Samurai Battle March of Death
Samurai Battle March of Death
Overview
In this spontaneous adventure, John Daub finds himself unexpectedly recruited into a local samurai reenactment procession near Yonago City in Tottori Prefecture. What started as a day planned for editing videos turns into an immersive cultural experience where John dons samurai armor and marches through the streets alongside local participants. The video captures the humor and chaos of the event, from the solemn blessings at the shrine to the lively march through neighborhood streets.
Adding to the unpredictability, John struggles with technical difficulties involving his DJI Osmo camera throughout the footage. Despite the shaky handheld video and rainy weather, the episode highlights the accessibility of local festivals in Japan and the willingness of communities to include visitors in traditional events. It's a raw, unpolished look at festival participation that emphasizes the "Just Go" philosophy of the channel.
The procession features horses, traditional armor (mostly plastic for safety), spears, and a taiko (太鼓，Japanese drum) performance. John's friend, Mr. Sugihara, takes on a prominent role riding one of the horses. The video serves as both a travel vlog and a candid commentary on the realities of filming on the ground in Japan, balancing cultural appreciation with the practical challenges of content creation.
Highlights
- 00:00:33 John reveals he has been recruited into the samurai procession.
- 00:09:50 Reflection on being the only foreigner in the area and the accuracy of the reenactment.
- 00:12:00 Discussion about the rainy weather and the DJI Osmo camera taking a "vacation."
- 00:15:08 John examines the armor and admits it is mostly decorative plastic.
- 00:16:27 The Osmo stabilizer fails completely, forcing handheld "battle footage."
- 00:19:01 Marching through neighborhoods with spears raised to "frighten the cars."
- 00:21:10 John attempts to fix the camera while marching in the procession.
- 00:23:13 The episode is jokingly renamed "The Death of Osmo."
- 00:26:12 John reflects on the uniqueness of seeing samurai marching in modern streets.
- 00:27:20 Closing thoughts on the unpredictability of the Only in Japan Go channel.
Timeline / Chapters
- 00:00:33 Introduction: John explains the samurai reenactment and his recruitment.
- 00:09:50 Context: Observations on being the only foreigner and the historical accuracy efforts.
- 00:12:00 Preparation: Rainy conditions, horses arriving, and camera issues begin.
- 00:15:08 Armor Check: John discusses the protective value (or lack thereof) of the gear.
- 00:16:27 Camera Fail: The Osmo stabilizer collapses during the march.
- 00:19:01 The March: Walking through neighborhoods with spears and chanting.
- 00:21:10 Troubleshooting: Trying to fix the camera mid-parade.
- 00:23:13 Aftermath: Accepting the shaky footage and ending the live feed.
- 00:26:12 Reflection: Comparing the scene to other major cities worldwide.
- 00:27:20 Outro: Signing off and embracing the chaos.
Japan Travel Tips
- Festival Participation: Local festivals often welcome participants, even foreigners. Don't be afraid to ask or accept invitations.
- Camera Gear: Always carry spare batteries and be prepared for equipment failure in unpredictable weather (rain/dust).
- Footwear: You may need to remove shoes when entering shrine areas, but keep them accessible if you need to march quickly afterward.
- Weather: Spring in Japan can be rainy; bring protection for both yourself and your electronics.
- Respect: When observing or joining processions, follow the lead of locals regarding bowing and behavior around sacred items or horses.
- Timing: These events often happen on weekends (John mentions it's a Sunday); check local tourism boards for schedules.
Japanese Language & Culture Notes
- Taiko (太鼓): A traditional Japanese drum. In this context, it is used during the blessing ceremony to set the rhythm and mood for the battle reenactment.
- Kuruma (車): Japanese word for "vehicle" or "car." John humorously notes that samurai didn't have kuruma hundreds of years ago.
- Samurai Reenactments: Many towns in Japan hold jidaigeki (period drama) style festivals. While some are highly accurate, many use plastic armor for safety and cost, especially for participants.
- Shrine Etiquette: John mentions the difficulty of entering a shrine when you can't take your shoes off easily. Typically, shoes are removed before entering the main hall or specific sacred grounds.
- Chanting: The group chants "AAO" during the march. This is likely a specific battle cry or call associated with this particular local festival.
Food & Drink Guide
No specific food or drink items are featured in this video.
People
- John Daub: Host and creator of Only in Japan Go. He is unexpectedly recruited into the samurai procession and documents the experience while battling camera failures.
- Mr. Sugihara: John's friend who participates in the procession as a high-ranking samurai riding one of the horses. He received the "leaves of prayer" indicating his status.
- The Priest: Conducts the blessing ceremony for the samurai before the procession begins (mentioned by John).
- Samurai Participants: Local residents dressed in armor and carrying spears/swords who march through the city.
Key Takeaways
- Spontaneity: Some of the best travel experiences happen when you deviate from your planned schedule.
- Technology is Fragile: Even professional gear like the DJI Osmo can fail in the field; adaptability is key for content creators.
- Cultural Immersion: Local festivals offer a unique chance to step inside history, even if just for a march through the neighborhood.
- Community Welcome: Japanese local communities can be very inclusive during festivals, allowing outsiders to join in traditional roles.
Notable Quotes
- 00:00:33 "But this is a samurai reenactment procession before battle. And somehow I got recruited into it."
- 00:09:50 "You just get recruited into doing stuff, and now I'm in the middle of a samurai battle reenactment."
- 00:15:08 "I think if someone were to slash me with a sword, I'd probably bite the dust pretty easy."
- 00:16:27 "This is what battle footage looks like—it's all shaky."
- 00:23:13 "This episode will be renamed 'The Death of Osmo.'"
- 00:26:12 "You never know what's gonna happen. You just go."
Related Topics
- Japanese Festivals (Matsuri)
- Samurai History and Culture
- Travel Vlogging Challenges
- Tottori Prefecture Tourism
- DJI Camera Gear Reviews
Search Tags
#only-in-japan-go #samurai #yonago #tottori #festival #reenactment #japan-travel #dji-osmo #spring #cultural-experience #travel-vlog
Full Transcript
00:00:33 John Daub: But this is a samurai reenactment procession before battle. And somehow I got recruited into it. Oh geez. The priest is blessing the samurai before the procession. Now we're gonna march through the streets. I don't know if we're gonna terrorize people, but we're marching in these outfits. My friend, he's actually gonna be riding one of the horses as one of the top samurai. He was the guy who received the leaves of prayer, so he's the top head honcho, second in charge maybe. Probably top. Here he comes.
00:09:50 John Daub: I thought this was something like, you know, tourists don't do this stuff. I haven't seen a foreigner in this entire area, so it's pretty funny. These are the things that happen when you just go out on an adventure like this. You just get recruited into doing stuff, and now I'm in the middle of a samurai battle reenactment. Wait, do I have to fight? Because I don't have a sword. I guess I'm a low-rank farmer, I don't know. But okay, I'm gonna put my shoes on. They're trying to do everything very accurately, and I respect that a lot. You get a chance to see—there's a lot of good humor, people laughing, taking pictures like me—but they're putting in a lot of effort to make this as accurate as possible, including the horn, which didn't have any keys. That horn scares people. Well, they got gun dudes—who are they gonna shoot if people are charging with swords? I think these gun dudes would get it pretty fast. Guns are pretty cool, hundreds of years ago, but they took a long time to load. That's why samurai swordsman—game over.
00:12:00 John Daub: My DJI Osmo's taking a vacation today. They shot some birds up there—don't think they hit them, goodness for the birds. It's sort of raining right now; not ideal conditions to be marching in the samurai festival. I didn't even think I was gonna be doing this. I was gonna wait in the hotel and edit the video, but it looks like that's not gonna happen. What's cool is that I get to participate in something cultural and pretty cool. Here come the horses—whoa, it's a big horse. I don't think they had plastic stools back in the day. My friend has a great idea. I wanna show you guys what they're making with the horse. This is one of the people who's gonna ride the horses. It's gonna be pretty cool. I gotta tie my shoes. That's what stinks about entering a shrine—you can't take your shoes off. Ah, they're going!
00:15:08 John Daub: You know what, to be honest, I don't know exactly everything that's going on. For me, this is also a learning experience. All I know is that I'm wearing armor that's pretty easy to move in. I think if someone were to slash me with a sword, I'd probably bite the dust pretty easy. So I'm not sure what the purpose of this armor is other than decorative. Most of these helmets are made of plastic, and same with the armor. We're not really fighting, so if you come here waiting for blood and guts and slashing, it's not gonna happen. Not today, anyways. I guess I'm in the back. That was pretty cool, though—the blessings and then him playing the taiko drum (太鼓，Japanese drum). I really don't know what he was talking about in the blessings, but has big meaning. Now I can see my friend on the horse, Mr. Sugihara.
00:16:27 John Daub: Folks, the Osmo is not working today. I wonder if I smashed it one too many times. I'm sorry, I'm gonna take the Osmo out and have to go handheld. This is what battle footage looks like—it's all shaky. Hey. Oh, there's my friend in the front. The "AAO" is our chant. These guys have no idea they're going into battle, and this is the last time they're gonna see the daylight. The mask is kinda kicking. It's scary—he's wearing a mask. Check this out. Whoa. Yeah, that mask. This mask is smiling. That's not gonna strike terror into the enemy's hearts and minds. It's like hilarious.
00:19:01 John Daub: Now we have to walk through the neighborhoods with shaky video footage, which is how battle is done. Look at these spears. They didn't have these strange vehicles hundreds of years ago. They're called cars, or kuruma (車，vehicle) in Japanese. All right. Let's try the Osmo again. I don't know why it's not working. I'm sorry for the shaky footage, everybody. Osmo's not working, so I'm just gonna walk through the streets with you for a couple of minutes, and then we're gonna cut off. Just wanted to share something samurai-ish with you. I don't think I've ever done a samurai episode. And I thought this was sort of cool, but the Osmo's not working with me.
00:21:10 John Daub: Imagine this is like a really professional job, and I had a client paying me thousands of dollars, and Osmo dropped off like this. Man, I'd be really upset. Look, see? Osmo is like hanging in there and then just collapses. Anyways, today's about the samurai. Oh! Hey! Oh! Hey! Here, raise your spears into the sky. Frighten the cars. Awesome. Cool. Never mind the baby. I think you bow to the samurai, or else you'd get your head chopped off. No, the samurai are not slaughtering me. I'm just trying to fix the camera. This is an old western shot—shoot from the hip. I happen to have a spare battery with me, because that's what you do.
00:23:13 John Daub: This episode will be renamed "The Death of Osmo." Oh my god, the samurai are way up there now. This sucks. People show their respect for the samurai. It's not working. It's very weird. Yeah, the stream is not very smooth because Osmo is not working. Just a regular Sunday. So I'm not sure what's going on with the Osmo. There's probably something that needs to be screwed on or something. But eh. I'm gonna go—I gotta go towards another camera. And that means I gotta end this live feed without any bloodshed except for this Osmo, DJI Osmo, which is gonna get it when I get home. Oh my Osmo. Osmo, you're gonna get it.
00:26:12 John Daub: But I just wanted to share something samurai-ish, different. This is a samurai procession near Yonago City. My friend's participating. He's one of the horsey guys. He's carrying a sword. I'm carrying a camera. It's just not fair. But is pretty cool to march through the city yelling "AAO" and frightening children with plastic spears. No dude, it's pretty cool, 'cause I'm looking at the street. It's not something you see every day—just dudes in samurai outfits marching down the street with swords. Like, you don't see this in New York or London, Paris or Cairo, Mumbai, Jakarta, Manila, Singapore. No. Maybe New York—in New York, the samurai get mugged. Anyways.
00:27:20 John Daub: Alright everybody, I'm gonna... Alright. So it's been a weird Sunday. Very weird. Didn't expect this. I'm glad we got a chance to share a little bit of it. This is Only in Japan Go channel. You never know what's gonna happen. You just go. That's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna go this way. So see you on the road everybody. Have a great Sunday. Have a great weekend. See you again.