Usagi Yojimbo DojoBoard

Japan has a lot of really strange festivals and celebrations, and the Ujimushi Matsuri (Maggot Festival) of Toyokawa in Aichi Prefecture is certainly one of them.

Basically, men dress up as feudal peasants and get so staggeringly drunk that they dance, then fall down on roads, wriggling like maggots.

The festival, officially called the Wakaba Matsuri, dates back to feudal times when the lord of the area held banquets for the peasants, rewarding them for their hard work. After eating and drinking all they could, they would fall asleep on the side of the roads, too full to move.

It is called the Maggot Festival, because the Ushiku Hachimanja Shrine around all this takes place is devoted to maggots and they are worshipped as deities.

I think I'll have Usagi avoid this celebration.

Stan Sakai wrote:Basically, men dress up as feudal peasants and get so staggeringly drunk that they dance, then fall down on roads, wriggling like maggots.

Well, that's...

...interesting.

Stan Sakai wrote:Japan has a lot of really strange festivals and celebrations, and the Ujimushi Matsuri (Maggot Festival) of Toyokawa in Aichi Prefecture is certainly one of them....

heh heh that's awesome! What a hilarious (from my whitey perspective) thing to have as a deity. The celebration itself makes sense... reward for good harvest ...a big feast ... lots of sake.

Stan Sakai wrote:... I think I'll have Usagi avoid this celebration.

awww! Too bad. That would be so much fun! I bet it would be a blast to draw too. Think of the educational value. Another side of the relationship of the daimyo class and their peasants - you don't often see too much positive stuff.

Besides, it's not much weirder than one legged umbrella obakemono.

I think I'll have Usagi avoid this celebration.

I don't blame him or you, Sakai-sensei. Besides, why would a honorable gentleman samurai like Usagi go to a crazy festival like that? I would'nt.
Espically with that maggot thing you mentioned....

*shudders*

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww......

Sounds like the perfect festivel for Gen, though

What's the problem with maggots ? They don't eat them, I suppose ? Not more digusting than mescal, methinks.

I don't see why would Usagi despise such a festival. Drinking (binge drinking ?) was one of the rare pleasures peasants could afford. And venerating maggots is as respectable as eating a wafer of unleavened bread and pretending it's the body of your God.

Besides, I read that Japanese and Asians in general had a lower resistance to alcohol than other populations. That doesn't help matters.

shaxper wrote:Sounds like the perfect festivel for Gen, though

Agreed! I wouldn't mind having a few rounds myself.

Nice story Stan... never heard of this festival, and I thought a few things we did here were strange!

tayocham wrote:

shaxper wrote:Sounds like the perfect festivel for Gen, though

Agreed! I wouldn't mind having a few rounds myself.

Excellent point!!! I'd really love to see Gennosuke go crazier than he really is!!

I'm sure the title of this festival sounds a lot better in Japanese.

Personally, I'd like to see Usagi get ripped out of his mind. I wonder what kind of drunk would he be? An angry drunk? A sad drunk? Happy? Amorous?

estee wrote:I'm sure the title of this festival sounds a lot better in Japanese.

Personally, I'd like to see Usagi get ripped out of his mind. I wonder what kind of drunk would he be? An angry drunk? A sad drunk? Happy? Amorous?

Sounds like a perfect idea for a story. Usagi sitting around drinking sake with someone, recalling his life story and going through the differant emotional states, starting with happy and amorous then angry and sad as he recalls the various turns his love life has taken.

But wouldn't it be unhonorable for a samurai to be drunk beyond control? Not to mention the danger of being caught unaware or unable to react to a threat...

I think I wouldn't like to see Usagi wallow in the dirt, p***ed as a parrot, which seems to be the whole point of that festival. (Oh yeah, to be drunk to honor some maggot deity, sounds like a good idea at the time... )

no, It wouldn't make sense for Usagi to actually participate in the festivities as he's not a peasant. I was thinking of having him wander into town, observe the festival and have it's history explained to him by a friendly innkeeper or some such... whilst having a dignified cup of sake perhaps.

I just think it would be a fun and fascinating additional bit in one of the story arcs.