jinego festival and some traditional sports

Last weekend I went to a summer festival in the tiny village of Jinego where Doug lives. It was small and cute, and probably my last summer festival of the season. A little gaijin girl was running around the festival quite strangely, she's in one of the videos.

I love this pic!

Doug helped with the carrying (or haphhazard hurling, rather) of small wooden structures towards the shrine

Lady serving sake to the men participants

I also stumbled upon Brett's kyudo practice during Doug's karate tournament. So I tried out kyudo and liked it. After both we checked out some waterfalls.

Brett demonstrating his superior kyudo skills

Jez trying it out

At the karate tournament

Matthew and Doug pose like junior high school boys

Bears are dangerous and so is garbage!

Last Friday was the annual regional English speech competition that my students had been practicing for quite hard, with me as their coach! (Another traditional Japanese sport - speech giving!) They both did extremely well. One of them, who recited a tragic Hiroshima story, won a second place prize!

Kenta (looking less than thrilled with his "good" certificate), Masaki with his prize, me and one of my fellow English teachers