Day 44 Spaghetti and a Festiva

Today we traded the pilgrimage trail for the train, traveling from Tokushima to Niihama for the Taiko Festival. Before we had even left the station area, we came across a team practicing with its enormous drum float. A promising welcome—and we already had someone to cheer for tonight.

We left our excess luggage in a station locker and walked through town, stopping at a supermarket on the way to our apartment. Having a kitchen and washing machine felt positively luxurious. Laundry went in, groceries came out, and we actually cooked dinner: spaghetti, meat sauce and salad! Sometimes the exotic meal you crave in Japan is something you would make at home.

Then we headed out for the evening’s entertainment. The approach was surprisingly quiet, briefly raising concerns that we had managed to miss another festival. Those concerns disappeared when we reached the gathering.

Nine magnificent floats competed, their elaborate gold decorations glowing against the night sky. Each team brought its float before the judges and performed a routine of lifting, rocking and tossing. The strength and coordination below were impressive enough, but the men standing on the narrow carrying poles added another dimension—balancing through all that movement while directing their teams. It looked like a determined attempt to shake them off, although staying aboard was clearly part of the skill!

The festival grew from autumn celebrations thanking the local guardian deities for a good harvest. As Niihama prospered through copper mining, neighborhood rivalry helped the floats grow larger and more elaborate. Tonight, that community pride was very much alive.

After their individual performances, all nine lined up above a crowd of families, children riding on shoulders and teams in matching festival coats. What a sight.

We left before the winner was announced, but we had already chosen ours: Kin’ei, the red-coated team we had encountered earlier.

Clean clothes, homemade spaghetti and a spectacular local festival. A very successful day off the trail.Read more