Tokyo Daily Life｜Cherry Blossom Viewing in Kawagoe and the Fox Wedding

Last Saturday, I went to Kawagoe to enjoy the cherry blossoms. After a week of continuous rain, the weekend finally brought warm and sunny weather. The cherry blossoms along the small riverside behind Hikawa Shrine were in full bloom. At the shrine, I drew a "Year of Great Fortune" omikuji, which is the highest blessing, and also got a limited-edition sakura-themed goshuin. I laid out a picnic mat by the river and sat there, watching the leisurely boats drift back and forth. Perhaps because I’ve moved to Tokyo, where beautiful cherry blossoms are everywhere, I no longer feel the urgency to chase after them. Instead, I simply sat by the river until the afternoon. In the evening, as I was heading back, I passed through the shopping street and unexpectedly stumbled upon a fox wedding procession. In Japanese folklore, sunshowers are said to be the time when foxes secretly hold their weddings, known as "Kitsune no Yomeiri." Although there was no sunshower today, I happened upon a fantastical parade under streets adorned with carp streamers 🎏. The bride wore a white wedding kimono and a fox mask, while the wedding procession carried lanterns, starting from the shrine and slowly making their way forward. The sound of bamboo flutes and rhythmic drumbeats created an atmosphere as if I had wandered into an otherworldly realm or stepped into one of Akira Kurosawa’s vivid and eerie dreamscapes. At the end of the procession, a cheerful woman enthusiastically showed off her long fox tail to the onlookers. Children couldn’t resist touching it. When she reached me, she gave a sly smile, turned her head, and showed off her delicate fox earrings. "These are fox earrings, aren’t they unique?" "Yes, they’re beautiful!" It’s truly fascinating how such ancient traditions are preserved with such intricate detail even today. This kind of ritual inheritance perhaps reflects a nation’s unique connection to nature and the divine. For those of us in the real world, it’s a poetic bond that transcends reality—a gentle cultural reminder that makes one believe in the existence of deities.