2939 Tokyo Youth Festival
austraLasia #2939
Tokyo Salesian Youth Festival
TOKYO: 8 November 2011 -- Sunday 6 November saw the
by now traditional Youth Festival take place at Chofu
(Tokyo). This was the 27th such event; something is regarded
as 'tradition' once it reaches twenty in Japan!
The day began with a lively dance in
honour of Don Bosco, not far off celebrating 200 years, but
still amongst us in today's Salesians and their young
people. The dance involved all the 400 or so participants
who came together from seven parishes around Tokyo and
Yokohama.
Mass, solemn and also lively, was
celebrated by Fr Aldo Cipriani, Provincial, who appears to
be recovering well from his recent illness.
A particularly significant moment
was the sharing on the part of three groups from the
Salesian Youth Movement; they spoke about their experience
last summer. The first group gave a happy account of their
close-up view of the Holy Father at World Youth Day
celebrations in Madrid. The second group spoke of their
volunteer experience at Tetere in the Solomon Islands. The
third group expressed satisfaction that they found
themselves able to be of use following the earthquake and
tsunami which devastated Japan on 11 March last.
Lunch, abundant and tasty, was seen
to by a team of some thirty mothers from the same parishes.
In the afternoon there were games
and other events which, as Don Bosco himself would have
desired, had a focus that went beyond mere enjoyment to
provide some aspects of formation.
Tired as they all were by the end
of the day, the young people were nevertheless very happy to
have shared in the knowledge that they are a substantial
number when they all come together. Their parishes tend to
be small and can lack this sense of the larger group, so
when Fr Sato Naoki, who had organised the gathering,
indicated that “we'll see each other again next year” there
was an immediate and sincere 'yes' to that!
