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Features: "Yamakasa: A runner writes." |
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Yamakasa: A runner writes.
By: Staff
In 1996 Trey Burley took part in the Yamakasa. Here are his recollections.
"It's the essence of being a Hakata Man" a friend of mine on the Higashi Nagare Yamakasa team told me before the race. While his comment made me feel even more select and privileged to participate in this ancient race of preserving good health, it didn't help me understand it one bit.
The clothes
First off all the shimekomi (fundoshi) is very comfortable. If it were easier to put on I'd wear it once a week. It does get extremely dirty and it definitely requires someone to assist in the process of getting dressed. There was one strong pull that didn't feel good and resembled a wedgie from boy scouts, but after 3 minutes the discomfort faded and my voice was down to a soprano.
The shoes are the most uncomfortable bit of the whole uniform. Basically there are cheap pairs and expensive pairs and if I did it again I would buy the more expensive ones as I ended up with blisters. I got the shimekomi from a shop in Fukuoka that seemed to sell nothing but fundoshi. It cost around 10,000yen (about $125US)
The invitation
I was initially asked if I was interested in running in early April - then a week later they said that I could join. We had 3 or 4 meetings that started about 5 weeks before the Yamakasa. All meetings were held in 100% Japanese, with cues being given to me, 'let's go to the bar' or 'pick this up now' etc. My Japanese is, and was, fairly limited, so if I could do it so can anyone. Lots of the locals near where we were practicing came out to watch and we even had a local, where the bar owner knew all the team.
The race
The rope that is held around the support poles is necessary and THE most important accessory, the float feels like the underbelly of a mechanical bull, with the rope the only means of contact .
Carrying the float was painful - and even though I carried it for only five blocks, gave me a bump on my shoulder that stucks out like Mount Fuji. I was in pain for two days. Even pushing the float was more gruelling than I had expected. 5 Km isn't that much of a distance, but during the race I lost all concept of time. It was, despite the pain, a lot of fun.
I don't know where the money comes from, where it goes, what the winner gets - or almost any of the other things associated with the Yamakasa festival. A fellow gaijin (foreigner) I met during the race put it all down to male bonding - and after taking part, it is still the best explanation I can come up with.
Trey Burley
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