Odaiba - Part 2

As mentioned, the primary reason of our visit to Odaiba was to see Shimogo Town Yosakoi group perform. Clara had a couple of old friends in the Shimogo group and was excited to meet them again. Likewise, Yuki and I knew we would also see old old faces from the time we spent in Shimogo.

I really like watching Yosakoi and it seems a great activity for people of all ages to participate in. Good exercise and a great opportunity for local groups to socialise. I also imagine that these groups play an important role in returning some local pride to rural communities under threat.

I have to say that the Shimogo performance was excellent! The dance moves were choreographed to perfection (in my humble opinion), the costumes were vibrant and traditional, and the taiko drum sounded threatening. All the constituent pieces fitted together well and truly managed to communicate the Aizu spirit. Fantastic!

I really enjoyed meeting some of my old students again. They seemed pleased to see me and were happy to exchange a few words. I was taken aback to discover that some of my old students are now in their early 20s!

A nice trip down memory lane and reassuring to know that although we are gone from Shimogo, we are not yet forgotten.