Last January 14th, me and friends went to Dontosai festival here in Sendai. It`s quite interesting watching this kind of Festival in Japan. It is also my first experience, I felt that this kind of festival was quite interesting and exciting because people are throwing their new year`s decorations into a bonfire. But my Japanese friends taught us what to expect and what to do during Dontosai. They told us that the Dontosai Festival is a ritual unique to Miyagi and takes place at various shrines throughout the prefecture every year on January 14. The largest one is held at Osaki Hachimangu Shrine in Sendai City, it is also the place where we went for Hatsumode during New Year`s day. Every year, attendees gather their New Year’s decorations from the previous year and toss them into a bonfire as a prayer for health and good fortune in the coming year. Perhaps the most famous spectacle is the hadaka-mairi (naked pilgrimage), where large groups of pilgrims clad only in traditional loincloths and torso wrap brave the cold and march silently through the streets to pay their respects at the shrine.
As what my friend told us casual visitors needn't only watch. We are also welcome to pray at the shrine and participate in the bonfire ritual. After ringing in the new year with prayer, visitors can buy a fortune from the shrine that divulges what the coming year holds in store for them. Numerous food and drink stalls line the sidewalks and shrine grounds, selling modern and traditional Japanese fare: oyaki (steamed buns stuffed with various fillings), ramen, amazake (a sweet rice-based beverage), and more. Living for almost a year in Sendai is very meaningful, exciting, and memorable. I got the chance to experience the culture of Japan and the culture of Miyagi.
JOHN
