Kanda Matsuri.
Back in my home town of Hereford (about 3 hours west of London) we don't have anything like it.
Anyway, it's good to finally know what's in the garage across the road!
Joseph
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Pseudo-Graphic Designer, 触手 wrangler, H-Man
http://lightningsabre.blogspot.com/
Nice lookin' Mikoshi!
フリー漫画家/Comic Artist
http://mangayomo.com/blog/
碑文谷（Imonya）のお祭りですね＾＾
かわいい神輿です＾＾
Podcaster and tech-otaku
http://www.tamegoeswild.com
そうですね、碑文谷公園のすぐ近くに住んでいますね。
Yep, it's a Himonya Park festival. They have a really nice little shrine on an island in the middle of the pond in Himonya park - I'll have to post a photo of it! You can rent boats too for 100 yen - just watch out that you don't hit any turtles!
Alchemist in training
The Secret of The Garage has been revealed !!! .
IF I were you , I would try to open the garage myself hoping to find Demons or Aliens there ^_^
university film student | ecchikid | the Archivist
http://www.vimeo.com/longhim
That sounds like some sort of setting for an anime. Mysterious shed...curious guy...it's openned one day and inside is a shrine.
Now you just gotta wait for the michievous/naive/condescending deity (likely young and female) to pop out and tell you she's staying with you.
Podcaster and tech-otaku
http://www.tamegoeswild.com
I wonder how long I'll have to wait outside before she appears!
(p.s. love your video Being Mikey. very well produced!)
university film student | ecchikid | the Archivist
http://www.vimeo.com/longhim
Thanks! Still waiting to put my more recent work up though. ^^
Chinese/Viet restaurant waiter, no post secondary
hahaha, I thought the same thing!
どエロエロ星人
all we have here on the streets are drunken lads punching each other in the faces, and it's getting worst it seems （￣ー￣）
Podcaster and tech-otaku
http://www.tamegoeswild.com
ah, yes, the good old streets of England! I lived in Sheffield until last year. Pretty crazy stuff goes on there, and yet it's still called the "Safest City in the UK" by the Government!
どエロエロ星人
LOL! doesn't the Japanese ladies have a thing for British? Not sure if they'll still think the same if they live here long enough XP (but then of course, there are exceptions) :>
Podcaster and tech-otaku
http://www.tamegoeswild.com
it's quite remarkable, but the English Gentleman stereotype still holds sway!
Full-time geek/Part-time student/Part-time musician
http://randomgeekness.livejournal.com/
As always I think the way Japan has kept their culture/religion up until nowadays it's incredible! ^^
http://otakuposts.blogspot.com/
we dont have garages here. yup you read that right. most are just open parking spaces on the roads or inside buildings.
All round good guy and musician
Wow! Even the tresles are laquered!