| February 1, 2009 |
In Pictures – Celebrating the Equator Crossing and the New Year |
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Although Peace Boat's 64th Voyage departed from Japan in January 2009, a large New Year celebration was held onboard on January 31. Participants held their own version of the “Red and White Singing Contest”, a traditional event held on New Year's Eve in Japan. Everything from traditional Japanese enka songs to pop to hip hop was represented as the Red and White teams contested to be named the better singers. |
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The crowd waited in anticipation as the votes were counted. Each of the eminent judges cast a colored ball, red for women and white for men, to show their preference. Despite a valiant effort by the White Team, including special appearances by guest educator Tanaka Yu and Kenyan musicians the Sengenya Stars, the Red Team cheered in triumph as the sign declaring their victory was raised. Among the judges for the contest were guest educators Judy Mwangi, Hayakawa Chiaki and Mwatela “Baba” Masai, all from Kenya. |
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After the singing contest, the energized audience moved to the top deck of the ship, where the Japanese-style bar Namihei hosted a party to celebrate Mona Lisa’s passing the Equator. In Japanese, the Equator is called “the Red Line,” and Peace Boat’s voyage director Inoue Nao and events coordinator Mizuno “Cap” Hidetaka invited participants to jump over a red rope to symbolize the crossing. |
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The Equator festival included the debut performance of guest educator Nohara Hiroko’s gospel choir. Ms Nohara, who is onboard the ship for several weeks, has been teaching participants the magic of gospel singing every morning on the ship. To celebrate crossing the Equator, the group sang the well-known hymns “Joyful Joyful” and “Happy Day.” After the choir’s Equator performance, party-goers stayed up dancing under the stars until the early hours of the morning. |
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The festivities continued the next morning, as participants rubbed the sleep from their eyes and donned Japanese costumes such as the kimono and yukata to take part in the mochi (rice cake) pounding celebration, a long-held tradition to celebrate the New Year. |
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Participants were served freshly pounded mochi topped with kinako (sweetened soybean flour ) and sweet red azuki beans, which are both traditional New Year’s treats in Japan. Sake was also served as participants chatted under the morning sun and enjoyed their first day in the Southern Hemisphere as the ship made its way to Kenya. |
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