
Bring Mikoshi back to Berlin's Karneval der Kulturen!
Spende geschützt
WHO ARE WE?
We are Kashiwa-ren, a non-profit group dedicated to promoting Japanese summer festival culture in Berlin thorugh organising events such as the Bon Odori (traditional japanese summer festive dances) and, most prominently, parading a Mikoshi (a mobile traditional shrine) through the streets during the main parade of Berlin's Karneval Der Kulturen.
Our aim is to expand the Japanese Festival culture, and strengthen the bonds between the Japanese and German communities in our city.
WHAT IS A "MIKOSHI"?
The Mikoshi is a portable Shinto shrine that is paraded through the streets in many local festivities across all of Japan, on the shoulders of large groups of people.
In Japan, Mikoshi carrying is a celebration of community. Neighbourhood groups, sports associations, folk groups, youth clubs and other local entities come together to carry the shrine through their boroughs to bring luck and prosperity, often visiting local shops to wish for prosperity and the elderly or sick for good health. While its remote roots might be religious, carrying a Mikoshi is all celebration of your local community and its people.
In this spirit, we want to promote community and diversity, by inviting all interested to take part in this celebration and work and enjoy as a group, as well as bringing a unique experience to the celebration that is the Karneval, one rarely seen outside its home country.
We have been bringing the Mikoshi to Berlin since 2016... and now, we need your help to keep doing it!
WHY DO WE NEED YOUR HELP?
The process of bringing the Mikoshi entails certain costs, such as:
- Transportation of the Mikoshi, transport structure and woodworking tools neccessary to mantain it from Montrejeau (souhtern France) to Berlin.
- Storage of all the elements for the parade (Mikoshi, clothing, decorations...)
- Insurance for the Mikoshi
- Transport of the Mikoshi to and from storage to the parade
- The presence of the Mikoshi's owner and main expert to prepare and supervise both the shrine and all aspects of the parade (straight from Japan)
- Water and snacks for the participants (dancers, drummers, carriers...)
- Transport for clothes, backpacks, ornaments, isntruments and other essentials within the Karneval
- Sound equipment and electricity
We have set our estimate goal based on our experiences in past years, and all donations will go straight to either paying the costs for the year or towards a fund to cover the costs for next year.
Organisator und Spendenbegünstigter
Mario Rodriguez Gonzalez
Organisator
Berlin, Berlin

Carolin Kobayashi
Spendenbegünstigte