“The Opening of Sado’s Festival Season” by Michiko Chida

April 1st, Sado’s Festival Season is About to Begin!

First up is the village of Suginoura in Akadomari. Lucky them, they were blessed with great weather for their festival this year! The indigo blue sea is right in front of you when you are in their village and you can almost feel the sea in your body just by standing there.

 

From the morning until the evening, small and large lion dances go door to door.

 

 

I heard an onlooker watching the children taking part in the procession happily comment that:

“It is important for the children to join in with everyone and tread every step along the roads throughout the village, which they usually just go along riding in a car. After all, this is where they live.”

These festivals (matsuri) are not just about performing arts, they are about living in that place and have been passed down as entire collections of memories.

I hope they will always continue to be passed on to the children of today.