Mamemaki, Feb 2007

Not sure what the exact name of this festival is (when I find out I'll correct it here) but 'Mamemaki' is what you do. It is something to do with driving out bad spirits (Oni) by throwing of beans. As I have observed with many Japanese things (customs and practices) there is no real meaning behind it to the people doing it... like Nike they just do it.

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L-R: Saori, Me, Sandy, Mari, and Mrs. Imanishi. Saori invited me to come with her correctly suspecting that I had never seen or partook in the activity. It was quite interesting. Liming with Saori and Mari is always fun.

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L-R: Mrs Imanishi's sister (I didn't know that in the 20secs that I met her for), me, a Maiko (apprentice Geisha... but I'm not sure she is the real deal... most likely not) and Sandy.

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Drones of people went for the rituals at the big Suwa Jinja where there was the mamemaki (throwing for the beans) and then some kind of stage performance (either dancing or taiko drumming or something) in 30min sets. Everything started at 7pm. We got there just in time for the second set.

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There was a stall selling some Japanese hot rice wine porridge kinda thing... was really nice. Always impresses me how well organised everything always is. The old woman were all well dressed in their white looks giving them that professional look and busy selling their goods.

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Burning of old wishes from last year

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This is the stairs to the shrine that became a market for the festival

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Afterward we went to a Fugu (blowfish) restaurant. Everything was made or related to the poisonous if not prepared properly fish, down to the dishes. We ate the raw fish, its skin, its fat, even the sperm... all really great!


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The voices you hear are well the priests saying "Oni wa soto!" (Demons get away) and Sandy and my laughs and screams of enjoyment or the excitement of trying to catch the beans.


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