Mando Matsuri

Well the Mando Matsuri came here to Iruma and it was a blast. The sights sounds and smells were greatly over stimulating to the gaijin senses. The people were excited and the food was great. I ate some Carne Asada beef ka-bob it was awesome. I wished I had bought more. The drummers were many and the Mikoshi arks were all decorated and ready for the parade and the Dashi floats were gased up and ready to be pulled with the live bands playing traditional Japanese Matsuri Music. The Oni (Demon) guys were out scaring away evil and dancing up on the Dashi. It was a cultural delight as I have never see one up close. Mihoko doesn't care for the festivals for her personal reasons. She was with Rachel in the hospital and I was free for a couple of hours to shower and walk around the town before going back to spend the night at the Hospital. I was supposed to help out at the "Plaza De Amigos Del Mundo" Stage making announcements in English. But in light of Rachel and my voice almost gone I saw this as God saying not this year. My voice was so raspy and course it was hard to talk and harder for others to understand. Guess what the very next day my voice came back. So I know who is in control here. God has plans for us here and it isn't being a celebrity. The Ladies in Kimono's were all decked out for the parade dancing. It is hundreds of ladies all from different groups or societies wearing costumes and dancing in unison. The drummers on the taiko drums practice their art form of drumming in unison together and hammer out tribal type songs. There were a dozen or so troops of Taiko drummers. There were 3 main stages with a talent show on one and rock bands on another, and then the Plaza was the main stage where our new mayor spoke and the beger meister from Germany Iruma's sister city also spoke. I was more fascinated with the Japanese translator speaking fluent German with an accent than anything else. I lived in Germany for two years so I realized I have forgotten all of my German. I understood how some American Japanese guys feel when they come to Japan and don't speak any Japanese. I am of German descent and "Ich Spreken zi kine Deutch". Even that don't sound right? Anyway, Next week is the Iruma Air show. The Blue Impulse Jets were flying overhead Today practicing their maneuvers. It is wonderful to watch. They fly with such precision.