August 5, 2008

Hello JOI Community Members,

I hope you're enjoying summer (or, at least, enduring it, depending on your location).

Although the Japanese enjoy festivals year-round, summer is the season when festivals, or natsu matsuri (literally, summer festivals) are in high gear throughout Japan. Japanese summer festivals are indeed a cultural highlight of the summer. There are so many summer festivals, in fact, it's going to take several issues to get through them all (maybe in time for next summer), so let's get started.

Every city, town and village seems to have at least one local festival that boasts some aspect unique to the area. But wherever you may be, you are bound to find the familiar constants visible: girls in yukata (light summer kimono), people wearing geta (wooden sandals), and a colourful collection of street stalls selling food, children's toys, and trinkets.

Yamakasa Festival

The summer here in Fukuoka (or, as the old city is called, Hakata) starts off with Yamakasa in mid-July. This dramatic event is similar to the famous Kyoto Gion Festival and is, in fact, modeled after the Kyoto event. The Kyoto festival originated in 869 A.D to cleanse and purify streets and homes after disease plagued the city. When a similar plague struck Hakata in 1241, the Hakata Gion Festival, or Yamakasa, was established.

Yamakasa is arguably the best-known of the Japanese festivals that feature huge portable shrines being raced through the streets as a display of masculinity. I must admit a cheeky desire (no pun intended) to try on a traditional fundoshi (loin cloth), and try my hand at hoisting a yamakasa (portable shrine), but I seriously doubt anyone would really want to see me in it!

The yamakasa shrines come in two varieties. The one-ton kaki-yama is carried by 28 fundoshi-clad men. The kazari-yama shrine is decorated with traditional Hakata dolls and placed in various central spots in the city; this shrine is 15 meters high (about 47 feet) and is not carried during the festival.

Kaki-yama float, before the Yamakasa race

Huge 3-story Kazari-yama shrine on display at a department store in downtown Fukuoka

The festival climaxes on the last day with the oiyama, a race between seven teams, each representing one of the seven districts of the Hakata "old town" area. To catch this spectacle, set your alarm clock early—it starts promptly at 4:59 a.m.! Twenty-eight men alternate in racing their team's kaki-yama float over a 5-kilometer (approx. 3-mile) course with shouts of "Osshoi, Osshoi!". As a spectator, expect to get wet, as everyone involved—from the crowds to the participants—throw water to simulate the original purification process conducted by monks almost 800 years ago. Here in Fukuoka, they say summer doesn't start until Yamakasa ends. Coinciding with the end of the rainy season, Yamakasa helps area residents get mentally prepared for the heat and humidity of late July and August. For a look at a live Yamakasa festival, check out this Yamakasa video.

Obon Holiday

During the Obon holiday (August 11-15, 2008, Japan time), there will be no classes at JOI, and teachers will be unavailable. However, all other services (quizzes, chat rooms, the message board, etc.) will be available, and our support staff will handle inquiries and lesson puchases as usual.

Support Tips

	Are you hearing echoes in the classroom? Because the new classrooms let you and your teacher talk at the same time, you may hear echoes (or cause echoes) if your microphone isn't adjusted properly. We have several new FAQs to deal with the topic: If you hear echoes or noise when you talk, please read this FAQ. If you hear echoes or noise when someone else talks, please read this FAQ. If someone else hears echoes when you talk, please read this FAQ.
	Is your voice cutting in and out in the classroom? Your Internet connection may be a little slow—try this FAQ for ways to improve your voice quality.
	Are the voices of other users breaking up in the classroom? Again, it might be your Internet connection. One great way to solve this problem is to turn off your video reception, as described in this FAQ.
	Don't forget about the weekly lesson blog! It's a free way to learn about Japanese culture and learn a few words and phrases along the way.

Thanks, everyone, for helping make JOI a great online Japanese school! I hope you're having fun learning Japanese online.

If you have other questions, be sure to check out the FAQs, or if you don't find an answer there, write me at support@japonin.com.

Sincerely,
 
Moses
JOI Support