ng. Within a few minutes, several people were already helping out.I don't like to get up early on my days off, so I was slow to make my way downstairs. Besides, as you must know by now, I like to take pictures to document events. So when I opened my third-floor window and saw all of the action going on below, I realized I had a great vantage point from which to snap some pictures.
I tried to do so without drawing any attention to myself, but that didn't work. Nevertheless, I took several pictures over the course of about 10 minutes before I finally headed downstairs to take part in the cleaning.
I tried to do so without drawing any attention to myself, but that didn't work. Nevertheless, I took several pictures over the course of about 10 minutes before I finally headed downstairs to take part in the cleaning.
By the time I got down there, there were so many people helping out that I felt like I was getting in the way. So what did I do? Well, I took more pictures, trying to capture just the right mood on film.
Naturally, some of the volunteers shook their heads at me, as if I were not taking the job at hand seriously. But that didn't bother me. I had a job to do and I was doing it, even if it wasn't the job that most of them wanted to see me do.
The cleaning essentially worked as follows: A couple of people went ahead of the pack and removed some gutter covers. The pack, which must have numbered about 30-40 at one point, then followed, with the leaders moving the fire hose into place and shooting water through the gutters, thereby flushing stones and other debris downhill and eventually into the river. The rest of the crowd followed, holding on to the fire hose and moving it when necessary. Finally, someone would replace the gutter covers. The process was repeated over and over.
The leaders were members of the volunteer fire department. Everyone else was someone from the neighborhood. Besides the leaders, no one was assigned to any particular duty. So I did everything from holding the hose, to removing gutter covers, to replacing gutter covers, to standing around, to taking pictures.
Most of the people were involved with the holding-of-the-hose part of the job. Which means that most of the people could have stayed home.
But in Japan, as far as I know, showing up is at least as important as participating. And I guess looking busy is important, too.
So in between taking pictures, I held on to the hose valiantly, wondering what the point was. And wondering why we couldn't be more practical about the whole affair.
Instead of figuring out an efficient way of moving the heavy hose, such as placing it in an appropriate place and then leaving most of it on the ground until it had to be moved again, for example, just about everyone grabbed the entire stretch of hose and held on to it practically the whole time. And since there were so many people holding a fairly short stretch of hose, you could usually just put one finger underneath the hose and pretend you were "working." Sometimes there wasn't even an opportunity to hold the hose. During those times, you just had to stand
around and act important. Or take pictures.
This one elderly lady must have thought she was Queen of the Mighty Hose. She constantly made a great effort to pick up the hose before anyone else. And she kept moving the hose, even when it wasn't necessary. And she always stayed near the front of the pack, ready for action. How about a nice round of applause for the Queen?
One time when the Queen was standing right behind me, I momentarily took my hands (fingers?) off the hose to snap a couple of pictures. Right away, I caught an earful from her. But I ignored her. Besides, I don't understand Japanese, right?
One of the strangest moments of the day came when the firefighters started to clean the river! Sure enough, they climbed down into (what
remains of) the river and appeared to be trying to move rocks and other natural debris downstream. I have no idea what that was all about. Any ideas?
Around 11:45, nearly four hours after we had started, we had made our way throughout the whole neighborhood and passed the reins (reigns? rains?) on to the next squad.
The cleaning was a lot easier than I expected. I'm glad I showed up to do my part, especially since that gives me a few more brownie points with the locals. Even the Queen must have forgiven me, since she was talking to me at the after-party. Long live the Queen!
Naturally, some of the volunteers shook their heads at me, as if I were not taking the job at hand seriously. But that didn't bother me. I had a job to do and I was doing it, even if it wasn't the job that most of them wanted to see me do.
The cleaning essentially worked as follows: A couple of people went ahead of the pack and removed some gutter covers. The pack, which must have numbered about 30-40 at one point, then followed, with the leaders moving the fire hose into place and shooting water through the gutters, thereby flushing stones and other debris downhill and eventually into the river. The rest of the crowd followed, holding on to the fire hose and moving it when necessary. Finally, someone would replace the gutter covers. The process was repeated over and over.
The leaders were members of the volunteer fire department. Everyone else was someone from the neighborhood. Besides the leaders, no one was assigned to any particular duty. So I did everything from holding the hose, to removing gutter covers, to replacing gutter covers, to standing around, to taking pictures.
Most of the people were involved with the holding-of-the-hose part of the job. Which means that most of the people could have stayed home.
But in Japan, as far as I know, showing up is at least as important as participating. And I guess looking busy is important, too.
So in between taking pictures, I held on to the hose valiantly, wondering what the point was. And wondering why we couldn't be more practical about the whole affair.
Instead of figuring out an efficient way of moving the heavy hose, such as placing it in an appropriate place and then leaving most of it on the ground until it had to be moved again, for example, just about everyone grabbed the entire stretch of hose and held on to it practically the whole time. And since there were so many people holding a fairly short stretch of hose, you could usually just put one finger underneath the hose and pretend you were "working." Sometimes there wasn't even an opportunity to hold the hose. During those times, you just had to stand
around and act important. Or take pictures.This one elderly lady must have thought she was Queen of the Mighty Hose. She constantly made a great effort to pick up the hose before anyone else. And she kept moving the hose, even when it wasn't necessary. And she always stayed near the front of the pack, ready for action. How about a nice round of applause for the Queen?
One time when the Queen was standing right behind me, I momentarily took my hands (fingers?) off the hose to snap a couple of pictures. Right away, I caught an earful from her. But I ignored her. Besides, I don't understand Japanese, right?
One of the strangest moments of the day came when the firefighters started to clean the river! Sure enough, they climbed down into (what
remains of) the river and appeared to be trying to move rocks and other natural debris downstream. I have no idea what that was all about. Any ideas?Around 11:45, nearly four hours after we had started, we had made our way throughout the whole neighborhood and passed the reins (reigns? rains?) on to the next squad.
The cleaning was a lot easier than I expected. I'm glad I showed up to do my part, especially since that gives me a few more brownie points with the locals. Even the Queen must have forgiven me, since she was talking to me at the after-party. Long live the Queen!
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