Thank you, Hikawamaru and Marine Tower

Hikawamaru is an ocean liner that made its maiden voyage in 1930. Marine Tower is an observation tower having a beacon function. These two, being located at or near Yamashita Park, have been the symbol of Port Yokohama since 1961, 100th anniversary of port opening. But they were closed on December 25. In recent years the amusement area was moved to Minato Mirai 21 area and the number of visitors to these two places decreased.

It was Hikawamaru that I visited first when I moved to Yokohama. It'll be sad to say goodbye.

It was decided that Marine Tower was bought by Yokohama City and would be reopened a couple of years later. What become of Hikawamaru?

Autumn Colors in Kyoto

I have received an unexpected X'mas present from my friend, Yu-kun. At the end of last month he visited Kyoto and taken pictures of autumn colors. He visited Shozan Garden in the north and Komyoji Temple in the west of Kyoto.

More photos can be seen in my Web site. Please access:
http://www.realjapan.org/photo/Kyoto2006Autumn/index.html

(Shozan Garden)

(Shozan Garden)

(Komyoji Temple)

(Komyoji Temple)

Tokyo Tower

With 333 meters in height, Tokyo Tower is the highest construction in Japan. It was the same day in 1958 that the Tower was opened.

Since last year a movie and a novel related with Tokyo Tower gained popularity across the country. “ALWAYS san-chome no yuhi (3-chome’s Sunset)” represented everyday life and human kindness in a downtown Tokyo around 1950’s. “Tokyo Tower”, with a subtitle “okan to boku to tokidoki oton (Mom and I, and sometimes Dad)” is a semiautobiographical novel of a young man coming into Tokyo from the country, containing mom’s plentiful love.
Tokyo Tower was the symbol during booming postwar economic growth.

At the top of the Tower there are analog and digital TV antennas; the increase of the high-rise buildings push up the TV interference these days. To reduce the interference, a New Tokyo Tower Plan was started. They say it requires more than 600 meters high. I wonder it would be a cat-and-mouse game.

(Tokyo Tower and Raindbow Bridge)

(Light-up at 16:00)

(From Zojoji Temple)

Gazing up from the bottom)

(Cherry Blossom Season)

Sukiyaki Story

It’s kind of weird that the Japanese have not eaten meat for a long time.

I hear that it’s late Jomon period that rice growing was delivered to Japan. At that time they had eaten venison and boar meat. But meat eating seems to have been exchanged in order to develop rice growing.. In 675, the ancient imperial court issued a meat diet prohibition law. For example, during rice growing works, the meat eating was prohibited to pray for a good harvest or the killing of animals was prohibited in the year of opening the eyes of the Great Buddha. Rice is sacred and meat is dirty; such an idea was gradually implanted. Even in Buddhism temples monks abstained from eating fish and meat.　　Of course there are the documents mentioning that meat was eaten in secret or in the case of lean crop, I hear.

Around the end of Edo era, Western cuisines were introduced. But at first ordinary people could not get used to Western cuisines using meat. Then, various kinds of things were done to enjoy meat. Traditionally the Japanese are excel at such things. One of them was gyu nabe (or sukiyaki). (Sukiyaki is beef and vegetables flavored with soy sauce and served in a pan.) Beef was flavored with soy sauce and fermented soybean paste (later changed to sugar) which were basics of Japanese cuisine taste. During Ansei period of Edo era, Yukichi Fukuzawa and others had already tried this food. In 1868 a person named Otomatsu Takahashi living in Edo started to sell it in the name of “sukiyaki.” This is the debut of sukiyaki.

In 1873, Meiji Emperor tasted beef cuisine (I don't know what kind of cuisine Emperor had), and after that gradually meat has become popular for the reason that it is a good food. People received the official go-ahead.

Eat meat with beaten egg. Try to taste Japanese sake together.

Kamakura Again!

Japan Sports 2006

The striking players this year are Arakawa, Ichiro, and Nakata.

Arakawa not only gave Japan the first gold medal at female figure skating, Torino Olympic, but also her beautiful performance impressed Japanese people. Her special skill, “Ina Bauer” won the grand prize of the buzzwords-of-the-year contest.

At the World Baseball Classic 2006, Japan became world champion. Ichiro was a leader of the team. He ranked top class also in the Major League, and he is always challenging. Nakata did his best by his own style to encourage the team at World Cup 2006. He carved his way at soccer clubs in Europe and gave younger people a chance. Immediately after the World Cup he retired as he had decided and he went a self-searching journey. Baseball and soccer are popular sports in Japan. I think Ichiro and Nakata’s lifestyle itself greatly influences the lifestyle of young people.

(At Harajuku)

Autumn Colors at Kamakura

Samurai Governor, Yoritomo Minamoto, established Bakufu (feudal government) at Kamakura, which was a place easy to defense and difficult to offense. There is a sea at the front and a mountain at the back. There are many temples and shrines remained. So, it can be said that Kamakura is the harmonious town of landscape and history.

Kamakura is now the season of autumn colors of leaves.

(Maple Trees at Shishimaigayatsu)

(Ginkgo Leaves at Shishimaigayatsu)

(Kakuonji Temple)

(Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine)

Autumn Colors at Shinjuku Gyoen National Park

We can enjoy autumn colors also at gardens and parks. There is the metropolitan government building at Shinjuku, which is changing itself without stopping. In front of the Shinjuku station some construction is progressing. But Shinjuku Gyoen National Park always receives us with quietness and beautiful flowers and trees.

December (Shiwasu)

December is also written “monks run” in Kanji characters and pronounced “shiwasu.” This is derived from the meaning that monks are so busy that they run to visit many houses to recite a sutra.

Every family is so busy preparing for the New Year, such as cleaning, writing New Year’s cards, preparing for the New Year’s dishes, etc. The Japanese have a custom of doing a general house cleaning at the end of the year.
On New Year’s Eve, people eat toshikoshi noodles and say goodbye to the old year, hearing the bell. The tradition of eating noodles seems to have become popular during Edo period. I wonder that it is a Japanese noodle restaurant that got the idea of eating noodles on that day.

Before December comes, the whole city has that Christmasy feel to it throughout Japan. It's curious, but it's there nonetheless.

(Christmas Tree in Biei, Hokkaido)