Firefly Festival In Hirota Town

I spent Thursday and Friday in the Fifth Circle of Hell, better known as the Matsuyama City Driver's License Center. After two exhausting days trudging through red tape and practicing mind-numbing exercises such as saying "left - back - left - OK" and executing turns while keeping my car exactly 30 cm from the curb and not a 1/4 cm further, I FINALLY passed the test and obtained my Japanese driving license.

Ureshii desu...this is big news!

Afterwards I met Janet for coffee and then it was off to her home in Hirota Town for the remainder of the weekend. We were joined on Saturday by Keri (Tobe) and Dustin and Doreen (Uchiko) and participated in the town's Firefly Festival.

Great weather, delicious food, plenty of beer, wonderful company, music, and a live taiko performance starring none other than Janet herself...what more could one ask for? Here are some photos from the celebration...

Keri (left), Janet (center), Doreen (right) pose in the beer garden

Doreen snapped this photo of me just after she, Janet and I "threw elbows" with the obasans. The white stuff all over my face is mochi flour. Mochi-throwing is a staple at any large Japanese event. The town officials stand on an elevated stage while the crowd gathers below. They throw mochi (a sweet made from pounded Japanese rice) for the audience to catch. And this is where it gets ugly...the mochi usually hits you in the head or body and hurts like a son-of-a-gun with people pushing, shoving, and scrambling to catch it.

Justin and Doreen are kicking back...

...while Janet strikes a pose in her taiko happi - just look at this warrior stance! The entire Hirota taiko group was truly fierce! First we were treated to an adorable performance from the childrens' taiko group. After two pieces the children turned the stage over to the adult group. Janet stood front and center for the first song, impressing us all with her mastery of the taiko drums, zen-like focus, and sheer strength. I must admit, I was a bit relieved that she didn't BREAK THE DRUMSTICK like she did at her last performance! During the second song, the audience was captivated by the groups' leader who led the band through a dazzling ensemble that was one part percussion and one part dance.