Boston Herald: Japanese celebrations are fun, for goodness' sake
The Japanese must have some of the weirdest festivals in the world. Take the Staring Festival Niramekko Obisha held here once a year. Booze, belly laughs, banter and jigs. At the very least, you have to admire their thinking: Sure, ancient divination rites to determine the success of an upcoming harvest are important, but with a little tweaking and plenty of free sake we also could stage the wildest staring contest in the world! So the call goes out each Jan. 20, and the merry folk of Chiba gather at Kamagata Shrine. On arrival, revelers are briefed, seated in pairs and served tiny cups of rice wine. They then let loose with the gawking, for the name of the game is to crack up without being cracked up. A noble art, much valued in this region....more...
