July and August are actually neighborhood festival months in Japan. In residential areas, traditionally people organize neighborhood communities in every several blocks called "Chonai-kai". These "Chonai-kai" communities usually manage local activities such as festivals, and public space clean-up in the community, and share information.
In Mejiro-dai area in Hachioji City, people hold a neighborhood festival called Mejiro-dai Festival in every summer. Food stalls are prepared by local shops and restaurants, and Mikoshi (portable shrine) parade and performances by local people take place at the festival. In addition to the typical festival types of performances, people have a Samurai performance as shown in the photo.
The people showing the performance are members of a local NPO group at Hachioji Castle Ruins, which is one of the major historical site of the Warring States period in Tokyo. They have Samurai performances at various events and sometimes hold workshops such as "Handmade Samurai armor" for kids.
Their armors are all handmade. Each person in the Samurai group made their own armor. Due to limitations on maerial availability and usability, various types of material were used to make armor such as plastic, aluminum and steel plates for the body of armor, and leather, cloth, strings and old kimono for the accessories.
For example, the person's armor show in the lower photos is made of steel. He said that it took about a year to complete it and as you can see in the photos he used lots of small steel plates and small steel rings to assemble his armor. Since he wanted to have a very real one he tried to make it in the same way Samurai armors were made in old times. The chain mail for the arms are made of small steel rings and he connected them one by one. Apparently the total weight of this armor is 30 kg (about 66 lb).
Of course most people in the group chose lighter types of material to be able to walk and move easily. However it sounds interesting to be able to experience the real heaviness of a Samurai armor. He can feel how tough the real Samurai soldiers were in old times. That would be cool!
This year, in 2017, the Mejiro-day Festival will be held on July 15th and 16th.
These are photos of a Japanese Sake Tasting Event held in Hachioji city. I have been introducing Hachioji Geisha at outside events, but originally their work places were mostly inside of buildings, specifically parties serving alcohol drinks. Since the event had a kind of party style, their usual parties maybe look similar to this event.
The Event was held at a long-established Kappo-restaurant, which is one types of the expensive Japanese cuisine restaurants (unfortunately this nice old building was already torn down for not meeting the requirments for current building regulations). Until 2014, it was an annual open event at the restaurant and anyone could make a reservation and join in with the entrance fee (12,000 yen, which is about $120).
The fee included Sake tasting (as much as you want), a Japanese cuisine course dinner, and Geisha service. Soon after people took their seats, the event was started and Hachioji Geishas came in. They sang songs, played traditional instruments, and showed traditional Japanese dance as they walked around to pour Japanese sake and to talk to people.
Needles to say, Geisha's service is not limited to men, but woman can also have a great time at parties with Geishas. The word "Geisha" means "entertainers", thus they are professional "Party Entertainers" specifically working for private parties. Though their culture would be a little different in each area or even in each district, they have their own styles. When Hachioji Geishas talk to male guests they call the guests "master", and when talk to female guests, they call older guests "big sister" and younger guests "little sister", so they don't have to ask guests' names, and basically that's one of Geishas' style to ensure that guests feel easy and relaxed at their private parties.
What's more, the style helps Geishas to keep their clients' secrets even when they attend at a meeting between major politicians. In fact during the early days of Japan's modern times, many of important political meetings took place at expensive Japanese cuisine restaurants with Geishas. They were trusted to protect the confidentiality of their clients.
This weekend (July 8th and 9th), the 16th annual Hachioji Summer Market (Natsu-no-Fubutsu Ichi) is being held near JR Hachioji Station.
Along the Nishi-Hoshasen You Road (laid out from the north exit of JR Hachioji Station ) you can stroll around the Asagao-Ichi (Morning Glory Market) to see stalls selling traditional style wind chimes and local goodies.
There are more traditional old-days style festival stalls selling goods or food which comes with some entertainment aspect. The entertainment can be fishing small balloons floating on a big tank of water, scooping gold fish from a big fish tank. At traditional candy stalls, people can ask for a candy made into any shape they want as shown in the upper right hand side photo. In addition, traditional paper-cutting stalls, where people can request any designs, are poplar among little kids.
Hachioji is one of the few towns that still have Geisha and you can see Hachioji Geishas selling morning glory planters at the Asagao Ichi (The Morning Glory Market). It can be a good opportunity to take photos of Geisha ladies and talk to them. Last year, even Geisha shows were held at this event. Traditional dance and traditional games for Geisha parties were showcased. (I introduced a short movie of Geisha's dance recorded at this event last year. To see the post, please click here!)
The annual Hachioji Summer Market a nice local seasonal event!
