Tokoname Pottery Path

Tokoname is one of the six historic pottery towns of Japan.Already well established in the 12th century, the town is still producing shudei (red clay) and yakishime (high fired and unglazed stoneware) for which the area is known for world wide.

Tokoname is a 45 minute train trip from Nagoya on the Meitetsu Line from Shin Nagoya Station to Tokoname Station.650 yen for an adult fare.
A yakimono sanpomichi or walking tour round the old traditional houses,workshops,kilns and buildings of the pottery industry has been established for visitors to the area.
I suggest once at Tokoname Station you head for the Information Centre inside and pick up an English language guide and map.Following the map turn right from the Station and walk towards the black Tokoname Ceramic Hall on the main road where the two walking tours begin.Course A is 1.5km 60 minutes and the longer Course B 4km and 2.5 hours.The times are only estimates and can be comfortably done in those times.

















The paths wind between narrow streets,kilns and retaining walls studded with sake bottles.Some buildings now serve as businesses and pottery galleries.I was greeted on three occassions with hot cups of green tea and friendly smiles upon entering some of the galleries.
During the area's history various types of kilns were built.The earliest kilns were "anagama kilns".These are tunnel-like hole kilns dug into the small hillsides that dot the area.Another sort of kiln constructed were the "noborigama kilns" or climbing kilns.These were constructed along a hill slope with long chimneys at both ends and short ones in the middle to allow for better heat circulation.Examples of anagama and noborigama kilns can be seen on the paths. Below is a photo of a noborigama kiln.


















Other types of kilns also on the paths you can see include old coal fired ones with their towering brick chimneys that used to belch out thick black smoke if the photos on display are to be believed. Most have now been replaced by more efficient cleaner gas and electric fired models.













Near the paths are several museums,halls and institutes associated with the local ceramic industry.These too can be visited and can be found on the map.
Although there was a keen wind blowing off the sea and it was a cool mid Friday afternoon I passed several couples and groups on the walks enjoying the sights and the chance to stretch their legs.
In summary then Tokoname makes an interesting half day trip from Nagoya or longer if you are interested in ceramics or the many photo opportunities that are available.

Japanese Bentos

A couple of bentos I recently sampled.The first below is from a supermarket in Tokoname City on the way to Centrair International Airport.It contains roasted chicken on a bed of rice. Also included are small containers of seaweed and ginger on the left.












The second lunchbox below contains crabmeat and salty fish eggs.On the right bottom are two sticks of green,white and pink sticky rice mochi balls.Top left is a small wrapped egg parcel which has rice inside it and tied together with a grass-like herb.

Spring Grand Sumo Tournament

The Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka started last Sunday.
Overshadowing the weeks before the basho were alleged bout rigging claims made by the weekly Shukan Gendai magazine.
The Japan Sumo Association, Asashoryu and sixteen other wrestlers replied by filing a defamation lawsuit against the magazine.
An in-house commission of the JSA questioned Asashoryu and other wrestlers who all denied match-fixing.

As to the tournament itself, Asashoryu was quoted by some newspapers as odds on favourite to pick up his 21st Emperors Cup after his January New Years victory in Tokyo.He became only the fifth wrestler to achieve twenty Emperor Cup wins.
So it was with some shock that Asa lost his first two bouts.He was 0-2 for the first time since the 2001 Nagoya Tournament.He has since gone on to win all his next matches.He currently stands at 6-2 on day eight.
Leading contenders for the Emperors Cup are ozekis Tochiazuma and Hakuho at seven wins and one loss apiece.
At this stage with Asashoryu back in the pack the tournament remains interestingly wide open and a number of wrestlers vying for the Spring Sumo Tournament title.

Haagen Dazs Ice Cream..New Flavours

A couple of new Haagen Dazs ice cream flavours I spied in a local supermarket last week.The Chardonnay and Raspberry contains chunks of raspberry while the Mango is quite sweet and also contains little pieces of mango.Im not sure if they are seasonal or will remain on sale year round.

Friday Flash..Cherry Blossoms on the Way

The Japanese Meteorological Agency has announced that this year will see one of the earliest cherry blossoms seasons on record.Incidentally nation-wide records were first begun in 1953.
The Agency calculates blooming times based on temperatures and other factors.This year,the unseasonably warm winter has caused cherry blossoms to flower earlier than usual.
The most common cherry blossom tree "someiyoshino" is expected to bloom in Tokyo round March 18 about ten days earlier than normal.Initially an even earlier date was forecast but the recent colder weather caused a revision and todays light snow in Tokyo must also slow down the blossoming buds.
Meanwhile in Nagoya the blossoms are predicted sometime around March 20th.Forecast dates for the Tohoku and Hokkaido regions are to announced later this month.
The artifical blossoms in the accompanying photo above come from a local Osu shop.

Nagoya City Science Museum

The Nagoya City Science Museum is located in Shirakawa Park,Fushimi.It occupies three large buildings,the Life Science Building,the Science and Technology Building and the Astronomy Building which contains a Planetarium.
Museum entry is 300 yen while a pass to the planetarium and museum is 600 yen for adults.
I spent about an hour and a half in the Life Science and Science and Technology Buildings but didnt visit the Astronomy building.
Lots of hands on exhibits and videos.Unfortunately there were no English captions or labels so half the fun was working out which lever to pull or button to push.That said, you are given an English language floor guide when you buy your ticket.
Two exhibits which caught my eye were a mock up of the drivers cabin in an early model bullet train and a huge model railway layout on display on the Transportation floor.











The Museum has regular special exhibits running throughout the year.The next one due to start later this month features dinosaurs.Check out the website,click on the English option on the right of the website's front page.
The website is www.ncsm.city.nagoya.jp/

White Day...March 14th

March 14 marks the day when gifts are given to those women who gave them to their bosses,boyfriends,colleagues and husbands one month ago on St Valentines Day February 14th.
The last fortnight or so supermarket and convenience store shelves have been weighed down with White Day presents.
The most common gifts are white marshmellows,chocolates and box sets of biscuits from such places as Austria and Beligum.
All lavishly wrapped and decorated.

Book Review..The Life and Times of The Thunderbolt Kid

The Life and Times of The ThunderBolt Kid...Bill Bryson.Broadway Books.268pages.

This book not only focuses on Bryson's early days in Des Moines,Iowa but also looks at 1950s America as it steers its way through the 50s,the Cold War and the early 60s.
Various chapters about his family life are interspersed with chapters dealing with such things as the advent of television,automobiles,nuclear bombs,Cuba and the Soviet Union.
Typical Bryson descriptions of people bring the usual smiles and there are many quotable e.g "She was stooped,very small,forgetful,glacially slow,interestingly maladorous,practically deaf"(pg 178).

He also dispenses lots of facts and figures to show how dominant and prosperous the United States was in the 50s."Americans owned 80% of the world's electrical goods,controlled two-thirds of the world's productive capacity,produced more than 40% of its electricity,60% of its oil and 66% of its steel"(pg 5).
And "In 1951,the average American ate 50% more than the average European"(pg 6)

He fondly recalls what made Des Moines unique, the shops and theatres which today exist only in memory or as carpark lots.
Replaced by chains of supermarkets and malls one can see world-wide.
In summary an entertaining book about a period that seems to me as foreign and distant as Victorian England.

Friday Flash...Plastic Fish Sauce Bottles

These fish shaped plastic containers hold soya sauce.They seem to be put in almost every lunchbox and bento Ive ever bought.

McEnglish Schools

The March 12th issue of Weekly Playboy contains an article on the English language industry in Japan.The Weekly Playboy is a prime example of a Japanese weekly newsmagazine or shukanshi.An eclectic collection of news stories,sports articles and manga literally cheek and jowl beside some local scantily clad model.
Nova features prominently and is described as "operator of the McDonalds of English language conversation schools".While the daily broadsheet newspapers described Nova as being inspected by government authorities the Weekly Playboy article terms it as " a government raid on its Osaka office".

The article outlines the current problems that have occurred when students try to pull out of their contract before it finishes.It also concedes that "Nova isnt the only allegedly dodgy player in the conversation school caper" but doesnt directly name or target any other schools.
Some of the quotes in the article from students are entertaining for example"Our teacher couldnt give a damn and yawned all the way through class...and he absolutely reeked of booze".
(Reference..MSN-Manichi Daily News).
The article doesnt really shed any new light on the English language industry or Nova.More to the point it shows just how common place the issues have become that they are now fodder for even weekly newsmagazines to include between their pages.

Chart Throb

Chart Throb by Ben Elton.Bantam Press.427pages.

Once again Ben Elton takes a swipe at a feature of modern society.This time its a soft target.Reality Television.
The book is based on the making of a programme similiar to American Idol or Big Brother and its new season of shows.

None of the characters evoked much sympathy from me, be they the judges or the competitors they prey on and manipulate.
I think this is because the whole premise of the book is based on such a flimsy lightweight subject.The satire is heavy and plodding.
The characters are so preposterous as to be totally ridiculous.But they have to be given that they exist in a world of Ann Nicole Smith and the antics of Michael Jackson.Its difficult to parody and belittle something that does not have much substance in the beginning.
There are a couple of twists through the course of the story.Not all of them ring true.The ending was a little abrupt as though the author had run out of steam.

Not one of Eltons better efforts.

As forgettable as the television shows it attempts to take the mickey out of.I think he's on more secure ground tilting at more serious issues such as those in Past Mortem or Stark.

Hina Matsuri Crab Meat Bento

Another colorful Hina Matsuri lunchbox from my local bento shop.The orange fish eggs nicely complement the pink and white crab meat in the middle of the bento.On the right are a variety of vegetables and the odd mushroom.Its all sitting on a bed of rice so the bento is quite filling as well as being eye-catching.

Friday Flash...Hina Matsuri Bento

I bought this colourful offering from my local bento shop.Its a special Hina Matsuri or Hina Doll festival bento.
Green,pink and white feature prominently.From the broccoli to the shrimps and white bed of rice on which the ingredients lie.
The yellow circle in the middle which features the figures of a boy and girl is made of egg.Like the rest of the dish its really edible.
Finally in passing if you want to check other bentos enter the word "bento" and hopefully eight or so Ive put up should appear.
Alternatively Ive got some bentos on my flickr page..just click on the Flickr badge on my front page.

March 3 Girls Day

A slow week.How slow?..When the only thing you recall is how apt the name of the Director of the World Health Organisation's Aids department is........Doctor Kevin de Cock.
His name appeared in a newspaper article about circumcision and HIV prevention.Wonder if he ever gets ribbed about it?

Girls Day
March 3 is the day when Girls Day is celebrated.The festival is known as Hina Matsuri (hina doll festival) or momo no sekku(peach flower festival).On this day parents and families with girls pray for their happines and health.
During the day girls wear kimomos.
Special food is eaten on this day.Among the food eaten is hina arale, a rice cake that has been dried,roasted then sprinkled with sugar and dried again.Hishi mochi are diamond shaped rice cakes which are red,white and green in color and offered along with prayers for the girls health and good fortune.Chirashi zushi (colourful sushi) is also eaten along with sweet rice cakes known as sakura mochi.Ama-sake, a kind of non-alcoholic rice wine is also drank by children on this day.

Special dolls are also displayed in the homes of Japanese girls.The dolls are known as hina ninngjyou.Hina means princess and ninngjyou means doll.The dolls represent a royal family and are displayed on a set of steps.On the top step are the emperor and empress dolls.Below them are dolls representing the royal family's courtiers,On other steps are three dolls holding rice cakes as offerings and below them are five musician dolls holding traditional Japanese instruments.Below the musicians are a further four male dolls and finally on the last step, pieces of furniture.
The custom of displaying dolls,some very elaborate and expensive,dates back to the Edo period.The custom can apparently be traced back to an even earlier one (hina nagashi) where participants put dolls into a boat and floated it down a river to the sea.The theory being,the boat would take all troubles and bad spirits with it.

Cherry KitKats

More eye-catching seasonal confectionery attracted my attention earlier in the week.As well as peach kitkats appearing in my local Lawson convenience store I also spotted these cherry flavoured kitkats.Loosely translated the packet states the kitkats bear the faint scent of cherry and cherry blossoms bringing with it the expectation of Spring.And indeed the wafer like biscuits are encased in a sweet pink cherry chocolate.The cherry kitkats, much like the ephemeral blossoms themselves, only have a short shelf life....

Friday Flash..Cherry Blossom Forecast

Once again cherry blossom season draws near.The Meterological Agency is due to issue its forecast for the blossoms on March 7th.Experts are predicting a later blooming period than usual due to the warmer weather over winter.Cherry blossoms require a period of cold weather to develop and then they bloom in the following warmer temperatures of February and March.It seems from various reports that experts are divided over whether the season will be earlier or later than usual.
Accurate forecasts are essential for tour companies and other sight seeing ventures as well as those cities and towns which hold cherry blossom festivals.
The photo shows some seasonal cherry blossom goods already available such as postage stamps,drinks,cups and cherry candles.

Book Review..Blind Willow,Sleeping Woman

Blind Willow,Sleeping Woman by Haruki Murakami.Published by Harvill Secker.334 pages.Translated by Phillip Gabriel and Jay Rubin.

This is a collection of twenty five short stories which cover the authors career.In the introduction,he explains among other things why he likes writing short stories and the history of the stories included in this book.Some of them later became part of later novels and its interesting to see how for example Man-Eating Cats is incorporated into his novel Sputnik Sweetheart.

The stories again centre on many of his frequent themes and symbols..cats,jazz,strange friendships,chance, a sense of loss and an ability to find the extraordinary in even the most mundane situations and circumstances.
Some stories deal with seeming ordinary events then go "twilight zone".Others are based in such locations as Honolulu,Italy and Greece.Some deal with people,some with animals.One of my favorites dealt with a kidney shaped stone.
I think the best way to enjoy the book is not to plunge straight into it and read it in one or two sittings but rather dip and sample a few stories at a time otherwise the effect of each story and the writing is dissipated and lost.Recommended.

Valentines Day..the aftermath

I had a quiet Valentines Day at work.I received a couple of gifts of giri-chocolate but was disappointed that no students turned up for the two class Valentines Day special I'd planned that night.Not one soul.Probably all working.

To end the week on a sour note, work again made the news headlines.Again for the wrong reasons.From all the reports it appears that the Economy,Trade and Industry Ministry did on-site inspections because Nova allegedly required high cancellation costs from students and provided them with false information about its cancellation policy.Action against the company could include ordering it to suspend activities to solicit new students.
Nova has responded to the government probe by stating it was engaged in no wrongdoing.It will be interesting to see the outcome of the investigation and its effect on the company coming as it does hard on the heels of the arrest of instructors on drug charges earlier in the month.

Robot Museum

Trotted down last Friday to the Robot Museum in Sakae opposite the Mitsukoshi Department Store.Its located in a showroom building formerly occupied by a foreign car firm.
After paying admission you turn left into a display area highlighting new robotic innovations.Currently one can test ride a two wheeled Segway scooter.Provided you first sign a form at the entrance waiving the Museum from any liability should you crash through one of the floor to ceiling windows and bleed to death outside on the footpath trapped under the scooter.

Up the stairs on the second floor you walk through a time-line tracing the development of robots from past to present.Although all the signs and labels are in Japanese you are given a folder which is in English and is very helpful.
As well as a colorful display of old metal wind-up Japanese robot toys there are drawers full of old comics and life size replicas of robots such as Atom Boy and Iron Man 28.Early model Apple Macs and Commodore computers also feature.

The last section on the second floor is a hands on section where various robots and machines are on display.Theres a Hello Kitty toy which speaks in a girlish Japanese accent while you can pick up and hold a robotic seal which makes coo-ing and soothing noises when you pat it.

Leaving this section via the elevator or stairs you exit the museum through the shop on the ground floor which seems to occupy the same total area as the rest of the museum.The shop is filled with robot related goods and toys.Apart from the merchandise of the Museums resident robots Nico and Laugh Rough there is nothing really outstanding or unavailable at other shops.There are tables for children to make their own robots from various Lego and construction kits and a group of them and Mums were busily and noisily engaged in building their creations while I was there.
Admission is a fairly steep 1,300 yen an adult and given whats on display I wonder how the Museum will attract repeat customers.Hopefully the Segways and later features will entice customers.
The Museum website is www.robot-museum.net.Although its in Japanese click on the English download section for more information and interior shots of the Museums displays.

Friday Flash..Robot Museum

The Robot Museum in Central Sakae,Nagoya City opened late last year.The photos show two of the Museum's resident robots.Merchandise is on sale which features both Nico(the blue robot) and the oddly named Laugh Rough,the orange robot.They sit on each side of one of the entrances to the Museum.

Valentines Day...Japanese Style

Valentines Day in Japan has a fairly short history going back to the post war recovery years of the 1950s.Apparently one of the first events was a sale held in 1958 by Isetan Department Store.Customers could by a set of Valentines Day chocolates and a card.Since then celebrating has expanded to the point that it now accounts for about 25 percent of Japans annual chocolate sales.

















As with many things though,Valentines Day is given a distinctly Japanese twist.On February 14th Valentines Day has been transformed into a day when women in Japan give chocolates or other kinds of confectionery to men they like.
There are two types of Valentines gifts women can give.
Firstly there is giri-choco a neologism from the Japanese word giri meaning obligation and choco meaning chocolate.Giri-choco is given to bosses and male co-workers.
Secondly there is honmei-choco which is given to boyfriends,husbands and close male colleagues.
But its not all one way traffic.On February 14th women give gifts to men.One month later on White Day,March 14th,men who received chocolate on Valentines Day return the favor and give gifts to women.
White Day is a uniquely "Made in Japan" commerical manufactured day started by a Fukuoka marshmellow maker and the Iwataya Department Store in 1977.Although the day is named for the white marshmellows other gifts such as cookies and chocolates are also becoming popular.
(Reference...N.I.C Calendar February 2007,Wikipedia ).

Friday Flash..Valentines Day Chocolates

Three chocolate animals from The Pink Jungle Edition collection currently on sale for Valentines Day.Most department and convenience stores have shelves heaving with chocolates this year.Judging from what appears to be a wider range to choose from this year the event seems to be growing in popularity with consumers and retailers alike.

Setsubun

The Spring Setsubun or Risshun,the day before the start of Spring is celebrated annually on February 3.
Traditionally many households take part in the custom of mamemaki.The head of the household throws soy beans (mame) inside and outside the home while chanting "Oni wa soto!Fuku wa uchi!".Literally translated as "Demons out,Good Luck enter" the ritual is meant to drive out bad luck and bring good fortune to the household.
Supermarkets and convenience stores sell packs of beans as in the photo above.Devil masks are also offered for sale and are worn by family members who are chased and pelted with beans.
In some shrines and temples bean throwing celebrations also take place on this day.
Another tradition associated with Setsubun is the eating of the same number of beans as your age plus an additional one to ensure good health for the upcoming year.
In some parts of Japan it is also customary to place a grilled sardine fish head and a holly branch near the entrance to your home.The stench of the sardine and the sharpness of the holly leaves is thought to protect ones home from evil spirits.

















Finally, special uncut maki-sushi roll( eho-maki) is eaten on this day while one faces the yearly lucky direction.The lucky direction or eho is determined by the Chinese calendar.2007 is the Year of Fire and the Boar with an eho of North by North West.
The eho maki in the photo was some 20 centimeters long and packed with ikura (salmon roe),ama-ebi (sweet shrimp),tamago (sweetened egg) along with cucumber and maguro (tuna).At the princely sum of 1580 yen it wasnt cheap but judging by the number of customers at the local sushi shop it was certainly popular.

Novacaine

Seven English Nova instructors were arrested on suspicion of possessing cocaine and cannabis in November.Among those arrested were instructors from Saitama and Tokyo.The arrests were widely reported across Japan on January 31st in both Japanese and English language newspapers and on the television.Police investigations are continuing...
Obvivously in the competitive language market the financial impact of this incident can only be guessed.Its reputation must also have received a hit.It will be interesting to see the effects upon student numbers as some may not re-sign new contracts while potential students are put off...

Birthing Machines

Health,Labour and Welfare Minister Hakuo Yangisawa is currently embroiled in controversy over a speech he gave on January 28th. He referred to women as "birthing machines" while speaking about the declining birthrate.
He is quoted as saying"The number of women aged between 15 and 50 is fixed.Because the number of birth giving machines and devices is fixed,all we can ask is for them to do their best."
Yangisawa immediately apologised and was admonished by Prime Minister Abe but has said he has no intention of resigning.

In later developments the Opposition parties boycotted the Diet Commitee debate on the supplementary bugdet in an attempt to get him removed.Some female Opposition lawmakers visited the Ministry and demanded his resignation.Others took to the streets and staged public rallies to call for his removal.
To quote Social Democrat Party Leader Mizuho Fukushima "Children are not tools for the nation,nor are women giving birth to children to secure revenue sources for pensions".

Friday Flash..Maki-zushi

Maki-zushi translates as rolled sushi or cut rolls of sushi. A cylindrical piece rolled with the use of a bamboo mat is called a makisu.Maki-sushi are generally wrapped in a sheet of dried dark green seaweed or nori.
It is customary to eat uncut maki-sushi on Setsubun which is the day before the beginning of each new season.Spring Setsubun or Risshun is celebrated annually on February 3 according to the old Lunar calendar.
Apparently you eat maki-zushi facing each years lucky direction which is determined by the zodiac sign of the year,in this case the boar.Some maki-zushi packs come with direction charts and often compasses are also on sale.
The practice of eating maki-zushi began in the Kansai region and has spread through Japan largely due to promotions by supermarkets and convenience stores.
The fact that the maki-zushi is uncut and long (the piece in the photo is some 18 centimeters in length) is meant to bestow on those eating it a long life similiar to the belief eating buckwheat toshikoshi soba on New Years Eve will ensure longevity.
As for the pack of soy beans in the front of the photo thats another tradition of Setsubun that I'll explain next week.

Cup Noodles

It was reported earlier this month that the inventor of the ubiquitous cup noodles,Ando Momofuku, died in Osaka aged 96.
From the various reports I read including a small piece from the Chicago Tribune, he spent about ten years after World War 2 developing and perfecting his recipe.
He finally succeeded and began marketing the worlds first instant noddles called Chicken Ramen in Japan in 1958.The product became a big hit and instant "Cup Noodle" followed in 1971.
It wasnt until 1970 that instant noodles reached America.A representative of Nissin Foods in America which markets the product is quoted as giving the reasons for its popularity..."Its the cost.And its filling.And the taste."
As the photo shows there are now a variety of flavours available including seafood,cheese and curry.

ThunderBirds in Japan

I went along to a small "Thunderbirds In Japan" exhibition last weekend.Held on the eighth floor of the Parco Building in Sakae,Nagoya it celebrates the 40th anniversary of the first screening of the show in Japan by NHK.
On display are various marionettes,models,clothes and other memorabilia from the popular British 60s programmes.
There were several mockup sets of Tracy Island where International Rescue is based.
In the background a television played clips from various episodes.Overhead music from the show playing loudly on a short repetitive loop made normal conversation well nigh impossible.
There were a lot of souvenirs such as T shirts,books and models for sale near the exit point.Admitance for adults is 500yen.There are only Japanese captions on the displays which is a bit of a let down as was the deafening music which doesnt encourage one to linger over the exhibits.The exhibition finishes February 12th.

Friday Flash..Toilet Humor

One recurring and amusing sight in Japan is the confusion in the use of the letters "b" and "v".Their pronunciation and use in spelling is often mixed up.The words "banana" and "vanilla" is one example that springs immediately to mind.
The sign above, in Nara, is another illustration of this.Obvivously its meant to show where the nearest washroom is but even then it would be incorrectly spelt.

Cell. Best American Essays 2006.

Cell by Stephen King.473 pages.Hodder and Stoughton.
An event known as The Pulse infects cellphones and spreads virus like around the world.Cellphone users turn into murderous zombies or "phone-crazies".Only those without phones are unaffected-the so-called "normies".The novel focuses on a small band of normies and their flight from Boston.

Think of it as a mini "The Stand" with fewer characters and pages.As usual the mayhem and chaos is described in the way that only King can do."Her upper lip had turned completely inside out,revealing a pink velvet lining as intimate as a vulva"(page 9) or "She was splattered with blood,bits of cloth and globbets of smoking flesh"(page 247).

The book turns into a journey towards the inevitable final showdown much like many of his earlier works such as "It" and obviviously "The Stand".On the way there is time for the characters to ponder about technology,computers and madness.
In summary you know what you are getting with a Stephen King book.In this case its a pretty good read that kept me entertained for a week or so on my 45 minute train trips to work and back.

Footnote..I chanced upon a podcast interview with Stephen King on www.simonsays.com(the website of publishers Simon and Schuster).The interview is interesting as the author explains how he came up with the idea and why he choose Boston as the location.He also puts forth in the interview (February 9 2006) his views on cellphones and technology in general.Well worth a listen.

















The Best American Essays 2006.Edited by Lauren Slater.Houghton Mifflin.264 pages.

In her introduction editor Lauren Slater writes that "The essays in this volume are powerful,plainspoken mediations on birthing,dying and the business between".
Unfortunately many of the twenty essays she chose deal with dying.Unrelentingly so.Death hangs like a pall of gloom over this edition.
The death of pet dogs and goldfish.The loss of a spouse.Cemeteries.Deaths of author friends and authors never met.Death of mothers and fathers.
Surely there were essays on other subjects equally worthy of inclusion in this volume.It was with a sense of relief then that an essay on lefthandeness,one on celebrity and another on grammar broke the morbid tone.Briefly.
As one of the authors,Eugene Goodheart, wrote"I told a friend that I was writing about aging and dying and he said you have to be funny or lighthearted otherwise who would want to read it?".
Indeed who.
As with this years Short Stories collection I read earlier this was also somewhat disappointing.In this case it was the lack of variety of subject matter rather than the quality of writing that turned me off.

Friday Flash

Sake Barrels..Nara















Barrels of sake are broken open (kagami biraki) during Shinto festivals and ceremonies such as weddings,the launch of new businesses or the celebration of sporting victories.The sake used is called iwai-zake and is served free to all to spread good luck.In the New Year a special type of iwai-zake named toso is consumed.
The phrase kagami biraki also refers to a practice that happens around January 11 each year.During the holidays prior to New Year an offering of mochi (sticky rice cakes that have been pounded) is placed in the house altar or tokonoma as an offering to the gods or deities who visit over the period.The ornamental mochi is then removed on January 11th and broken into pieces by hand or hammer before being eaten. (Check Wikipedia for more details).

Nara

Despite there being eight World Heritage sites in its vicinity and being Japans first real capital city I only ventured to Nara last weekend.Quite fortuitous,timing wise,as I was able to witness the Yamayaki or Grass Burning Festival on Saturday night.This festival involves the setting fire to long grass on a hill above the Nara Koen reserve.The second photo below shows the aftermath of the fire on the hill the morning after.












From the JR Nara Station (which is located near the middle of the city) Nara looks like any other Japanese location.Grey.Concrete.The usual suspects are evident.Lawson,Mr Donuts,and KFC encircle the carpark.However a brisk five minute walk brings you to Nara Koen reserve from where many of the sites are within walking distance.The guidebooks I read suggest that you can see the main ones in a full day.However I took a more relaxed two day approach to give me ample time to see things without being aware of time constraints and the need to "tick off" another temple and move to the next.














Of the major sites I visited I would recommend Todai-ji without hesitation.Apart from the huge entrance gates Todai-ji Daibutsu-den (Hall of the Great Buddha) is the largest wooden building in the world.As the details on the admission ticket point out the current structure(the third) is in fact only two thirds the size of the original.



















The Hall houses a massive Daibutsu (Great Buddha) which is one of the largest cast bronze figures in the world.It stands or sits at a daunting sixteen metres or so tall and weighs in at four hundred and thirty seven odd tonnes.


















Also noteworthy is the five storey pagoda (Goju-no to) the second tallest of its type in Japan and Kofuku-ji Kokuhokan the National Treasure Hall which contains a variety of statues,figures and objects from previous structures;most of which were destroyed by fire.
If one walks in a southern direction away from the pagoda and Nara Koen you can wander about in the Naramachi area where there are still some old style warehouses and homes (machiya) in use.



















Finally,Kasuga Taisha Shrine is also worth the effort to visit.The walks to the shrine are bordered with lichen covered lanterns offering many photo opportunities and a pleasant meander under the trees.

There are various ways to get to Nara.I took a longer,cheaper option.Some three and a half hours or so and two thousand two hundred yen by train.There are some cheap hotel choices around both the JR and Kintetsu stations.I would recommend you book ahead to reserve a room as there seems to a festival of one type or other on nearly every weekend.
I dont why I left it so long to visit Nara.Its certainly walkable and easily accessible.
It also, in my opinion, has in its favor a less crowded modern environment than Kyoto.Unfortunately both cities now only seem to have pockets or islands of "old Japan" left among the surge of concrete and modern construction that threaten to completely overwhelm them and the atmosphere these areas once had.

Oh Deer

Think Nara.Think Deer.Deer are synonymous with Nara.They have been for centuries.Cunning,cloven pick-pockets.Ready to dispossess unwary tourists of food or anything else they carry.Deer biscuits-shika sembei (small circular cracker like biscuits)are readily available from street vendors.















Deer souvenirs and paraphernalia seem to hang from every doorway.Hello Kitty and other character goods incorporating deer catch the tourists eye and wallets. Posters adorned with them plaster walls.Manhole covers bear their designs.















My favorite souvenir was the box below.The illustration on the box means no translation is necessary.Potential purchasers can readily identify the contents.Deer pooh confectionery.Chocolate surrounded by mochi (pounded sticky rice).Quite sweet and a real conversation starter.

Friday Flash

Nova Pocky
I was somewhat surprised this week to see my company had its mascot (a pink rabbit or usagi) plastered over packets of Pocky confectionery.I dont know if there is a relationship between education and chocolate.Where or what will it be advertising next..beer,cigarettes?

Neshogatsu

This Japanese word neatly encapsulates what I did this past New Years break.The Japanese language often describes in one or two words what other languages struggle to convey in one or two sentences.
Basically I spent the break lying around my apartment,sleeping,eating,reading and watching a bit of tv.I also tried to do some paper mache stuff.Due to the low temperatures the drying times were more extended than in summer so not a lot was done.

Sumo
The first sumo tournament of the new year got underway yesterday in Tokyo.Once again the sole yokozuna,Asashoryu,is the favorite to win.His nearest rival,Hakuho, is on the comeback after missing the last tournament having broken one of his toes.
If Asa wins it will be his 20th Emperors Cup victory bringing him equal with former yokozuna Takanahana on the alltime winners list.

Seijin-no-hi
Today Monday January 8th marked Coming of Age day.Youths who turn 20 years of age celebrate their new status as adult on this national holiday.Various celebrations and ceremonies are held nationwide attended by the new "adults" wearing formal suits and stylish fur collared kimomos.

Let It Snow Let It Snow Let It...

This was the scene in Tajimi,Gifu Prefecture. Mid morning, yesterday, Sunday.A cold front from Asia dropped snow over wide areas of Japan and also brought strong winds.The snow didnt fall for long and the weather had cleared by late afternoon.The snow had turned to a wet dirty slush.The photo was taken by my co-worker Andrew.Cheers mate.

Friday Flash

New Years Cards










A traditional part of the Japanese New Year is the sending of New Years cards to friends,relatives,coworkers and schoolmates.The cards(nengajo) are delivered on January 1st though they are available for sale from the middle of December.

As a matter of politeness should you have a death in the family during the year you dont send nengajo.Instead you send a simple card to people who then refrain from sending nenegajo out of respect for the deceased.

The cards usually have a design of the current Chinese astrological character and a simple greeting.This year is the Year of the Boar so cards have pig designs.Cards can be purchased at many places and there is software available to enable you to make your own style and messages.The Japan Post Office sells nengajo with a series of numbers on the bottom of each card.There is a prize draw in mid January and you can win a variety of gifts from televisions to stamps.
Writing the cards can be an onerous task.A few students I spoke to were sending over 200 cards.Some were using software to write the cards while others were handwriting them...

2007...The Year of The Pig

Shinen omedeto gozaimasu.
Happy New Year.
Under the Chinese twelve year astrological cycle we are now in the year of the pig or boar.The pig is associated with fertility and virility.People born during these years are said to be gallant,loyal and studious.They are also somewhat reticent,tolerant but also can be quick-tempered.People born in the year of the pig include Elton John,Borat and Stephen Harper, the current Canadian Prime Minister.

People born in the last of the twelve year cycle,(the year of the rat being the first,the pig the last), are also said to possess great honesty.Looking back over 2006 there seemed to be an honesty deficit in Japan.Three major stories last year concerned fraud or dishonesty.
Firstly, theres the trial in progress of Horie Takafumi, LiveDoor Company founder. Arrested for securities fraud and fraudulent accounting practices the demise of his company led to a spectacular if temporary fall in the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
Secondly,linked with the LiveDoor action is the trial of prominent fund manager, Murakami Yoshiaki,accused of insider trading after allegedly receiving a tipoff from the company.
Thirdly, architect Aneha Hidetsugu was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment for the falsification of building documents linked to their earthquake resistance.

And dont forget both local and national politicians when considering the subject of honesty and legitimate business practices.At least three Prefectural Governors were forced from their posts in the last year due to financial irregularities or bid rigging.

On the national stage there was the recent resignation of Government Tax Commission Chief Masaaki Honma.He was picked by Prime Minister Abe because he was in favor of selling off state assets in line with Abe's views.Abe replaced his predecessor as Abe didnt share his view the consumption tax needs to be raised to cope with rising social security costs.
Unfortunately for Honma,a local weekly magazine reported he was living with a girlfriend in a government funded condominium. The same type of state asset he favoured selling off.While his resignation may have been for political reasons I felt there was also a certain "moral outrage" concerning his personal life.He denied he was living with the woman merely "dating her" and was divorcing his wife.
Finally in the last week of December Genchiro Sata, Administrative Reform Minister resigned due to alleged false funding reports submitted by some of his political support groups. Following on from the Tax Commission Chiefs resignation this one will put more pressure on Abe's government both in terms of pushing ahead with reforms and the upcoming Diet elections in 2007.

One can only hope that 2007 proves to be a more transparent honest year...