Advertisement
Published: March 7th 2008
Edit Blog Post
In Chicago this week, Montrose Avenue has collapsed into the frozen pits of hell, a formidable sinkhole soon to suck 'Sin City' to the earth's core. This imminent doom possibly foreshadows the outcome of this Tuesday's Presidential Candidate Race. Icy Tribunes stick to grey-stoned stoops with scandalous headlines about Britney Spears latest trip to the nuthouse and another beer drenched Superbowl Sunday.
In Japan, on February 3rd, neighbors open all the doors of their home and sweep away the year's accumulation of dust from within the weave of their tatami. They then scoop up a handful of dried soybeans, and standing under the wooden doorframe, toss them into the street, yelling, "Out with the devil!" After sufficiently pelting this sometimes imagined, sometimes theatrically portrayed creature, they turn to face the inside of their home and throw more dried soybeans inside, which are soon lost between mats and chairs, yelling "In with good luck!" All doors are quickly shut to lock in the good things, and any leftover soybeans make a nice little snack. Now, there's no more sense in asking why this is done than why we rely on a groundhog to give us the weather forecast. Traditions are special in
that way, lacking purpose.
With spring around the corner, there is no shortage of festivals to come throughout Japan; fertility festivals, luck festivals, festivals for dolls, and ice sculpture extravaganzas. Japan at times keeps you so entertained that there is no need to look outwards at the world.
As my time here goes by, I myself look inwards, as each day reveals to me little by little, what it is to be Japanese. Some things delight me, others shock or disappoint, and so my purpose in this email is to talk more about some of the things that delight me. In my last email, I feel I may be giving the wrong impression by only disclosing my negative discoveries of dear old Nihon lately. But winter will do that to you. So now I would like to share a list of things I really like:
Onsens One rewarding way I've found to pass the time during the winter months is by immersing myself in steamy mineral baths overlooking the local mountains and riverbeds. These onsens, which dot the hills and valleys of rural Japan, cost a mere three to five dollars for admittance and repute such magic as cures for
rhumetism or beautification of the skin. For me, though, I am enamored enough by the rustic stone enclosures, the outdoor baths that invigorate you through the drastic contrast in temperature, and the adorable families that so naturally come to share a bath.
Revolving sushi restaurants Wait for your named to be called and take a seat at the wooden laquered bar. Feast your eyes on passing trays of bbq eel, silky tuna, crispy tempura, maki rolls, potato wedges with miniature French flags, cantaloupe slices wearing the Union Jack, and jiggly jello in cream dancing its way down the conveyer belt. Grab your chopsticks, pour some hot ocha from your personal dispenser, and start grabbing plates. At only 130yen (about a dollar) a plate, it's one of the only ways in Japan to fill your belly with decent food and keep your wallet at a decent weight. But go when it's crowded to ensure those plates haven't been strutting down the runway for hours.
Kotatsu Think low wooden table. Now drape it in a Queen-sized duvet. Set a wooden board on top, and last but not least, install an electric heater under the table. You now have a kotatsu, a home for the winter where you and three of your friends can dine, entertain, and subsequently slip down into hibranation under its warm soft folds.
Kendo I am still enjoying bashing my students over the head with wooden sticks, and I am even getting better at it. Participating in kendo has also allowed me to form relationships with some of the students, who never tire of asking me questions about my personal life. But I am now in the process of corrupting my new found fan club with mix cds, in an attempt to win them over from the sugary j-pop they stuff into their ear canals.
Shodo Since I've begun to study Kanji, the mysterious world of written Japanese is beginning to unveil itself to me. It is a tremendous feeling to look at a sign and understand what it means. Furthermore, it is a delight to understand how these symbols are put together, almost with a childish simplicity to form words. (For example, the word for
worker is a money symbol with an open mouth on top, literally translating to:
Earning money for a mouth to feed. Writing kanji calligraphy, or
shodo, is a delightful form of meditation. There is a specified stroke order to each character, and you are to count the strokes as you write with no option to go back and correct. Practicing this art form, writing repetitively, your mind becomes at once relaxed and at peace.
Subtitles Thank God people all over the world prefer this to dubbing. Although my town is -sans movie house, I can still go to the nearby city for my pick of one or two semi-appealing Hollywood blockbusters at an inflated cost. But remember, it's impolite to leave the theater before the end-credits have finished rolling!
Calorie Block Late for work? No time to eat? No worries, just rip open a packet of
calorie block literally a block-shaped hunk of calories available in various flavors that will make you forget you skipped a meal. The future is here!
Free Umbrellas There is no need to purchase an umbrella in Japan, or worry about lugging one around on sighting some suspicious clouds. Umbrellas are seen as public property here, and every store in the city is breaming with a large supply at their entrance. Simply scoop one up from the convienence storefront when it starts drizzling, and deposit it back by the post office on your way home.
Hope to add more later, msg me if you have one to add!
*to view a more complete collection of my photos,
click
HERE
Advertisement
Tot: 0.2s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 7; qc: 44; dbt: 0.1375s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb