Japanorama
Matt, Keiko and Emi’s 2007 adventure.
At the end of January, after a relaxing period of preparation, Matt, Keiko and Emi set off on a tour of their ancestral sites. This is a stimulating account of their experience(s).
FOOD
Space which is born of the malt and to be comforted. A peaceful moment to nap in the inside when it is comfortable . The heart-warming space where the liqor of the delicious cooking which made use of material for, and the hitch is entertained and it makes itself at home is produced.
Japanese people know there are 5 essential flavours in food:
RIDES
There are many amusement parks in Japan, but the only ones with any real cultural significance are located on top of department stores. They are given names such as "Sky Parlor", "Children's Heaven " and "Joy of Roof Delight".
These places are magnificent, steeped in the delicate mysteries of childhood and commercialism, sodden with the currents that drive and guide little youth towards the pillarstones of modern life, Consumerism and Self Doubt.
This Ride On Bear can be driven/ridden, at a stately pace, across the width and breadth of a large Osaka store rooftop. Allowing a child to savour freedom and self-determination, whilst strongly hinting that all freedom is short-lived, possibly fictitious and a little bit crap anyway.
Amusement rooftops are especially special in the rain. See this Rainy Rooftop Amusement Gallery or this instructional video (2 MB) for more.
Sometimes, and these times are obviously not ideal, it does not rain. Here is another Amusement Gallery showing such unprecipitous moments.
Rides can be found inside department sores too. Children regularly enter creatures such as the one here, and emerge some time later giddier and a little wiser.
Creatures are everywhere and so amusement. You can climb on them and in them. You can watch their adventures and dance to their songs. You can fight them, cherish them and eat them. Naturally, all of these relationships involve some financial outlay.
FESTIVALS
Japan is a country that is so full of festivals that it is a wonder that none of them spill out.
Over the centuries, gods, Emperors (and presses), shrines, temples and communities have been inspired to come up with a startling array of diverse festivals. They mark the seasons, pagan, spiritual, social and historical events and anything else you can think of. Crammig them all into just one year is a tricky task.
The result is that no moment will pass without a raft of festival options (some involving actual rafts).
You may have already seen the Giant Omochi festival. There are also fire festivals, blossom festivals, drum festivals, tofu festivals and phallus festivals. There's probably a festival festival. Last week we went to a jazz festival.
We ourselves have been to hundreds this week alone. It's unfeasible to tell of them all so instead, let's examine what's so super about them - apart from the food and the beauty and the colour and the music and the amazingness.
If you are in a festival you get to drive around in trucks, carts and wagons with trees on them. You get the opportunity to give your all to your community and the traditions of your ancestors.
Everyone can join in (even foreigners). You get to wear great costumes and sometimes show your buttocks.
One Kyoto festival involves hundreds of people carrying and then wheeling large (and solid) shrines to and from their holiday spots.
SUMO
In March we went to a Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka.
We had too much fun and we would like to share some of it with you in the form of some movies.
Movie One: The arena (not so busy - we arrived unfashionably early)
Movie two: the suspense is killing me. (1.2MB)
Movie three: save time with our abridged sumo.
Some of them are a bit scary. Here's a video of us scared.
Behind this shika is a giant wooden gate leading to the largest wooden structure in the world, Todai-ji Temple, which contains the spectacularly beautiful (and enormous) bronze sculpture of Buddha.
Back in Kyoto, at a large market in Toji Temple, for one thousand years one of Japan's main Buddhist temples, we were bustled aside by polite security guards to clear a path for these monks.
The market is fantastic, new and old (and traditional) kimono, food (mostly new), pottery, porn, craft, pine branches (and other religious acoutrements) and lots of antiques. It is always very crowded, millions of locals, hundreds of filthy tourists. The last time we went I travelled in the dazed wake of a tiny, stooped old lady hacking her way through the throng by crashing her cart / walker into any ankles ahead.
The reaction of each of the many victims was always the same, agonised shudder (some yelping), jerked turn of the head, confusion, lowering of gaze to see culprit, expression combining anger, pain, amusement and deference, then the victim would quickly move to let her pass.
Just after that we had some takoyaki with Magic Five mayonnaise, which squirts five magic lines of creamy tradition onto tasty fried food.
This is an Am Pam Man bun.
Coming soon : AMUSEMENTS!
Japanorama: Matt, Keiko and Emi’s 2007 adventure |