Oh,
yes. We can hear the sound of the bamboo fifes and the drums - pi-hyo-ro
dondondon. Let me see... at the head of the procession is the
corps of fifes and drums, accompanied by those who played important
roles in the Meiji Restoration. Mike, it says so here in the guide
book, too. Look, there's an explanation in English on the back.
マイク
いや、いや。日本語の方が分かりやすいですよ。英語版はいい加減なものが多いですからね。
Mike
No,
that's alright. The Japanese explanation is much easier to understand.
Many English translations are not very accurate.
And
it's much more interesting to read about the history of Japan in Japanese.
But Hiroko and Gorô are taking their time, aren't they? I wonder what's
happened to them.
マイク
この人出だし、迷ったのかもしれませんね。
Mike
There's
such a crowd, they may have got lost.
明子
あ、江戸時代がすぎて、次は安土桃山時代の行列です。
Akiko
Oh,
the Edo Period has passed by, and now it's the Azuchi-Momoyama Period
procession.
マイク
「織田信長の上洛の列」ですね。明子さん、すみませんが、このカメラで写真をお願いします。
Mike
That
must be Oda Nobunaga's procession on the way to Kyoto. Akiko, could
you take pictures with this camera, please?
明子
はい。じゃ、鎌倉時代の「やぶさめの列」が来てますから、それを入れて撮りましょうか。
Akiko
Alright.
Shall I take one of the Kamakura Period Yabusame detachment with you?
I
learned about it in history at junior high school. It was a competitive
game in which soldiers of the Kamakura Period shoot arrows at a target
while on horseback. They look very brave, don't they?
Not
at all, but don't you think Jidai Matsuri is interesting? You can
sit in one place and watch one thousand years of history, from the
Meiji Restoration going back to the Heian Period, just like a picture
scroll unrolling.
