The May blue sky stretched out over the stone bridge, and the last branch-tips of the weeping cherry swayed as if scratching the water’s surface. At the foot of the bridge lay a stone door, about as tall as a person.
It was the door to the Dragon God’s shrine. There is a custom of polishing it anew once a year, in the middle of May, and this year that morning had come again.
“I’ve got this. No sweat alone. Mocchi, go on ahead.”
Kopo rolled up his sleeves and took hold of the stone, but even pressing the ground hard with his feet, the door wouldn’t budge. He took a breath and tried again. The stone didn’t move an inch. A third try was no good either. Only sweat came first.
“I know.”
Mocchi said only that and slipped in beside Kopo without a sound. Their shoulders lined up.
The next moment, the stone door lifted smoothly off the ground. Kopo couldn’t believe it, glancing back and forth between his own arm and Mocchi’s beside him.
“Why. I’m putting in the same amount of force as before.”
“The direction lined up.”
Mocchi answered only that and, without another word, took a step forward. Kopo matched his stride to Mocchi’s pace as they climbed the stone steps. For some reason, today was the first time he noticed how nearly equal their shoulder heights were.
A breeze drifting from Dragon God’s Lake carried the scent of grass, cooling both their brows as they carried the stone door.
When they reached the front of the shrine, Kopo said, still facing forward:
“…Not really a ’thank you’ or anything. Just, it felt kind of good.”
Mocchi said nothing. Together, they slowly set the door into its pedestal . The sound of stone settling into stone rang out, soft.
Margin note: Right after the door closed, a single ripple spread across Dragon God’s Lake. Neither of the two standing at the shore was looking toward the pond.
【Today’s Motif】
- Sanja Festival: A grand festival of Asakusa Shrine held every third weekend of May in Asakusa, Tokyo. Over one hundred portable shrines are carried through the neighborhood, drawing about two million visitors over three days — one of Tokyo’s largest festivals. On the final day, the three main portable shrines of Asakusa Shrine are carried out and paraded through each neighborhood. A portable shrine only moves forward once the shoulders of its bearers line up.
【Today’s Motif: May 17th, 2026】#
Sanja Festival: The grand annual festival of Asakusa Shrine in Asakusa, Tokyo, held every third Saturday and Sunday of May. Over three days, more than one hundred portable shrines are carried through Asakusa’s neighborhoods, and on the final day (May 17th), the three main portable shrines of Asakusa Shrine are carried out and paraded through the district. One of Tokyo’s largest festivals, drawing roughly two million visitors — a shrine only moves forward once the bearers’ shoulders line up.
This is an English translation of “肩を並べる重さ”, part of Tales of Amencho Town (蛙鳴町奇譚).