Hakata Gion Yamakasa, is in full swing. It is one of Japan's three great Gion festivals, Held in honor of Kushida Shrine - the main shrine of the Hakata area. This festival has over 770 years of history!

Today, we visit two schools in Gogosho. It's my first working day :). My manager and I, we ride on bicycles through Gogosho, to watch the childrens first race.

When we arrived, about 100 children were already on the schoolyard. In the middle there was a nice decorated Kakiyamakasa, on the left and on the right children squatted in series. It didn`t take long before the spectacle began.


 

A man gave a short speech and the race started. About 30 children carried the float. Some ran in front and some behind of this. The children, who was sitting on the Kakiyamakasa shouted "Oissa! Oissa". My manager and I we run with them on edge. It was a very dynamic and infectious atmosphere. And it was very wet!

Other children from the edge splashed water on the heads. They run a few meters, stopped and changed. After a few times, they begun to sing a song called Hakataiwaitua. At the Yamakasa, it is sung when the very first float in the oiyama comes round the seido turn. Also called iwaimedeta. All of them sang and clapped with their hands.

The interesting thing about the festival is that the citizens of Hakata refrain from eating cucumbers during the festival period. Even if they happen to find slices of cucumber in a bowl of salad, they will pick them out. This practice is said to derive from the fact that the pattern of the round cucumber slices resembles the emblem of the festive deity called Gion-sama enshrined in Kushida-jinja Shrine.