More Japanese traditional and history

Good Morning...well it is morning on Saturday here.  Yesterday was a busy day.  Again we awoke to rain but it quickly cleared.  We walked from the Matsuyama Town Hall to the local museum.  Here we were treated to a traditional tea ceremony.  The kids respectfully watched as the tea master prepared the tea in a ceremonious way.  Every move was carefully orchestrated with meaning.  We all sampled the tea (all felt it is an acquired taste that many chose not to acquire).  We were also given small sweets to taste to counteract the bitterness of the tea. 
Next we were given the opportunity to wear the traditional Samauri armor.  Although they were replicas, they were authentic in their weight and coloring.  Each student wore the armor with pride as they marched out to the gate to pose for pictures.  You all should have gotten that picture in your email.  While out there we were a bit of a rare treat for a classroom of kindergarteners.  They quickly asked if they could pose for pictures with our students. 
Lunch was a delightful Ramen Noodle soup served at a local Matsuyama restaurant within walking distance of the museum.  Later we walked back to the town hall for a brief rest.  We then boarded our bus for Sakata City. 
We moved to another government building for our lesson in the dance we were to do in the evenings parade.  We learned the steps easily and thanked our teacher for her help.  Most students then walked around the festival area with their homestay family while we wated for the festivities to begin. 
When our time came we lined up outside on the parade route with 2400 other participants.  We looked a bit like a motley crew but we danced and marched for over an hour along the parade route.  We loved to hear and watch the drummers along the way.  It was a long time to dance but there was a nice breeze to help us out.  We dance near another homestay group from Tennesee.  Truth be told, we were much better than they were.
After a long evening we returned to our families and prepared for our next day.  Today (Saturday) we will begin by helping in an English language club (by invitation of the Sakata City mayor) and leading some songs and games for 30 6-10 year olds.  Then on to our regular schedled activities.  Tonight we will be treated to fireworks in Sakata City.