tranquility at festivities

festival season is coming up in japan and our neighborhood is in preparation mode. the bright lanterns marked with all the supporters' names are finally displayed. this is but the start of the festivities, or matsuri in japanese. festivals in japan are usually linked to the local shrine and depending on how large or how popular it is, the festivals can go as lavish and as festive as you can imagine.

our shrine is but a small but a very old one, apparently built back in the 1500's. just search for mikawashima inari shrine and only very few details would come up. with a shrine of such a small stature, the festivities are also minimal and culminates on the first week of june by a parade where the mikoshi (palanquin of the gods) will be carried out. food stalls will also be installed by then. quite rare but they also have a "mini" mikoshi carried by children, this alone promotes the idea to the next generation.

but before all that commotion, allow me to savor in the tranquility.

this is the third staging of this yearly festival after the pandemic when everything halted. yes, it is but a simple festival but a very hopeful one. it is a celebration of a small community in a small offshoot from the main road after all. nothing lavish, nothing extravagant. but i am pretty sure this yearly celebration will continue for ages. all these paper lanterns show how well loved this little shrine is. and with this much love around the community comes the peaceful and quite nature of our neighborhood.

this picture above was taken a year ago, the second year of the renewal. the physical houses might have changed, like that one house at the corner which was recently taken down. but the feelings and passion exuded has remained the same. i have always passed by this road on my way home and specially during festival season this road gives off that feeling of joy. probably it is nostalgia, probably it is love, probably is is peace. probably it is all of the above.

^{iso 50 | 1.3ev | f2.2 | 1/1000s | wb 4500k}

^{iso 1600 | -1.0ev | f1.7 | 1/10s | wb 5300k}

both of these shots were taken from the window of our apartment, one on a bright sunny day, and one on a cold rainy night. the shrine is somewhere there in the middle in those greeneries. who would have though that it is possible to find solace in a very residential area like ours.

tranquility can be easily found in retreats to the mountains, in clear running rivers, in wide wide meadows. but tranquility is not only found in nature, it can also be created by a community of similar minded individuals. where ever you are and whatever you do, when your heart is at peace, then that is tranquility to you. may you always find that peace within you.

as always, take care and stay safe.
AMPING KANUNAY!