Jakarta, IO – Several participants dressed in traditional Japanese clothing took part in the Mikoshi Parade during the Jak-Japan Matsuri 2024 at the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) East Parking Plaza, Saturday (14/9).
In Japanese culture, the Mikoshi is a harvest and summer festival where shrines are paraded around by dozens of people. It is believed to have religious value, symbolizing mounts of the gods.
The Mikoshi tradition was one of the top attractions at the festival, especially for the Indonesian people. The shouts of the bearers followed by the movement of shaking the shrine, are their way of staying enthusiastic while carrying the religious palanquin.
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Visitors are also treated to a Taiko drum performance beaten according to the rhythm of the bearers’ steps. Many of the visitors also wore traditional clothes and costumes which resembled Japanese anime characters. Furthermore, visitors can interact directly with Japanese culture such as participating in batik-making workshop with doll patterns and Japanese calligraphy, and Okinawan folk dance called Eisa.
This year’s festival was themed “Exploring Japan.” It also served as a forum for cultural exchange to strengthen people-to-people ties. (IO/Septo Kun Wijaya)