Happee Monkee

One typhoon and four earthquakes later, I’m on the shinkansen (bullet train) to Akita. No more concrete jungle. Or mad Tokyo peak hours. The journey to Akita sped through plots of rice fields, bubbling creeks and mountainous views.

When Shinobu-san found out I was coming to Japan, she insisted I had to watch the hanabi or fireworks display in her hometown, Akita – northern Tohoku region of Tokyo. She herself work her schedule around it. The train to the prefecture (also known as Komachi) takes approximately four hours one-way. Refreshments can be bought on the shinkansen but it can get a little pricey. Best to buy your own from the kombi (convenience stores) before your trip.

On the day of the fireworks, we ate an early lunch (of Japanese beef curry) and headed out at 4.30pm. The party starts at 7.30pm but when it gets as crowded as 17,000 – one take no chances.  There is a one-hourly train from Shinobu’s house to the hanabi. The little diesel train usually runs with only two carriages, adds on four more once a year and even so is filled to the gills.

Any festival is a good excuse for a flirt-fest especially if you’re a young person. It never matters where you are. If you’re young, single and pretty (it helps to be attractive) a party this big is worth dressing up for. I’m not sure how fashionable a yukata (Japanese summer gown) is with Crocs but one of those girls certainly think it is.

There is a certain demon that lives in the Akita mountains called namahage. These fierce scary monsters are known to leave their sanctuary and go on house visits on New Year’s eve. They roar “any misbehaving kids live here?” which often scares the living daylights out of the children and make them cry.

Of course in this modern times, the real demons rather hibernate in caves than make babies cry. It’s the townsmen that dresses up in demon masks and straw skirts to frighten the kids making sure they don’t cause too much trouble for their parents. It’s an obvious purpose for the community to this every year so young children obey their parents. Important qualities in Japan’s heavily structured society.

The namahage also appears at the Akita hanabi festival. A group of taiko players named as the Namahage Taiko (but, of course) dresses up in heavy costumes and go crazy on drums. It’s no easy feat. It’s summer time and it gets as warm as 30`C. I watch this unusual performance with fascination. And although I know they are just men in hairy suits, they have the same gripping effect on me as the little girl by my side. All the children cling on to their mothers and most are in tears. The namahage musicians occasionally charges at you and growl, “have you been good?” or gives you a pet on the head. I want to hide and bawl but I fight it down.

When the beasts tires, the musicians strip to their human skin and play another round of taiko. This time they beat harder and faster. It’s an insane passionate thundering of drums. Almost mesmerizing. Shinobu-san who plays the taiko herself, tells me that the drum is a similar tone to a mother’s heartbeat. I don’t believe her but I observe the same children crying before are now calm and smiling.

We headed back to our grassy spot and watch the sunset. It’s beautiful here in Akita. Peaceful and friendly; comforting and generous. People here are different from the crowd in Tokyo. They are more relaxed. Shinobu and I concluded that it must be a space issue. The more space one has and the closer one is to nature, the less stressed out a person becomes. It’s obviously not rocket science but still, we don’t seem to be making the right choices in life. We are foregoing our right in life to be happy, free and healthy. And for what? Another rung on the ladder? Another chase around the rat race? People, we are missing the big picture.

This is the seventh year of the Akita hanabi. Every year the committee decides on a different musical theme to accompany the firework display. We had Saturday Night Fever, Harry Potter, Gone with the Wind, Titanic and a few more classics. Some I don’t recognize. I’m too occupied with enjoying myself. The explosions are so big here that it almost feels like they’re coming at you. It does feel kind of trippy. This is the most intense and impressive two-hours worth of pyrotechnics I’ve ever seen. The best thing was, I watched it with the best Japanese family I had the best luck to meet.

Thank you Takagi family for giving me one of the most remarkable experiences in my life. You are a very special lot and I am so honored to have been a guest to your beautiful home. I am indeed very blessed.

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