School Festival: Day 2

The school festival this year was awesome. The students worked so hard to make everything perfect. In the morning some students performed a Kagura. Last year it was like a low-budget-ghetto Kagura, with crappy costumes and minimal special effects. This year someone must have injected some money or maybe a local kagura group offered their costumes because it was so much better!! There were three amazing dragon costumes with lots of smoke and fire-breathing. It only lasted 45 mins which was a bonus as well. Kagura is a tradition in this area but once you have seen one, you really don't need to see 15 more (every festival, every weekend at the mall, etc).

Then the drama club performed a very moving play. Or maybe it was a really shitty play. I couldn't understand anything.

The teachers also performed a play, again, didn't understand a thing. BUT at one point one of the English teachers stabbed and killed one of the math teachers with a samurai sword. That part was really funny because it was the math teacher who is really funny looking and who talks to himself all day.

After lunch the students had options. They could go around to all the classrooms and check out the displays, games, etc, or they could watch the concert in the gym. The concert was amazing!! So many of students have these hidden musical talents. At least 5 different bands got on stage to perform various Japanese songs and a few English songs as well. They actually sounded good! One of the teachers described the music as "very hard rock". My favorite was a group of 5 grade 12 girls dressed in flashy neon yukatas. Two on electric guitars, drums, keyboard, and lead vocals. I will post a picture of them soon.

At the closing ceremony the winners of the choral competition were announced. For some reason this is a big thing for the 12th graders. It was made even more dramatic by turning off the lights and having two spot lights scan the crowd in anticipation. Then a drum roll....the overall winner is 3-1 class!!! Instant SCREAMING and wales of joys. The tears start to flow (including the guys) and they all come up on the stage to sing their winning song again.

So it's great to hear their song again because I really don't remember what they sang. BUT they are all crying! Singing and crying and wiping their tears all at the same time. It's great to see such emotion, too bad it's only during sports day and school festival.