Tag: backlog

Yame Toro Ningyo Festival

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This is a festival I just happened to luck my way into when I went to visit my previous host family in October the first year I arrived for JET. This was a small local festival and we didn’t stay long, but in the short time I was there I got to experience a fair amount! 2013-09-23 11.34.08Yame is a town located on the outskirts of Kurume, which is well known for its green tea. But it also holds a yearly Lantern and Doll Festival based around the local puppet house. I had actually been to this particular culture house before when I was first in the area – our group of local homestayers made a traditional Japanese paper postcard there, with pressed flowers and pulp. It was an interesting experience at the time, and I was excited to realize that I was back in the same place again after so many years. 2013-09-23 10.17.53First, we ventured into a historical writer’s home which now functioned as a museum, and looked around his abode for some time. There was a great garden space that was set up much in the Buddhist temple style, with sand, rock, and select plants making up the exterior facade. Though it may sound simple, it was quite beautiful. In one of the small buildings set alongside the house, wood-carved lanterns lined the walls, giving it a calm, but slightly eerie aura that I enjoyed quite a bit. Then we wandered along the small streets, peeking in several shops along the way. The main shop of interest for me was a traditional green tea making shoppe. The architecture of the building was quite interesting, with a traditional facide painted black and a large machine at the front of the building. Whether they actually use the machine or not, I can’t say, but their tea is delicious and so are their tasty green tea chocolate crispy snacks! 2013-09-23 11.05.57A bit further down the street we stopped and chatted with a local vendor while taking a few sips of ramune. Upon chatting, my host parents discovered that they were conducting jinrikusha rides down the street! Usually jinrikusha rides are a unique experience in Japan, but in some areas they can come at a cost. This one was a rare low price, so my host parents insisted I go! I insisted that someone come with me, and it was quite a fun ride. He took us around the area and explained bits of local lore along the way. Though it was fun I did feel bad because it must take a fair amount of strength to hoist people along the streets in continuous motion, not only once, but for whomever pays for the service! Our hoister was quite thin and spry, so perhaps he just considered it a good workout. The last stop of the day was the doll theatre, which I believe is housed in the Yame Traditional Arts Museum. In the theatre, there is a video on loop that showcases a previous performance. Because of the busy festival going on, volunteers were on hand this time, and one approached us and other onlookers and invited us up on the stage to have a look at the undercarriage and inner workings of the puppet stage. Upon climbing the stairs to the backstage, you’re on the original stage, where the dolls are, but if you journey below stage, you see quite a different world: an intricate network of string and woodwork, connecting and controlling each of the puppets above. This is where the puppeteers work their manipulative magicks. And it really requires a good amount of synchronization and skill. If I remember correctly, the guide told us that it takes around 9 people to operate each doll. The reason is that there is one person for each moveable appendage, so one for each are, one for the head, one for the feet and hands and so on. 2013-09-23 11.59.39 I haven’t watched an entire production yet, but it seems like a very unique art medium and cultural performance. This particular day was very culturally demonstrative for me and I enjoyed it immensely. If you get a chance to check out the festival I’d definitely stop by!

Inekari (いねかり): the Rice Harvest

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DSC_0150One of the benefits of receiving an inaka placement on the JET program is you might be able to experience traditional Japanese events that you may not be able to in urban placements. I’ve experienced this for myself on multiple occasions at the smaller elementary school I visit roughly once per week.

This particular school, though small, has been kind enough to invite me most often to annual or special school events, one of which is the yearly rice harvest, or inekari (稲刈り). The rice harvest usually occurs in late September to early October. This is an event where we all set out into the small field located close to our school, wearing long sleeves and pants despite the hot weather. This precaution is necessary to protect from the itch of the bugs and or grasses that could possibly effect our experience. A sunhat or large-brimmed hat of some kind is also required, to protect harvesters from resilient late summer, early fall rays. Luckily, both last year and this one, a teacher has been kind enough to lend me their sickle, although most-all students have their own and bring that along. Long rubber boots are also preferred wear, as it can be pretty muddy in the fields.

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The drying stand and cropped roots.

The task is quite enjoyable really, one of those chores that can actually be quite relaxing if you let it. Several people actually harvest the lengthy rice crops with their sickle and lay them in a huge pile. Then others gather the lengthy strands into bunches, tying them together with fresh long straw. After these steps are complete, a couple of people (for us, the field owners, who are pros by this point) set up drying stands that look somewhat like teepee framework, and we all hang the rice on these.

My first year I wasn’t prepared for the occasion, but still insisted on participating in my street clothes. It was fun, though a little itchy. But this year I was prepared! Delayed two weeks in a row because of rain, I had ample time to prepare most of my wear. The first year I mostly stuck to bunching, but this year I harvested and bunched equally quite a bit. While carrying out these duties, I also noticed several little frogs (and spiders) had made the rice field their home in the interim. Our harvesting activities definitely awoke a mass exodus in the frogs, which was quite cute though probably alarming for the creatures due to the fact that a few young boys became very interested in their escape…

All in all inekari is a positive experience! If you get the chance, I’d highly encourage taking part in it at your school(s). Even if someone invites you out to their own home fields it would be a valuable experience.

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The Itsuwa Lantern Festival

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Over the course of the two years I’ve been here, I’ve set out proudly with others to see the local Lantern Festival in Itsuwa both years. Usually held in late October of each year, this small festival is worth going to because you can see an aspect of Japanese culture that is not as largely publicized as other aspects we often are told about.

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2013-10-27 18.16.382013-10-27 19.08.52One of my favorite parts my first year was hearing a bit of koto music being played by three ladies a little apart from the main festival itself. This year, an elder man was reading Japanese stories, but it didn’t live up to the koto for me. And for those who are interested, the festival has a stand selling a nicer variety of lanterns to festival-goers. There are also quite a few street food and goods stalls stretched along the main drag of cozy Itsuwa, serving as a guide to the event space. Some of the festival’s better photo opportunities come from the shrine at the top of the hill toward the west, and the lit-up zen garden in a cozy alcove at the center of the main street. I took a lot of pictures; some of which are definitely better than others due to lighting, but all in all this is a good local event that offers a taste of Amakusan pride. :)

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Attack the Nihon Ichi: Misato’s 3,333 Steps

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One of the few photos I managed to take during my uphill climb. :)

One of the escapades I got into during my first year was an event called “Attack the Nihon-Ichi” in Misato, Kumamoto. Basically this is a special event in which one endeavors to successfully climb Japan’s longest stone staircase, coming in at a solid 3,333 steps one way, 6,666 steps round-trip. This particular event has you not only competing against others, but against yourself! When you sign up, you estimate the time that you will finish the race, whether full-course or half-course. Prizes are given to those who are fastest, but also to those who come closest to their estimated times. Plus, there are several prizes from sponsors that are raffled off to randomly selected ticket numbers, which you receive upon finishing the race. And everyone gets a customized certificate with their time and completion and a goodie bag at the end, so you definitely don’t leave empty-handed. And that’s just speaking of material reward!

So that day, equipped with my water can and some light baggage – I didn’t want to weigh myself down more than necessary – I journeyed solo to the meeting place, parked up, and then boarded the buses available for participants to get to the actual venue. You can really tell that this was once an extremely local event, improved upon over the years and made into a more well-known affair. The locale, nestled among the mountains, an old temple set at the end of the steps, paired with sponsors thrusting some kind of green health concoction under your nose at every step, was clue enough for me. So I kept to myself and focused on the task at hand.

The road ahead looked long indeed.
The road ahead looked long indeed.

Though somewhat intimidated by my expectations alone, I set out optimistically, my mind determined though I hadn’t worked out seriously in some time. I’ll be honest, this is indeed a challenge! On November 16, 2013, I went on this particular voyage, and by god, I was glad to do it but I’m not completely sure I would do it again, unless I visit the steps for a leisurely hike. Some people set out sprinting right from the get-go, and with my own modest jog, I started to feel the burn around the 330th step. Your calves take a beating indeed, and you find yourself looking eagerly to each step marker, wondering what set of steps you’ve arrived at to guide your efforts along the way. But as the markers’ count increases you feel stronger and more determined with each step. When you’re tired, there are plenty of opportunities to stop and take in the beautiful surroundings while downing much-needed hydration. But if you’re not tired, you can trod on! The path is a mixed course of natural dirt path between long stretches of stone steps. Though the steps seem unending, the true feat is mastering your mind as you go up them, not feeling discouraged regardless of the step number; the driven feeling that comes out once you reach at least the thousandth step amid a forest clearing.

In retrospect, I felt so elated (and somewhat gelatinous) at the end of my 6,666 step journey. I estimated my completion of the course to be about an hour and forty-five minutes, and my actual completion time was an hour and forty-nine minutes. Now, you may think this is a pretty good guess, but winners of the estimation prize came within three seconds of their initial estimates! This is pretty incredible on the one hand, but possibly do-able if you’ve run the course before or train on the steps fairly regularly. Also upon my completion of the course, I made a beeline for the yakiniku foodstand, and immediately ate four sticks on my own. It was delicious and perhaps more rewarding than the certificate I received afterward! Having participated in the event and taken in the course, I would very much recommend tackling the stone steps via a hike rather than a time-oriented competition. You would have much more time (and much less pressure) so that you could leisurely take in the nature around you and visit the old temple found at the end of the steps. It’s quite beautiful there.

Needless to say, for this course, the way back down was much easier than the trek up for me. I was able to whiz past a reporter’s attempt to interview me toward the end of my journey, looking completely non-plussed by my own weariness and physical exertion, surprising even myself. It was great! I’d recommend it to anyone in the area, but be prepared for a workout, for sure!

 

Gunkanjima (軍艦島): Battleship Island

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On Sunday of the first weekend in February, after spending a lovely Saturday in Nagasaki city proper, enjoying the annual Lantern Festival, we trekked to the Nagasaki harbor to catch the boat to Gunkanjima, meaning Battleship Island, also referred to as Hashima, when mining operations still occurred there. You can read from various sources that this deserted island served as the inspiration for the abandoned island scenes that appeared in the more recent James Bond film Casino Royale. Others even say this is where one particular scene was filmed. Though I’m not entirely sure how true it is, if true it is interesting trivia to know!

The tour takes the better part of two hours, and consists of the ride out to the island, a brief landing and tour of the most stable areas on the island, circling of the island (on both sides so that all of those seated on the boat can get photographs), and the return trip.

Afterward we spent some time in the YouMe Town that can be found straight off the harbor, housing many cool and interesting shops and, for those who may miss it, a Starbucks. If you sit outside this particular Starbucks you can get quite a good view of the harbor as well as a three-way intersection nestled in the cleft of the bayside. I enjoyed myself considerably this trip, especially with all the cool breezes we encountered on the boat ride and sitting outside. They’re definitely nice memories to have, and I’m looking forward to making more! Here’s a brief photo wrap-up of the trip.

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