“I thought you wanted to change the festival?”

“That was before someone said my shrine’s festival was inappropriate!” Shiraishi sounded rather annoyed, but Akiko was struggling not to laugh.

“Well, Kazumi seems enthusiastic about it.”

“And why not?” Shiraishi suddenly stopped, and then sighed. “Noriko is at least partly right. We still can’t have topless women running around; that’s against the law. But we’re going to have the mikoshi race.” Akiko nodded.

“I think we need to stay as close as possible to the original form of the festival. Otherwise the Aramitama might not be satisfied.”

“Did you see those mikoshi? We can’t afford anything like that. They’ll have to be…”

Suddenly, they heard shouting from the entrance to the shrine, and it sounded like an argument.

“Oh, not again…” Shiraishi’s expression was weary as she stood up, and Akiko followed her down the steps.

The scene was all too familiar; a bloc of protesters separating the guards from a group of people who wanted to enter the shrine. There seemed to be at least half a dozen different arguments going on at once, and a few people were going quite red in the face. Akiko paused half way down the steps and switched her vision over, looking at the pollution. As usual, the guards had very little kegare, while the protesters were heavy with it, creatures that looked like roaches with dozens of legs leaping from one protester to the next, leaving sticky threads linking them. Beyond, the visitors, some of whom Akiko recognised, also had heavy kegare, kegare that smelled of burning plastic and clung to them like smoke and oil. She hoped that they had come for a harae, because they clearly needed it.

“Look, please let them through!” Shiraishi was shouting as loudly as she could, but Akiko could barely hear her over the noise, and the protesters paid no attention at all. The guards had heard, though, and, glancing up, one started pushing forward, the others following.

The protesters pushed back, still shouting their protests. The guards pushed harder, and one of the protesters stumbled, grabbing the guard in front of him to avoid falling.

And then the guard stumbled, swearing, and Akiko realised that he’d been kicked in the shins. He struck back before Akiko could say anything, and this time the other protesters saw it as well, one of them swinging a fist at the guard, who dodged easily and returned it.

“Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!” Akiko yelled, as she ran down the steps and into the melee, trying to push people apart. “Stop it this instant! I’ll call the police!”

She staggered as a solid blow landed on her back, and then slipped as another one caught her face.

She cried out, and as she fell to her knees realised that the fighters had pulled back, stopping as, she thought, they realised what they were doing.

“What on earth do you think you are doing?” Shiraishi sounded really angry now, and Akiko could see her rage was directed equally at the protesters and the guards. “Get out of the way now! Go on! Move!”

The protesters scattered, apparently somewhat shocked at what they had done, and the guards sheepishly retreated up the steps. Shiraishi came to the bottom to help Akiko to her feet.

“Are you all right?”

06: Wild Festival, Episode 40 | 5 Comments »

Akiko sat in the kitchen, holding an ice pack to her cheek, watching Shiraishi pace back and forth, her anger still visible.

“What do they think they are doing?”, “I should call the police.”, “Really, we can’t put up with this!”

Every so often she would turn to Akiko and put her annoyance into words, but then turn away again without waiting for an answer.

“Why don’t you call the police?” Akiko asked, at last. “They actually started a fight this time.”

“Yes, but who started it? And who would testify?” The priest stopped pacing, and turned to look at Akiko. “And anyway, everyone’s…” She was interrupted by the doorbell. Taking a deep breath, and another, she smoothed down her vestments. “You wait here.” The priest left, to answer the door.

“Revd Shiraishi, I hope that this is not a bad time.” Akiko recognised Mr Fujimura’s voice, and immediately dropped the ice, jumping to her feet and hurrying out into the corridor.

“Not at all. Won’t you come in?” Shiraishi turned as Mr Fujimura stepped up into the house, and spotted Akiko. “Ah, Ms Tanahata. Would you make us some tea?” Akiko could still hear the anger, but Shiraishi was clearly trying to keep it under control.

“…entirely appropriate?” Akiko only caught the end of Mr Fujimura’s sentence as she entered the room, but it was easy enough to guess what he was asking; Noriko must have contacted him.

“It is an old tradition of our shrine.” Akiko could tell that Shiraishi had deliberately kept the answer brief.

“Not all of the old traditions were good ones. There was too much corruption from Buddhism in the old days. Now,” Mr Fujimura had clearly spotted that Shiraishi was about to interrupt, “I know that it doesn’t sound like there is much Buddhist about this festival, but equally just because it is old does not mean that it is good. Ms Yamanaka mentioned races with the mikoshi; such things are surely below the dignity of a kami, of a shrine.”

“The kami have many aspects, Mr Fujimura. We must not neglect any of them.” Shiraishi’s reply was very stiff.

“Could there not be more respectful ways to honour them?”

“A wild festival is appropriate to the wild aspect of a kami.”

“The Aramitama? But surely that is a very primitive concept, one that Shinto has largely left behind as it has developed.”

“Violence and passion are still with us. As we are all too aware. Mr Fujimura, are you aware of what the th… people you have sent to this shrine have done?”

“I’m sorry?”

Shiraishi quickly outlined what had happened.

“That sort of violence is clearly inappropriate at a shrine, and disrespectful to the kami. If you can’t keep your people under control, you shouldn’t be lecturing us about out festivals,” she concluded.

Mr Fujimura’s face had darkened during the account, and as the priest finished speaking he bowed deeply.

“I am most truly sorry for their excesses. If you will excuse me, I will go to talk to them immediately, and ensure that such a thing does not happen again.”

“Very well,” Shiraishi said, and then, after a pause, “Thank you.”

Mr Fujimura got up, and, bowing again, left.

06: Wild Festival, Episode 40 | 2 Comments »

“Akiko, tell me honestly. What do you think about the wild festival?” Shiraishi was pacing again, but not from anger this time.

“Er…” Akiko wasn’t sure how to answer. “Well, we have to hold it.”

“But is it appropriate?”

“It’s very appropriate to Tamao’s Aramitama. Carrying the kami around in a mad race? Yes, that seems to fit perfectly.”

“And the nudity?”

“Ah.” Akiko could feel herself blushing. “I’m sure we could do something about that. I don’t know. Have everyone wear coats or something.”

“Happi coats?” Shiraishi asked. Akiko pictured the short coats that people often wore at festivals.

“Well, we’d have to tie them closed, at least for the women.” She paused, looking at the priest and thinking about her reactions. “Revd Shiraishi, weren’t you more dubious about the festival?”

“That was before people started criticising the tradition of my shrine! Inappropriate, indeed.” She sighed. “Even if the happi coats would work, we can’t afford the mikoshi. And I really don’t think we can do the festival without them.”

Remembering the visions, and the images in the record book, Akiko had to agree. The mikoshi had looked spectacular, and very, very expensive. Before she could make any suggestions, however, the doorbell rang again.

“Who is it this time?” Shiraishi sounded exasperated, but went to the door anyway, Akiko tagging along in case it was important.

“Oh, Akira. Nice to see you.”

“Nice to see you, too.” He paused for a moment, looking at them. “Is everything all right? There were no protesters, but you don’t look happy.”

Quickly, they filled him in on the problems, first the fight, and then the problems with the wild festival.

“You are sure you have to hold this festival?”

“Yes,” Akiko said, quickly, and Shiraishi was also nodding. “The kami told us to.” Akira looked surprised, and a bit sceptical, looking between them as if waiting to be let in on the joke. Slowly, his expression changed, becoming more fearful.

“The kami…” he began, and then shook his head. “In that case, you really do have to hold it. Let me know if I can help.”

“Have you got a spare twenty million yen or so for the mikoshi?” Shiraishi asked.

“Ah, sorry…”

“I was teasing, Akira. Thank you for the offer, we will need all the help we can get. Anyway, what can we do for you?”

“Ah. Yes. Er… I came to talk to Akiko, actually.”

“Oh.” The priest seemed nonplussed for a moment, but then she got to her feet, nodding. “Well, then, I’ll just, er, go and, mm, check on the shrine grounds.”

Akiko looked up, a bit puzzled, but Shiraishi had already hurried out of the room.

“Er, Akiko,” Akira began, and Akiko looked back at him. “I was wondering whether you’d like to have dinner again this week.”

“That’s very kind, but I don’t think I can. There’s too much going on at the shrine. And probably outside…” Akiko fell silent as she realised just how stricken Akira looked.

I’m an idiot, she thought. How could I not have noticed until now? And what do I do?

“Maybe when things have settled down a bit?” she ventured. Akira still didn’t look happy, but he nodded, and, after a few stilted pleasantries, excused himself.

Well, that’s an additional complication I didn’t need, Akiko thought, as she cleared the table.

06: Wild Festival, Episode 40 | 2 Comments »

Akiko was exhausted, and slumped down in the car seat as soon as she had fastened her belt. Shiraishi glanced over.

“That was the last one for today.” Akiko nodded, glancing out of the window. The house they’d just purified was clear, but she could still see the kegare hanging over the buildings around it, like a clinging mist, coiling around windows and doors. She tried to shift her vision back, but couldn’t quite get it to shift. Instead, she closed her eyes, leaning back in the chair.

“We should get back to the shrine,” she said. “Make sure Kazumi’s OK.”

“I’m sure she’s fine,” Shiraishi said, as she started the car. “She’s a lot more responsible than she seems.” Akiko had to admit that that was true. Kazumi always did the things she said she would do, and she really seemed to like being at the shrine. Akiko thought she understood part of the reason; every time she went out into the city, the kegare seemed to suck her energy away. “Still,” the priest continued, “I do want to check on the festival preparations. Make sure she hasn’t cancelled the order for happi coats.” Akiko smiled, and opened her eyes to look at the priest.

“Or loincloths.” Shiraishi chuckled, and then shook her head.

“We’re not being fair to her. Apart from after the cleaning” — Akiko was sure Shiraishi was blushing — “it’s mostly just been teasing you. A lot of girls wear those short skirts, and Kazumi puts trousers on underneath now.”

“Ah, but she’s very enthusiastic about helping to carry the mikoshi.” Akiko was grinning, and Shiraishi risked flashing a quick grin back, before looking back at the road, her face turning sober.

“Seriously. We should stop making fun of her behind her back. She’s a great help.”

“She is.” Akiko had to agree. Kazumi seemed to be spending all her free time at the shrine, and even though it was taking her a while to get the ceremonial movements right she was surprisingly good at cleaning and basic office work. And she’d thrown herself into the festival preparations with great enthusiasm; with the surge in the number of requests for purification, she’d ended up doing most of the organising, and it seemed to be going well. “Weren’t the posters being delivered to…” Akiko looked idly out of the window as she asked, and cut herself off with a gasp.

“Stop the car.”

Shiraishi quickly pulled over. Akiko got out, and walked back to the junction.

It was still there. One of the side streets seemed to vanish into a solid bank of black cloud, its surface whipping and churning silently, while the smell of ash stung at Akiko’s nostrils. Even at this distance, Akiko started to feel grit on her skin, as if tiny particles of smoke were lodging inside her clothes.

“Kegare?” the priest asked, coming up beside her. Akiko nodded.

“Really dense. I can’t see down this street at all. How does it look to you?”

“Well… A bit dirty; there’s a fair bit of litter about, and some graffiti. The houses could do with some paint, and there are a couple of small blocks of flats that look older than I am. But… Nothing really remarkable.”

“Is that a park?” Akiko pointed at a patch of land right on the edge of the cloud.

“Yes. Nothing but a broken set of swings in it.”

“OK. We can do the harae there.”

Shiraishi looked at her, concern on her face.

“Are you sure? We can come back.”

“We should do it now,” Akiko replied. “I don’t want to leave that.”

They collected the equipment from the back of the car and went over to the park, the ash now a taste in Akiko’s mouth. She resisted the urge to spit, but all her clothes felt gritty, and every step was uncomfortable. She had Shiraishi stand just outside the cloud, and readied the kagurasuzu as the priest began the norito.

There was no reaction from the cloud. Akiko couldn’t see any change in the boiling patterns, and no spirits emerged to confront the priest. The light began to build up in the ohnusa, and the taste of ashes faded from Akiko’s mouth. She looked around, but while there were a handful of kegare spirits on the houses behind them, they were keeping their distance, slinking behind the roof line as Akiko glanced in their direction.

Shiraishi picked up the ohnusa and swung it, light flooding off it and washing over Akiko, briefly lifting her exhaustion. The smoke dissolved in the light, swept back, and Akiko caught a glimpse of something more solid retreating, withdrawing from the brilliance.

The priest swung the ohnusa again, and again the light dissolved the smoke. But, Akiko suddenly realised, only the same smoke. It had come pouring back as the first wave of light had faded. Shiraishi swung the ohnusa for the third and last time, and as she stopped the smoke flowed back to its original position, a boiling wall in front of her.

The priest turned to look at Akiko, and Akiko shook her head.

“It made no difference. Do it again.”

Shiraishi looked shocked, but she turned back to the smoke and began reciting the norito once more. There was still no response from the smoke, although the buildings outside it had been somewhat purified, so that there were now no spirits at all watching them.

Again, the light pouring from the ohnusa drove the smoke back, but, again, the smoke just flowed back to its original position. Shiraishi looked at Akiko again, and she shook her head once more.

“It’s not properly cleansing it. Hold on…” Raising the kagurasuzu before her, Akiko walked slowly towards the smoke. It showed no reaction, even when she was standing right up against it. Taking a deep breath, which smelled of dead ashes, Akiko stepped into it.

She felt ashes on her skin, on her tongue, heavy in her hair. She could see nothing, but ash got into her eyes, leaving them streaming with tears, and there was nothing but ash on the air, ash that filled her lungs, starting her coughing, and she couldn’t stop, falling to her knees, her hand sinking into a deep layer of ash as she tried to steady herself.

Pushing off the ground, she flung herself backwards, into the light, kneeling on the ground in the park and coughing up black phlegm.

As her eyes cleared, the wall of smoke still rose into the sky before her, completely unmoved.

06: Wild Festival, Episode 40 | 1 Comment »

The area of smoke had disappeared when they returned the following day, and although the houses it had covered had been heavy with kegare, a harae performed from the park had cleared away a lot of it. Not quite all, though.

The problem was that, while everyone was worried, no-one had any suggestions for action. Even Yoshiko had had nothing useful to add, although she did approve of their plan to hold the wild festival, and had mentioned that she needed to teach Akiko something. What Akiko thought they really needed to do, and Shiraishi agreed, was talk to Tamao.

The kami, however, seemed to be avoiding them. Akiko was starting to suspect that it was because he was too embarrassed to admit that he had no idea either.

The preparations for the festival were almost complete, and a few of the ujiko were participating enthusiastically. The plans for the simple, cheap, and light mikoshi had been made, and an ujiko with a carpentry business was making them right now. They’d seen the samples for the happi, and the loincloths had arrived; Shiraishi was fretting that they’d ordered too many, and that no-one would want to help carry the mikoshi, particularly the women.

That morning, the posters they had ordered had come back from the printers. Akiko thought they looked really good, with a photograph of the iwakura against a background of trees and a reproduction of the men’s mikoshi from the book. Now, she was out in her miko’s vestments (Shiraishi’s idea) trying to convince people to put them in windows.

Akiko kept checking the kegare as she walked around the area. It was heavy, getting heavier, and she could see more damage, and more vandalism, when she looked at the mundane world. The kegare spirits she saw seemed to be running away from her; that was, she supposed, a good thing.

The first place she tried was a post office, where a number of community posters were displayed in the lobby.

“I’m sorry, we don’t display religious posters.” The manager didn’t sound very apologetic.

“There’s a poster about Zen there at the moment,” Akiko pointed out.

“That’s scholarship, not religion.” At that point, Akiko was sure she wouldn’t win, but she couldn’t let herself give up just yet.

“Well, this is more of a community event than a religious thing. We don’t require any prayers or anything.”

“No. We won’t advertise it. Sorry.”

On impulse, Akiko checked the kegare. The whole building was heavy with it, blackish slime running down the walls and hanging in ropes from the ceiling to drip onto the desks. The manager seemed to be covered in flies, their droning whine filling Akiko’s ears. She quickly switched back, apologised, and left.

The next stop was the supermarket across the road.

“Oh, is this for the wild festival?” the manager asked, before Akiko could say anything. “Can I see?” He took a poster from her and held it up. “Looks like fun. Yes, we can put one or two of these up for you.”

“Thank you.”

“Oh, no problem. It should liven the area up a bit. Actually, are you having businesses sponsor lanterns or anything? We’d probably want to do something like that.”

“Ah, good point. I’ll have to check with Revd Shiraishi and get back to you.”

Now, that was more like it.

06: Wild Festival, Episode 41 | 4 Comments »

Akiko could hear the chanting as she approached the shrine.

“No to Shinto! No to Fascism!”

Well, I half agree, she thought with a sigh. As the entrance came into view she could see the protesters marching in circles in front of the shrine, while the guards watched them from the steps. Akiko spotted Mrs Watanabe among the protesters, and was suddenly overcome by an urge to cry. It passed in a moment, but she couldn’t meet the woman’s eyes, and hurried past and up the steps, barely nodding to the guards as she passed.

It wasn’t Tamao, she reminded herself, but that wasn’t much help.

She was half way to the shrine house before she realised that Satomi was at the shrine, and walking towards her. She stopped, and quickly forced a smile.

“Satomi! How are you?”

“OK, how are you?” Satomi didn’t, Akiko realised, look OK. She looked exhausted, at the very least. Quickly, Akiko shifted to look at kegare. For a moment, she thought Satomi was clean, but then she realised that there were lines of fungus running under her skin, showing through like veins, bursting through at various points in clusters of slimy stalks. Repressing the shudder, she switched back.

“Fine. We’re just getting ready for the festival.”

“Yes, I heard about that. Someone said it was a naked festival.”

“Well, sort of. Loincloths and happi coats.”

“Yes, but that’s what “naked festival” actually means, isn’t it.”

“Well, yes, usually.”

“And I saw one of the posters.” Akiko was surprised. Akira and Kazumi must have started getting them up really quickly. “It said there was a women’s mikoshi.”

“Do you want to help carry it?” Akiko thought she might, and that would get Satomi involved in a harae, which she clearly needed.

“Ah… Do the women also wear loincloths and happi?”

Akiko could feel herself blushing as she nodded.

“But that would put your bottom on display to the whole world!” Akiko had been trying not to think about that part, and just nodded again, sure that her face was bright red. “Are you going to be helping carry it?” Akiko nodded again. That was something else she’d been trying not to think about, but there was no way she could get out of the obligation. “Hmph. Well, it all sounds a bit too embarrassing to me. I don’t think I’m going to help with that, sorry.”

“Oh, no problem. You could still come along, though.”

“Hmm. Yes, I suppose there’s also the men’s mikoshi to watch, isn’t there.” Satomi’s smile was, Akiko thought, supposed to be light-hearted, but it didn’t quite make it.

“Well, yes. And the other ceremonies.”

“I guess the key question is whether all the men are going to be fat and middle-aged.” Satomi’s smile really seemed forced, now, and Akiko started to worry. This was out of character; what was going on?

“Not all, no. At least some young men.”

“Oh well, then, I’ll have to be sure to be there.”

“Do you want a purification ceremony first?” Akiko blurted out. She was sure that it was the right thing to say, but she couldn’t quite work out why.

“What? No. Why would I…? No. Must be going. Thanks for the offer. But no. Bye.” Satomi was almost hurrying out of the shrine, and Akiko stood, staring after her, for some time. That really wasn’t like Satomi at all.

06: Wild Festival, Episode 41 | 2 Comments »

The festival was less than a week away, and the protesters were not letting up on the pressure. The posters had drawn attention, and Shiraishi had organised a scheme for people and businesses to sponsor lanterns. Akiko was astonished at how many people had, especially when Shiraishi pointed out that the festival was already in the black. She’d even started talking about saving up for proper mikoshi, although apparently a proper mikoshi would cost almost as much as a new building for the shrine.

Noriko and Kazumi were still coming every day, Kazumi quite openly complaining that she felt lousy when she wasn’t at the shrine. Noriko was less vocal about it, but when Akiko asked her, she admitted that she hadn’t been feeling well lately, and did feel better at the shrine. The pall of kegare over the city meant that Akiko was not that surprised.

The kegare was also reaching into the edge of the shrine grounds. She and Shiraishi had had to start purifying the grounds twice a day, morning and evening, and they were even thinking about whether a noon purification would be wise. The problem with that, however, was that they were constantly being called out to purify the homes of the ujiko and their friends. So far, all the purifications inside houses had been successful, but Akiko was sure that the kegare was getting heavier.

She found herself praying that the festival would work. Which didn’t really make much sense.

Noriko normally arrived just after the morning purification, but that day she arrived before it, with Mr Fujimura. He greeted Shiraishi politely, and asked to attend the purification before discussing things with her. Akiko could easily guess what he wanted to talk about, and quickly shifted to look at his kegare. He had more than usual, but it looked superficial, insects and mould that had fallen off the polluted things around him. Really, he was as clean as ever.

After the purification, Shiraishi asked him what he wanted.

“Can we talk privately?” he asked

“If it’s about the festival, I’d rather talk here.”

Mr Fujimura looked at her for a moment, apparently thinking, and then nodded.

“Very well.” He paused, looking around the shrine as if gathering his thoughts. “The festivals at a shrine play a vital role in setting its character, and in determining the example it sets to the local community. I’m sure you agree.”

“Yes, of course.”

“Well, can you not also see that this festival would set entirely the wrong sort of example? Men and women running around virtually naked! Is that likely to promote respect for the kami?”

“I would say that “virtually naked” is overstating the case, Mr Fujimura. They will be wearing happi and loincloths.”

“People are calling it a naked festival,” he pointed out.

“That’s beyond my control,” Shiraishi said.

“But my point is that it matters what people think of the shrine, what impression it gives. This festival is creating the wrong impression.”

Shiraishi frowned, apparently thinking.

“That is true.” Mr Fujimura began to smile, but the priest continued. “However, the relationship between the shrine and the kami is more important. The kami has asked for this festival. Whatever people think, we are going to hold it.”

06: Wild Festival, Episode 41 | 1 Comment »