The Shiga Jesus Festival

Today was a public holiday in Japan. I knew nothing about the earthquake until just now, although of course I feel sorry for those affected further north.

Instead, today in my neck of the woods was The Jesus Festival. This was for Christians in Shiga ken, neighbouring county to Kyoto. WEC played a good part in it, as well as choirs and speakers and exhibitionists from other churches and organisations. Pictures can be seen on this website
We ran a mission simulator; three people were dressed up representing three make-believe cultures, and visitors to the booth had to enter by getting their mock passport stamped at 'immigration', then view different objects that we take for granted here (like toilet roll, clean water, school-books) that not everyone has in other countries, before meeting people from these other cultures. It was great fun. People particularly enjoyed seing Juergan dressed (undressed!) as a fisherman and seeing how they could engage with him! As for me? I was drawing in the crowds, along with two others, by giving out passports around the site, and pouring people drinks.