New Kendama Naming Contest

During my recent trip to Tokyo I finally was able to purchase a kendama (at Tokyu Hands of course). A Japanese kendama is a game based on dexterity and hand/eye coordination. I feel strongly that I should name my new kendama and am calling for suggestions. You may offer one in the comment section or email me.

Obon Festival

Last night I attended Shikaoi's yearly Obon Festival. Held every summer, the festival's purpose is to welcome and remember departed ancestors. During this two week period most communities in Japan hold an Obon festival, the exact timing of which depends on each specific community. Each community also carries on different local traditions. Shikaoi holds a large ritual dance to call the ancestors down from heaven. The atmosphere was very celebratory. Besides having an opportunity to see many of my students and Shikaoi acquaintances, many children I did not know were present. This is because Obon season is traditionally a time for people living away from home to return. Japanese airports this time of year are filled with people making the trip home for a couple of days to participate in their on local Obon festival and also visit their ancestors grave. The weather could not have been better this year; it cooled down to a warm 24C and everyone felt comfortable and refreshed. I am so use to Albertan summers where after the sun goes down (much later than 7 PM of course) it can get very cold. Especially sitting on the hill during Folk Fest. Afterwards I couldn't help to think this was the quintessential summer event. Nothing could possibly make this season feel more like summer than this type of festival. I apologize for my scant description but it's too hot in my house this afternoon to compose a thesis. I have included many pictures to hopefully make up for this vacuum.



The event started promptly 5:00 PM with a loud explosion of fireworks singling to the town the start of the festival. At 6:00 PM there was a sort of a children's' Obon dance before the adults began the main Obon dance at 7:00 PM. Many children were wearing beautiful summer yukatas and jinbes, making for a very colourful sight as they danced under paper lanterns.


The main dance was composed of just under 500 participants with many more watching. Many different organizations were involved, each creating elaborate costumes and a special dance especially for the festival. I have included some examples below that reflect the variety of the event.








My grade six class at Shikaoi Elementary School, along with their families, also entered a very large team.


I was also especially impressed with the live music played in the center of the large circle. They had drums up top and live singers below that increased the celebratory atmosphere of the event.



The Board of Education also entered an Obon team. I have included two pictures below. To expand them in a new window just click them. The dancing itself ended at 8:30 PM and then the whole Board of Education office went to Tori-sei. Most other teams also had there own parties to go to. It was a very busy summer night in Shikaoi.

Friday Night

These are some pictures from Friday night. Our section at work had a welcoming party for Shikaoi's new AET Vivian combined with Kevin's good-bye party (of which there are several). I am a bit busy this weekend so you'll have to do with the explanatory power of images.

Dealing with Mornings

I uncovered a slight mystery upon my return Monday: Three cryptic - to me - letters. I did not have the opportunity until this morning to bring them into work and have someone examine them. My Japanese is only good enough to give me a rough estimation of what I am looking at. I know they are letters. Two I know signify that someone had stopped by - twice - while I was out, making sure to leave a note of their intentions. But what were their intentions? The third smaller yellow card was meaningless for all I could tell.

It soon was revealed to me that all letters were from the post office. But the post office is also my bank [long story]. I thought the word she used referred to the bank part of the post office and assumed the worst, I asked my co-worker if I should worry. As this point the section chief overheard us and came over; we can't very well have one of the foreigners worrying in Shikaoi, can we? I have been here long enough to have an inkling of where this is going. Things could really snowball from this point. I can't read things all the time; but because of the loyalty and helpfulness of the Japanese, my queries can cause quite a commotion. Now, keep in mind, this is all happening before work even officially starts. Am I really ready to deal with the repercussions of my investigation? Soon, everyone that had been in the office early were eagerly studying the letters. A lively discussion ensused; what do the letters mean? how should we break it to him?

At this point it becomes clear that the letters are all connected and that they come from the post office side of the post office. In fact, in actuality, at this point, I had already deduced the true meaning of the letters; they referred to a package I had already picked up from the post office Tuesday morning. See how things can get overblown? It is decided by the section chief - my dear dear section chief - that he needs to phone the post office to straighten things out. I resisted the temptation to roll my eyes and instead simply took a deep breath and watched him phone the Shikaoi Post office. The reason I felt compelled to roll my eyes - maybe let out a long sigh - is because I knew, in general, what the reaction on the other end of the line would be. A phone call about me, by the section chief, to the post office, would cause a commotion there too. And really, I am definitely not worth the commotion, not even a small one. Satisfied I understand what's going on and that said package is in my possession, I am dismissed. This puts me in a predicament, I walk back to my desks with many "Sumimasen's" and "Arigato's". Now, with the mystery solved, feeling guilty over being the cause of so much commotion so early, I feel ready to crawl back into under the covers but must instead get to work (...on this post).

Photo Update

On the Wednesday that I was in Koriyama everyone that had free time went on a picnic. It was felt unfair to leave everyone that was working behind but it seemed like such a waste not spend the day outside in the beautiful weather. The long winters are always in the back of one's mind, aren't they? It was also important that two of Tsuchiya sensei's younger nieces got some fresh air. I tired them out playing in the water, playing soccer and playing catch. Ice cream was an necessity after the picnic.


I had to get a picture of me all dressed up at the Koriyama South Rotary meeting since formality is rare for an elementary school teacher.



I couldn't decide which version I liked most and decided to put up both. What follows are just some random pictures from Tokyo.

Uncomfortably Sitting Here

Getting my key in the door and entering the house last night I was struck by how still the house was. The air hadn't moved in weeks; which is exactly how long I had been away, traveling around Japan since the morning of the 23rd when I had set off with the Stony Plain delegation back to Sapporo. Everything was exactly as I had left it before we were picked up by Kevin to go to the good-bye breakfast. Many of the odd things displaced by my Mom's visit reminded me of her. This morning - after a long and deep sleep in my own bed - I saw there was much to do. The biggest obstacle for this post was not actually recounting my adventures, but picking music that would compliment my 36C house. What music is best listened to when the only breeze a fan can muster seems hot? Tomorrow's post will include more pictures - I promise - but I just can't peel myself of the couch to edit some pictures; it feels immoral to force my computer to chomp away at images when even I don't want to do any work. Even my neighborhood - normally crawling with kids on summer vacation - is unnaturally silence.

The Shinkansen was efficient and productive as always, getting me from the center of Koriyama to the center of Tokyo in short order. The weekend was a blur, not only because of the stifling humidity that has followed me home, but I covered a lot of ground, saw a lot of things. The streets of Shibuya and Shinjuku pulsed with life and energy over the weekend with expectant merrymakers reveling in the slight drop in temperature brought by evening. The sun reteating, no longer held in the sky, transfixed, with the task of baking pedestrians into the pavement, throngs of people appeared.

I did little shopping and ended up come home with unspent money. By far the biggest thing on my shopping list was size 28.5 cm shoes, of which the whole island of Hokkaido seems completely devoid. I was really starting to fret because some of my shoes were beginning to disintegrate. I also bought a watch. The last new watch was from six years ago also from Japan, also starting to get a bit ragged. The one I really wanted was sold out. Ask Sean to see his - which I bought for a present - it seems to be the last one.

With some easy transfers on the Tokyo subway, Keita (a friend from Shikaoi now living in Tokyo), went to the Tokyo Museum of Modern Art on Sunday. It was a great way to steal away into climate controlled comfort from the hot sun. I post two small pictures below representing our reactions to the abstractness of abstract art. (Keita's photo is great. I laughed and laughed. An appropriate title may be: And this is a Small Door.) We also ate at a really nice cafe in Omotesando in Shibuya-ku. My $15 hamburger was excellent, as was the atmosphere. Also I saw the architecturally noteworthy PRADA building in Omotesando. Even if their clothes do look like horrible, putting them in a beautiful architectural statement goes a long way toward me wanting to buy them. Before I edit pictures of Koriyama and Tokyo tomorrow, I think I will stew in my own sweat for a couple of hours. What fun? It's not my choice.

Home

I finally got home. The only result being a slight decrease in the humidity. I will post more tomorrow. Now time for a shower to rinse off the day's sweat, now you can understand why it's customary here to have a shower before you go to bed.

Trends in Tokyo 2006

This is kind of tongue and cheek because I really have no time to analyze such topics in detail. The title is mostly written in light of professional internet companies that analyze blogs to track such trends (I know your reading this!). But in reality I am so clueless about trends that [insert humorous metaphor here].

1. Yukata's. This very traditional summer outfit can be seen everywhere in Tokyo this year. It looks much like a kimono, using vibrant Japanese patterns, but is made of much lighter cotton material. Most likely to give one a fight chance against the stifling humidity. How naturally this traditional fashion fits into Tokyo's hyper-modern setting could only be accomplished in Japan.

2. GPS equipped cellphones. Just plain cool and something that was only very recently introduced as far as I can tell. It is surprising that cellphones, called keitai here, have not shrunk since I was here in 1999-2000, but there is infinitely more stuffed into them, the latest being GPS. You can follow your movements on a little map on your cellphone to around one meter or so. This is in addition to; MP3s, camera, video, internet, text, and 16-bit soundcard, 1 gig storage (soon to be 4 gig). Cellphones can't really get any smaller or else one would always be misplacing it or sitting on it. Not that that is a major problem since people drape armloads of charms off them.

3. High-def DVD. Kind of nerdy but still cool. I went down to Tokyo's electronics district and some of the major companies were demoing their new HD-DVD technology (released this summer) displayed on the largest flat-screen TVs I would have ever thought possible. The whole set-up could be yours for a cool 15 grand. Honestly, it was like looking through a window, unbelievably bright and clear.

Last Koriyama Update

I am sitting here in staggering humidity trying in vain to organize my thoughts for a coherent post. We have air condition but in most parts of the Tsuchiya's a surprising good cross breeze can be created taken cool air for the shaded side of the house. The computer room however takes its air from a baking cement patio on the second floor. I can only write so long as I can stand the heat.

I have to catch my train - the Shinkensen to be exact - to Tokyo just before lunch. It is always hard for me to leave the Tsuchiya house, I think I will listen to some sad music on the train and hopefully the extreme hustle and bustle of Tokyo will take my mind of the aching, just like when I said good-bye to my mom at Chitose - she on her way home and me on my way to Koriyama.

Yesterday, I went to Koriyama South Rotary meeting. I must say, Koriyama South Rotary Club meetings are not as funny as Stony Plain's. Not much has changed either. My speech went well but I think I have much more confidence speaking in English. This being Japan, the mic was placed too low and could not be moved higher, it was very uncomfortable. Everyone said they understood my meaning, even Okoshi-san, meant a lot. It was nice to see many friendly faces from six years ago.

I have placed a copy of my speech in Japanese below because it may be of interest to my Japanese readers. Basically in English it gives a basic outline of what I do in Shikaoi, that I graduated from university, how much of an honour it was to be hosted by the Koriyama Rotary Club, and finally that I promise to do my best.

下に私のこうり山ロータリスーピチです。読んでください。

ーーーーーーー

みな様。こんにちは。おひさしぶりです。６年ぶりにかえて来ました。今私は北海道の十勝の鹿追町にきょう年の９月から住んでいます。

鹿追では小学生たちに英語を教えています。すみません。毎日子供たちと遊んでたから、私が子供の日本語つかいます。

鹿追町のゆめいな事は私たちがやさいをそだてているから、鹿追町の学生たちたくさんやさいをたべていますそして、とても元気になります。

私の仕事が好きですそして、鹿追町のかんきょはけんこうてきだと思います。

６年まえに私は高校生でしたそして、カナダかえて大学をそつぎょしました。私はこうり山南RCがホストやくをしてくださった事がいかにすばらしく、めいよな事だったかをつたえしたいと思っていました。

私は日本の学生をけんこうでしあわせにする事、そして私がロータリのこうかんりゅ学生になった一番の理由である、この大きなせいかいをみじかな物にする事をちかいます。