Farewell

This is part of a tradition on my island but apparently it happens on the other islands too across Japan, but to be safe, everything I explain about this comes from only my experience in Shinkamigoto; an island west of Nagasaki city.

If a person comes to live on an island in Japan, after their stay has finished, or if one who has lived there for a long time leaves to live elsewhere (as in going to college, etc) the Japanese organise this farewell gesture. They tie hundreds of multi-coloured paper ribbons to the boat then hold the ends themselves. As the boat pulls away, the ribbons unfold from their hands and trails after the boat as it goes off into the distance.

Today, many of my colleagues left to teach in different schools. It was tough saying goodbye.