And, what an opportunity it was. I love dancing among other things, but to be able to become part of the Aomori performance, help carry the Nebuta, and be part of something big at Tokyo Dome... the feeling and experience is indescribable.
One eye opening perk of the experience was getting to walk through the tunnels and by the locker rooms of Tokyo Dome, places where presumably only employees, athletes, and performers have walked. I guess I now qualify as a performer, two times on that day anyway!
And after the first performance, I was insanely hungry... moving around and carrying a 4 ton float and dancing, while not being trained for such activity, does that to me.... lucky for me this happened to be Furusato Matsuri, where food from everywhere in Japan was offered! I needed fuel for the second performance later, so I had Hokkaido snow crab, Hokkaido ramen, Hokkaido ice cream, and Okinawa soba, all in one afternoon!!!
I do feel very, very, fortunate to have landed this gig. As a "gaijin" it's natural to have some fears/hesitation to join a group/event such as this one, and I didn't even know I'd be the only gaijin in the group. I know others would love this type of experience, though, and I can only offer the advice of "keep your eyes open" for these types of opportunities, especially on Facebook of all places... and "fortune favors the bold". Even I tend to be antisocial/shy to new settings/people, but I put that away for the sake of assisting others, as well as for my own wonderful experience as a Furusato Matsuri performer. And I had the privilege of sharing the experience with some very cool people...
For now my achy tired body will rest, while the mind reminisces that unique experience from yesterday... and I still have a weekend ahead of me to enjoy!
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