Silver White Winters

It's already been snowing in Hokkaido, the northern most island in Japan. Snow usually greets those Japanese who live in Hokkaido before many others are visited in other regions of the country. Currently it's about fifty degrees in Tokyo. Something I would take any day compared to Iowa's negative ten degree wind chills. Many areas in Japan have special winter itineraries that allow a tourist to view all that winter has to offer in Japan. These include resort stays, skiing, and snowy sight seeing.

Many places in Japan have light festivals called "Winter Illumination." These light festivals, like fall colors and snow sculptures, are viewed by millions. With new technological updates, many people are looking into Projection Mapping or 3D Mapping to really enhance their showing. Many historical places have their own light shows as well as ordinary homes and work places.

Seasonal illuminations around Christmas have become a popular attraction in cities across Japan. Illuminations are typically displayed from around November to around Christmas or New Year, while a few are kept up until Valentine's Day in February. Among Japan's first and most spectacular light show, Kobe's Luminarie, ended yesterday. It started after the disastrous earthquake in 1995, the Kobe Luminarie is an Italian designed tunnel consisting of millions of lights. Shinjuku hosts a long winter light festival. Illumination displays are found spread around the Shinjuku Terrace City, but especially on the Shinjuku Southern Terrace, south of JR Shinjuku Station. Some illuminations will be held through Valentine's Day.

WINTER VOCAB
Winter brings extreme cold to Japan.
The word cold in Japanese is
さむい　
sa mu i
(sah-moo-ee)

With winter comes Christmas
Merry Christmas in Japanese is
メリークリスマス
me rii ku ri su ma su
(meh-ree-koo-ree-soo-mah-soo)

Snow Country

Snow country refers to areas in Japan characterized by heavy, long-lasting snowfalls.

The snow country is located on the north side of Japan's main island, Honshu and the area encompassed by the Japanese Alps. It also includes Sado Island and Hokkaido. Blizzards become torential as they turn from flurries to a full on white outs in a matter of seconds. 

Areas in the snow country have to struggle with the mass exodus of the snow that falls so they can keep the prefectures running. Snow makes a lot of daily tasks hard to do, like driving to work or school. Schools can be cancelled for weeks on account of the massive amounts of snow falling. Frequently snow is so deep in some places that buildings have a special entrance on their second story; people must remove snow from their roofs to prevent its weight from crushing their homes, and special care is taken to protect trees from the snow's weight. In some towns, people used to tunnel paths to one another's homes, and streets were lined with covered sidewalks to ensure that people could get around. Today in areas where temperatures are high enough to make it practical, many roads are equipped with sprinklers using warm ground water to keep them passable by melting the snow.

The heavy snowfalls of Japan's snow country are caused by moisture-laden clouds bumping up against the mountains along the backbone of Honshu and releasing their moisture under the influence of easterly winds blowing off the continent or down from Siberia. As a result, the region includes some of the world's snowiest spots at the same latitudes, many localities are also frequently visited by avalanches. The most recent record snows were brought by the blizzards of December 2005–February 2006, when well over 3 meters (almost 10 feet) of snow accumulated in many rural areas.

A more positive thing about Japan's abundance of snow is that the Japanese participate in amazing snow sculpting contests and festivals. One held in Sapporo, Japan brings in nearly 2 million people from all around the world. The Sapporo Snow Festival, one of Japan's largest winter events, has attractions that line Odori Park, the grounds at Community Dome Tsudome, and the main street in Susukino.

For one weeks in February, these unique statues and sculptures (both large and small) turn Sapporo into a winter dreamland of crystal-like ice and white snow.

Christmastime in Japan

Despite Christmas being a mainly Christian holiday, the Japanese still celebrate it though with some twists of their own.

Christmas in Japan is a bit different from America. Despite the major religions in Japan being Buddhism and Shinto, Christmas is held as more of a commercial event rather than a religious holiday with the main celebration happening around Christmas Eve and not Christmas Day.

It is common to give Christmas presents in Japan, and Santa Claus is known to visit the children as confirmed by the NORAD Santa Tracker. Within the family, parents give presents to their children, but the children do not give presents to the parents. As in America, the reason for this is that only Santa brings presents, so once the child no longer believes in Santa, the presents are no longer given.

Most Japanese families do have a Christmas tree and it is becoming increasingly common to have Christmas light displays on the outside of houses like in some Western countries. KFC also takes part in the holiday. Thanks to KFC and Japan's lack of turkeys, fried chicken has become a traditional Japanese Christmas dinner. It is almost impossible to get into a KFC restaurant on Christmas Eve and many families will order their chicken ahead so that they can eat at the earliest convenience.

Christmas is also considered a very romantic holiday and lovers are supposed to spend the evening together doing couple activities. It is really crucial for single women in Japan to have someone to spend Christmas Eve with (kind of like Valentine's Day in America). It is also really important where they spend Christmas Eve and what present they receive. The whole evening has to be very special, elaborate and romantic. Japanese women who have a boyfriend tend to show off, so women who are single are not happy to talk about the topic.

There is also a traditional joke that compares Christmas to a woman's age. Cake shops throughout Japan always try to sell all their Christmas cakes before Christmas Eve. Any cakes left after Christmas are seen to be very old or out of date. Unmarried women over 25 years old used to be called 'unsold Christmas Cake'. Since the average age for marriage has changed, with people marrying older and older, and cakes are delicious, this joke is falling out of use, to the pleasure of most single women.

Us and Them. A Comparison. Japanese High Schools.

Both American and Japanese schools have the same scheduled layout, however in America students are offered more freedom chances and in Japan they have set schedules that don't usually change. In America, a lot of high school students drive to and from class or school activities. This is a freedom that Japanese students don't have because the train or a bike is a much more efficient way of travel for a lot of the kids. In America, students are automatically accepted into the high school according to where they live in relation to the school whereas in Japan, you have to test into the high school that you want to go to. What that means is during a kid's middle school career they have to take an entry test to see where they will end up in high school. Some kids don't take the test and instead decide not to go to school, but rather work instead. Usually, in a Japanese high school, the vice principal will do most of the work that American principals do instead of the principal doing it themselves. Rather than the students moving from class to class, the teachers do. The students sit in the same room while each teacher rotates and teaches their subject. Because the students don't move, a Japanese school doesn't have a cafeteria like in America.

I mentioned before that the students in Japan who chose not to enter high school work. The kids that are in high school do not have jobs, unlike in America, because they focus on education and extra-curricular activities as being most important. In America, students can enter in many different extra-curricular activities and try more out to see what they like, but in Japan students choose one activities. These activities range from band club to baseball and students decide where they want to invest all of their time before they enter the high school. Kids rarely move from one activity to another because of the bonds that they have made with the friends in that group. If they were to switch, they would be looked upon as a bizarre outsider who doesn't have a place because they weren't bonded originally with that new group.

American schools have summer break, spring break, and winter break. In Japanese schools, they have all of the same breaks, but they are spread out at different times. Japanese students advance to the next grade during spring break that lasts about three weeks, instead of summer break in America.  

The Bullet Train

Japan's main islands of Honshu and Kyushu are served by a network of high speed train lines that connect Tokyo with most of the country's major cities. Japan's high speed trains (bullet trains) are called shinkansen (新幹線) and are operated by Japan Railways (JR).  Running at speeds of up to 320 km/h, the shinkansen is known for punctuality (most trains depart on time to the second), comfort (relatively silent cars with spacious, always forward facing seats), safety (no fatal accidents in its history) and efficiency. Thanks to the Japan Rail Pass, the shinkansen can also be a very cost effective means of travel.  The shinkansen network consists of multiple lines, among which the Tokaido Shinkansen (Tokyo - Nagoya - Kyoto - Osaka) is the oldest and most popular. All shinkansen lines (except the Akita and Yamagata Shinkansen) run on tracks that are exclusively built for and used by shinkansen trains. Most lines are served by multiple train categories, ranging from the fastest category that stops only at major stations to the slowest category that stops at every station along the way.

The shinkansen provides a very unique experience. Complete with facilities, the train offers a virtually short trip. Traveling across the country by car could take up to six or seven hours, but the shinkansen nearly cuts that time in half. When I was on the train, it felt like we weren't moving up to 320 km/h, but rather that times was just moving very quickly. It was as if we were just in a long, narrow room that was moving very quickly. Some seats were able to turn all the way around so a group of us could sit and play a card game with each other. I also found that the shinkansen was a great place to sleep and many utilize its wondrous stability while moving at fast speeds. A lot of tired men coming from their workplaces would be asleep or else drifting off. At each stop, as with any train in Japan, there would be an automated voice recording that would say where we were and it was always interesting to experience that bit of Japanese culture.

So, if you're looking for a comfortable way to cross the country of Japan without having to deal with a regular train's starts and stops, I would recommend the shinkansen because of its speed, facilities, and passenger accommodations.

Autumn in Japan

Colorful leaves (koyo) are to the Japanese autumn what cherry blossoms are to spring. The viewing of autumn leaves has been a popular activity in Japan for centuries and today draws large numbers of travelers to famous koyo spots both in the mountains and in the cities.

Each year, starting in mid September, the "koyo front" slowly moves southwards from the northern island of Hokkaido until it reaches the lower elevations of central and southern Japan towards the end of November. Some trees around Tokyo and Kyoto remain colorful into early December.

The season starts around mid September in the highest mountains of Hokkaido and then gradually moves into lower elevations and more southern latitudes until reaching Tokyo and Kyoto in the second half of November. In some locations colors can be enjoyed into December.

Depending on temperatures during the preceding months and weeks, the timing of the autumn leaf season can vary by a few days to one or two weeks from year to year. The map and the list of popular autumn leaf destinations below show the approximate best timing for seeing the leaves in the average year.

Autumn leaves can be enjoyed in various ways. During the early phase of the season, the colors are mostly found in the mountains where entire slopes turn orange, yellow and red, and provide some of the most amazing seasonal sceneries. Hiking is the most rewarding way to see the colorful leaves in the mountains, but many spots can also be conveniently reached by train, bus or ropeway. 

In the second phase of the autumn leaf season, the colors descend into Japan's cities, where they can be viewed in parks and gardens. Among the highlights are the autumn colors in the temples gardens of Kyoto where they beautifully complement with the buildings' elegant architecture. Almost surreal is the sight of the trees during evening illuminations, which are held at selected gardens and temples.

Bathing With Friends

Sentō is a type of Japanese communal bath house where customers pay for entrance. Traditionally these bath houses have been quite easy to use, with one large room separating the sexes by a tall barrier, and on both sides, usually a minimum of lined up faucets and a single large bath for the already washed bathers to sit in among others. Since the second half of the 20th century, these communal bath houses have been decreasing in numbers as more and more Japanese residences now have baths. Some Japanese find social importance in going to public baths, out of the theory that physical proximity brings emotional intimacy, which is termed skinship in pseudo-English Japanese. Others go to a sentō because they live in a small housing facility without a private bath or to enjoy bathing in a spacious room and to relax in saunas or jet baths that often accompany new or renovated sentōs.

Another type of Japanese public bath is onsen, which uses hot water from a natural hot spring. They are not exclusive: A sentō can be called an onsen if it derives its bath water from naturally heated hot springs. A legal definition exists that can classify a public bathing facility as sentō.

There are many different looks for a Japanese sentō, or public bath. Most traditional sentō, however, have an entrance from the outside looks somewhat similar to a temple, with a Japanese curtain across the entrance.  The men's and the women's side are very similar and differ only slightly.

A public bathing facility in Japan typically has one of two kinds of entrances. One is the front desk variety, where a person in charge sits at a front desk, abbreviated as "front." The other entrance variety is the bandai style. In Tokyo,  sentō facilities have a "front"-type entrance, while only 315 still have the more traditional bandai-style entrance.

The dressing room also often has access to a very small Japanese garden with a pond, and a Japanese-style toilet. There are a number of tables and chairs, including some coin-operated massage chairs. Usually there is also a scale to measure weight, and sometimes height. Local business often advertises in the sentō. The women's side usually has some baby beds, and may have more mirrors. 

Taking a bath at a public sentō requires at a bare minimum a small towel and some soap/shampoo. Attendants usually sell these items for 100-200 yen. Many people bring two towels; a handtowel for drying and a handtowel or washcloth for washing. A nylon scrubbing cloth or scrub brush with liquid soap is normally used for washing. Other body hygiene products may include a pumice stone, toothbrush, toothpaste, shaving equipment, combs, shower caps, pomade, make up products, powder, creams, etc. Some regular customers store their bucket of bathing equipment on open shelves in the dressing room.

The Boy Who Drew Cats Part II

Welcome back to the Boy Who Drew Cats 

Part II

“That’s strange,” said Joji. “Why isn’t anyone here?”

He lit a lamp by the door. Then he saw something that made him clap. All around the big room were folding screens with empty rice-paper panels.

Joji got out his writing box and made some ink. Then he dipped in his brush and started to draw. And what Joji drew was just one thing.

Cats.

Cats, cats, and more cats. Small cats, big cats, thin cats, fat cats. Cats, cats, cats, cats, cats.

The screen he drew on last was almost as long as the room. Joji covered it with one gigantic cat—the biggest and most beautiful cat he had ever drawn.

Now Joji was tired. He started to lie down. But something about the big room bothered him.

“I’ll find someplace smaller.”

He found a cozy closet and settled inside. Then he slid shut the panel door and went to sleep.

Late that night, Joji awoke in fright.

Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

It sounded like a large, fierce animal in the temple! Now he knew why no one was there. He wished he wasn’t there either!

He heard the thing sniff around the big room. It halted right in front of the closet. Then all at once . . .

Yowl!

There was a sound of struggling, and a roar of surprise and pain. Then a huge thud that shook the floor.

Then a soft padding sound. Then silence.

Joji lay trembling in the dark. He stayed there for hours, afraid to look out of the closet.

At last, daylight showed at the edge of the door. Joji carefully slid the door open and peered out.

In the middle of the room lay a monster rat—a rat as big as a cow! It lay dead, as if something had smashed it to the floor.

Joji looked around the room. No one and nothing else was there—just the screens with the cats. Then Joji looked again at the one gigantic cat.

“Didn’t I draw the head to the left and the tail to the right?”

Yes, he was sure of it. But now the cat faced the other way—as if it had come down off the screen and then gone back up.

“The cat!” said Joji. His eyes grew wide. Then he pressed his palms together and bowed to the screen.

“Thank you, honorable cat. You have saved me. For as long as I live, no one will stop me from drawing cats.”

* * *

When the villagers learned that the monster rat was dead, Joji became a hero. The village priest let him live in the temple as long as he liked.

But Joji did not become a priest. And he did not become a farmer.

He became an artist. A great artist. An artist honored through all the country. An artist who drew just one thing.

Cats!

The Boy Who Drew Cats Part I

This is a Japanese fairy tale called The Boy Who Drew Cats

Once there was a boy who loved to draw. His name was Joji.

Joji grew up on a farm with lots of brothers and sisters. The others were a big help to their father and mother. But not Joji!

He did nothing for hours but draw in the dirt with a stick. And what Joji drew was just one thing.

Cats.

Cats, cats, and more cats. Small cats, big cats, thin cats, fat cats. Cats, cats, cats, cats, cats.

“Joji,” his father told him, “you must stop drawing all those cats! How will you ever be a farmer?”

“I’m sorry, Father. I’ll try to stop.”

And he did try. But whenever Joji saw one of the farm cats go by, he forgot about his chores and drew another cat.

“Joji will never make a farmer,” said the farmer sadly to his wife.

“Maybe he could be a priest,” she told him. “Why don’t you take him to the temple?”

So the farmer brought Joji to the priest at the village temple. The priest said, “I will gladly teach him.”

From then on, Joji lived at the temple. The priest gave him lessons in reading and writing. Joji had his own box of writing tools, with a brush and an ink stick and a stone.

Joji loved to make the ink. He poured water in the hollow of the stone. He dipped the ink stick in the water. Then he rubbed the stick on the stone. And there was the ink for his brush!

Now, the other students worked hard at their writing. But not Joji! With his brush and rice paper, he did nothing for hours but draw. And what Joji drew was just one thing.

Cats.

Cats, cats, and more cats. Small cats, big cats, thin cats, fat cats. Cats, cats, cats, cats, cats.

“Joji,” the priest told him, “you must stop drawing all those cats! How will you ever be a priest?”

“I’m sorry, honorable sir. I’ll try to stop.”

And he did try. But whenever Joji saw one of the temple cats go by, he forgot about his writing and drew another cat.

That was bad enough. Then Joji started drawing on the folding screens of the temple. Soon there were cats on all the rice-paper panels. They were everywhere!

“Joji, you’ll never make a priest,” the priest told him sadly. “You’ll just have to go home.”

Joji went to his room and packed his things. But he was afraid to go home. He knew his father would be angry.

Then he remembered another temple in a village nearby. “Maybe I can stay with the priest there.”

Joji started out walking. It was already night when he got to the other village.

Melon Pan

While in Japan I experienced some of the most diverse food is ever had. Something that crossed my taste buds was Melon bread (メロンパン meron pan). It is so delicious that I thought I'd find out how to make it and show you! Pan means bread in Japanese. They are actually bread buns covered with a layer of pastry, or cookie-like dough.

Each dough is left for second proofing after the pastry layer is wrapped around it. The inner bread dough will rise and cause the outer pastry layer to crack.

It's called melon bread because the cracked surface resembles a melon. Melon extract is also used to add fragrance. No filling is added to standard melon pan. The buns are sugary and taste wonderful. The hard outer shell compliments the soft bread layer.

Different patterns and fillings, like chocolate chips, can be added. 

Japanese Melon Pan

Ingredients:

(makes about 12 buns)

Bread Dough:

300g bread flour

6g instant yeast

36g caster sugar

5g salt

6g skim milk powder (I used my boy's milk powder)

200g warm water (37~38 degC) (I didn't bother, just made sure water is not cold)

30g unsalted butter (bring to room temperature)

Pastry layer

80g unsalted butter (bring to room temperature)

90g caster sugar

80g egg, lightly beaten (oh, I hate weighing eggs!)

200g cake flour

2g baking powder

some melon extract (I leave this out as I don't have this)

some caster sugar for dusting/coating

How I made them:

1. Sift bread flour, caster sugar, salt, milk powder into a mixing bowl. Add in instant yeast and mix the powdered mixture a little.
2. Add in warm water. DO NOT add in all the water at one go, leave a little bit so as to adjust the texture of the dough.
3. Mix the ingredients with hand and slowly form into a dough. Add the remaining water if it is too dry.
4. Transfer dough to work surface. Knead until the dough longer sticks to the work surface. This should take about less than 5 mins.
5. Flatten the dough and add in the butter. Continue to knead. Initially, the dough will be very oily, after a few kneads, the butter will be absorbed by the dough. Continue to knead until the dough no longer feel sticky to your hand and will not stick to the work surface. This should take about 15 to 20 mins.
6. Place dough in a lightly greased (with butter) bowl, cover with cling wrap and let proof for about one hour, or until double in bulk.
7. While the dough is proofing, prepare the pastry layer. With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until mixture turns pale.
8. Add in a few drops of melon extract if desired.
9. Add in lightly beaten eggs in 3 addition. Beat well after each addition.
10. Sift over cake flour and baking powder. Mix with a spatula until flour mixture is fully incorporate. Divide into 12 portions, about 35~40g each. For the chocolate chips version, wrapped some chocolate chips into each pastry dough. Place in a tray and let the dough chill in the fridge for at least 30 mins.
11. Punch out the gas in the bread dough and divide into 12 portion, about 45g each. Roll into rounds. Cover with a damp cloth or cling wrap and let the dough relax for 10mins.
12. Remove chilled pastry dough from the fridge. Roll out each dough in between 2 layers of cling wraps (I used clear plastic bags). Roll the bread dough again into rounds again. Remove the top layer of the cling wrap and place the bread dough onto the pastry dough. With the bottom layer of the cling wrap still intact, wrap the pastry dough around the bread dough. Carefully remove the bottom layer of the cling wrap, at the same time, smoothing the edges of the pastry dough. NOTE: DO NOT cover the Entire bread dough with the pastry dough. Leave the bottom 2 ~ 3 cm uncovered. The dough needs the space to expand, otherwise the pastry dough will burst and the resulting appearance will not be very pleasing.
13. Coat the exterior with caster sugar, stamp patterns on the surface with cookie cutters or decorate as desired. Leave doughs to proof for the second time for about 40 ~ 50mins.
14. Bake in pre-heated oven at 170 deg C (I set mine as 180 deg C) for 10 ~ 12 mins. Note: mine took 20mins to brown!

Recipe source: 酥皮麵包大集合by 佐藤律子

Health and Sports Day

Health and Sports Day October 14, 2013

体育の日 Taiiku no hi

Health and Sports Day is a national holiday in Japan held annually on the second Monday in October. It commemorates the opening of the 1964 Summer Olympics being held in Tokyo, and exists to promote sports and an active lifestyle.

The first Health and Sports Day was held on October 10, 1966, two years after the 1964 Summer Olympics. October was chosen for the unusually late Summer Olympics to avoid the Japanese rainy season. As Health and Sports Day is a day to promote sports and physical and mental health, many schools and businesses choose this day to hold their annual Field Day, or sports day. This typically consists of a range of physical events ranging from more traditional track-and-field events such as the 100 meters or the 4x100m relay to more uncommon events such as the tug of war Most communities and schools across Japan celebrate Sports Day with a sports festival which is similar to a mini Olympics. These festivals include many of the traditional track and field events, such as 4 x 100m relay, 100m sprinting, and long jump, as well as many other events. Some of the events include: ball toss, tug-o-war, rugby-ball dribbling races, and sack races. The festival usually begins around 8:30 am with a parade featuring all the different teams that will be participating: it could be divided by neighbourhood, class, geographic area, or school. There is sometimes a local marching band providing music. Once the parade has gone around the field and lined up in the middle, the band will play Kimogayo and the Japanese flag will be raised. Local officials will make speeches welcoming everyone. Often everyone will spread out across the grounds for group stretching (this stretching routine was developed by the government and is done daily by many Japanese people; the stretching routine music is broadcast daily on the radio and TV). Then it is time to start the events. Every event has prizes for the winners, usually something useful for around the house such as boxes of tissues, laundry detergent, dish soap, hand soap, saran wrap, wax paper, or even cooking oil. Around noon, the events will take a pause for lunch and sometimes traditional dancing. Lunch is usually a Bentō (lunchbox), typically including rice, fish, stewed vegetables, sushi, rice balls, and other small Japanese treats. As with the Olympics, the final event of the day is the 4 x 100m relay or 100m sprint. Following this, the point totals are tallied and the ending ceremony involves congratulatory speeches by local officials and the handing out of prizes to the top teams. 

Fujisan

Mount Fuji, or Fujisan as known by the Japanese, is located on Honshu island and is the highest mountain in japan at 12,389 feet tall. An active stratovolcano that last erupted in 1707 and lies 60 miles south west of Tokyo. It can even be seen from Tokyo on a clear day!

Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone, which is snow capped a lot of the time during the year, it a well known symbol of japan and it is frequently depicted in art and pictures as well as frequently visited by sightseers, tourists,a nod climbers. It is one of Japan's "Three Holy mountains" along with Mount Tate and Mount Haki and it is a special place to view Japan's scenic beauty as well as a historic site. 

A lot of tourists and the Japanese as we'll like to climb Fujisan. July and August are the official climbing season. During these two months the mountain is usually free of snow, the weather is relatively mild, access by public transportation is easy and the mountain huts are open. Everybody without much hiking experience is advised to tackle the mountain during the official climbing season.

There are five iconic lakes that surround Fujisan and are known as a lake resort area, where hiking, camping, fishing and snow sports are among the popular outdoor activities that can be enjoyed. There are also plenty of hot springs and museums found in the area, along with Fuji Q Highland, one of Japan's most popular amusement parks with record breaking roller coasters.

My Travels in Fukushima

July 7, 2012

Today many of kids on the trip a got an early start with a walk or jog around the lake. 

I was out there around six with a few friends from Washington. After breakfast we found out that there was a newspaper article about last night’s reception that included a picture of Emily Arkenberg, Cameron, and our teacher.  

Our first stop today was a small hot spring village called Yunomoto, a place as far off the beaten path in Japan as you can get.  Our local guide, Hoshi-san,

showed us the mountain temple and shrine as well as some of the farming areas around the town. 

The arrows are kept around the temple to ward off evil spirits.

At one point we stopped in at a hot spring inn to refill our water bottles and April showed Japanese curtesy by offering candy to a roomful of older women who had gathered for tea and a chat.  They came back with some Japanese  tsukemono (pickles) and we became instant friends. 

We then proceeded to the community gym where we were introduced to the skill of mochi making.  Mochi is a gooey rice cake made by lots and lots of pounding.  Emily M was the first in our group to try to make it and several others tried as well.  When the mochi was made, it was prepared traditionally and we feasted. 

When we finished eating we traveled to Shirakawa city to see some of the temporary homes that evacuees from Futaba City are living in after the great earthquake and tsunami.  Futaba city is where the nuclear plant that melted down is located.  One of the cities former residents read us a poem that he wrote after he had to evacuate his home.  He is 91, and it is clear that he loves Futaba, telling us about  the distinct beauty each season provided in the years he lived there.  Futaba, unfortunately cannot be entered at the present time and he informed us as he started to tear up, that the town will be off-limits for the next 30 years, and he won’t be able to return to his home until he is 121 years old.   We also heard from a volunteer at the temporary housing complex.  Most of the people living there are in their 70’s and 80’s, and many of them live alone as the housing units are cramped even by Japanese standards and other family members need to be in other places for work or school.  In small groups we had an opportunity to talk with some of the residents about their experiences in the quake and adjusting to life as an evacuee.  Residents of Futaba in many cases moved seven times in the first few months after the disaster.  This reminded me of when our house was flooded in the Flood of 2008 and we had to move around about half a dozen times. 

The victims that we met today are the people who survived World War Two, and in its aftermath worked hard to build Japan into an economic superpower.  As bad as what they are going through now is, what they survived in their youth was far more challenging.  Still, as tough as they have proven themselves to be, they deserve to have some peace and stability.  Unfortunately, they won’t get that for a while.  There is a two year limit on the temporary housing they are living in.  They will have to move at least one more time.

The Naked Sushi

Japan is notable for its many bizarre, Technicolor commercials. In this one we see a commercial for Sushi. As you can see, it is quite bizarre. A man and a woman meet for the first time and it is love at first sight... Immediately they begin to strip off their clothing as if they can't wait to be intimate anymore. The woman covers herself in white paint and crouches down into a yoga move called the Child's Pose. The man then proceeds to run at her at full speeds, covered in salmon colored paint. He lands upon the woman, with his stomach to her back. This then fades into a picture of sushi. As you can see, this is an extremely bizarre, unnatural commercial.

Another bizarre commercial is one for dog treats. In this we see a lonely boy that had come home from school with a broken heart. His human companion, literally, starts to cheer him up. The boy finds his love with a little girl and the dog gets sad. His owner has disowned him for a girl!! The dog then feels hurt and abandoned and turns to food, in depression, and eats the treats. The treats make the dog feel better. This commercial has had many gifs made of it because of the funny qualities that the dog shows as an effort to cheer his pal up. It is impossible not to smile or feel good after watching this video.

In this next commercial, we see a compilation of advertisements for gummy sours. Each commercial has the theme song of the candy. This commercial has a very catchy theme song and is played during the whole commercial. The bizarre nature of Japan is shown as a giant human-turtle chases kids around and giving them these gummy sours to eat. This commercial is especially popular among the kids. The kids see their peers enjoying the sours and having fun. It ends with a satisfied kid with a big smile on his face. The sours are now known for their theme song and the giant human turtle.

This last commercial shows an advertisement for gum. (http://youtu.be/W0X0cmQAdSE) Again we have the catchy theme music that so many Japanese commercials contain. The gum is recognized from its song and the image of the smiling teen afterwards. 

The trends with bizarre Japanese commercials are very distinguishable. There seems to be a target audience and a picture with one of those audience members with a smile on their face. Also, there tends to be a theme song within the commercials. The final "trend" is that there is a quirky character or scene that makes the advertisement stick. The colors used in the commercials are also very fruity and Technicolored. When I was in Japan, I liked to watch television just for these crazy, bizarre, funny commercials.

Tokyo 1964

Nearly fifty years ago Tokyo hosted the Olympic Games.

It was the first time that the Olympics were ever brought to Asia, a huge occasion. Japan was set to host the games in 1940, but had to resign because of the Japanese invasion of China and World War II. The man who lit the torch, Yoshinori Sakai, was born in Hiroshima the day that the first atomic bomb struck land. 

Ninety-three countries participated in the games, however, South Africa, Indonesia, and North Korea did not compete in the competition. At the time this was a very large amount of competitors.

Judo and women's volleyball were popular games in Japan and were introduced at the games. Japan won three gold medals in Judo and the Japanese Women's Volleyball team took home the gold, with the final match broadcasted live. These games were also the first to be telecast internationally without the need for tapes to be flown overseas as they were for the 1960 Olympics four years earlier. Soviet gymnast, Larisa Latynina, took home the record for most Olympic medals (eighteen) which stood the new record until Michael Phelps broke it in the 2012 London Olympic Games. The women's pentathlon was also introduced. 

Although Japan's foreign policy was closely linked to the United States during the Cold War, the city of Tokyo hosted the 1964 Summer Olympics in the spirit of peaceful engagement with the entire international community, including the Communist states. The goals were to demonstrate to the world that Japan had fully recovered from the war, had disavowed imperialism and militarism, welcomed high-caliber sports, and sought to engage the peoples of the world on a grassroots level. Sports were kept entirely separate from politics. The event proved a great success for the city and for Japan as a whole, with no untoward incidents. Japan's foreign-policy was expanded to include sports diplomacy as the nation sent teams to international competitions across the globe.

Japan later hosted two winter Olympic Games, one in Sapporo in 1972 and one in Nagano in 1998.  The 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo was significant because it was the first winter games to be hosted outside of Europe or North America. 

Japan is set to host the summer Olympic Games in 2020 once again, after beating out Istanbul and Madrid. There is much buzz about the opening ceremonies, costs, and layout of the next games.

OHAYOU TOKYO

おはよう東京
Ohayou Tokyo
Good morning, Tokyo!

Tokyo is home to about 8.946 million people and with 845 square miles, it gets a little cramped. Houses must be kept extra close together, some even a foot away from their neighbors.

This house (the one in the middle) uses innovative architecture that allows an appropriate space for living as well as a car port. You can see that the houses are really close together. The house also shows the car port and that sometimes a family or single person has to create their living spaces on just a small street corner. Having all of these cramped spaces makes Tokyo ideal for housing a lot of people. With each small home, the Japanese can live within the city and have enough room to live.

Sometimes it is ideal for some Japanese people to live outside the city and commute by train to work. The train works marvels. Tokyo Station has a hotel and shopping center as well as the train. With over three thousand trains clocking in each day, it is one of the busiest stations in Japan. As you can see,

 

It is an enormous station and at the time this picture was taken, very busy. 

Tokyo hosts several different areas to shop, experience culture, and dine. The city even—as crowded as it may be—has several parks and green areas. The imperial palace hosts several different parks and gardens. A lot of people in Tokyo will bike, walk, or jog around the palace as it creates a great track. Around the palace is an immense amount of greenery and gardens. 

Tokyo is also home to Tokyo Tower, a communication and observation tower. At 1,093 feet, it is the second tallest artificial structure in Japan. The tower was modeled off of the Eiffel Tower using the lattice architecture structure. Built in 1958, the tower's main sources of revenue are tourism and antenna leasing. Over 150 million people have visited the tower since its opening. The tower acts as a support structure for an antenna. 

The world's largest, busiest fish market has long been a favorite destination for tourists from all countries. It is common for many to go at 5 a.m. to catch the live tuna auctions. Before you go, however, be sure to check to see if public access is permitted that day. If so, it will be on a first-come, first-serve basis, and limited to 120 people, admitted in two shifts of 60. You'll still see fishmongers filleting the day's catch, but you won't have to dodge so many trucks and trolleys.

Winfrey

In Japan, first names are not used as frequently as in the United States or "the West." First names are used to call only those who you are extremely close to, for example, younger family members and very good friends. You would never call a superior by his first name. Last names and titles are used instead. 

For example: Winfrey instead of Oprah. 

If first and last names are given, the family name generally appears before the personal name. Japanese do not usually have middle names. 

Children are normally given their names by parents or other family members. Some considerations are made in selecting names, including birth order, matching the first and family names in meaning, sound and number of kanji character strokes, and birthdate. Perhaps more common, however, is the selection of names for their auspicious meanings and happy associations. 

Here is a list of some Japanese boy names

Akio 昭夫, 昭男, 昭雄 meaning 昭 [aki] (bright) + 夫 [o] (husband, man), 男 [o] (male) or 雄 [o] (hero, manly).

Akira 昭, 明, 亮 meaning 昭 (bright), 明 (bright) or 亮 (clear).

Aoi 葵, 碧 meaning 葵 (hollyhock, althea) or 碧 (blue).

Daisuke 大輔 meaning 大 [dai] (large, great) + 輔 [suke] (help).

Hayato 隼人 means隼 [haya] (falcon) + 人 [to] (person).

Hikaru 光, 輝 meaning 光 (light) or 輝 (radiance).

Kohaku 琥珀 meaning (amber).

Japanese don't have middle names. Many didn't have family names until 1870 when the government required Japanese to take them as part of reform efforts to catch up with the West. Many female Japanese have a given names that end in the suffix "ko," a diminutive expression that means "little" and is sort of like the "ito" suffix in Spanish. "Akiko" and "Yoko" are diminutive versions of the given names Aki and Yo.

 When Japanese write their names in Japanese they write their family name first and their given name second.  In contrast, Chinese and Koreans, usually write their family names first in their native language and in English. 

English names can be translated into Japanese. They would be written in katakana

For example

Grant

グラント

Guranto

Barton

バルトン

Baruton

The Temple of the Golden Pavilion

The Temple of the Golden Pavilion, or Kinkaku-ji (keen-kah-koo-jee) in Japanese, is a zen Buddhist temple that was founded in 1397 by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, in Kyoto, Japan. After Yoshimitsu's death, his son converted it into a zen temple, following his fathers wishes. During the Onin War, all of the buildings in the complex burned down except for the pavilion. Later in 1950, a novice monk burned down the temple. During the fire, the original statue of Yoshimitsu was lost in the flames, but has since been restored. 

The restored pavilion was built in 1955. The pavilion stands three stories tall and is said to be a near replica to the original. In 1984 the gold coating began to decay and restoration was completed three years later. Not only was the shell reconstructed, but the interior of the building, including paintings and the statue of Yoshimitsu were restored. In 2003, the roof was restored, finishing the reconstruction process. The name Kinkaku is derived from the gold leaf that the pavilion is covered in. Gold was a significant color on the pavilion because it was to lessen the severity towards negative thoughts and feelings towards death. With the focus on the Golden Pavilion, it creates an impression that stands out because of the sunlight reflecting and creates an excellent reflection on the pond that surrounds it. 

After seeing Kinkakuji from across the pond,

 you walk passed the head priest's former living quarters that are not open to the public. The path passes by Kinkakuji from behind then leads to the temple's gardens which are in their original state. 

The gardens hold a few other spots of interest including Anmintaku Pond that is said to never dry up, 

and statues that people throw coins at for luck.

Continuing through the garden takes you to the Sekkatei Teahouse and various gift and food stands. I personally recommend a nice green tea soft cream (ice cream). 

When I was in Japan, visiting the Kinkakuji temple and gardens was one of my favorite historical spots. The scenery is so beautiful and the gardens were stunning. It was amazing to think about how those gardens had been here for a little more than six hundred years. 

(All of the above images, except the first one, are from my travels)

Let's Go to Japan

Nihon ni ikimashou!!
(nee-ho-n nee ee-kee-mah-show)
Let's go to Japan!!

When I heard about my free trip to Japan through the Kizuna project, I got really excited. I am a firm believer that you should take ever single chance you can to travel. So, when you go to Japan you need to remember a few things. Obviously, remember your basic care products... please.

First, your passport! If you don't get a passport or don't have one... Sorry, you won't be allowed into Japan (or any foreign country for that matter).

Second, Japanese lifestyles are a lot different from American ones. It is customary to, upon meeting and greeting someone, bow as a sign of respect. The bow takes the place of the handshake in American society. Also, when walking into a store it is normal to hear about fifteen say "irashimase!" This basically means "Welcome to our store!" In response, bow and say konnichiwa and continue on with your shopping. Later in your shopping adventures in the same store, a clerk or a man stocking shelves may say it to you. Corporate men wear pink. Men in Japan wear pink and think nothing of it and have been doing so for a long time. Pink is usually reserved for dress shirts and ties but I have seen men's' workout clothes in pink too. Also, Japanese roads are very narrow and often packed, but it's uncommon to witness or hear about accidents on the road!!

NO SHOES ALLOWED inside. In Japanese homes, schools, and sometimes historical places will have what is called a genkan. A genkan is a lower landing of the front entry way to the house. Upon entering, one must take off their shoes and (without stepping on the genkan floor) step up onto a higher landing that is the first floor of the house. The Japanese do this because it wouldn't be clean to step into someone's house with dirt on their shoes.

In Japan there is an emperor. Japanese people don't talk about the Emperor or his family in public. Where Americans feel quite comfortable to rag on the President and his family, this is considered rude and taboo in Japan.

Vending machines are common on every street corner. They are very popular and convenient for anyone who needs their thirst quenched. People can buy sodas, iced teas, hot coffee, hot tea, sandwiches, Ramen, cigarettes, porn videos, beer, and hot chocolate in vending machines.

Obviously,  these aren't all the differences between cultures, but I will go into more detail about some unmentioned enigmas in other posts.