I like the disembodied, angelic quality that the overexposure gives to these two kimono-clad festival-goers. Entirely intentional of course...

So where are we?, I hear you ask. Kamakura, one of the former capitals. The Kamakura period lasted from 1192 until 1333 and heralded the start of Japan's feudal middle ages - the imperial court remained intact, but largely as an ineffective, ceremonial showpiece. True power lay in the hands of the shogunate. I have no idea what the meaning is of these pole-objects, but it was really cool how they twirled them around.

I think I should space every photo with a comment, for the sake of aesthetics... John Howard really shoud do something about his eyebrows.

These little girls' outfits looked very Chinese to me. The children in the procession were very disciplined in the way they paraded, especially the high school marching bands. One of them was exceptionally good. I wish the kids in my classes were as disciplined - although I suspect the kids in the picture above would probably also go birko in my classroom... and my kids would be just as earnest in a performance.

This is an ancient fairy-floss machine, obviously still in good working order. Japan invented fairy floss, Turkish pizza and the soccer goal-nets used in the World Cup. Note: only the last of the above statements is true... they were designed and made in good ol' Osaka. Now... back to the festival...

The real action was to be found in the main street, as many mikoshi, or portable shrines, were hauled towards the main shrine. These mikoshi are believed to house Shinto deities. Some have amazingly beautiful gold fixtures and that Darth Vader black lacquer. The people doing the hauling and cajoling were a sight in themselves, in their happi coats and yukata. I love the designs and motifs of Japan's festivals.

Not sure if you can see the face of the guy in the middle too clearly, but it's classic. He would easily get jobs going for mad scientists' assistants... I guess this is his day off, so he just may be one.

Little details like this guy's watch remind you that these people are normal members of society - that this is a community event. This guy could easily be driving your bus on another day, or doing your tax return.
...you can get it haulin' a shrine... for a hard earned thirst needs a big cold beer...

...and the best cold beer is Vic...

...Victoria Bitter!

This guy may as well have been singing that song (cool ad, terrible beer), that's how good my Japanese is these days...yes, room for improvement.

Really running out of things to say now...

I hope by now you're not feeling as sedated as this rebel-rouser.

Okay, change of pace. I have a litlle bit to say on this: it's Kamakura's Daibutsu (basically means Big Buddha). There is another, larger daibutsu in Nara (closer to where I live), but it is generally agreed that the one shown above is artistically superior. I am of this opinion. I saw it about 3 years ago on my first trip to Japan, after managing to get totally lost. It was raining and I ended up walking through waist high grass on an obscure track, soaking my pants. I plonked out onto some lady's driveway. "Dr Livingstone, I presume," she said. No, not really... she looked at me with slight alarm and then I tried to show I was friendly by smiling and saying "Excuse me, where's the Big Buddha?" Anyway...

This time around it felt strange to see it as I'd just read an account of it in an excellent book called Samurai William, which tells of the life and times of the first Englishman to make it to Japan's shores in the 1600's, William Adams. He went from being a poor working class Briton to nearly dying from hostile people and tropical diseases, to being a friend and adviser to the Shogun, with lands and titles to boot. He saw out his days in Japan. Anyway... some of his debauched countrymen from other ships managed to get inside the Kamakura Daibutsu and bang around and holler, finishing off their act with some graffiti. All class! I resisted the temptation to follow suit.

Next... perhaps an all keitai issue... yes, I have the technology... have worked out how to get photos from my phone into my computer... so it's nothing exciting really, just the promise of fuzzy crappy random pictures of whatever took my fancy at the time. Same bat time, same bat channel...