Thrills, chills, and plenty of spills- one of the entrants in the Tsukuba Challenge 2010 being cheered on by enthusiastic supporters

They`ve been getting ready for the big race for weeks, months, maybe even years. Training, training, and then more training- working to improve speed stamina and coordination: knowing that every SECOND will count in the pursuit of victory.

And it  all comes down to Thurday and Friday of this week, at an event for which they will be converging on Tsukuba from all over Japan. For victory. For the prize. For the glory!

No. I am not talking about the famous and very popular Tsukuba Marathon, which will be held later this month ( on the 28th), and in which thousands will run. I`m referring to the 4th annual Tsukuba Challenge, also known as the Real World Robot Challenge- in which about 70 robots- on-wheels of various design will try to negotiate a course around Tsukuba`s Central Park. This year the course will run a gruelling 1.1 kilometers, from Tsukuba`s Expo Center, around the pond at Tsukuba`s Central Park, then over the pedestrian bridge to Nova Hall! There will be various designated stopping points along the way.

If you think this sounds difficult, IT IS. In fact, last year only 5 out of 72 teams could complete the course, which was much shorter than what they will have to navigate this year.   

A practice run over the pedestrian bridge between Tsukuba Center and the Expo Center

If you`ve been around Tsukuba Center over the past few months, more specifically on the pedestrian road between Nova Hall and the Expo Center, you have almost surely seen the curious sight of some of the teams practicing the course with their robots. It is a strange sight indeed to see groups of two or three green-capped, name-tag wearing OTAKU (computer nerd) types clustered around the odd looking, diminutive, wheeled vehicles ( often made using wheel chairs, of all things!), making their way along the path at what could only be called a SNAILS PACE.

The Tsukuba University team ironing out some technical problems during a practice run

Starting tomorrow( Thursday November 18) at 10 AM at the Tsukuba Expo center will be a trial run  which will be held over a 240 meter coure. Those who successfully complete it, will be able to take part in the FINALS on the following day, also starting at 10AM.

Passing by the Tsukuba Library on a practice run

Since Tsukuba is Japan`s SCIENCE CITY, and is now perhaps the capital of cutting edge robot technology, this event seems to me just perfect. Much more appropriate for the city than the Tsukuba Matsuri ( in which the main theme is a group of floats which are taken from a very famous festival in Aomori prefecture-after they have finished using them there), or even the Tsukuba Marathon, since there are many marathons held all over Japan ( a dime a dozen!).

So come on out tomorrow and the next day for a unique, TRULY TSUKUBAN event.  Join the nerds cheering the robots on! At the rate they go it will take quite a long time. They will need plenty of encouragement to make it to the finish line!

In fact, however, the finishing time will be 4PM tomorrow and 1:30PM, the next day.

See you there!

One of the many robots entered in the race which make use of a wheel-chair

The starting point- at the Expo Center

Clean-up crews work feverishly to clear the road of a load of pig manure which had fallen off the back of a truck ( Tsukuba August 23rd 2011)

Just another day in the SCIENCE CITY-

I had reached the big intersection on foot, and since the light for pedestrians was red I came to a stop-  right where two of Tsukuba`s most important thoroughfares , Higashi O-dori and The Tsuchiura- Gakuen Line meet. A young women was standing next to me as I waited for the light to turn. Suddenly, I sensed a strong, foul ( yet familiar) odor in the air. I quickly looked around for any trucks carrying pigs or their manure ( a popular fertilizer in these parts) which might be idling ( or on the move ) nearby.

Disappointed not to find the offending vehicle, I noticed that the girl next to me was  wiggling her nostrils in discomfort. She also shot me a glare. I became self conscious,  and was worried that she would think that it was ME who was fouling up the air.

And foul it was! Instead of the passing wiff of PIG which one often fleetingly catches along Tsukuba`s roads, this smell did not dissipate into the air. In fact, it grew to be almost suffocating in the few seconds ( though it seemed like ages!) that had passed.

When the light finally did change, the girl rushed off to cross ( probably trying to get away from me!), while I took my time getting to the other side, carefully looking around to find the cause of the mal-odorous situation.

Eureka! Looking over to the north-western corner of the intersection ( nearest to the Shinonome Grand Hotel) I spotted the source of the trouble ( which had been blocked from view by the azalea bushes growing in the dividers)- a big load of PIG MANURE had dropped onto the road!

Police had already arrived on the scene, and had cordoned off one of the lanes. A clean-up crew with a VACCUUM CAR ( the tank lorries which come to clean out cesspools) was busy trying to vaccuum up the steaming black pile. 

None of those on the scene were wearing any masks, and I kind of  felt sorry for everyone involved .

And no, I didnt stick around to ask anybody for the details of the accident!

Anyway, if you too detected SOMETHING IN THE AIR- now you know what it was!

For more on pig manure in Tsukuba read my older post:

http://blog.alientimes.org/2010/05/another-less-pleasant-fertilizer-gives-new-meaning-to-the-expression-kunpu-%e8%96%ab%e9%a2%a8-fragrant-spring-breezes-in-my-neighborhood/

1 Comments

• At August 28, 2011, Perth Asbestos Removal wrote:

  My dad got a truck load of pig manure for our palm trees. You could literally smell it around the entire suburb, then the neighbours dog rolled in it, lovely.

'Donata desu ka? (who is it?)', she asked with genuine curiosity. 'Yamomoto desu (Its Yamamoto),' said the male voice that  answered.

But since Mrs. T was closely acquainted with more than a few people with the family name Yamamoto, one of the most common in Japan, she still could not figure out who it was.

'Doko no Yamamoto ( Which Yamamoto) ? ', she asked with some irritation.

'Katsushika no Yamamoto ( the Yamamoto from Katsushika, a part of Tokyo`s Shita Machi district)`, he answered.

And she realized immediately who it was. One of her husbands regular golf partners.

Though a bit relieved, the situation was still puzzling- she was unaware of any golf appointement her husband had for that day, and anyway, even if he did what was Mr. Yamamoto doing there so early?

Half asleep and freezing, she let all her doubts pass, by passing off the situation to her husband. She called up to him-' ANATA ( honey) ! Its Yamamoto-San! '

Grumbling, maybe even cursing under his breath, Mr. T went downstairs and opened the front door.

Nobody there. He stepped outside into the cold and dark. Nobody out front either. And no cars parked out on the street.  Strange.

He went back inside for his cell phone and gave ol` Yamamoto a call. No answer.

Bizarre. But not  enough o as to keep him from heading back into bed and getting back to finsh that good Sunday sleep.

Later in the afternoon, the couple remembered what had happened a few hours earlier in the day ( though it did seem like that had been ages ago), and they decided to give Mr. Yamamoto of Katsushika another call.

This time they got through. Not to Mr. Yamamoto, but to his wife. What they heard from her sent a chill down their spine-

You guessed it. Yamamoto-San, Mr. T`s long time golf partner, had passed away in the wee hours of Sunday morning.

Just another typica,( true)l ghost story that one is likely to hear at any time of year in Tsukuba (or anywhere else in Japan, for that matter).

I heard this one a few months back from Mrs. T herself. Though one other woman at our little lunch gathering gasped in surprise at the story, another woman, Mrs. Sato, was nonchalant and said-"oh yeah. A similar thing happened to me."

I have been saving this little story for Halloween. But as I have already mentioned, it is not the only one of its sort that has come to my ears. In fact living in Japan, I hear true stories of the supernatural on a regular basis.

Im saving some of the other CHILLING stories for future Halloweens! Make sure to check for them!

                                                                                          Musings on Halloween in Japan

I find the growing popularity in Japan of American style Halloween with all its accompanying paraphanalia extremely IRONIC. If people thought about this festival more deeply, I am sure that more than a few Japanese would find it offensive.

This is because  Halloween as it is now celebrated in the U.S. can be seen as a kind of PARODY of a system beliefs which are in fact  central components of Japanese culture-specifically its seems to be making fun of  Japanese ancestor worship, and the important O-Bon festival in particular.

 The Japanese have traditionally  believed that during the O-Bon period ( which is usually held in mid-August), the spirits of ancestors return to their  native homes( guided by lanterns lit in front of each home). The living then proceed to entertain these spirits for a few days- with what are similar to tricks and treats- food and entertainment.

Halloween is an obvious spoof of these customs.Scary yet funny lanterns are carved out of pumpkins to attract the ghosts (little kids dressed in scary costumes) The ghosts are then given food. Once they have gotten their treats, the ghosts go away!

Though the distant roots of America`s Halloween customs remain obscure, it seems clear that they are a continuation, in mock form, of ancient beliefs in spirits which come back to visit this world who need to be fed. Naturally, the church did their best to suppress such beliefs and customs. Their great popularity, however, made them difficult to wipe out and as the centuries have gone by they still survive, in VERY distorted form.

In Japan, however, even today many DO believe that their ancestral spirits come home for some nourishment, company and consolation- and thats not something we should make fun of, is it ?

Halloween decorations at a city run community center in Hojo, Tsukuba

Happy Halloween

An original Halloween creation by Junko Takasaki of Tsukuba- a Jack O` Lantern shaped bread filled with kabocha pumpkin and adzuki beans!

And for those of you who would like some creepy music for the occassion- I once wrote a song ( along with Ascelin Gordon and Tom Debor) called KANASHIBARI. It has been recorded by both Xenophonia and The TenGooz.Listen here:

http://www.jamendo.com/en/track/17116

and

http://www.jamendo.com/en/track/5701

Enjoy!

1 Comments

• At November 2, 2010, Keiko wrote:

  I have never met a ghost myself but I have also heard many such stories from friends and relatives.

  I did experience kanashibari many time before. I like your song about it. It is very interesting. Thank you

Math Lesson: A new way to multiply

Stone monuments glorifying post-Meiji Restoration (1868) Japan’s war dead were a central feature of Japanese living spaces, having been prominently displayed for maximum exposure, whether in the Capital or in the smallest hamlets. This was a part of the government’s desire to instill in the People a sense of religious reverence for those who died fighting for the emperor.

After WWII, however, the Occupation Authorities, in an effort to swing Japan into a new non-militaristic direction (except of course, if it meant fighting communists!), had these monuments destroyed or moved out of plain sight (for the less provocative memorial slabs). 

While exploring the backroads of Tsukuba, you will find that each BURAKU or traditional village has its own cenotaphs, large stone slabs with the names of local war dead engraved on them, hidden away in the shadows. Sometimes they are out in the open, but then, they are usually well off the beaten track.

I have recently written about General Maresuke Nogi, who led the Japanese army to victory in the Russo-Japanese War of 1905. This great triumph came at a heavy price: up to 80,000 Japanese dead (not to mention tens of thousands of Russian casualties). The General, who lost his only 2 sons in the war, was ordered not to kill himself in repentance, as he wanted to, since he had been carrying out the will of the emperor.

One way that Nogi tried to atone for the immense loss of life he had helped bring about was the erecting of monuments across the country (and abroad as well) at which the spirits of those fallen could be consoled.

Near the Sakura City Office, in Higashi-Oka, is a shrine-like structure which is a Fudo Worship Hall. About 20 meters south of this building, hidden from view by the shadows cast by surrounding trees, there is another, much smaller, shrine-like structure, which is usually locked. I had often tried to peek through the cracks, but it was always too dark to make out what was being sheltered inside.

One day, as I walked past, I saw the door to the structure open. An elderly woman was sweeping nearby. It turned out that she was the mother-in-law of my acquaintance Mrs Okamino (who was in charge of the Fudo-Ko Ceremony I have written about). 

I finally found out what was inside. A small shrine housing the spirit of Lt. Colonel Okamino, the old woman’s grandfather! He was among the dead of 1905. She then pointed out, further into the shadows, a large stone monument to the local men who fell in the Russo-Japanese War.

1 Comments

• At November 6, 2010, Mamoru Shimizu wrote:

  I worship them who fought for their mother country. I think "For the emperor!!" was somehow their half-conscious shout. UK "For the King or Qeen!!",Russia"For the zar!!,USA" For the Union or Confederate"?

When I spotted the small vermillion torii (gate) up ahead by the side of the mountain road,  I tried to catch a glimpse of the shrine or sacred stone behind it as the car I was in rolled by. Curiously, there seemed to be nothing.  I was more surprised when we soon drove by another little torii which seemed to lead to nowhere as well. We then passed another.

Toriis are the symbol of Japan’s native religion, now referred to as Shinto. They are the easily recognizable entranceways to shrines, gates which are always open, leading into or demarcating the presence of sacred space. Sometimes small torii are placed in front of objects considered sacred: an ancient tree, a mysterious mountain, an unusual stone.

What were these toriis doing by the roadside if they did not indicate the presence of a shrine or sacred object? This question led us to stopping the car and getting out for a closer look. Writing on the back of the unusually thin gate told us that what we had found were GOMI YOKE TORII, or garbage preventing torii, set up by the owner of the roadside forest to discourage littering! These most familiar signs of the sacred, along with  Jizo statues(popular Buddhist images), are becoming more and more frequently used to discourage littering and public urination.

Though most Japanese you talk to will probably deny that they are religious, in actuallity most seem to still have respect for (or more likely fear of !)  the Gods and Buddhas. When rolling down the car window to chuck out an empy can or wrapper , the sight of a torii or jizo would almost surely make the typical Japanese hold on to their trash. Few would want to risk the wrath of retribution (in Japanese, BACHI GA ATARU) and for most Japanese it is just plain common sense not to pollute  a shrine or a temple. On the internet I have found several discussions of why toriis and Jizo are used  (effectively) in this way. The usual responses are: “Are you a Japanese? If you are Japanese you surely understand why people wouldn’t litter around a torii!”

It is also possible to buy stencil sheets for painting small torii gates on walls or the sides of buildings. These are usually effective in keeping these structures urine free.

Check out this ad for GOMI YOKE TORII.

I have made lots of calls to determine who exactly pays for and sets up these litter-stoppers. I have found out that it is case by case. Private landowners, local and prefectural governments and NPOs are all ordering them. In Tsukuba, The Gomi No Kai (garbage society)  pays for and sets up Jizos with the aim of preventing littering (if you check, the sponsor’s name is usually indicated  on the back).  At one location where the Gomi No Kai had set up a jizo I found that though the area near the Jizo was certainly clean, the situation was very different JUST ACROSS THE STREET. It seems that we need a few MORE toriis and Jizos!

1 Comments

• At August 9, 2010, Alice wrote:

  I see a cheaper way of prevention in my neighbourhood twice. Three years ago, someone wrote in Japanese "Please do not urinate here" on a piece of paper and hung it on a hanger hooked onto a branch. Recently, at the same area, the same sign is posted but this time on a lamp-post. Salesmen's cars and taxi drivers often rest at that area. Hm... I wonder who the culprit/culprits are and I could guess who put it up. Probably the lady who are feed stray cats near there.

Anyway, the idea of writing about Alastair today came from a post that I saw on his blog that had me laughing out loud.

I hope you will forgive this off-topic post (well, it is at least tangentially related to Tsukuba...), but I couldn't stop giggling, so I thought it would be a nice treat for our readers on a Sunday afternoon.

What could this possibly mean?

4 Comments

• At January 12, 2009, Anja wrote:

  In Dutch, 'bar fout' in two words, would mean 'awfully wrong'...

• At January 12, 2009, Shaney wrote:

  Maybe they knew the Dutch meaning and were trying to be ironic?

• At January 13, 2009, Avi wrote:

  I just got off the phone with the editor of BARFOUT, after having inquired about the origin of the magazines eye-catching name. They say that they didnt know anything about the expression`s Dutch meaning.Apparently they selected the current moniker from several candidates which the intention of expressing the simplified English meaning of barf out, that is they wanted to mean TO SPEW FORTH, as in an outpouring of artistic expression.

  Shaney is correct in that if they had asked a native speaker, he/she would have said that this expression implies DISGUSTING or TO BE DISGUSTED. The founders of the magazine do not seem to know this , however (and I didnt say anything. It wouldnt make any difference now).

• At January 17, 2009, Shaney wrote:

  Wow! That is really surprising that they picked that name with the English meaning in mind! I thought for sure it must be a word from another language that just happened to look like those two English words. Thanks for checking up on this, Avi.