They asked to carry me down a street during a parade. I refused a few times. Then I was carried on their shoulders as people yelled “washoi” as we marched down the center of a street in the parade.
It was my first weekend at my new school where I was teaching. My Manager and my lead teacher offered to take me to a local matsuri, or festival. Of course I went.
One of the first things I noticed was that no-one looked like me. I appeared to be the only non-Japanese person at the festival. Despite all the lively activities going on around me, I appeared to be of great interest to the people at the festival. It was strange and even a little intimidating, but also weirdly cool.
A group of people then became very friendly and wanted to talk to me. I spoke NO JAPANESES at the time so through my translator, I was asked if I wanted to ride on an omokoshi which was translated to me as a portable shrine. I said as politely as I could “Thanks for offering but no thanks”.
I thought it was strange for a group of people who don’t even know me to want to carry me on their shoulders down the street in a parade. But the reason I refused had to do with being carried on a portable shrine.
In my religious tradition, shrines were solemn and sacred and not to be celebrated on by people who don’t share the same beliefs. It didn’t seem right for me to take part in their festival.
They asked a few more times and I continued to politically decline their generous offer. Then, at the strong encouragement of my Head Teacher and translator, I finally accepted.
Here I was in my first week in Japan, being carried on the shoulders of men I did not know, while hundreds of people cheered and yelled “washoi” as they pointed at this strange foreign guy being carried down the street.
I later learned that I did exactly the right thing in refusing the first offers to be on the omikoshi. In Japan, you are supposed to politely refuse an offer of hospitality the first few times it is offered. Without even knowing it, I was a perfect guest. And I got to be carried down the street in a celebration.
Cool.