The one thing I want to start doing more often during my time in Japan is to get involved with the culture. Not just the everyday task that I'll come accustomed to, but those that | have to get lost somewhere to discover. For the amount of time being here, I realized that the neighboring islands get really hyped when it comes to their customs. They will pretty much stop business and plan the rest of the day for the event later on.
Miyajima is one of those islands. Even though it's a small island, there's a lot of activities around there. And don't get me started on the deer that wander around trying to get attention and food from the tourist. Anyway, one of the events on the island is the annual Chinkasai. On December 31st, they have a fire festival to bring awareness on fire prevention since the surrounding buildings were made of wood and they are so close to each other there would the occasional fire.
It was a really exciting festival to be a part of. To be able to watch one fire become the seed for many torch fires that twinkle like stars in the night. They even had this one torch that was about ten feet tall that had to be carried by a few strong men. Even though | disliked waiting in the cold for a while for a good spot, when the fires started to burst, I was relieved that it started to get toasty.
It's definitely a must when it comes to planning the day for the new year. It was truly a good start for the beginning of my evening and the last few hours of the year 2019
Happy New Year!