The sixty first Tokyo Kamuro party in 2011 held in the Ekibiru(station building) Hall at Kawasaki with about 30 attendees. The attendees are organized with memberships, families and guests who live in Tokyo , Chiba , Saitama, Kanagawa and so on.
I remember to hear from my senior that a reason why June was chosen is to be easy for everybody to attend because of few other events.
The history of Kamuro party is that the first Tokyo Kamuro party was held by 18 attendees in 1944 during the world war II. The late Mr. Sadao Nakata, the late Mr. Yoshisuke Yanagihara, the late Mr. Takao Kanai, the late Mr. Chikataka Yanagihara, the honorary president Mr. Shigetoshi Yamada and others organized it with several difficulties. Even thought it was cancelled during the war unavoidably, the second one was finally held in 1952. After this, the attendee is increasing by each meeting while Kamuro party story is spread widely by word of mouth. However there is no record and there is only few people to know it at that moment.
During 1975 to 1985, it was a period of prosperity. Meanwhile the late Mr. Kanai was a president and the late Mr. Chikataka Yanagihara was a secretary-general. The attendee was constantly 40 to 60 people after the thirtieth aniversary. The chief priest Mr. Niiyama attended every times in spite of the long distant from Tokyo with adjusting his schedule in his being very busy and talked about several topics of hometown and advised about personal issues. The gest was a president of Towachojinkai, Kansai, Hiroshima and Ube and got introduction of each party or a speech of congratulation from them.
When the party was in full swing, Kudoki(singing for Bon dance) and the Bon festival dancing came out and also demonstrated “INOKO“ sometimes. I think that the reason for long lasting Kamuro party without termination should be depended on love for their hometown by the members. That power will drive presidents or officers to move active. There are soil or climate which the members are willing to help party’s operation when it faces difficulties understanding the presidents or officers’ efforts.
The honorary president Mr. Shigetoshi Yamada seeded ‘Tokyo Kamuro party’ seed and ‘Kamuro party’ tree has been watered and mowed the grass and fertilized and bore wind and rain and finally grew as the big tree having 61 years annual rings. He says that all members are relatives.
I would like to render respect and gratitude to Yamada-san who is 96 years old.
（Iwao Inoue recieve July 26, 2011）
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