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“Oyakata-sama!” Warrior voices thundered over the crowd to
encourage their lord on to combat, to never give in and to battle
for true faith. “Ei, ei, oooooooh!” Samurai responded to the order
of battle to death.
To commemorate the great battle of faith
in 1555, Iwakuni City held the 27th annual Kuragake Castle Festival
and Samurai Parade. This year, five U.S. Marines from Marine Corps
Air Station Iwakuni participated in the march garbed in traditional
samurai costume and shouting their battle cry.
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November 20, 2016 - U.S. Marines from Marine Corps Air Station
Iwakuni pose for a picture at the 27th annual Kuragake Festival and
Samurai Parade in Iwakuni City, Japan. The Marines were transformed
from service members to samurai warroirs with traditional samurai
armor, swords, spears and helmets before marching down the streets
of Kuga demonstrating their strength and courage before going to
battle. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Nicole Zurbrugg)
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In preparation for “battle,” participants were ushered
into a makeshift dressing room and transformed from civilian
to samurai warrior. Decked out in armor, head gear, swords
and spears, the troops practiced their war cries before
marching down the streets to a local temple to pray for
safety and strength.
“During my transformation to a
samurai, I was amazed at how similar the samurai and Marines
are,” said U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Waiyan Tin, a combat
videographer and parade participant stationed at MCAS
Iwakuni. “The samurai were not afraid to sacrifice
themselves in order to protect their families and land.”
Emboldened from prayer, the warriors, marched to the
town square to convince their lord that they were ready for
battle.
“Our squad's role was to be the advance
group leading the troops into battle and trying to keep the
massive enemy at bay as long as possible,” said Kida Shoji,
an event participant and advance squad chief.
Falling into formation at the town square, the chiefs joined
the lord in front to help plead the warriors longing for
battle. The warriors cast their voices loud, “Oyakata-sama!
(My lord!)” to show their motivation and dedication.
Convinced, the lord called for a battle to death. The
samurai responded with a motivated, “Ei, ei, ooooooooh!”
“It was so impressive and I felt so much power and
strength from walking in the same squad as the Marines,”
said Shoji. “This is a great opportunity to have U.S. and
Japanese citizens get together and I absolutely want the
Marines to come back next year.”
The service members
and Japanese posed for pictures with onlookers, feasted on
traditional Japanese cuisine and enjoyed the colorful
festival.
“I felt humble and appreciative of being a
part of such an amazing culture that is rich in tradition,”
said Tin. “Being able to participate with the local Japanese
people was such a great experience.”
By U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole Zurbrugg
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2016
The U.S. Marines
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