Descendants of Emmanuel Kant were Punctual--A German Couple was Excited by the Parade of Mikoshi or Portable Shrines

[Date & Time] Sunday, April 12, at 10:00 ~ 15:00
[Spots] Tsurugaoka-Hachimangu Shrine
[Guests] A German Couple
[Attendant] 1 KSGG Member
[Language] German

The KSGG attendant, who had anticipated their late arrival on account of the railway checkup of the Yokosuka line, was relieved to find the couple at the west exit of Kamakura Station at 10 a.m. sharp. This reminded him that they were the descendants of Emmanuel Kant, who was famous for his punctuality. He proposed to visit Hasedera Temple first in order to stay away from the crowd of Kamakura festival, but the couple insisted that they see the Japanese festival, because they had fully enjoyed temples in Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima and Kumamoto during their 4-week trip, and would leave Japan the next day. At Hachimangu Shrine, they were disappointed to know that Yabusame, or a competition of “horseback archery,” which they had been anxious to watch, would be held on 18th. When the attendant showed them the shrine, however, crowds began to build up at noon. Miraculously, we met other KSGG members guiding JICA trainees in such a large crowd there. Mikoshi, or portable shrines, and floats dedicated by the shrine parishioners in Kamakura paraded Wakamiya-oji Street one after another. The husband kept taking pictures of the festivals.
As the festival got excited, it gradually became warmer and the spectators felt sweaty and thirsty. When the parade came to an end at around 2 p.m., the husband repeated the chant of “Wasshoi,” and said, “I wish I could have joined the parade to carry a Mikoshi on my shoulder.” The couple who loved festivals very much said, “On this Easter Sunday, we were able to see the best to end our stay in Japan,” with a look of satisfaction.
Incidentally, the husband said he was engaged in the production of eco-cars.