MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- The 33rd Kintai Festival took place April 29 during the Japanese holiday, Showa Day, at Kikko Park near the Kintai Bridge area.
One of the major sightseeing events in the area, the festival drew more than 40,000 visitors. Main attractions included the Daimyo Procession, photo opportunities with kimono parade performers, a traditional Japanese samurai’s gunfire demonstration, a traditional Japanese Taiko Drum performance and local food vendors.
The Daimyo Procession was a traditional kimono parade and also a reproduction of the parade of the Iwakuni Castle Lord from the Edo period.
The parade did not only consist of Japanese nationals, but also included ten station members who retired their regular attire for the day and took on the roles of samurai warriors and lady maids for the festival.
The men were dressed and ready in less than a half hour. While they ate lunch and got familiarized with their new garb, the females were taken to a separate area where they were transformed from American women into Japanese lady maids.
The transformation took approximately two hours, compared to the 30 minutes it took for the males.
At the end of the make-up, hair and wardrobe change, the female volunteers looked like porcelain dolls with pale white skin, pink cheeks and thick black hair. “
It’s pretty snug,” said Trang Nguyen, a festival participant. “It took a while to get used to walking in these things too.”
After the service members were completely made over, they prepared for the procession.
Like a mosh pit pushing toward the edge of a stage, thousands of community members pushed and edged toward the bridge, trying to get the best view possible as the procession grew closer and closer.
Local Japanese started off the parade with dancing and chanting, moving across the bridge slowly with their ornate costumes and large balloon displays.
Finally as the grand finale, the station members prepared to cross the bridge. Women took small steps, moving slowly as men held on to their swords with one hand and waved to the crowd with the other.
The parade was over, but the festival was not. Station members then greeted the Japanese nationals, shaking hands and taking photos.
After changing and wiping off all the make-up, parade volunteers roamed the festival area to enjoy the local food vendors and experience the Japanese culture.
“It was really a great experience,” said Romulus Dieujuste, a festival participant. “Being able to put myself in someone else’s shoes for the day showed me a lot about the Japanese culture, and I’m really happy I was able to take part in this. I would definitely recommend that others do the same.”