“It’s coming any day now...”
Looking up at the sun on a long summer day, a Jomon person thinks to himself about “that day last year.” The Jomon people from all over gather to remember “that day” together.
--The summer solstice festival preparations start the day before when people are busy setting up the stages, the seats, the food, and the tools used for the festival. Finally, the time comes.
The morning of the summer solstice is when the Jomon people from all over gather together and everyone brings a large green stone. Even under the sweltering summer sun, the men glistening with sweat as they carry the heavy stones do so without hesitation as it’s part of the tradition. Finally, they reach their designated spot in the stone circle and place their heavy stone down.
“It’s starting to look more like a circle, isn’t it?”
Standing next to the sweaty men are the women of the villages who are throwing the clay figurines to the ground with smashing satisfaction. Then they pray to their ancestors in the stone circles.
Meanwhile, Jomon people are arriving at the stone circles one after another. Some are happy to see old friends who have grown up in their absence, while others are sad to hear the news of a loss. Once everyone arrives, the party at the stone circle begins with fruit liquor prepared especially for that day. The festivities are enjoyed until dusk, on the longest day of the year. This is the day when you feel the power of the sun the most, even as the days get colder year by year.
As the sun sets behind the mountains on the summer solstice, the shadow from the sundial stone grows longer and the lively stone circle suddenly goes quiet. Then, beyond the mountains, you see a flash of light like a diamond, as the people next to you are both weeping and cheering at the sight. You look down to see a young child pulling on the dress of his mother, unsure how to react as he experiences this strange and powerful new feeling.
The party resumes at night when the monuments are lit with fires and continues until dawn. The stone circle turns into a theater for performances of song and dance, and the ancestors watch with glee. When day breaks, the elder officially concludes the festival with a speech.
“A prosperous season is about to begin. Let’s all live a year of bountiful success, and we’ll meet again next year at the same place.”
Everyone cheers loudly, and then the Jomon people disperse to return to their respective villages again.
-- This is just from the imagination of the members of ON THE TRIP. Feel free to imagine what happened here on the day of the summer solstice.