Koga Lantern Festival
（日本語訳は下にあります。）（Japanese translation is at the bottom.)
(Gloria, Canadian CIR)
On the 1st Saturday of December, we visited the city of Koga to participate in its annual lantern festival.
When I say lantern festival, you might picture people setting beautifully hand-made lanterns into the river, or float to the night-sky. But, this one is nothing you have ever seen before.
During this festival, hand-made lanterns are set on top of bamboo sticks that are as tall as 20 meters, each stick is then tied to 3 more, carried by groups of people moving back and forth in the arena. The goal is to shake your own team's lantern so it hits the opponent's lanterns and put out their fires, or basically trying to destroy it.
A team is disqualified from the match if the candle inside the lantern is put out, or that it falls off the bamboo stick, broken or caught on fire. This traditional festival started in the Edo period and is currently in its 158th year of continued celebration.
The festival is regarded as one of the "Strange Festivals in Kanto Region", where large crowd of audience gather in fire hazardous area to watch the lanterns smash against each other, wax and fire ashes flying in the air, and the team members sweat as they shout and pushes their bamboo sticks.
It was indeed a magnificent sight to see everyone looking up to the night sky lit by festival lights and colorful lanterns spinning, smashing, some catches on fire and disappears to winter's thin air, some are tattered but the candle inside still glows steadily.
The local people told us this tradition started as a yearly Shindo celebration where the priests from the shrine pays visit to large households and smaller shrines, people were to wait outside holding tall-standing lanterns to guide the way. In order to get warmer in the cold winter nights, people squishes against each other started playing with the lanterns, one tries to hit while the others try to avoid. Eventually it become more competitive and rules emerged, now it is a winter sport that local businesses, city hall, and resident communities look forward to participating each year.
(Cedric, American CIR)
I was previously invited to participate in this festival not only as an observer, but also as a lantern warrior. After a pretty busy week, I wasn't feeling totally 100% ready to march into the frontlines with a bamboo stick in hand so, to the disappointment of my co-workers I decided to only act as an observer for the festival. My decision was further validated when the competitive round of the festival started I realized just how unprepared I was for the intensity and mayhem that occurred on the festival grounds. I was more than glad to just watch. At least that was the plan... After the competitive round ended, the more casual free round began and it was then that I was convinced by my wonderful colleague to suit and join the Koga City Hall team.
Like team sports, the key to standing your bamboo's ground is teamwork. Everybody had to be in sync to deliver powerful attacks to the enemy teams and swiftly avoid blows from other bamboo sticks. The Koga City Hall staff were more than happy to help us maneuver our pole, better position ourselves and warn us of dangerous spots. One can get a good idea of just how intense the bamboo alleyway was but, actually being in the heart of the action is a completely different story. It was crowded to the point where our entire team was locked in place for a while, the shouts of the team leaders' commands resonated everywhere, you could find yourself in a completely new area wondering "how in the world did I end up here".
At some point I was standing over one of our team leaders crouching on the ground with my legs on either side of his body, trying really hard to to fall over. It reminded me of the Caribbean Carnival crowds I participated in since I was a kid. It was an unforgettable experience and although we lost, I am forever grateful to have been convinced to join in on the action.
(Laura, French CIR)
After a beautiful day in Koga, we decided to participate in the lantern festival. After watching the competitive rounds, I thought it would be fun to actually do it myself with Cedric. It was one of the most unique experiences in my life. Honestly, I just tried to follow what they were doing and I hope I did not ruined their entire strategy. I am glad Cedric was there because I do not think I would have survived on my own! The other participants were really attentive so I am also grateful for that. I am not so sure about doing it again next year but if anyone has the opportunity to do it, you have to try it!
(Left: Laura CIR, Right: Cedric CIR.)
（グロリアＣＩＲ）
12月1日の土曜日，私たちは，毎年恒例の「古河提灯竿もみ祭り」に参加しました。
一般的に“提灯の祭”というと，美しい手作り提灯を水辺に流したり，夜空に掲げたりすることなどを思い浮かべることでしょう。でも，この祭の“提灯”は誰も想像できないものでしょう。
この祭りでは，20mを超える竹の先に手作りの提灯を据え，参加者が支えられながら，会場を練り歩きます。さらに敵チームの提灯に自分たちの提灯を当て，中の蝋燭を消し去れば勝利となります。消し去る，というより，むしろ，提灯もろとも破壊する，という方が合っているかもしれません。
このように，提灯の中にある蝋燭が消えてしまったり，提灯自体が焼け落ちてしまうと，そのチームは失格になります。この伝統は江戸時代から伝えられ，今年は第158回目とのことです。
また，この祭りは，“関東の奇祭”と評され，提灯がぶつかり合い，蝋や火花が飛び散る様を観客は喜び，主役である祭の参加者は冬空の中，汗をかきながら巨大な竹を操ります。
色とりどりの提灯の光に照らされた夜空を観客皆が上を見上げているのは壮観で，色とりどりの提灯は駒のように廻ったり，焼けながら冬の夜空に散っていきます。でも，戦いに耐え，ボロボロになっても持ちこたえる提灯もあり，蝋燭は未だ燃え盛っています。
地元の人の話では，この祭りは，神事として始まったのだそうです。当時の神官が新年のあいさつに出掛けている間，その帰りを待っていた若い神官たちは，寒空の中待ちくたびれ，誰ともなく温まるため体をぶつけ合い始めたのだとか。やがて，提灯の蝋燭を消しあう競技的なものに発展してきたのだそう。今や自治会や市役所など，各チームはこの恒例行事に参加するのを毎年楽しみにしています。
（セドリックＣＩＲ）
最初は，見学するだけと思っていたけれど，同じＣＩＲの同僚に誘われ，気が付いたら市役所チームの一員として参加していました！
巨大で重い竹は思いのまま動かすことはできないので，チームスポーツと同じくチームワークが大切です。チームが息を合せて，敵チームの提灯に攻撃したり，かわしたり。うまく市役所チームの皆さんがサポートしてくれました。
子供の時に参加した故郷のカーニバルを思い出しましたよ。とても良い経験になりました。参加して良かった！
（ローラＣＩＲ）
古河での素敵な日を過ごしたあと，夕方から提灯竿もみ祭に参加しました。競技もみを見ているうちに，やってみたくなり、同僚のセドリックを参加しました！人生でもかなり奇妙な体験でしたね。チームのみんなの動きに合わせようと頑張りました。セドリックが一緒でよかったです。一人ではとても耐えられなかった！市役所チームの皆さんに本当に良くしてもらいました。皆さんも機会があったら是非参加してみては？
