My son was extra excited because he would be allowed to wear jinbei, a traditional summer outfit often worn at festivals. The outfit is made up of shorts and a shirt made from the same lightweight fabric. The shirt front consists of overlapping fabric that is tied on the side, making a V-neck. The sleeves are connected with strings, allowing for extra airflow. Jinbei is not allowed to be worn on regular school days. And I don't believe I've seen anyone wear it outside of festivals or big summer events (like watching fireworks). I tried to put my son in jinbei in the spring and my husband was adamant I change his outfit. People only wear jinbei in summer, he reported. So, wearing it to matsuri feels like a big deal because it makes it feel extra special.
As my son went to bed last night, he whispered to me "Tomorrow is the matsuri at school. It will be so fun." I'm guessing he had very sweet dreams last night.
He was a little sad that he had to wear regular clothes to school. But today was an early release day and he got out at 11:30 am. After school, he had a singing lesson and played at the park before it was time to return to the school. He changed into his jinbei before we headed back.
We arrived at the school at 3:30, right when the gates opened. The schoolyard was decorated with paper lanterns made by some of the second year students. Taiko drums were set up in the center of the playground, and everyone was instructed to gather around them. The teachers gave a short taiko performance to open the matsuri.
Everyone then went in different directions to do the various activities in each classroom and the gym. I kept an eye on my son and the son of a friend, who is in the same class. The boys made bunnies with paper cups and rubberbands. Then they "caught bugs" in a different classroom. The gym was next where the boys enjoyed "fun with English." This made me laugh. There were staff from a local English school and they were having the kids match balloons with pictures on them and then asking the kids what animal was on the balloon. Most of the kids just stared blankly at the English school staff. My son was loving every minute because he was collecting sticker after sticker as a reward for knowing the animal names.
Suddenly, my time with the kids was up. We returned to the kids classroom and I swapped places with the other mom. She took the kids to the remaining rooms (fishing, ghost room, and making yoyos) while I worked in my son's classroom. I stamped kid's tickets as they entered the room. Other parents were stationed at the tables to help the kids assemble their bunnies.
Soon it was time to clean up. Everyone pitched in and the classroom was quickly returned to order.
I could hear taiko being played outside. A student's father is a professional taiko player, and was entertaining the children while the parents finished their duties. We gathered in the playground and watched the children perform dances they had been practicing. It was so cute to see them all dancing together. My son's class had made fans to use during the dance - using vegetables and paint to make designs on the fans.
To conclude the matsuri, the principal made a few comments. And with that, it was all over.
I must say, it is times like these that I am so happy to be in Japan. No matter how many Japanese festivals and Japanese school functions we attended in America, it wasn't the same thing as being here. My son is learning first hand about his heritage and having fun in the process. When my husband came home from work, my son excited told him about the matsuri. It was a really, really fun time for both of us.
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