A week after my first sailing experience, I went down the hill for another day of learning.
I met Mr. Kyokuta at the bay at 8:45am in the morning sun. Before setting out, he taught me how to put up and down the main sail. Understanding how to do this quickly is very important, for if the winds grow strong the main sail must be brought down. Mr. Kyokuta told me that the previous day there were quick gusts of wind that were so powerful that the men cleaning the skyscraper windows had to come down. Upon finishing his detailed lesson, he told me that sailing is simple, but each step must be done correctly, for a small mistake can lead to big trouble.
After the lesson, we headed out to the body of the bay. There was much less traffic and less wind than the previous week, so we motored our way south. Mr. Kyokuta gave me control of the rudder, as we headed down to the eastern tip of the Miura peninsula. With little wind and no need to worry about the sails, I
had much more success keeping the boat straight. As we turned around, I handed back the rudder with more skill and confidence. I still do not know how to sail with the wind, but I have more knowledge on how to keep the boat steady.
After the lesson from Mr. Kyokuta had ended, I set my eyes to the beauty of the scenery. The southeastern edge of the peninsula was less populated and filled with green hills and beaches. With a clear path ahead, I turned my attention to the water. What Grace, what Speech. The colors, shapes and movement of the surface absorbed me. The head traffic of earth living left, and peace came. Time left and the dance of creation entered.
Eventually, we cruised back to the port. We left the gentle breeze behind and were hit by overpowering heat. This made the anchoring, fender tying and general clean-up duties more difficult, but we made it back to land. Mr. Kyokuta bought me a soda, and we said goodbye at 3:00pm. I am very grateful for his teaching and the opportunity to sail.
I quickly made it back up the hill, showered, prayed and then headed back down to Oppama Station. In the streets across from the station, the annual festival was taking place in the streets.
The festival was attended by a variety of people. There were Japanese, tourists from the west and a large amount of Brazilians. (Note: There are currently around 250,000 Brazilians living in Japan. I have heard that in the last 150 years, the Brazilian government gave large lots of land to the Japanese and attracted many to migrate to the country. The Brazilians
who live in Japan are descendents of those immigrants and have been accepted back as full citizens. There is a large community of Brazilians in Oppama, of which appear to be more of causation or Native American descent than Japanese.) Many women and young girls dressed in yukata, a cotton summer dress with bright colors that looks very similar to the silk komono. People were happy and the festive spirit was alive.
When I arrived, a group was playing taiko, large drums, in the street. They pounded very hard, creating a powerful beat with synchronized sounds, dress and hand motions. It was very entertaining and the crowd appreciated their efforts with a lengthy applause. Later a group of about
20-30 young men and women carried an omikoshi, a shrine (the size of piano on its back) that is believed to protect the town. This was an intense ritual, filled with chanting, shouting and much motion. After, there was a dance competition between 10-15 dance troupes. Each troupe had their own costume and routine, but all danced to the same flute song at the same time. Afterward was a show from the Brazilians. The show consisted of about 20 women dressed in Carnival costumes, who danced around a sports car and six drummers.
The revealing dress and dancing style seemed very out of place, but the crowds seemed to enjoy it. This ended the festival, and I headed back up the hill to rest up for the week.
I met Mr. Kyokuta at the bay at 8:45am in the morning sun. Before setting out, he taught me how to put up and down the main sail. Understanding how to do this quickly is very important, for if the winds grow strong the main sail must be brought down. Mr. Kyokuta told me that the previous day there were quick gusts of wind that were so powerful that the men cleaning the skyscraper windows had to come down. Upon finishing his detailed lesson, he told me that sailing is simple, but each step must be done correctly, for a small mistake can lead to big trouble.After the lesson, we headed out to the body of the bay. There was much less traffic and less wind than the previous week, so we motored our way south. Mr. Kyokuta gave me control of the rudder, as we headed down to the eastern tip of the Miura peninsula. With little wind and no need to worry about the sails, I
had much more success keeping the boat straight. As we turned around, I handed back the rudder with more skill and confidence. I still do not know how to sail with the wind, but I have more knowledge on how to keep the boat steady.After the lesson from Mr. Kyokuta had ended, I set my eyes to the beauty of the scenery. The southeastern edge of the peninsula was less populated and filled with green hills and beaches. With a clear path ahead, I turned my attention to the water. What Grace, what Speech. The colors, shapes and movement of the surface absorbed me. The head traffic of earth living left, and peace came. Time left and the dance of creation entered.
Eventually, we cruised back to the port. We left the gentle breeze behind and were hit by overpowering heat. This made the anchoring, fender tying and general clean-up duties more difficult, but we made it back to land. Mr. Kyokuta bought me a soda, and we said goodbye at 3:00pm. I am very grateful for his teaching and the opportunity to sail.
I quickly made it back up the hill, showered, prayed and then headed back down to Oppama Station. In the streets across from the station, the annual festival was taking place in the streets.
The festival was attended by a variety of people. There were Japanese, tourists from the west and a large amount of Brazilians. (Note: There are currently around 250,000 Brazilians living in Japan. I have heard that in the last 150 years, the Brazilian government gave large lots of land to the Japanese and attracted many to migrate to the country. The Brazilians
who live in Japan are descendents of those immigrants and have been accepted back as full citizens. There is a large community of Brazilians in Oppama, of which appear to be more of causation or Native American descent than Japanese.) Many women and young girls dressed in yukata, a cotton summer dress with bright colors that looks very similar to the silk komono. People were happy and the festive spirit was alive.When I arrived, a group was playing taiko, large drums, in the street. They pounded very hard, creating a powerful beat with synchronized sounds, dress and hand motions. It was very entertaining and the crowd appreciated their efforts with a lengthy applause. Later a group of about
20-30 young men and women carried an omikoshi, a shrine (the size of piano on its back) that is believed to protect the town. This was an intense ritual, filled with chanting, shouting and much motion. After, there was a dance competition between 10-15 dance troupes. Each troupe had their own costume and routine, but all danced to the same flute song at the same time. Afterward was a show from the Brazilians. The show consisted of about 20 women dressed in Carnival costumes, who danced around a sports car and six drummers.
The revealing dress and dancing style seemed very out of place, but the crowds seemed to enjoy it. This ended the festival, and I headed back up the hill to rest up for the week. 
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