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LUJ Students Participate in Nezu Shrine Mikoshi Festival
On September 15, seven LUJ students participated in the Nezu Shrine Mikoshi Festival. Carrying a Mikoshi shrine is an event that occurs all across Japan, but for many LUJ students, it was the first time experiencing such an event. “It is not light,” says undergraduate Avion Smith, who donned both the blue happi jacket and fundoshi loincloth in order to participate. “It is not a short walk either.”
Depending on the festival, a Mikoshi shrine can weigh between 1-2 tons, and its origins date back over 1300 years, to the Nara Period, when shrines, meant to embody the spirit of a kami, or a god, were carried into battlefields to bring good fortunes to soldiers. To this day, the festival is meant to bring good fortune to residents in the community.
All in all, the experience was positive. “What I will remember from the Nezu shrine Festival is the weight of carrying the shrine and people cheering us on!” recalls Kameron Hardy, also an undergraduate. Hardy also enjoyed “the smell and the taste of the sweet food” on offer at the festival.
The Nezu shrine is located in Bunkyo City, and students from Bunkyo Gakuin University (BGU) also participated. BGU often partners with LUJ on a wide range of initiatives, such as the annual presentation contest, academic classes, and other events involving cultural exchange.
Yuko Takamatsu, head of student affairs at LUJ, plans on making the event “an annual experience” for students here at our campus in Ryogoku.
