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| Summer Festival |
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| The blazing sun of the red sea only adds to the enthusiasm of the revellers at the Summer Festival |
Though it may be autumn in Japan, the brilliant sunshine and blue ocean as we approach the coast of Africa spell out summer for those onboard. As such they needed little enticing to don Yukata and spill out onto the deck for an event combining dancing, eating and the ubiquitous frothing jugs of chilled beer. Peace Boat's Summer Matsuri commenced with the pounding of drums as the Tomoekai group hailed a procession of gleaming torsos bowed under the weight of a home-made portable shrine called a mikoshi. To the cheers of passengers, the men ran a lap of the pool before an unlikely god burst forth from the mikoshi and joined them in a gymnastic display spelling out the kanji (written character) for 'Festival on the hot deck'. Further feats of endurance followed with participants struggling to be the fastest to swallow draughts of crushed ice and prove their strength in arm wrestling contests. Festivities were adjourned temporarily as a formal Kaiseki (Japanese style) dinner gave everyone the chance to become nostalgic about food from home, or, in the case of some international guests, try Japanese delicacies for the first time. For anyone still peckish, the enticing smells of yaki-soba and okonomiyaki (traditional summer foods) drifted with the haze of the barbecue across Neptune deck and the relative cool of the evening brought out still more colourful robes. Even the International Students were seen wearing Japanese summer wear and joining passengers ina jubilant Bon Odori dance under the light of the full moon. |
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PEACE BOAT is an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. |
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