World Cosplay Summit 2009 in Nagoya

This will be my last post from Nagoya,Japan.Im heading home tomorrow Monday after arriving here 10 years ago.I leave with mixed feelings which i'll try to explain once Im settled back home in New Zealand and had time to collect my thoughts.

For now though I'll end on one of the highlights of the local Osu Kannon Summer Festival.
The World Cosplay Summit have for the last few years since 2005 held a parade through the shopping arcade.Each year more and more competitors from around the world and local cosplayers take part in the parade.Each year it attracts more spectators and bigger crowds that watch the hour long or so parade through the malls streets.























The weather over the last week or so has been typically rainy season in nature.Very humid and intermittent downpours.In fact yesterday the rain pelted down earlier in the day.I thought the parade might be cancelled due to the inclement weather however it cleared sufficently for the parade to be held as scheduled starting at 3:30pm.























While it remained very humid the dull leaden grey skies above seemed to act as a backdrop to the very colourful costumes on display.Some of them were very detailed and obviously some deal of time and attention had gone into them.























As with past parades Ive been to the cosplayers are more than willing to pose for photos and talk with spectators.























The two cosplayers above came from Brazil and were among some of the 15 different countries competitors at the Summit including Australia,China,Italy and Korea amongst others.























After the Parade on Saturday theres a further event next day ie Sunday at Oasis 21 in Sakae where the Cosplay Championship takes place.The winners over the last 2 years have come from Brazil.

Endoji Tanabata Matsuri 2009

Once again the annual festival was held at Endoji Arcade not far from the Nagoya International Centre Building.























From July 29th through August 2nd this quaint,quiet arcade is covered with traditional tanabata decorations and huge paper mache floats hung from the roof of the covered arcade.














There were a variety of paper mache floats on display ranging from fish and manga characters to the local Dragons baseball mascots and cartoon characters.















The mall was crowded with kids on their summer break busy drawing their favourite floats while a number of stalls were also set up selling the usual summer festival fare such as hotdogs and choco bananas.

2009 July Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament

The annual Grand Sumo Tournament held in Nagoya every July ended last Sunday after 15 days of bouts.
The winner of the tournament this year was yokozunza Hakuho who finished with a 14 win 1 loss record.















Some of the more prominent and popular wrestlers receive sponsorship.The sponsors banners are paraded round the ring before each of the wrestlers bouts.A variety of companies and firms provide sponsorship including the hamburger chain Makudonarudo,known elsewhere around the world as McDonalds.














The judges and referee sometimes confer in the middle of the ring after a bout where its difficult to see which wrestler won the bout.In such instances one wrestler is usually awarded the win or if a clear decision isnt possible then the wrestlers will have another match.















One of the bentos available at the sumo tournament.There are a number of stalls selling bentos and a variety of food,drinks and souvenirs.Some of the more expensive seats include bentos and drinks in their price.A cheaper alternative is to purchase a 300yen bowl of chanko nabe which was served up to long queues of spectators each day from 1pm.
















One of the lower ranked wrestlers awaits his turn to compete.Despite their apparent size and bulk many of the wrestlers are surprisingly nimble and flexible.

Haagen Dazs Sorbets

My battered Oxford dictionary defines the word sorbet as "a water ice".To my mind these two recent additions to the Haagen Dazs range are thicker and less watery than I imagine sorbets.I associate "sorbet" more with something like kakigori a Japanese summertime staple of shaved ice covered with various toppings.
Not that the thicker density is unwelcome because each sorbet comes in a 100ml tub 20 ml less than the usual ice flavours.






















The pear sorbet was quite sweet and definitely tasted of pear.As it melted in the heat a thin clear syrup formed on the surface which again tasted of pear.It had a clean refreshing taste and I think I would try it again in the future.






















The raspberry sorbet seemed a little more watery and icy than the pear one but was still quite dense and more resistant to the spoon than I imagined a typical sorbet to be.As with the pear sorbet this raspberry one also tasted of fruit and in this case also smelled strongly of raspberry.Again as with the pear sorbet a thin syrup congealed on the surface as the contents melted and I will probably try it again.
Of the two sorbets Id probably go for the pear one more than the raspberry flavour mainly due it being a less common flavour.
Both sorbets came in a 100ml tub and cost around 228yen depending where you purchase them.

Lets Go Home....

Im in the midst of leaving Japan and moving back home.
Hence the long break between posts.
Having resigned from work ive been busy making preparations to leave by the end of July.
Arranging to get my possessions back home or sold.Arranging the electricity,gas and water to be disconnected and the accounts closed.
Arranging for my apartment to be inspected so I can claim back some of the deposit.
Arranging airplane tickets and travel.Arranging final visits and farewells.
Arranging to get tickets to the grand sumo tournament that starts this Sunday in Nagoya..
The following photos below come from one of the practice venues dotted around Nagoya.






















This particular beya or stable training venue was near Ichinomiya about a 45 minute train ride from Kanayama station.It was set up in the grounds of a small kindergarten.In fact the early morning high pitched chatter of the pre-schoolers was in stark contrast to the dull thud and thumping of the wrestlers as they practiced their moves and charges.






















There were three higher ranked wrestlers at this stable.They can be distinguished by the fact that they wear white or lighter shaded loincloths.They also start their routines later than the lower ranked wrestlers who begin around 7am.
We arrived about 7:45 am to find a small crowd had already gathered.This crowd swelled as the morning progressed.Parents dropped their offspring off at the adjacent kindergarten.Jostling,elbowing elderly Japanese men and women tried to burrow their way through those who had arrived earlier to get a better view of the proceedings.




















The heat and humidity built up as the wrestlers exercised.The practice formally ended at around 10:30am so it was a long and strength sapping session.
















The coaches and stable masters offered advice and encouragement to the wrestlers as they grew tired and weary.

"Dont the Sun look angry through the trees..Dont the trees look like crucified thieves"

from Desperados under the Eaves..by Warren Zevon

I thought of these words from Warren Zevons album "A Quiet Normal Life"as the trees outside my apartment building were removed over the last two weeks.Twenty four trees,twelve each side of the large intersection on Route 19 have been unceremoniously lopped,topped and extracted from the centre island of the road.














Their removal will allow the construction of traffic turning lanes into the intersection to take place.













There was nothing particularly outstanding about these specimens.Just your uncommon urban tree.
They were functional.A touch of greenery one could gaze down on.They provided nests and perches for birds.They were homes to the seasonal cicadas that broadcast their raspy metallic beat from their boughs every early summer.
They were a barrier against the constant grind of traffic noise.A filter against the fumes and filth that blackened their limbs.













I for one will miss them.

Spring Postage Stamps

Some recently issued stamps featuring various flowers common at this time of year including cherry blossoms and tulips.



















Two cherry blossom trees in the grounds of a small local shrine.The weather was almost summer like today,reaching the high 20s and relatively clear.Some of the earlier flowering varieties have virtually finished flowering and now wear a fresh green mantle of foilage.

Friday Flash...Grape KitKats

I received this presentation or gift pack of grape flavoured KitKats recently.I hadnt seen them before so presume they are regional variations using local produce.This pack Im told came from Nagano Prefecture.














Upon opening the box you find the contents consist of 12 packs of twin mini bars.The wrappers are purple and black.The KitKats themselves taste of purple or black grapes and are encased in dark brown chocolate.