March 16, 1999
Web posted at: 11:16 p.m. EST (0416 GMT)

In this story: Celebrations around the world Pagans, snakes and shamrocks RELATED STORIES, SITES

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Only one bagpipe band in the nation's oldest and largest St. Patrick's Day Parade is coming from abroad, and it's not from Ireland.

It's from Japan.

"There's a samurai spirit in the bagpipe. It's very evocative, invigorating, uplifting -- especially the marching tunes," said Japanese consul general Seiichiro Otsuka, who will be playing in the Tokyo Pipe Band on Wednesday.

"I don't know if we'll be drinking miso soup or Irish whiskey Wednesday morning," he added with a laugh. "We'll need a lot of energy. It's 40 blocks!"

Thirty of the band's 50 men and women will be dancing, drumming and piping during the 238th year of New York's St. Patrick's festivities, held on Fifth Avenue. It is the first Japanese group to march in the parade.

Otsuka, who was Japan's first consul general in Edinburgh, Scotland, said the first time he heard a bagpipe, the beauty of the sound brought him to tears.

"One autumn afternoon I was walking around Edinburgh castle. The sun was setting. There was a lone piper on top of the Edinburgh castle wall playing `Amazing Grace.' The music brought tears to my eyes," he said.

There's nothing Japanese about the group's costumes, traditional kilts in a Royal Stuart plaid.

In addition to traditional Irish and Scottish tunes, the band will be playing "Sukiyaki," "Mount Fuji" and "Koi Nobori," all Japanese songs.

John Fitzsimons, a parade organizer, said having the Japanese pipers was "a real honor for the Irish community."

There are a few Western faces in the group. Sandy Tryk, of Cleveland, a physics professor at the University of Tokyo and the band's only American, said Wednesday's parade would be something different.

Celebrations around the world

New York's big parade is only the most notable in a host of parades, parties and ceremonies honoring the fourth-century monk said to have driven all the snakes from Ireland.

Chicago residents are marking the occasion with their tradition of dyeing the Chicago River green. City workers dropped vegetable dye in the water Saturday, kicking off a weekend of parades and St. Patrick's Day events.

Ireland honored its patron saint with a bang Saturday, with a 30-minute fireworks display in Dublin, billed as the biggest ever in Europe. An estimated crowd of 100,000 was on hand for the show.

President Clinton will host Irish leaders for a traditional White House meeting Wednesday, although the celebratory atmosphere may be darkened by recent troubles in the Northern Ireland peace process.

Pagans, snakes and shamrocks

According to "The Folklore of World Holidays," St. Patrick was born in Britain of Roman stock around 389 A.D.

As a youth he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and carried off to Ireland. He escaped six years later and fled to Gaul.

After fifteen years or so in a monastic life, he returned to Ireland to Christianize the land of his captors.

He confronted King Laoghaire at Tara, confounded the druids, and converted the king's daughters. He is said to have driven all snakes from Ireland.

The shamrock, which he used to explain the Trinity because of its three leaves, is still associated with the holiday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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