Clear skies and plenty of boats ready to be taken out (Jan. 9th, 2011)

Traditionally, the Japanese have always made a fresh start in EVERYTHING after  New Year`s. In fact, this went so far, that on the the first day of the first month of the year everyone was considered to have aged together by one year ( even a baby which had been born a week earlier!).

And though now there are INDIVIDUAL BIRTHDAYS ( though interestingly 20 year-olds still celebrate their coming-of age together in January). as well as additional new beginnings such as the SCHOOL YEAR and FISCAL YEAR ( which start in April in Japan), all sorts of NEW BEGINNINGS are still commonly recognized and celebrated.

The is the first sunrise of the year ( HATSU HINODE, 初日の出), on the morning of January first, the first CALLIGRAPHY of the year (KAKI ZOME, 書初め) on January second, and the first tea ceremony of the year- HATSU GAMA.

There are special expressions for FIRSTS OF THE YEAR of almost every kind.　There is even a special term for omes the first sexual act of the year- HIME-HAJIME!

For the occassion rice was pounded into MOCHI- rice cakes!

One FIRST-OF-THE-YEAR EVENT which has become a tourist attraction throughout Japan is the DEZOME SHIKI (出初式)- the first coming- out- of- the- year of Japan`s firemen- which can often be as spectacular as a circus, with traditional acrobatics performed atop bamboo poles, exhibitions of firefighting techniques ( including fire-hose spray shows), and  displays of new fire-trucks and equipment. Just about every city in Japan has a DEZOME, and as you can imagine they are especially attractive to families with small kids.

Well this year, I wanted to go check out the fire-fighters festival in Tsuchiura, which I heard usually culminated in a spectacular fire-hose show down by the Yacht Harbour on Lake Kasumigaura ( just in front of Tsuchiura Stations East Entrance). I had looked at a web-site that I usually use to get information about traditional events in and around Tsukuba, and found that the DEZOME in Tsuchiura would be held on the morning of January ninth.

We  hurried down to Tsuchiura with great anticipation.

When we got to where I thought the event would be held, however, instead of shiny fire engines and excited crowds we found only a few people lazilly fishing off the pier.

Naturally we were disappointed, and I kicked myself in the pants for not having CONFIRMED the time and place  by phone with Tsuchiura`s City office. It turns out we had arrived a day too late.

But sometimes stupid mistakes can end in great discoveries. 

So while we had missed out on one FIRST-OF-THE-YEAR CEREMONY, we accidentally found ourselves at another one!

Each table at the marina was layed out with a fine spread

Driving a few hundred meters further down the waterside, we came to a fenced off area within which all sorts of small and medium watercraft were PARKED on land. At the gate there was a sign which read something like: LACUS MARINA ハーバー開き　寒風大会　誰でも楽しもう- meaning The Lacus Marina`s Harbour Opening- the Cold Wind Festival- Anyone Can Come and Enjoy!

Since fate seemed to have brought us to this place and also because the weather happened to be just perfect, we decided to take up the invitation offered on the sign and headed on into the marina.

For a thousand yen per person ( 500 for children) we were offered freshly pounded rice cakes ( omochi), and lots of other food and drink which was laid out on tables outside, free rides on all sorts of water craft ( motorboats, canoes, kayaks, and sailboats), and most importantly for me a taste of what it was like in the old days when WATER TRANSPORT had been such a vital part of like in this and other parts of Japan.

In this country,before the rise to dominance of railroads, and then later roads for automobiles, most goods were transported ( whenever possible) via waterways! In the Edo Period ( 1600-1868) , goods produced in the Tsuchiura area, most prominantly soy sauce, firewood, rice, and straw sacks, would be taken to Edo  by wind driven boats called TAKASE BUNE (高瀬船). On the return trip these same ships would bring back salt, sake, textiles, etc. This trip would take take anywhere from 3 days to a couple of weeks ( depending on wind and other conditions), and took the craft from Lake Kasumigaura to the Tone River, and then to the Edo River, before reaching its final destination. A different route would take the boats to the important seaport of Choshi (銚子), now in Chiba Perefecture, from where fresh salt-water fish and salt were brought to Tsuchiura.

(It might be surprising to you, but even goods from Mito ( even today about an hour by highway from Tsuchiura) were transported to Edo by water craft. They would travel down a series of canals (built during the Edo Period) until they can to Lake Kasumigaura. They would then take the usual rout to Edo until they could drop their goods off at the Mito Clans store-houses which were in Asakusa.)

Besides the ships used for transport there were all the various types of fishing craft ( from the days before the lake was closed off from the sea and fish and shellfish still abounded) , and the house boats in which people lived on all year round.

Also, after the fall of the Shogunate and the liberalization of travel, and before the completion of the Joban Railway Line, usual Tsuchiurans would travel to and from Tokyo by ship. Naturally, travel between the villages located around the lake was also done almost exclusively by boat. Almost all the boats on the lake remained those either powered by wind or oars until the Taisho Period (1912-1926) even though a few steam-powered ships were introduced as far back as 1891. The Choshi Maru steam liner could shuttle passengers between Choshi and Tsuchiura in 8 hours. 

This vanished world, so centered around the lake and so full of boats, is evoked tenderly in Dr Junichi Saga`s book Memories and Silk and Straw ( a book which I strongly recommend to anyone living in the Tsukuba area), and images from the stories told in his book floated across my mind`s eye that morning as I sailed off out into the lake and watched the modern city of Tsuchiura fade away in the distance.

From the boat I could see the newly renovated YOKAREN (予科練) Museum, which is a moving memorial to the young ( some, VERY young) men, who went off to die in SPECIAL ATTACK MISSIONS as so-called KAMIKAZE pilots. The reason that this museum is located on the shores of Lake Kasumigaura  is that it was on this lake that the many of the young pilots trained ( as did those who participated in the attack on Pearl harbour) because there was once a huge Navy Base in Ami Town, as well as a big naval presence in Tsuchiura. Though there still is ( a greatly reduced) SDF base near the lake in Ami, this strong military presence has also become  a thing of the past.( See my Tsukublog article on the YOKAREN MUSEUM here:

  http://blog.alientimes.org/2010/08/pearl-harbor-and-kamikaze-pilots-have-strong-connection-to-lake-kasumigaura-visiting-the-yokaren-museum-again/ )

All the watercraft teeming with people and goods, the lake itself teemiing with fish and shellfish, the streets packed  shoppers and sailors, the hustle and bustle. All that lives on only in Saga Sensei`s books.  Drifting peacefully on the lakes still waters with only a handful of other boats in sight, all recreational, really drove home the sense of MUJOー　（ 無常）, the fleeting nature of all things.

The city of Tsuchiura, as seen from far out on the lake. Mt. Tsukuba looms in the background

The marina staff was extremely kind and they patiently helped out anyone who wanted to try out the canoes, kayaks or sailboats.

 They will hold similar events 3 more times this year:

On Children`s Day- may 5th

Sea Day ( Umi no Hi)- July 17th

and  Sports Day ( Tai iku no Hi)- Oct. 9th

If you would like to get a feel of what its like to get on the lake-  these days will provide the perfect chance.

The marina itself is also interesting in itself, as it is used by various groups to store their boats- the Kasumigaura High School Yachting Club, for example, which has developed many of Japan`s Olympic sailors, trains there.

One very strange thing for me at the marina, was the rarity having  a pleasant Lake Kasumigaura experience. It was nice to see so much bird-life freely enjoying the lake- since I have spent many hours freeing these same species from the nets which make the shores of Kasumigaura, at the villages of Okijuku and Tamura a veritable execution grounds for birds.  

Oh- lets not forget about the DEZOME ( fire-fighter`s events)! Apparently there will be one held in Yatabe, Tsukuba,  on January 15th.

Here are some photos of past DEZOME in Tsukuba:

http://www.city.tsuchiura.lg.jp/index.php?code=2546

The Lacus Marina`s Website is here:

www.lacusmarina.com

2 Comments

• At January 10, 2011, alice wrote:

  Is omochi nage a New Year event in Tsukuba? I've yet to see dezome. It must have drawn a large crowd every year.

• At January 11, 2011, Mamoru Shimizu wrote:

  Avi-san

  You are lucky to find Harbor-Biraki at Tsuchiura, nice review about water-root Edo-Tokyo until recently, I hope someone will think about cruise from Tsuchiura through Kasumigaura to Nihonbashi, even somewhere we should use bus or other transportation. It might be cruise for intelligent adults with knowledge and time.

  This time I read your very impressive article last August about Yokaren-and WWⅡ, it was not an simple articles of usual Americans but a deep analysis from the high view point of Historian of man kind. May be many American people did not accept your view about the use of Atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The big changes have occurred in Asia after WWⅡ,from colonies to independent countries. As you suggested almost all young Japanese scarcely know Japanese History from Meiji-era to WWⅡ,luck of time? not knowing how to teach? So they should learn by themselves, I think NHK-Taiga Drama “Sakanoue No Kumo” is very important Drama for many Japanese.

  History can teach us many reasons of Historical occurrences, and to stimulate to consider for future.

  My teacher in primary school 4-6 grade was graduate of Yokaren may be around 28 years old , he was somehow rough like threw chalks to boys who was chatting, using Soroban to strike naughty one’s heads. Even so he was liked because he liked swimming, hiking, skiing and took pupil to such outdoor activities, he is around 80 now, so he can not attend class-meeting. We always hope his good health.

  There was Navy-Air-squadron training field in Yatabe-area, now there are National-Agricultural Institutes. Yokaren were trainee-students, Those who were trained in Yatabe were Real Pilots of “OUKA＝桜花"：a bonb stile aircraft go down from the big airplane.

  I remember there was high attitude photo taken from US-B29 just after the War, it was hang on the wall of Soya-shop near Arakawaoki station. I would like to visit that Shop near future whether the photo is still there or not.

Well, to be honest, I had no idea what “petanque” was until I read about an upcoming international competition in Suwa City, Nagano this weekend!:
11th Petanque Junior World Championship in Suwa (French/Japanese)

If you are interested in forming a team and compete in petanque and other boule games, all you need to do is get 5 or more people together and apply for JPBU license. The details are on JPBU’s “JPBU License” page.

日本ペタンク・ブール連合 - JPBU
Japan Petanque Boules Union (Japanese/English/French)
F.I.P.J.P. - Fédération Internationale de Pétanque et Jeu Provençal (French/English)

Petanque Clubs in Japan (for the complete list, please visit JPBU site)
Tokyo Area
Himalaya Sugi no shita Petanque Club (English)
Aoyama Petanque (English)
Nagano
Federation Nagano de Petanque (Japanese)

I would love to hear from someone who actually plays this sport!

CAPEDS presents Sudan Café in Tsukuba vol.2
- What we found in "Real" Sudan-

What does come up with you,. when you hear the word "Sudan"?
Civil war? Terrorism? Yes, they exactly exist. However, will they ever shape the whole "Sudan"?

The non-profit organization Committee for Assisting and Promoting Education of the Disabled in Sudan(CAPEDS) is a organization aimed to promote and to assist education for the disabled in Sudan. We are now taking actions for promotion and assistance of information education and promotion of blind soccer in Khartoum, Sudan.
(To see more details : please look at http://capeds.org）

In October 2009, 2 of our student staffs went to Khartoum to know the conditions of our running project and to deepen exchange with our counterpart in Sudan. Can you imagine what did they find in Sudan?

Please join us to feel "Real Sudan" by the story of our staffs with hibiscus tea and Sudanese snacks.

The details are below.

Date: Dec 2nd, 2009(Wed) 18:30-20:40
Place : Class room 301, 3A building, Tsukuba University
(5 min by foot from the bus stop "Daigaku-Chuo")
Fee: Free
How to join: Please e-mail to info.tsukuba[at]capeds.org with the name and number of the participants. Please fill the title with "Participation of the event".
Walk-in participants are also welcomed.

If you have any questions, please send e-mail to info.tsukuba[at]capeds.org

Katsuragi park is in Kasuga, north-west of the intersection of Kita Odori and Nishi Odori. From the intersection of Kita and Nishi go west one set of lights (to the 7-11) and turn right (so you're going north), take your second left and you'll see the park on your right.

1 Comments

• At March 2, 2007, Marc wrote:

  Come one, come all. It's lots of fun, and don't forget the socks! Afterwards we might go to the Italian buffet in LaLa Garden.

In 1966, the Japanese government designated October 10th as Taiiku no Hi (Sports Day) to commemorate the Games. If you are wondering why October was selected as a day to remember the Summer Olympics, you are not alone. The fact is, however, that in 1966, the Opening Ceremonies were held on the 10th of October! The wise decision to hold the Tokyo Summer Games in Autumn was made in deference to Japans cruelly humid summer weather (why wasn't the same change made for Beijing?).

Since the year 2000, as part of the HAPPY MONDAY MOVEMENT (having national holidays on Monday to make a 3-day weekend), Taiiku No Hi has been moved to the second Monday of October, giving us a nice break in what is probably Japan's best season weather-wise. 

Over the Sports Day weekend you are likely to hear signal fireworks (aizu no hanabi) announcing that school and university sports festivals (UNDO KAI) are being held. For the Japanese, these events are MAJOR markers of the passage of years. It is common for grandparents to come from afar to be present, and in Tsukuba, parents often go out in the middle of the night to stake out a good place to put down their plastic sheet for the next morning's festivities. You can get a glimpse of what goes on at an UNDOKAI on YouTube.

If you turned on the TV this morning, you might have seen some of Japan's Olympic medalists giving workshops for schoolchildren and also scenes of little Aiko (the daughter of the Crown Prince and Princess) running (victoriously, of course) in her first Sports Festival.

Many Tsukubans set aside time every year during the second weekend in October to attend Tsukuba University's three day Culture Festival. All of those who do have their own favorite attractions. For me, there is the music, especially the jazz cafe and the Andean Folk Music Troupe. This year, with the blessing of truly glorious weather, not a soul could have left disappointed. With a wide range of cheap and delicious foods, live music in all genres, arcade games, scientific displays, and technological exhibitions all served up with youthful enthusiasm, for me the GAKUEN-SAI is the true TSUKUBA FESTIVAL (Tsukuba Matsuri).

As I have written before, one noticeable thing for many graduates of foreign universities is the lack of any political or INTELLECTUAL presence in the Tsukuba University festival. In recent years, however, environmental awareness has started to be felt with several booths selling organic produce or showing data from research on GREENER LIVING. Still walking the length of the campus this weekend, I felt pessimistic about recent calls to lower the voting age in Japan to 18.

For LOTS OF INTERESTING DETAILS ON THE TOKYO OLYMPICS SEE THIS PAGE and THIS ONE. (You should read more about this event!)

The "Ibaraki Golden Golds" are an amateur baseball team managed by Kinichi Hagimoto. The team is playing a series of games in Tsukuba over the next few months.

Saturday, May 17 from 1:30pm
Saturday, June 21 from 1:30pm
Saturday, July 26 from 1:30pm
Wednesday, August 20 from 6pm
Saturday, September 27 from 1:30pm
Saturday, October 25 from 1:30pm

The games all take place at the Sakura Baseball Diamond, which is just beside the Sakura Branch of the City Hall (where you do alien registration). Tickets are 500 yen, 1300 yen, or 1800 yen. You can get a 300 yen discount on the 1300 yen and 1800 yen tickets if you buy them ahead of time.

平成21年度筑波大学公開講座
2009 University of Tsukuba Open University

Japanese Fencing (Kendo) and Archery (Kyudo) Lessons

Kendo Lessons: Spring 2009
Dates: April 25 to June 27 (Every Saturday, except for May 2 and May 16)
Time: 9:30am to 12:30pm
Duration: 8 days in total, 24 hours
Participants: Anyone above Elementary School 3rd Grade, limited to 50 people
Location: University of Tsukuba Kendo-jo
Fee: 9300 yen
Insurance: 600 yen for Junior High Students or younger, 1600 yen for
High School Students and older -- valid for all University of Tsukuba
Open University Courses during the 2009 school year

Kyudo Lessons: Spring 2009
Dates: May 9 to May 31 (Saturdays and Sundays)
Time: 1:30pm to 4:30pm
Duration: 8 days in total, 24 hours
Participants: Anyone above High School, limited to 40 people
Location: University of Tsukuba Kyudo-jo
Fee: 9300 yen
Insurance: 600 yen for Junior High Students or younger, 1600 yen for High School Students and older -- valid for all University of Tsukuba Open University Courses during the 2009 school year

You do not need to have any special equipment to participate in these classes. Just show up in clothing that is easy to move in.

For more information about these courses and to apply, please see the University of Tsukuba Open University page (in Japanese).

Deadline to apply: Friday April 3, 2009.

If you are looking for something fun to do this Spring, please think about joining one of these classes. (And if you want to do something a little less aggressive, try square dancing!)

1 Comments

• At March 24, 2009, Prima Cabina wrote:

  If you stay in Tsukuba in this season and are interested in Japanese Archery, here is a good excursion destination. Hie Shrine in former Niihari area in Tsuchiura city is a very venerable shrine, which was established in 807.

  Every year on the first Sunday in April, the famous Yabusame festival takes place in this Shrine. Yabusame is the exciting Shinto ritual combining archery and horseback riding. In the festival, they set three targets along the 150m front approach toward the shrine. And a warrior riding a horse shoots arrows from the top of the running horse and hits the targets. The festival has over 1200 years history and is designated as one of the prefectural intangible folklore cultural assets.

  Even though you miss the festival, it is still recommended place. A quiet and holy atmosphere in a Japanese traditional shrine is so good. Enjoy!

  Yabusame from Wikipedia

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yabusame

  Hie Shrine's Yabusame photos

  http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~noujin/ma0504.html

  Location of Hie Shrine by Google Maps

  http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=ja&geocode=&q=N+36%C2%B0+09.439+E+140%C2%B0+09.442&sll=36.221842,140.162544&sspn=0.183631,0.201187&ie=UTF8&ll=36.136488,140.134392&spn=0.183831,0.201187&z=12&iwloc=addr

Koshien is a perfect way to show hometown spirit, and many of your friends who live in Tsukuba now are probably rooting for their home prefecture team. Native Ibarakians and others who have grown to love the Land of Hitachi (Hitachi no Kuni) have always had a lot to cheer about since this prefecture has often fielded very strong teams. The most famous of these is Joso High School which is located just near Tsukuba City. Once again (for the 3rd straight year) their manager Yukio Kiuchi, who is now 77 years old, has taken them to Osaka for the finals after an incredible extra-inning win in Mito on July 27th. This is a very impressive feat considering the hundreds of schools in the prefecture. Maybe attribute this success to what has been dubbed KIUCHI MAGIC.

Holy cow! This game that I'm watching! The Tokushima team has just come from behind to win! Incredible! Pandemonium! Unbridled joy! Tears (looks more like sobbing) of defeat! Slouching, bent over players. Dirty, sweaty uniforms. Wait! This is the part I love best. The winning team belting out their school song, singing with their bodies and souls making it known to the world that they are making an effort!! They go into their victory sprint. And now, the losing team is scooping up some soil from the infield, a memento of their fleeting moment on the Big Stage. Certainly the game will be replayed in their heads over and over again, probably for their whole lives, with thoughts of how it would have been if things had gone the other way.

Sorry for the digression. Let me get back to my main point. High school baseball fans in Ibaraki have been looking forward to watching Joso play and maybe even win the tournament and some people I know even went down to watch today's game. Unfortunately, things did not go as expected and our local boys were blown away in their first game, by a Tokyo team (even more frustrating). Thus, Kiuchi's bozu, as with all losing teams, could be seen after the game, scooping up the Sacred Soil of Koshien. So much for Kiuchi Magic. But... wait till next year!

Don't be surprised then if you see more than the usual depressed, sulking Ibarakians this week. They were hoping to see their team do better.

And of course there are other ways of looking at this High School baseball madness. I, myself often cringe when I hear about the boys' PURE SPIRIT. Like everyone else they are in it for the glory (and the girls?).

Another aspect to think about is the PROFESSIONALIZATION of the game in a similar way to what has happened in college sports in the US. Thus many teams, including Joso recruit players using certain incentives.  Many students DO NOT get the high school education they should be getting, and will be stuck after graduation. So the coaches, administration, etc., come out ahead, but what happens to the boys who have spent their school years playing ball and not preparing for exams?

Anyway, they sure WANT to play, and they do it well! That's what makes it so much fun to watch.

For Koshien games just turn on your TV and flick through the channels.

March 1: Street Dance Recital, Nova Hall, FREE
March 1: Challenge Art Festival, Tsukuba Capio Hall, FREE
March 2: Ibaraki Piano Concert 2008, Nova Hall
March 2: Piano Recital, Tsukuba Capio Hall, FREE
March 4: Aragaki Tsutomu Concert, Nova Hall
March 8: Kikuchi Music School Recital, Tsukuba Capio Hall, FREE
March 9: Boris Berezovsky Piano Recital, Nova Hall
March 9: Coleman Violin Recital, Tsukuba Capio Hall, FREE
March 11, 12: University of Tsukuba Drama Circle Performance "Sayonara", Tsukuba Capio Hall
March 15: Ballet, Contemporary Dance Recital, Nova Hall, FREE
March 15: Tsukuba Noh, Kyogen "Shikisai"
March 16: University of Tsukuba Wind and String Ensemble Concert, Nova Hall
March 16: Tsukuba Dance Group Recital, Tsukuba Capio Hall, FREE
March 20: Tsukuba Gakuen Music School Recital, Tsukuba Capio Hall, FREE
March 22: Takezono High School Wind Orchestra Concert, Nova Hall, FREE
March 22, 23: V-Challenge League Men's Volleyball, Tsukuba Capio Arena, FREE
March 23: Suzuki Method Piano Recital, Nova Hall, FREE
March 29: Charity Concert, Nova Hall
March 30: Suzuki Method Violin Recital, Nova Hall, FREE

Please have a look at the source document for times and prices.

Does anyone want to volunteer to do this sort of thing every month? (Or is there any chance that the Tsukuba Cultural Foundation will start doing it again?)