Crazy Cultural Exchange -- Shishi with a tattoo
上山田神楽保存会はほぼ毎週木曜日にある公民館で練習をしています。私が獅子笛をやっていまして、いつも参加している訳。その日に興味がありそうなお客様、特に海外からの方に一緒に行くように誘う。
その中で、最近のこういう交流がかなりワイルドになってきた。オーストラリアからのＴｅｎａｒｒａさんは派手な刺青があって、獅子舞を体験した時に刺青のある獅子となって面白かった。その次の週はまたオーストラリアからのお客さんで、また獅子舞を体験した。位置は獅子の頭とその後ろの人のさらに後ろで、三人で入っていました。お酒のせいかもしれませんが、足６本の獅子を見た様な気がします。
お神楽の皆がこの国際交流に慣れていて、毎回毎回の練習が楽しくなっている。外国から来た方は観光臭い場面じゃなくて、思い切り「普通」なこの上山田の生活と触れ合えて、大喜び。
こういうワイルドな国際交流を体験したいならば、どうぞ、亀清旅館へご連絡を下さい。
The Kamiyamada Kagura Preservation Society holds shishi lion (dog?) dance practices pretty much every Thursday night. As I play the shishi flute, I try to attend as often as possible. And if we have interested guests here at Kamesei Ryokan, especially guests from overseas, I take them with me to the practice.
Lately, these mini-cultural exchanges have become a bit wild. Last week, Tenarra from Australia came sporting some pretty colorful tattoes. It made for quite a sight when she took a turn inside the shishi head. Ever heard of the movie "Girl with a Dragon Tattoo"? With Tenarra doing the shishi dance, it was "Lion with a Girl with a Tattoo".
Then at the next week's practice, I brought along some more guests from Australia. The big, hairy, intrepid traveller tried being the rear of the shishi, so with one member doing the head, another in back demonstrating how the rear moves, and this huge Aussie in the back-back, we had something that I'd never seen before. Maybe it was just the sake, but I could've sworn I saw a six-legged shishi lion!
Thanks to all of these visitors from overseas, our shishi practices never become dull. And for the visitors, it's a rare opportunity to get beyond the typical commercial sightseeing rut and actually get to experience a real, living slice of life here in the Japanese countryside.
If you, too, would like to experience one of these wild cultural exchanges, feel free to contact us here at Kamesei Ryokan to make arrangements.
