I get invited to the most unique events and places as a result of CouchSurfers and friends. Enter Maychew, Microsoft, and a Mayan ceremony. These are just a few examples of places and events I would have never seen had it not been for being invited. Tyler would invite me to an undokai (sporting festival) at one of the schools he teaches English at. Though it's a large school, there's a miniscule population of six students. You might wonder why? Many of the smaller cities and towns on Shikoku (as well as on Kyushu) are depopulating rapidly as a result of the younger generation seeking better opportunities in Osaka, Nagoya, Tokyo, and other large cities. Some of these towns have existed for many centuries yet many lay abandoned. One abandoned town is decorated with dolls resembling people who have moved away or passed away. As the only school in the tiny town of Ichiu is closing down, this will be the last undokai festival held. Tyler invited me the other day but I was a bit reluctant because I was just at a big sporting festival on Norfolk Island, so I figured they were pretty much the same. I couldn't have been more wrong! Sawing wood, relay races, balancing, unicycling, and many other events would be the highlight.
The school has more unicycles than students. The Tokushima mascot visited.
The community, including the elderly people and even the police participate in the various events, which makes an undokai very different to sporting events in the West. Gift-giving is a very common practice in Japan, and the prizes for participating are useful things such as bar soap, laundry powder, and so forth. In one event I had to put three unpeeled chestnuts (with the spiky outer husk) and in a basket I wear on my back and then grab a wrapped sandwich off the hook with my teeth.
The most daunting event was the wood-cutting competition. Each participant had to cut off a piece of the wood whilst a couple of guys sat on each log to weigh it down.
The final event was a big relay race. I didn't have proper running shoes so I ran barefoot. Whilst I didn't participate in all of the events, it seemed my team won every time. Why do I always talk about myself? It should be about the event. It was a great time at something unexpected today. An undokai festival is a definite highlight of you're up for a taste of local Japan.
