Uchio-san with Shun, Shoko, Andee, and myself
11/30/2004
During the russo-japanese war, two russian soldier's bodies were found by fishermen on the coast of Tottori. Each was buried by the fishermen, and 28 years later, the families of the russians came to Japan to take the remains back to Russia. This sign was placed in memory of the soldiers, and is written in japanese and russian
The People That You Meet
I've never considered myself a Final Fantasy nerd, although I have known many people who deserve the title. I played the games (perhaps 3 of the...11), and faithfully watched the movie. And I have to say that I like the series. So I was especially excitied when I heard that one of the concept artists for the Final Fantasy Movie: The Spirits Within was going to have an exhibit of his artwork in Tamano. I was even more excited when I found out that the artist is Shun's friend's father.
This weekend, Shoko took Andee, Shun, and I to Kazumasa Uchio's exhibit in Tamano. Many of the artist's works were being displayed, as well as some sculpture from a fellow artist. Shoko had called Uchio-san, so he came to give us a special tour of the exhibit. Uchio-san does all of his artwork using a computer (a mac with photoshop), and spends about 1 month on each piece of art. He gave a short tutorial on making a cloud, as well as a small tree. You can see some of his older work here.
He says that each of his art pieces uses thousands of layers. To make the door on one of his castles, over 100 layers were used. His art is "fantastic," to say the least, and you can really see the Final Fantasy influence in his work (or the influence in Final Fantasy's from him).
Also this weekend, Masatoshi, two and his friends, and I took a trip all the way to Tottori, about three hours away on the Sea of Japan. In Japan it is currently crab season, and Masatoshi likes to travel to where the crab is fresh. After three hours of driving we arrived in Tottori, where I was shown some unconventional sights. Apparently there is a large sand dune in Tottori, strikingly similar the the desert. When we stopped the car, I even saw a camel! That was perhaps the last thing I expected to see in Japan. We went to the coast and stood on a cliff for a while, overlooking the sea.
Around 11:30, we headed to a local restaurant for a crab feast. The restaurant was inside of a house, so we ate inside of a tea room with with tatami mats. This feast of crab perhaps rivaled the Marine Hotel's layout. I didn't eat any breakfast, so I was sufficiently hungry to eat sashimi, miso soup, shrimp, salt-grilled seafood, shabu shabu, and a whole crab. On top of that I had a sort of rice, egg, and broth mixture (for dessert) in a pot which tasted delicious. The whole meal was great, and outside the restaurant, in the Sea of Japan, locals were surfing the powerful waves. During the meal I talked with Masatoshi's friends, and found out that one of them really liked Final Fantasy. He was jealous that I got to meet the artist, and even thought about going to Tamano to catch the last day of the exhibit. The whole day's atmosphere made me smile.
Before we went home, Masatoshi and his friends wanted to stop at a fish market to buy some crabs to take home. Crabs are usually expensive, but I saw one "king" sized variety that cost 10,000 Yen a piece ($100 US)! After the ride home, I didn't eat any dinner and fell asleep feeling very stuffed. However, as of yet, no weight has been gained or lost during my time in Japan.
This weekend, Shoko took Andee, Shun, and I to Kazumasa Uchio's exhibit in Tamano. Many of the artist's works were being displayed, as well as some sculpture from a fellow artist. Shoko had called Uchio-san, so he came to give us a special tour of the exhibit. Uchio-san does all of his artwork using a computer (a mac with photoshop), and spends about 1 month on each piece of art. He gave a short tutorial on making a cloud, as well as a small tree. You can see some of his older work here.
He says that each of his art pieces uses thousands of layers. To make the door on one of his castles, over 100 layers were used. His art is "fantastic," to say the least, and you can really see the Final Fantasy influence in his work (or the influence in Final Fantasy's from him).
Also this weekend, Masatoshi, two and his friends, and I took a trip all the way to Tottori, about three hours away on the Sea of Japan. In Japan it is currently crab season, and Masatoshi likes to travel to where the crab is fresh. After three hours of driving we arrived in Tottori, where I was shown some unconventional sights. Apparently there is a large sand dune in Tottori, strikingly similar the the desert. When we stopped the car, I even saw a camel! That was perhaps the last thing I expected to see in Japan. We went to the coast and stood on a cliff for a while, overlooking the sea.
Around 11:30, we headed to a local restaurant for a crab feast. The restaurant was inside of a house, so we ate inside of a tea room with with tatami mats. This feast of crab perhaps rivaled the Marine Hotel's layout. I didn't eat any breakfast, so I was sufficiently hungry to eat sashimi, miso soup, shrimp, salt-grilled seafood, shabu shabu, and a whole crab. On top of that I had a sort of rice, egg, and broth mixture (for dessert) in a pot which tasted delicious. The whole meal was great, and outside the restaurant, in the Sea of Japan, locals were surfing the powerful waves. During the meal I talked with Masatoshi's friends, and found out that one of them really liked Final Fantasy. He was jealous that I got to meet the artist, and even thought about going to Tamano to catch the last day of the exhibit. The whole day's atmosphere made me smile.
Before we went home, Masatoshi and his friends wanted to stop at a fish market to buy some crabs to take home. Crabs are usually expensive, but I saw one "king" sized variety that cost 10,000 Yen a piece ($100 US)! After the ride home, I didn't eat any dinner and fell asleep feeling very stuffed. However, as of yet, no weight has been gained or lost during my time in Japan.
11/26/2004
Into the Hills
Happy Thanksgiving, a little late. Its passing in japan was not widely celebrated, and even I always thought of it as the kid-brother holiday to Christmas/Hanukkah/New Years (which I consider one large holiday, given the extended break from school). I did not feast upon turkey, but instead korean-style okonomiyaki (same name as the japanese-style pizza, but this is more like a large flour pancake with meat and leeks), a delicious fish (red snapper, actually) given as a present to my host dad by one of his patients, and dumplings. I stuffed myself just as much as I do on Thanksgiving every year, so my conscience is clear. (Masatoshi, being a doctor and also surgeon, cleaned and gutted the fish with expert technique)
Before this psuedo-feast, I came home earlier than usual from school and asked Shoko to show me where the nearby hiking trial to the mountains could be found. She said she wasn't doing anything special so we ended up hiking the mountain together. I say hiking with a semi straight face because the path was paved for most of the way, then slightly narrowed into more of a footpath. Shoko said that she had not been up this particular mountain (there are two that are very close to my house, this was the easier climb of the two) in many years, but she used to come often as a child.
When we reached the summit, Shoko did not recognize many of the surroundings, but the view was amazing. The sun had slowly set as we climbed, and a full moon shone brightly in the evening sky. From the top of the mountain, which was also home to three DoCoMo telephone towers, was a great view. Looking behind, the shipyard and city of Tamano (as well as our house) could bee seen in the distance. On the opposite side of the mountain, the town of Hibi and its harbor were visible. Shoko and I took each other's picture near a dangerous looking cliff, then retreated down the mountain before it got too dark to see.
Before this psuedo-feast, I came home earlier than usual from school and asked Shoko to show me where the nearby hiking trial to the mountains could be found. She said she wasn't doing anything special so we ended up hiking the mountain together. I say hiking with a semi straight face because the path was paved for most of the way, then slightly narrowed into more of a footpath. Shoko said that she had not been up this particular mountain (there are two that are very close to my house, this was the easier climb of the two) in many years, but she used to come often as a child.
When we reached the summit, Shoko did not recognize many of the surroundings, but the view was amazing. The sun had slowly set as we climbed, and a full moon shone brightly in the evening sky. From the top of the mountain, which was also home to three DoCoMo telephone towers, was a great view. Looking behind, the shipyard and city of Tamano (as well as our house) could bee seen in the distance. On the opposite side of the mountain, the town of Hibi and its harbor were visible. Shoko and I took each other's picture near a dangerous looking cliff, then retreated down the mountain before it got too dark to see.
11/23/2004
I didn't expect the massive shower of sparks, but couldn't cover my eyes because both hands were on the camera
Hattori Hanzo Steel
Following the evening at the Marine Hotel, Shoko, Miyu, Masatoshi, and I took a road trip to northern Okayama. Along the way, Miyu pointed out that we had a good traveling group, with all blood types represented (Masatoshi B, Shoko A, Miyu AB, and me O). It stuck me as the first time I had ever judged company by their molecular proteins. Our first stop of the day was しずたにがっこう (Shizutani School), the oldest free public school in the world. It was built in 1666 by Ikeda Mitsumasa, the feudal lord of the Bizen area. "Shizu-tani" means "a quiet and peaceful valley," and particularly in autumn the school grounds are beautiful. One of the unique features of the Shizitani School is the roof made of Bizen tiles. There is also a top-rounded stonewall which surrounds the school. I am told that this wall was built in the "Chinese style," but as to what that means I remain clueless.
Another main feature of the school is the Lecture Hall. When Shoko was a student in high school she attended a camping trip at Shizutani, and was required to wash the wood floor of the lecture hall by hand. Miyu, Mai, and Shun also performed this same task, making it a family affair. We walked about the grounds, looked at various exhibits, and enjoyed the wonderful, albeit photogenic, autumn weather.
After Shizutani, everyone was feeling hungry. Masatoshi's car's GPS system showed a restaurant nearby, so we decided to take a chance and explore. The restaurant ended up being "Mister Burger," the tiny japanese equal to the Ponderosa Steakhouse. The food was decent, and we had a good laugh, so lunch was humorous if nothing else.
Next we stopped at perhaps the best looking, if not the most interesting musuem I have visited in Japan. The Bizen Osafune Sword Museum contained a wide variety of japanese edged weapons, including Tachi, Katana, Wakizashi, and Tanto. In the newly renovated main building, large high definition displays illustrated the process of japanese sword (or Nipponto) making. Outside, just as we arrived, three men were giving a demonstration of the forging of a sword. After heating the metal red-hot with a billows, two of the men struck the steel with large hammers while the third kept the metal moving. The first strike of the wet hammers on the hot steel exhibited a vociferous crack, making the whole room jump. Sparks flew and the crowd was amazed.
The museum also provided me with a very in-depth english "Manual for Appreciating the Japanese Sword." I had known the making of a sword involved the folding of metal, but could not imagine how this was accomplished. There are many stepes, but after visiting the museum the process is not so difficult to understand (but just as difficult to perform). In the upstairs section of the musuem was a large display of swords, some as old as the 1200's. In other buildings each step of the sword making process was explained, and some workmen were making actual swords that clients had ordered. This museum, to borrow Kostya's analogy, gets 5 out of 5 museum points.
Another main feature of the school is the Lecture Hall. When Shoko was a student in high school she attended a camping trip at Shizutani, and was required to wash the wood floor of the lecture hall by hand. Miyu, Mai, and Shun also performed this same task, making it a family affair. We walked about the grounds, looked at various exhibits, and enjoyed the wonderful, albeit photogenic, autumn weather.
After Shizutani, everyone was feeling hungry. Masatoshi's car's GPS system showed a restaurant nearby, so we decided to take a chance and explore. The restaurant ended up being "Mister Burger," the tiny japanese equal to the Ponderosa Steakhouse. The food was decent, and we had a good laugh, so lunch was humorous if nothing else.
Next we stopped at perhaps the best looking, if not the most interesting musuem I have visited in Japan. The Bizen Osafune Sword Museum contained a wide variety of japanese edged weapons, including Tachi, Katana, Wakizashi, and Tanto. In the newly renovated main building, large high definition displays illustrated the process of japanese sword (or Nipponto) making. Outside, just as we arrived, three men were giving a demonstration of the forging of a sword. After heating the metal red-hot with a billows, two of the men struck the steel with large hammers while the third kept the metal moving. The first strike of the wet hammers on the hot steel exhibited a vociferous crack, making the whole room jump. Sparks flew and the crowd was amazed.
The museum also provided me with a very in-depth english "Manual for Appreciating the Japanese Sword." I had known the making of a sword involved the folding of metal, but could not imagine how this was accomplished. There are many stepes, but after visiting the museum the process is not so difficult to understand (but just as difficult to perform). In the upstairs section of the musuem was a large display of swords, some as old as the 1200's. In other buildings each step of the sword making process was explained, and some workmen were making actual swords that clients had ordered. This museum, to borrow Kostya's analogy, gets 5 out of 5 museum points.
11/21/2004
Living It Up At The Hotel (Marina)
Yesterday was a day for many japanese firsts. When I went to Andee's host family's house a few weeks ago (seems like forever now) they asked me if I wanted to stay with them at the Marine Hotel (a hotel and spa in Tamano) with a few of their family members who were coming to town for a reunion. They would love to have me because Andee was staying in his own room and having me along wouldn't be any problem.
Andee and his host dad picked me up Saturday around 3:00. Andee's host dad races cars so his Toyota has no back seats, a racing gear shift, and a giant wing. Not to mention a ton a racing stickers. It was cramped but we drove to the hotel in record time (for some reason it seems like Japanese host dads like to drive really fast; Masatoshi is no exception). At the hotel Andee's dad told us that we has a few hours before dinner, so we could visit the nextdoor aquarium or walk along the beach. We took our stuff to the hotel room and struck out for the aquarium.
The marine aquarium of Tamano is well supplied for a small town (being next to the sea probably helps). Among it's many inhabitants were numerous species of fish, octoupus, sea anemone, 5 giant sea turtles (my favorite), a giant otter, pengiuns, and for some reason, two monkeys (why not, really?). The collection also included a large assortment of sea shells, fossils, and a stuffed bird that reminded me of the Tsuyama Wonder Museum. Above the entrance to the aquarium was a full whale skeleton. Andee and I browsed the aquarium, took some photos, then walked to the beach to catch the sunset.
This particular evening the sun set behind a layer of coulds, which make for a very picturesque moment. Shibukawa beach, alongside the Marine Hotel, is not the largest of beaches in Japan. It's actually quite small, but the view was not to be missed. Mountains envelop the shore like a cove, with the Seto-Ohashi bridge visible in the distance.
Back at the hotel Andee and I changed into the hotel's outfit, a very japanese yukata (robe) and hanten (half-jacket). Japanese hotels, unlike American hotels, provide their own outfit that many guests prefer to wear. The hotel is built over a natural hot spring, so there is both an indoor pool and onsen (public bath) where guests can relax. Before dinner Andee and I swam in the pool and enjoyed the outdoor hot tub. In the hot tub the crash of the waves could be heard in the distance, (insert reflective poem here).
I may have injured myself while eating. The hotel provided a massive buffet, called Viking. Viking is the japanese word for buffet; it's very similar to a Viking feast following the sack and pillage of a town (minus battles to the death during dessert). Andee's whole family gathered at a giant table and after I was introduced to everyone the feast began. Of the dishes I remeber, there was sushi, sashimi, chicken, potatoes, steak, spaghetti, shrimp, rice, bread, soups, salads, pork, and vegetables. That's just the main course. For dessert, there were cakes, puddings, ice cream, fruit, sorbet, and anko (a sweet bean paste that I increasingly crave). I was very glad to be wearing the hotel's loose fitting clothing because I stuffed myself. During dinner, two women played the piano and oboe (it probably wasn't an oboe but I am clueless when it comes to wind instruments). Regardless it was great.
After dinner, and a considerable rest, Andee and I went to relax in the onsen. Onsen, for those who have not been to japan, is a public bath. However, before entering the bath you wash your body, so it's more like a public hot-water soaking area. In my opinion, it feels wonderful. You are naked, and there a bunch of other naked people there, but I didn't feel insecure. Next to the extremely hot water is a pool with (that's right) extremely cold water. Moving between these two pools and the outside hot spring was quite soothing. There was also a large supply of body washes and soaps to choose from before and after using the onsen. I washed my hair with something black, and my body with something silver, the color of liquid metal.
After returning to our hotel room, Andee and I watched the evening movie, Terminator 2 (the voice dubbing in Japanese was really amusing, but we ended up watching in english). The next morning I ate an equally huge breakfast at the buffet. Andee and I took another trip to the onsen, which was considerably less crowded in the morning. After thanking Andee's host family for the wonderful opportunity to spend the evening at the spa and hotel, Shoko picked me up for Sunday's festivities (which will be the topic of another entry). Hint: Katanas.
As of today I have been in Japan 3 months.
Andee and his host dad picked me up Saturday around 3:00. Andee's host dad races cars so his Toyota has no back seats, a racing gear shift, and a giant wing. Not to mention a ton a racing stickers. It was cramped but we drove to the hotel in record time (for some reason it seems like Japanese host dads like to drive really fast; Masatoshi is no exception). At the hotel Andee's dad told us that we has a few hours before dinner, so we could visit the nextdoor aquarium or walk along the beach. We took our stuff to the hotel room and struck out for the aquarium.
The marine aquarium of Tamano is well supplied for a small town (being next to the sea probably helps). Among it's many inhabitants were numerous species of fish, octoupus, sea anemone, 5 giant sea turtles (my favorite), a giant otter, pengiuns, and for some reason, two monkeys (why not, really?). The collection also included a large assortment of sea shells, fossils, and a stuffed bird that reminded me of the Tsuyama Wonder Museum. Above the entrance to the aquarium was a full whale skeleton. Andee and I browsed the aquarium, took some photos, then walked to the beach to catch the sunset.
This particular evening the sun set behind a layer of coulds, which make for a very picturesque moment. Shibukawa beach, alongside the Marine Hotel, is not the largest of beaches in Japan. It's actually quite small, but the view was not to be missed. Mountains envelop the shore like a cove, with the Seto-Ohashi bridge visible in the distance.
Back at the hotel Andee and I changed into the hotel's outfit, a very japanese yukata (robe) and hanten (half-jacket). Japanese hotels, unlike American hotels, provide their own outfit that many guests prefer to wear. The hotel is built over a natural hot spring, so there is both an indoor pool and onsen (public bath) where guests can relax. Before dinner Andee and I swam in the pool and enjoyed the outdoor hot tub. In the hot tub the crash of the waves could be heard in the distance, (insert reflective poem here).
I may have injured myself while eating. The hotel provided a massive buffet, called Viking. Viking is the japanese word for buffet; it's very similar to a Viking feast following the sack and pillage of a town (minus battles to the death during dessert). Andee's whole family gathered at a giant table and after I was introduced to everyone the feast began. Of the dishes I remeber, there was sushi, sashimi, chicken, potatoes, steak, spaghetti, shrimp, rice, bread, soups, salads, pork, and vegetables. That's just the main course. For dessert, there were cakes, puddings, ice cream, fruit, sorbet, and anko (a sweet bean paste that I increasingly crave). I was very glad to be wearing the hotel's loose fitting clothing because I stuffed myself. During dinner, two women played the piano and oboe (it probably wasn't an oboe but I am clueless when it comes to wind instruments). Regardless it was great.
After dinner, and a considerable rest, Andee and I went to relax in the onsen. Onsen, for those who have not been to japan, is a public bath. However, before entering the bath you wash your body, so it's more like a public hot-water soaking area. In my opinion, it feels wonderful. You are naked, and there a bunch of other naked people there, but I didn't feel insecure. Next to the extremely hot water is a pool with (that's right) extremely cold water. Moving between these two pools and the outside hot spring was quite soothing. There was also a large supply of body washes and soaps to choose from before and after using the onsen. I washed my hair with something black, and my body with something silver, the color of liquid metal.
After returning to our hotel room, Andee and I watched the evening movie, Terminator 2 (the voice dubbing in Japanese was really amusing, but we ended up watching in english). The next morning I ate an equally huge breakfast at the buffet. Andee and I took another trip to the onsen, which was considerably less crowded in the morning. After thanking Andee's host family for the wonderful opportunity to spend the evening at the spa and hotel, Shoko picked me up for Sunday's festivities (which will be the topic of another entry). Hint: Katanas.
As of today I have been in Japan 3 months.
11/17/2004
Hail to the Chef
A few weeks ago I saw a flyer at the Okayama International Center advertising a japanese cooking class, foreigners only. Being an innately suspicious individual, at first I thought it was a trap! Then I realized the delightful possibilities of a good lesson in japanese cookery, not to mention a deal of a meal at the low price of 300 yen. So on the first day for registration I called the international center and reserved Andee and I a spot (I suppose the cooking class is rather popular because Janna and Cori called later but all spots were filled).
So this Sunday Andee and I met in Okayama on the way to the cooking class. In the lobby of the international center Andee wanted to eat a quick lunch before the class began, but I saw a sign that read "do not eat meals, hold business meetings, or perform any other activity that will use the lobby for an extended period of time." Directly next to this sign were four men sleeping on couches. Andee ate his meal in the lobby.
When we got to the 6th floor, some students were already chatting, waiting for the class to begin. A woman asked us to put on namecards and we mingled about the room for a few minutes. Everyone in the class was supposed to take an apron with them, but because Shoko was in Kobe I had Andee supply one for me. The first apron he pulled out of his bag looked more like a french maid outfit, so I opted for the "Peko-chan" apron instead. When class started, all the students were divided into various tables, each with enough cooking supplies and food to make all three dishes. At my table was an english teacher from Michigan, a man(who I think studied engineering) from Germany, Andee, and myself. Each table also had a cooking instructor.
The menu broke down like this: Salt-grilled pacific saury (that's a fish, for all you kids out there), an assortment of boiled foods such as shiitake mushrooms and tofu, and miso soup. After everyone in our group introduced themselves, the teacher explained the cooking directions in japanese, with a little english on the side. Cooking the fish was rather straightforward, but the boiled foods required some finesse. Kamaboko, which is steamed fish paste, can be cut into various shapes to make the presentation more attractive. I spent my time grating daikon raddish and making a (fabulous) apple and persimmon centerpiece. I also took the job of arringing the fish on plates, as well as boiling the tofu.
Talking to Mike (the guy from America), I found out that he had been in japan for three weeks, two of those in Osaka. He majored in engineering but wanted to see the world, and thought that teaching english would be the best way to do so. The german (I think his name was Hans), was very good at japanese, and also quite a good cook. After cooking all the dishes and arranging the food, each table sat down to a mini-feast. Somehow our table prepared 6 plates of food for only 5 people, so there was plenty to go around. We chatted a good deal more over dinner, then Andee and I made our way back to Tamano.
So I don't know if I would consider myself a great chef, but the food was delicious. De-boning fish with chopsticks requires a little practice, but I'm getting better (my aim is catching a fly in mid-air).
So this Sunday Andee and I met in Okayama on the way to the cooking class. In the lobby of the international center Andee wanted to eat a quick lunch before the class began, but I saw a sign that read "do not eat meals, hold business meetings, or perform any other activity that will use the lobby for an extended period of time." Directly next to this sign were four men sleeping on couches. Andee ate his meal in the lobby.
When we got to the 6th floor, some students were already chatting, waiting for the class to begin. A woman asked us to put on namecards and we mingled about the room for a few minutes. Everyone in the class was supposed to take an apron with them, but because Shoko was in Kobe I had Andee supply one for me. The first apron he pulled out of his bag looked more like a french maid outfit, so I opted for the "Peko-chan" apron instead. When class started, all the students were divided into various tables, each with enough cooking supplies and food to make all three dishes. At my table was an english teacher from Michigan, a man(who I think studied engineering) from Germany, Andee, and myself. Each table also had a cooking instructor.
The menu broke down like this: Salt-grilled pacific saury (that's a fish, for all you kids out there), an assortment of boiled foods such as shiitake mushrooms and tofu, and miso soup. After everyone in our group introduced themselves, the teacher explained the cooking directions in japanese, with a little english on the side. Cooking the fish was rather straightforward, but the boiled foods required some finesse. Kamaboko, which is steamed fish paste, can be cut into various shapes to make the presentation more attractive. I spent my time grating daikon raddish and making a (fabulous) apple and persimmon centerpiece. I also took the job of arringing the fish on plates, as well as boiling the tofu.
Talking to Mike (the guy from America), I found out that he had been in japan for three weeks, two of those in Osaka. He majored in engineering but wanted to see the world, and thought that teaching english would be the best way to do so. The german (I think his name was Hans), was very good at japanese, and also quite a good cook. After cooking all the dishes and arranging the food, each table sat down to a mini-feast. Somehow our table prepared 6 plates of food for only 5 people, so there was plenty to go around. We chatted a good deal more over dinner, then Andee and I made our way back to Tamano.
So I don't know if I would consider myself a great chef, but the food was delicious. De-boning fish with chopsticks requires a little practice, but I'm getting better (my aim is catching a fly in mid-air).
11/14/2004
Ahoy Matey!
My host mom doesn't like to brag about her english, but last thursday she was asked to be a judge for a junior high school english speech competition. That's saying something, if you ask me. I also attended the contest to lead group discussions with students following the speeches, and got to observe the speech contest as well. The students presented speeches either alone or in groups of two, and had to recite memorized pasages about certain topics such as "The Titanic," "Anime," or "Why do Mosquitoes Bite People?" (this was perhaps my favorite, involving dialogue between a human and mosquito) After all the speeches were given, I led discussions along with 17 other foreigners with kids in groups of 5 or 6, talking about myself, my country, and japan (however, when I asked for questions, both groups seemed much more interested in my personal life than my impression of japan). I also got to meet some of the other volunteers including a guy from Nigeria and a girl from Bosnia. As a thanks for coming, I got a free lunch and a personalized Tamano City toolbox, complete with ruler, scissors, bottle opener, and various allen wrenches (did I mention japan is awesome?)
This weekend Shoko went to Kobe because Miyu's college had a meeting about students traveling to America, so I was home alone with Masatoshi and Shun. In a seemingly unrelated topic, my house is next to a very large ship yard. On Saturday, Shoko's mother took me to the ship yard to see the launching ceremony for テクノスーパーライナ (Techno Super Liner) Ogasawara. This was great because the shipping yard is huge, with massive cranes and other machinery, so from the time I came to Tamano I have wanted to tour the place.
Tons of people had gathered for the event, including tv and newspaper crews. At the gate, everyone was handed a japanese flag to wave patriotically. Apparently, the Super Liner Ogasawara is either the fastest boat in Japan, or the fastest boat in the world, or something important like that. All I can tell you is that the thing is gargantuan. You could easily fit a few football fields inside of it. Shoko's mom and I arrived early to the event, so we got a good place next to the band and chatted while waiting for the ceremony to start. Around noon, a bunch of business executives from Tokyo were busses onto the site, and after some rousing dixieland tunes from the band, the celebration was underway. The president of the company which owned the boat said a few words, and a giant ball full of streamers that was attached to the side of the boat exploded with a huge bang. The band started playing and the crowd went crazy. Then, seemingly as quickly as they had come, the execs got back on the bus for Tokyo. I stayed around to take a few more pictures, then went back to my house for a lunch of curry-rice. At the gate on the way out I received a very informational packet about the ship, except completely in japanese. I did get a neat pen, though.
Shoko just came home from Kobe, so that's all for tonite.
This weekend Shoko went to Kobe because Miyu's college had a meeting about students traveling to America, so I was home alone with Masatoshi and Shun. In a seemingly unrelated topic, my house is next to a very large ship yard. On Saturday, Shoko's mother took me to the ship yard to see the launching ceremony for テクノスーパーライナ (Techno Super Liner) Ogasawara. This was great because the shipping yard is huge, with massive cranes and other machinery, so from the time I came to Tamano I have wanted to tour the place.
Tons of people had gathered for the event, including tv and newspaper crews. At the gate, everyone was handed a japanese flag to wave patriotically. Apparently, the Super Liner Ogasawara is either the fastest boat in Japan, or the fastest boat in the world, or something important like that. All I can tell you is that the thing is gargantuan. You could easily fit a few football fields inside of it. Shoko's mom and I arrived early to the event, so we got a good place next to the band and chatted while waiting for the ceremony to start. Around noon, a bunch of business executives from Tokyo were busses onto the site, and after some rousing dixieland tunes from the band, the celebration was underway. The president of the company which owned the boat said a few words, and a giant ball full of streamers that was attached to the side of the boat exploded with a huge bang. The band started playing and the crowd went crazy. Then, seemingly as quickly as they had come, the execs got back on the bus for Tokyo. I stayed around to take a few more pictures, then went back to my house for a lunch of curry-rice. At the gate on the way out I received a very informational packet about the ship, except completely in japanese. I did get a neat pen, though.
Shoko just came home from Kobe, so that's all for tonite.
11/12/2004
It's tough to see in this picture, but Okayama Castle is visible in the center of this photo (to the left of the green square sign on the center building). I took the picture on the 12th floor of a parking garage. Just another example of traditional Japan within a sprawling urban center. The big dome looking building is the symphony hall
At the calligraphy exhibit. The one of the left looks like a guy kneeling in front of a coathanger, the guy on the right is flashing a big "west-side." maybe...
Kendo Machismo -OR- Ben Gleitzman is a Wimp
As was mentioned earlier, I bought myself a kendo gee in Okayama at a small backstreet store that specialized in all things kendo related. Both pieces of the gee are royal blue, dyed in such a way as to make everything that happens to come in contact with the outfit (hands, clothing, babies) blueberry in hue. My first day using the outfit at school was tuesday, and only Asama and I showed up for practice. He showed me how to put on my gee (which is more complicated than I expected) as well as the kendo armor. The kendo jo is outfitted with lots of old pieces of armor, but Asama let me borrow the old kendo captain's do (body piece), te (gloves), and helmet. I am assuming that the old captain won't mind.
In full kendo gear, one looks rather scary. Especially with a shinai (bamboo sword), I wouldn't want to meet one of these guys in a dark alley. The armor also obscures most bodily features, so besides height most people look indistinuishable. As I explained before, the goal of kendo is to strike your opponent with a sword on either the head, hands, or body. You must also simultaneously call where you are striking and lunge forward or backward (depending on situation), striking your foot against the ground. If all three of these actions are completed with a clean hit then a point is scored. For the past month or so I have been practicing these movements wearing only a gym outfit (and swinging at nothing but air), so it was quite a different feeling wearing bulky body armor hitting someone equally as bulky.
First of all, swinging becomes more difficult. It's tough to get your sword very high above your head, but quick strokes are preferable to hard slashes. It doesn't matter how hard you hit your opponent, only that you hit them. Also, being hit is a brand new experience. On the stomach or hands it's not too bad because the chest protector and gloves neutralize the strikes. I wish I could say the same thing for the head. I don't know about the general population, but I have very rarely, if ever, been struck directly on the top of the head (barring comical anvil-in-a-construction-zone incidents). The helmet has a metal face guard but if a strike lands properly (directly on the top of the head) the semi-thin woven cloth material doesn't provide much resistance. It's an acute type of pain with an incentive of "move faster next time." I actually rarely get hit on the head during games, but in practice one of the exercises is letting your oppenent strike your head unguarded.
But overall kendo is great. It's a really vigorous workout (I'm sore all over) and the practice matches at the end of each day are my favorite part. Being strong and quick won't always win you the match, you also have to anticipate what your opponent is going to do next. In addition to striking moves, there are various defensive and parying moves as well.
So I hope there is no permanent damage from the occasional bop on the head. If nothing else I've picked up some new phrases like "Where should I hit you?" and "How many times?" which I am sure will prove useful in ever
In full kendo gear, one looks rather scary. Especially with a shinai (bamboo sword), I wouldn't want to meet one of these guys in a dark alley. The armor also obscures most bodily features, so besides height most people look indistinuishable. As I explained before, the goal of kendo is to strike your opponent with a sword on either the head, hands, or body. You must also simultaneously call where you are striking and lunge forward or backward (depending on situation), striking your foot against the ground. If all three of these actions are completed with a clean hit then a point is scored. For the past month or so I have been practicing these movements wearing only a gym outfit (and swinging at nothing but air), so it was quite a different feeling wearing bulky body armor hitting someone equally as bulky.
First of all, swinging becomes more difficult. It's tough to get your sword very high above your head, but quick strokes are preferable to hard slashes. It doesn't matter how hard you hit your opponent, only that you hit them. Also, being hit is a brand new experience. On the stomach or hands it's not too bad because the chest protector and gloves neutralize the strikes. I wish I could say the same thing for the head. I don't know about the general population, but I have very rarely, if ever, been struck directly on the top of the head (barring comical anvil-in-a-construction-zone incidents). The helmet has a metal face guard but if a strike lands properly (directly on the top of the head) the semi-thin woven cloth material doesn't provide much resistance. It's an acute type of pain with an incentive of "move faster next time." I actually rarely get hit on the head during games, but in practice one of the exercises is letting your oppenent strike your head unguarded.
But overall kendo is great. It's a really vigorous workout (I'm sore all over) and the practice matches at the end of each day are my favorite part. Being strong and quick won't always win you the match, you also have to anticipate what your opponent is going to do next. In addition to striking moves, there are various defensive and parying moves as well.
So I hope there is no permanent damage from the occasional bop on the head. If nothing else I've picked up some new phrases like "Where should I hit you?" and "How many times?" which I am sure will prove useful in ever