Are You Going to Edo Fair?
(Sorta Related Festival Image)
Ah, the end of summer.
It's Renaissance Fair time hereabout and I have been thinking — Wouldn't it be a great thing to have such a festival with a Nippon flavor?
I can't claim to have any real idea just how to set up such a thing, but imagine a grand fair based loosely on Edo (and whatever other bits one might glean from pre-Meiji Yamato) recreating and interpreting it all in the same manner of costume, demonstrations (by dojos, cooks, craft-makers, etc.) and role-playing —and naturally, anachronisms — as the Renaissance Fairs (or perhaps more accurately) on huge permanent fairgrounds built in proper form and style.
Ostensibly, it would not be pop-culture driven (meaning no overt anime/manga/gaming cosplay or references), but since the impression of the eras is filtered through popular media, there would almost inevitably be some influence on style. (^ω^)
This could be a once-a-year event, or be used to commemorate the various season festivals, or both.
If this idea proves promising and popular enough, maybe something can be organized — and I would especially love to hear from anyone who might be able to contribute to an effort (or knows someone who might)!
Image from Gelbooru
i like my samurai days more on the ronin side of town nyah :3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aapf1khiQMk
Who am I to argue? (^ω^)
nyaha^^
"A warrior is not measured by his skills, but by his heart." >:3
Ah, so that is why they go at it with sharp weapons: to extract the heart to measure its worth! And here I thought they just enjoyed fighting..... (^∇^)
bushido is not the way of the sword, but the way of a warrior's virtue nyah :3
"if you live by the sword, you'll die by the knife" - armageddon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1D4-4xfxKg0
You're preaching to the choir: I walk the true path of the warrior... which is a bit of trick in full-length hakama, especially when there are stairs... (^ω-)/
nyah? :3
I'm a member of a batto do dojo, training with the katana. Success lies in mastering oneself, the sword is just an application of that inner strength and clarity. (^_^)
I don't know where you are living, but in the U.S. there is a thing called the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), and they have members who replicate early Japanese history and dress - the "kingdoms" gather frequently for competitions and social interaction . . .check it out, maybe this is what you are looking for. :D
I am familiar with SCA "replications", and find them a bit... lacking. SCA seems to have gotten a bit too much into just LARPing... Or perhaps more accurately, too stuck in their own specific fantasies and "reenactments" sans much real cultural insight nor comprehension accessible outside their particular pastime.
I am pondering something a bit more substantial and less cliquish, with something of a more festival — even educational — atmosphere in a fully realized setting.
IT would be rather complicated to set up, I suppose: castle construction just isn't what it used to be.... (^_^)
I've been to Little Tokyo in L.A. and Nihon machi in San Francisco . . . no castles, but it would be relatively easy to organize tradition Edo period fair with food and activities . . . shop owners and such would probably be willing to participate.
I very good idea that would almost justify a visit to relatives in the bay area... but it's a bit far from where I am, unfortunately.
Twitter, e-mail . . . contact a cultural org in J town and ask - I'll do a bit of research on similar events in S.F. . . . this sounds like FUN!! 8O
"we have to stop meeting like this . . ." :P here's a bit of information I just pulled out of my hat . . .Edo Fair – Here’s quick ideas:
The 11th Japantown Kimono Day - Come in Kimono and have fun in shopping and dining at Japantown – you could probably help to organize a similar day focusing on Edo Period dress with food and taiko, ondo, etc, depending on the season. This could be held indoors in the event of rainy or cold weather.
Sunday Streets - Various locations throughout Japantown, San Francisco - http://sundaystreetssf.com/
This (Edo Sunday) could be a way to introduce an event - hold one or two Edo Sundays to evaluate the interest, then go from there ... e-mail: bookindian@hotmail.com
Hm... a good idea. To bad I am too far from SF to try it out.
On the other hand, I might see if there are some local groups that might be willing and able, lack of a real local Japantown notwithstanding...