Never ending festival season

Since arriving in Okinawa, I have been outdoors and by the beach more times than the 20-some odd years I've lived in Hawaii. I have never considered myself an outdoorsy person and I absolutely hate sand. It just gets EVERYWHERE. I don't really hike because I am also terrified of heights and a prime meal for mosquitos.

That being said, had I kept that attitude during the two months of being on this island, I would've cried for home a long time ago. I'd like to think that I adapt to new surroundings pretty well and I don't really experience much homesickness except for the food (I miss poke and poke bowls). My JTE's and coordinator at my school asked me if I experienced any culture shock since I've moved here but I don't think I have. Aside from being shocked at how hot it is here and the fact that there is only a working monorail in Naha, Okinawa is still very much Japan and I have visited Japan many times.

Another thing that I have done more times that I have in Hawaii is go to (mostly) ALL the festivals. Hawaii has a huge Okinawan population and every summer there are 3 (I think) major Okinawa festivals during the summer. I have only ever gone to one last year and it was the Mo'iliili Summer Festival.

It was my first night in Okinawa where I learned about eisa, a type of bon dance that young people do to pay respects to the community and honor the deceased. There is something about eisa that puts a smile on my face and I feel happy after watching it. I give eisa dancers a lot of credit for wearing the costumes they do, especially during the summer. Some troupes wear skin tight pants and long sleeve shirts. During the summer, I saw people with large garbage bins filled with water, throwing it on the ground to make a cooler surface for the dancers to walk on.

The first festival I went to was the 10,000 Eisa Dancers Parade on Kokusai Street in August and boy, was it HOT. I don't think I've sweated that much since summer in Tokyo two years ago. Pushing weather issues aside, this eisa parade is the largest summer festival in Okinawa which takes place every year on the first weekend of August on Kokusai Street. Eisa troupes are made up of youth and children's associations across the prefecture.

This festival was only the beginning of what I feel like is never ending festival season. Not that I'm complaining since it gives me something to look forward every few weeks. From most of the festivals that I've been to, I've seen Eisa at almost all of them.

One festival that was quite different from the rest was the Mid-Autumn Celebration at Shuri Castle. This is not your normal Japanese festival so don't expect to find festival food or the hustle and bustle of one. This is a festival where you have to use your inside voices to speak and enjoy traditional Okinawan culture. I must say that Shuri Castle at night is truly a sight to see.