アジサイ祭り

This past Saturday evening my taiko team performed at Ajisai Matsuri, held at one of the Buddhist temples in my town. This temple is one of the "Flower temples" of Noto, and right now all the Ajisai flowers that grow around the temple are in bloom, so they had their annual festival! 

The team rolled up around 5:45 under dark clouds and drizzling rain. Due to the weather, an area for our performance was set up inside the main temple building. We offloaded our 5 huge taiko drums and the three small accompanying drums and then hustled into a back room to change into our performance wear, each of us clothed in black head to toe. 

Presently the head priest and others began giving their speeches and soon we were asked to get on standby. We headed to the stage area where our drums were concealed from the audience' view behind a huge curtain. We took our places behind our drums, the curtain was drawn, and with blinding lights shining on us we began to play! 

Our performance was the first of several acts which were the entertainment for the evening. We were followed by a group of gentleman who told a story, instruments players, and even a local singer. After we were finished drumming we retired to our tatami room to have a small feast of festival food; ramen, fried chicken, french fries, and takoyaki.

After dinner I went on a little walk on the temple grounds. As I said the Ajisai flowers are in bloom right now, so the grounds are covered in bushes with bunches of blue, pink, and purple flowers. There is a path that winds up the side of the mountain and then loops back down in a return path, but since it was so dark and rainy I could not see much while I was walking. Normally there are lanterns and candles lining everything during the festival, but since there was so much rain they were unable to completely light everything up this year.

On Monday, after work, I returned to the temple so I could see more of it in the daylight. It is absolutely charming! I walked up the path again, this time able to see all the flowers and scenery around me. I also discovered that the path is lined with statues of different Buddhist figures who each protect people of a specific year in the Chinese zodiac.

The steps leading up to the temple, separate staircases for men and women.

Protector of Year of the Horse people

The altar inside the temple