==JAPAN: KM== [School Life]

It grows darker and darker. Nothing is to be heard except the sound of a drum. Seeing the sights around there, it seems that autumn has already come. Nothing can be seen except for about seven hundred men on the large ground and they have made three big circles around a pile of firewood. They all hold their breath and everything keeps silent for some time. Then, suddenly, the sound of firecrackers resounds and torches are kindled at a distant place. They approach the ground little by little. After the torches are carried to the center of the circles, the firewood is lit. At that very moment, the fire blazes up. Our high school festival has begun.
Our high school was built about one hundred year ago. Before World War II, it played a role as a military academy. Under these circumstances, an all-male festival became the tradition. When we all learn the history and the tradition behind the festival, our eagerness about it increases as the celebration day approaches. Leaders for it are picked out and practice for the festival is going on almost every day.
The sun has already set, and a sense of tension covers the whole area. And again, the sound of the drum resounds in a monotonous rhythm as if to shatter the silence. At the same time, the three big circles begin to move in the same direction and we begin to dance and sing at the top of our voices. Most songs are very old and familiar for us and the dance is the same as a Bon dance. Judging from this, this festival has a very simple and primitive form, but still seems to have mysterious power.
As we sing more than ten songs and dance, the sense of strain gradually changes into that of an uplift. The scene looks as if the fire in the center of the circles has blazed up into the sky even more. All of us are beside ourselves with the singing and the dancing and are immersed in the atmosphere. Under such conditions, we prepare for "Scrum" which is the greatest event in the festival. The three big circles become as small and tight as possible and we bend forward with our hands tightly crossed and interlocking with each other. Keeping the form tight, we go around the fire. The state of it looks as if it were a storm. We think of nothing else and only move our feet most earnestly, so we are unconscious of the lapse of time. As soon as we finish the "Scrum", all of us shout in great delight all over the field. After our excitement peaks, the festival soon finishes.
When we return to our classrooms, there are presents of food given to us by the schoolgirls. They take part in the festival by making rice balls and many cups of juice and tea and so on. Of course, this makes us more excited, so we make noise again. Though the situation is out of control, little by little the whole festival finishes.
By having the festival, it seems that we can form our own personalities at that stage of our growing up. In spite of needing time to grow, we have to study hard every day for entering college. After all, the high school life is apt to feel somewhat empty. Since it is true that we can go along the career path we desire by entering college, in some sense, high school hardships may have enough significance. It seems that many high school students in Japan tend to think so at present. In such a difficult high school life, it is evident that we can relax by doing a festival. Since studying is what each of us must do by ourselves, we can't help feeling loneliness. To some extent, we may not be able to avoid feeling it, but we don't desire it.
This festival can't be completed by the power of only one person. When each student cooperates and makes an effort, it succeeds beyond expectation. This will apply to all things. In such circumstances, we find ourselves surrounded by many people and learn how important it is for everybody to accomplish things with a spirit of cooperation. Also, we learn what large power we can create. Though we seldom tell about what we had got through this festival, we all must be keeping it in mind forever.

COMMENT When I finished reading your essay about an interesting school festival, I was also reminded of my high school festival. Your school festival is so different from mine. My high school has a long history and tradition as yours. But concerning school festival, nothing has been taken over. It was sure that I had a good time on school festival day, but I wished some traditional event was carried out. So your school festival is very special and holds something solemn. I wish I had joined in your school festival. But anyway I can't join in your school's event, because I'm a girl. If you like, will you show me pictures of your high school festival?

MAKI HORIUCHI