Tunnel Club

Okayama

Sublime

友人の結婚式に演奏で切腹ピストルズという音楽集団が来ていた。

サイトや彼らの話から察するに、明治維新以降の日本の近代に疑問をもち、江戸から現代のオルタナティブを考察するべく、エレキギターでのパンクバンドから和楽器でのパンク連合に3.11後なったようだ。服も和装を現代的にカスタマイズしているみたいだ。

音も素晴らしくカッコ良かった。僕にとってはパンクである。

エレキギターだと苦情が来たり、警察が取り締まったりするが、和太鼓などの和楽器を使って道路で演奏していても、警察は取り締まらないどころか誘導など彼らのために交通整備すらしてくれる、という話が面白かった。

A music group named Seppuku Pistols came to my friend's wedding.

According to their website and conversation, after the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, they began doubting about Japanese modern era which started in 1868 (Meiji period). In order to investigate an alternative for the present from Edo period, they started this Punk association with Japanese musical instruments, finishing their ex-punk band with electric guitars. Their Japanese clothes also seems have contemporary customizes.

Their sound was very cool and wonderful. To me, it's punk music.

One of the member told me that the police do not control Seppuku Pistols playing Japanese instruments on the road, rather, the police help them to play, although the police controlled them when they played with electric guitars. This story interests me a lot.

式中、会食をしている時に、友人として来られていたお寺の僧侶さんと話をしていたのだが、その時彼が僕に「そんなに構えなくて良いですよ。」と言ってくれた。自分では全く意識していなかったが言われてみると、袈裟を着た僧侶を前にして、歳は近くても、話し方が堅くなっていたのかもしれない。

和太鼓の音楽や、僧侶など何百年以上続くものに対する崇高の念のようなものを立場や年を超えて無意識的に皆持っているのかもしれない。

During the wedding, I talked to a monk of Buddhism who came as a bride's friend.

He told me that I should not be so polite for him. I did not realize but I might have been serious and formal in front of the monk with Buddhistical clothes.

The things which last more than several hundred years such as music with Japanese instruments and a monk of Buddhism might make us feel sublime  beyond the status and age.

Ceremony in a shrine

結婚式も本当に素晴らしかった。現代、しかも田舎ではなく都市で、街や商店街を上げて皆で祝うような結婚式は今まで見たことも聞いたこともなかった。
二人の日々の活動の成果がこういう所にも現れているんだと思う。

The wedding was also great. I have never ever seen and heard a such wedding which is celebrated by many people of the town. It could happen in country side of Japan though. I think that is also a result of their daily activity.
Anyway, this is not a typical wedding in Japan anymore. Many Japanese couple prefer having the wedding in western style.

神社を出て切腹ピストルズの音とともに街を練り歩く。
Walk in the town with Seppuku Pistols's music after the shrine.

公民館で町内の人が祝いの踊りを披露。
Celebrating dance which I have never seen in the civic center. 

予定にはなかったらしいが、無茶ぶりで急にここでも演奏させられた切腹ピストルズさん
Seppuku Pistols was kind of forced to play also here, which was not in their time table...

雨模様だったため彼らの活動拠点の商店街で宴会、ここで町内会の人が歌とハーモニカで祝福。
Because of bad weather, the party was held in the shopping street where the couple live and work.
Old people from the neighborhood association celebrated them with harmonica, singing old Japanese songs.

3次会のカラオケ店の小便器からの眺め
View from a men's toilet of the Karaoke shop where we did afterparty.