Many older women I have spoken to in Tsukuba can remember painstakingly removing the seeds from the delicate pods as children to make toy noise makers which were blown into — something kids today probably don’t have the patience or desire to do!

The beautiful hozuki plants, the excitement in the air, and the cool tingling of countless wind-chimes makes for a perfect summer excursion — and you can get yourself PLENTY of merit to boot!

Alas, tomorrow is a weekday. But for those who can’t make it to Asakusa’s Sensoji, a final look can be had at the beautiful hozuki arrangement in the lobby of the Okura Hotel at Tsukuba Center. The lobby flowers are changed every Thursday at the Okura, so you had better get there early. I’ve been going EVERY DAY!

In contrast to the always tasteful floral inventions which can be encountered at the hotel, the managers of the Tsukuba Center Complex have put up a tacky display of poster-sized photos, cheaply framed, of VIPs who have visited the center over the past 20 years. You might imagine that these would be shots of great scientists or scholars, as many have been through Tsukuba over the years. The organizers of this particular display, however, have selected only pictures of royalty: the Showa Emperor, the current Emperor and his wife as Crown Prince and Princess, the Kings of Belgium and Sweden, the Princess of Thailand, Margaret Thatcher, etc.

Seems a bit out of touch with what Tsukuba is supposed to be about, but these unartfully hung posters can’t help help but make one stop a moment, have a look at each one and wonder where all the time goes.

This day in mid-August has come to be accepted as the day of remembrance for those who perished in that war, which actually began with Japan’s incursion into Manchuria in 1931 and its brutal ten-year struggle to gain the upper-hand in China before fatefully deciding to attack the United States. August 15 has also become a day of controversy, especially because of visits to Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine (靖国神社, Yasukuni Jinja).

Yasukuni Shrine is where the souls of all soldiers who have died fighting for the Imperial Cause (since the struggle for the Meiji Restoration began in 1853) are enshrined as Kami (Gods). Japanese soldiers were indoctrinated to believe that if they died in battle they would live on forever at Yasukuni. Many of the last letters of soldiers and especially Kamikaze pilots to their parents end with a “Lets meet at Yasukuni!”

You might ask what the problem would be for people to visit such a shrine, as most countries have similar ceremonies commemorating their war dead. Well, the problem (especially for Japan’s Asian neighbors) is that among the millions enshrined are numerous convicted war criminals. Thus visits to the shrine by Japanese politicians arouse great anger in China and Korea (and among many Japanese). This foreign criticism then arouses the anger of Japan’s Right-Wingers (u-yoku, 右翼), who feel that Japan has bowed to hypocritical foreign pressure and has had to conceal its true self. This cycle of accusations has made Yasukuni Shrine the center point of the struggle over how the history of WWII should be perceived. It has subsequently become a symbol and rallying point for Japan’s numerous and very vocal right-wing groups.

These days there is little talk of The War in Japan, and in fact most foreign residents are surprised and disappointed to find that there is almost no political discussion of ANY SORT in this country. Topics which lead to an expression of one’s true feelings or opinions (except for which foods you like or dislike) or any controversial subjects are usually avoided. For that reason many foreigners living in Japan LONG FOR the excitement of a good debate, and of hearing some heartfelt political opinions, even those that might be SERIOUSLY DISAGREED WITH.

Spending an August 15th at Yasukuni Shrine (as I usually do) provides a sufficient dose of opinions and political stimulation to last for a long, long while. Also, for those interested in Ibaraki, there is also strong relevance, as the xenophobic Emperor worship which had Japan in its grip for decades, and now lives on in numerous fringe groups, was originally promoted by the Mito Clan (Mito is now Ibaraki’s capital) whose sponsorship of Mito Studies (Mito-Gaku,水戸学) provided the intellectual framework which eventually led to the Meiji Restoration and a whole slew of extreme slogans (the most famous being SONNO JO-I (尊王攘夷, Revere the Emperor, Expel the Barbarians!)).

Let me tell you what my day was like.

I took TX to Kita-Senju, changed to the Hibiya Line and then changed again at Kayabacho to the Tozai Line and got out at Kudanshita, which is the nearest station to the shrine. Heading to exit no. 1, I first came face to face with the reality of the day and the occasion. A group of young riot police (kidotai) in full battle-gear. I headed up the escalator and onto street level which was very hot, both temperature-wise and emotionally. The street up Kudanzaka, towards the shrine was crowded and excited. There were many activists who had set up booths on the side walk. They were handing out leaflets and asking for signatures for various petitions. It was like being at the Student Union Building of an American or European university, except for where at those institutions students tend to push liberal or left-wing causes, these activists were all decidedly leaning to the right or far right.

Mostly, this was not expressed in a personal way, and I, a foreigner, was given pamphlets (even one demanding that political rights not be granted to foreign residents in Japan!), asked for my signature (which I politely refused) and was patiently and passionately told about each particular cause (after I showed interest). One Watanabe-san provided me with painstaking details about what he was gathering signatures for. He told me how, at the end of the Battle of Okinawa, hundreds of villagers on a small island had committed suicide. After the war, survivors claimed that they were ordered to do so by the Japanese military commanders on the island, and they demanded compensation. The court ruled in favor of the islanders. Mr. Watanabe, 63 years later, was standing in the hellish heat all day long trying to get signatures to CLEAR THE NAMES OF THE OFFICERS IN CHARGE! Other groups were calling for the independence from China of various regions including Taiwan and Tibet.

Of course the police presence was enormous and you could not help but feel sorry for the young guys who were all padded and helmeted in the heat. The road which goes up the slope parallel to the shrine was lined with the loud-speaker trucks (gaisensha) of the various right-wing groups who had gathered for the occasion. As I entered the main worshipper’s path to the shrine I also started to see the Yasukuni COS-PLAY people, those who don Imperial Army costumes and paraphernalia. They sit in the shade on the side of the path, sometimes singing old war songs (gunka) to the accompaniment of a harmonica. Also, uniformed u-yoku sit in groups drinking, singing, posing and posturing, before or after having prayed before the shrine.

It is important to remember, however, that among all the tens of thousands who came to the shrine on that day, 99% were typical looking Japanese people, of all ages, who came to quietly, and as quickly as possible, pay their respects to the fallen dead. There are many elderly people who probably lost dear ones in the war. These people even come in groups, by the busload. The extremists and other fringe-elements who end up being featured in the media are a tiny but VERY NOTICEABLE minority.

As I passed through the main gate of the shrine, the line to reach the Main Hall began and those who came to worship had to stand in line for a LONG TIME, fully exposed to the sun. Nobody was complaining, but I couldn’t help but wonder why they couldn’t put up some sort of canopy for some shade.

Though tourists and journalists like to photograph the costumed, posturing right-wing cranks who line-up in front of the shrine (with the general public), the real powerful and shadowy u-yoku groups, in their very expensive suits and haircuts (or shaved heads) can be seen through the wooden grill to the right of the main hall. Within the confines of the shrine itself they are given food and are taken into the inner sanctuaries for purification and blessing before they join in singing KIMIGAYO, Japan’s national anthem. These characters seemed much more ominous to me than the riff-raff u-yoku hanging out in the front.

This inner-hall ceremony is open to anyone, including foreigners, who want to pay the fee. The most celebrated visitor this year was Tokyo’s outspoken governor Shintaro Ishihara who was greeted with cheers and flag waving. I asked bystanders by if Prime Minister Fukuda would be coming to the shrine and they disgustedly told me that he wouldn’t be coming.

As usual, I stopped to look at the monuments to the various animals who died in Japan’s various war efforts. The dog, the horse, and the pigeon. There were offerings for the animals — dog food, carrots, water, rice balls — but much fewer than previous years.

Also drawing the attention of many Japanese visitors was the monument to Radhabinod Pal, the only dissenting judge at the Tokyo War Crimes Trial.

At 2:30, about a kilometer from the shrine’s Main Hall, a demonstration by groups who oppose the Emperor system and militarism was scheduled to be held. The right-wingers who just earlier had been hanging out in the shade, were now ready to rumble. When the police blocked off the road so that their loud-speaker trucks could not pass, pandemonium broke loose. I had imagined that nearby the shrine the u-yoku would not use the blaring speakers and especially not use foul language while so many worshippers were nearby. But logical thinking is a not a strong-point of these guys. All the loudspeakers went at it at once. I HAVE NEVER HEARD SUCH A DIN (it was like 50 rock concerts at once!). Though I have always felt there was some cooperation between the police and u-yoku, I was surprised by the barrage of insults hurled at the police and riot squad, for all of Tokyo to hear. I was even more surprised to hear how many bystanders, mostly suit-wearing salary-men shouted support to the right-wingers.

As I walked over toward the demonstration there were many more Caucasian foreigners who had come to gawk and take pictures. The right-wing groups were blocked off by phalanxes of riot police, but that did not stop them from using their loudspeakers. Any overexcited u-yoku who wanted to show his dedication to the Emperor by beating up an anti-war activist was held back or tackled by the police.

The real trouble happened after the demonstration, as the left-wingers (sa-yoku) started to leave. As they got further away from the allotted demonstration site, there was less protection and some thugs were waiting to beat them up. Interestingly, none of the elderly or female protesters were attacked. The u-yoku would pick out the able-bodied men and proceed to gang up on them.

The leftists were no softies, and actually held their ground. The police of course intervened, and finally showed their bias shouting at the protesters to just go the hell home.

After spending so many hours in the heat without sitting down, I was physically exhausted and the real battling I had seen had me shaken. On the train back home I certainly had a lot to think about and had some thoughts about what I had experienced. This entry is getting much longer than I planned it to be however, so I will leave them for another time. What do you think? Please let me know.

5 Comments

• At August 17, 2008, Dan Waldhoff wrote:

  Aloha Avi,

  As a Judge in the Tokyo War Crimes Trial (the movie version) I know that the winner writes the rules and history.

  As a coward (in real life) I avoid any situation in which I might take the stray bullet (in the USA) or punch (in Japan) when things get out of control - and Yasukuni seems to be building to that kind of situation. It is certainly becoming a most highly charged place on August 15.

  I observe that much of Japan's foreign and domestic policy seems to be formulated in Washington and can appreciate that many Japanese might disapprove of external pressures. I think that the Class A War Criminals at Yasukuni, regardless of what they did and how bad they might have been, are and will remain dead and thus not likely to trouble anyone again except when August 15 rolls around next year.

  Thanks for your interesting report!

  Dan

• At August 18, 2008, Shaney wrote:

  Great article, Avi. I was interested to hear about the animals that are enshrined there.

• At August 19, 2008, Avi wrote:

  Dan, You always come to mind when I think about the Tokyo Tribunals! The DVD version of PRIDE seemed to be selling well at The Yasukuni Shrine gift shop. I hope you are getting royalties.

  It would be intertesting if you could write about your experience of being involved in the making of that film.I remember you telling me how Scott Wilson(who played prosecutor Joseph Keenan) was not very much fun to work with.

  What was director Shunya Itoh like?

  One thing that I realized years after seeing the film was that

  star Masahiko Tsugawa,must be an old friend of outspoken Right Wing Tokyo Governor Ishihara.His film debut in 1956 was in the classic KURUTTA KAJITSU(CRAZED FRUIT) starring beside Ishihara`s late great brother Yujiro. The then youthful governor makes a cameo appearance, AND he wrote the script.

  You should watch this film ,which even back then has Ishihara warning about the evils of westernization. After you see it, watch A Place In the Sun, with Elizabeth Taylor. You`ll be in for a surprise. Anyway Tsuguwa and Ishihara go way back.

  Its always puzzling that Japanese Right-Wingers are so eager to have Hideki Tojo`s reputation rehabilitated. He was a rich and powerful man whose incompetence, poor judgement, and especially ambition and PRIDE led to the deaths of millions(of common Japanese) and the destruction of the country. More importantly from the standpoint of the Emperor-Revering Rightists should be that

  he greatly ENDANGERED the life of the Emperor through his policies. If it were not for MacArthurs obssessive Anti-Communism and desire to use Japan to help stop expansion of the USSR, the Emperor would surely have been tried as well.

  Also, as a proper Japanese warrior, he should have taken his own life, thus avoiding trial and atoning for his failure. He even failed at that.

  I think that if the Revisionists want to make a stronger point, instead of making Tojo into a victim ,a film should be made about the Americans who would have been tried as war criminals if Japan had won the war. Leading the list in my opinion is Curtis Lemay, who pushed through the policy of aerial bombing which was devised with THE INTENTION TO KILL AS MANY CIVILIANS AS POSSIBLE. He did a fine job of that.

  Ironically he was decorated by the Showa Emperor for his services.

  Im waiting for your ON THE SET notes, Dan.

  Aloha

• At August 19, 2008, Avi wrote:

  Yes, Shaney, it is interesting and also VERY MOVING for me. Especially how people bring offerings of food and water.I was surprised that none of the major English language guide books to Tokyo mention the animal monuments in their entries on Yasukuni. I think it is worthy of note even amidst all the controversy of the shrine.

  Have you ever noticed the memorials for sacrificed experimental animals in Tsukuba? They are also well attended to and regularly given offerings.

  Check out Elmer Veldkamps`s recent presentation at a workshop at Yale. Its entitled- Animal Monuments and Memorials

  in pre-war Japan and post war developments. It might be interesting for you.

  I think that it would be interesting for him to come to Tsukuba and see how the spirits ofs animal are appealed or consoled to in local folk customs.

• At August 20, 2008, Anna H wrote:

  Hi Avi-san,

  Your articles are always full of interesting stuff.

  A lot of it new even to an oldtimer like myself.

  I heard about memorials for animals used in experiments

  but I never attened one.

  In my house now we have a nest of swallows. the mom & dad is feeding their young ones and they are not at all afraid of us anymore and we get to have a glimpse of the tiny tiny

  birds. My father in law absolutely belives that having their nest at our house will bring us luck and politely but sternly ignores the neighbours complaint about the birds being unsanitary.....anyway, just wanted to say that I really enjoy your articles.

  Anna Hamakoji

Annual Azabu Juban Open Air Ceramic Exhibition
Dates: March 18 (Wed) to 24 (Tue), weather permitting.
Time: 10:00am to 6:00pm
Venue: Patio Juban

“We would like to introduce to you the City of Kasama. It is one of the historical ceramics towns nearest from Tokyo, about 130km north. There are over 300 active artists from all over Japan and the world. With many annual events and sakes to satisfy ceramics enthusiasts, we are looking forward to your visit.”

The events to promote Kasama and Inada granite stone are also held in Yurakucho and two locations in Ginza.

Inada Stone Exhibitions
at Galerie nichido (Ginza 5chome)
March 19 (Thur) to 21 (Sat)
http://www.nichido-garo.co.jp/exhibition/2009/03/post_85.html

at Sukiyabashi Park (Ginza 4chome)
March 20(Fri)

and at Furusato Joho Plaza (Yurakucho 1chome)
March 16(Mon) to 19(Thur)
Kasama products fair also held at the same time.

Entering the precincts of the Yasukuni Shrine on August 15 2010 at 1PM

For important background material on this article, read my earlier Tsukublog post on visiting Yasukuni Jinja:

http://blog.alientimes.org/2008/08/a-day-at-yasukuni-shrine/

August 15th, 1945  has been called Japan`s Longest Day.  It was on that very date that the Emperor Hirohito (now known as The Showa Emperor) told his subjects, in a voice heard for the first time ever over the radio, that they would have to ACCEPT THE UNACCEPTABLE and surrender unconditionally to the allied forces. This announcement, coming after years of hardship and determined struggle, was met with tears, stunned confusion, and surely, by many millions of Japanese, with a great  sense of relief.

Outside the shrine, barriers ( more effective than the traffic cones and plastic poles used in previous years) were set up early

Over the years since the years since the war, August 15th has also come to be what is most certainly the LONGEST DAY OF THE YEAR for Tokyo`s police department- especially its riot squad. This is because in recent years it has been their duty, on that day, to protect the procession of anti-emperor system-, and other left-wing-cause activists who ( bravely?  INSANELY???) march towards the entrance of the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, which on the SHU-SEN KINENBI (終戦記念日- the End of the War Day ), has become a mecca for the Japanese extreme right and ultra-nationalists ( besides being the place where hundreds of thousands of average citizens quietly and reverently pay their respects to those soldiers who have died in Japan`s wars).

A better look at this year`s barriers- Much more effective than the usual traffic cones and plastic poles!

Together with the thousands of run-of-the-mill nationalists , who gather, flags in hand, to protect the honor of the shrine (in their mind) by uniting to form a wall, and shouting the left-wing demonstration down, there are numerous bands of fringe paramilitary groups and gangters (yakuza), whose khaki-clad members wait in ambush and try to lunge into the procession and take as many swings at the demonstrators as they can get in ( though as I have written before they usually target able-bodied young men and not the elderly or women who are marching).

The Anti-Yasukuni demonstration procession surrounded by a phalanx of riot police. The demonstrators were not happy about being totally obscured from view

Protecting the small band of demonstrators from violence as they march the few blocks towards and then away from the entrance of the shrine, is NO EASY TASK- especially considering that it requires wearing FULL RIOT GEAR during the hottest season of the year ( and it really IS extremely hot and humid!!), and involves plenty of running and often physical grappling.

This year the police surrounded most of the right-wing extremists` vehicles early in the day and effectively kept them out of action

To make matters even worse for the police, they have to endure a continual stream of verbal abuse from the nationalists ( and occassionally from the demonstrators they are protecting! ), who while the anti-Emperor-anti-Yasukuni procession is not within hearing distance ( which is most of the time) vent their passions on the police ( taunting them, quite illogically, for wasting the tax-payers money by protecting  so-called traitors. But what are the police supposed to do, let the demonstrators get attacked? It is in fact Governor Ishihara, the Favorite of the right-wing, who should be blamed for allowing the demonstrations. The police are in fact just doing their job!).

All nationalist groups who wanted to join the counter-demontration had to approach their designated spaces in extremely organized fashion. They too were accompanied by a high ratio of riot police once they reached the main road

This  constant and outrageous taunting of the police is not only accomplished  through  the unaided voice.  The leaders of the extremist groups, who sit in their specially decorated ( and air-conditioned!) buses, trucks and jeeps, blare their invectives through huge loudspeakers. When all of these get going at once, as they have in past years, the noise level is louder than several rock concerts combined!

After the procession passed all streets were sealed off so that nationalists could not moved on for an attack after the demonstration had finished

What had always outraged my sense of logic about all the noise these trucks would make, is that although these activists claimed that they were defending the honor of Yasukuni Shrine and The Emperor,  more than anyone, they were disturbing the worshipers, many of whom lost relatives in the war, as they had come to pay their respects the shrine. It is even possible that the Emperor and his family have been disturbed by the racket they make!

The point where the demonstrators are nearest to the shrine. This year the riot squads buses formed a wall between the demonstrators and the nationalists. It also effectively prevented the demonstrators from ever being in view of the shrine

Still, despite  the heat, tension and danger, all the officers have to constantly be on their best behaviour, as there are plenty of video and still cameras as well as eye-witnesses and anything even resembling police brutality or other form of mal-practice would be something which the right-wing groups would have to hold over them ( the mainstream media would NOT get involved, however, as they amazingly do not report what happens at these impassioned and violent demonstrations right in the heart of Tokyo!).

Ultra-rightists in uniform hurl insults at the demonstrators whose banner reads: We Dont Need Yasukuni !

And though I had always been impressed by the way the police had been able to handle everything that went on in the area in front of the Yasukuni Shrine on August 15th ( surprising for many foreigners is there are never any problems WITHIN the precincts of the shrine, though there are dozens of conspicuous plain-clothes officers from special branches of the police who can be seen photographing and taking notes on the members of right-wing groups and organized crime), there have always remained major blemishes on the why past demonstrations have turned out.

Activists handing out literature and gathering signatures between the station and the shrine ( Aug. 15th 2010). This year the group that had intimidated me was not allowed to be present

First, there were the special interest groups standing between the subway station and the shrine that occassionally would intimidate people ( especially foreigners) by encircling them and shouting slogans very loudly.

The Anti-Yasukuni demonstrators completely surrounded and in fact concealed by the riot police

Well, the group that did that to ME last year, was not allowed back! Plain-clothes police who had been closely monitoring that area and who skillfully extracted me unharmed ( physically) from the clutches of the mob had obviously made notes on what this group had been doing, and they were not allowed back. This year, all these activists groups gathered signatures for their petitions and gave out their leaflets in peace.

( for the complete story of my experience last year read:

http://blog.alientimes.org/2009/08/striking-up-a-debate-with-the-right-wing-activists-outside-the-yasukuni-shrine-on-august-15th-might-not-be-a-very-good-idea-after-all/

Another problem from previous year was the large vehicles with the powerful loudspeakers mounted on them which used to rush around the neighborhood trying to find points of access to approach the  anti-Yasukuni demonstrators. This year, the police got to these early, surrounding them for hours, until everything was all finished, never letting them move.

In addition, by some means, either a new law or just by pleading the common sense argument (which I myself had used with the right-wingers) that the noise and bad language blared from the loudspeakers were themselves an insult to the shrine, the police were able to keep most of these vehicles from making too much noise.

In past years, one of the biggest reasons for injuries to the demonstrators was that after the procession had passed its nearest point to the shrine, and excitement was highest, everyone would race through the narrow alleys and tried to pursue the leftists. Things got especially dangerous as the procession came to an end an the police would just say- OK, now go home fast! Suddenly, the demonstrators ( clearly identifiable by their wear) would be completely unprotected and the inflamed ( I would even say RABID) nationalist would ambush them.

This year, what the police did, was march all the officially registered nationalist groups into fenced off areas from which they could shout and wave flags. When the leftists passed, the nationalist were not permitted to moved. As you can imagine this resulted in a lot of abuse hurled on the police, and in fact, I and another foreigner with a camera, suddenly became the altenate target of everyones frustrations. Thankfully, the police let us ( and us alone) through.

A right-wing extremist tries to make an attack on the anti-Yasukuni procession (2010)

What this meant is that during yesterday`s procession only a few attempts could be made on the procession by paramilitary thugs or yakuza ( and the occassional enraged salaryman). These attacks were all EASILLY contained.

Something else the police did this year that was interesting was that at the point where the procession came closest to the shrine, riot buses were actually lined up as a protective wall shielding the shrine from the view of the demonstrators ( who Im sure were not very happy about that, since they were complaining that the police had been surrounding them so completely during the whole procession that they could hardly be seen by anyone). This not only kept things a little cooler by keeping both extreme groups out of each others sight at what is usually the most climctic poit of the day, but also soothed the feelings of the nationalists by blocking the shrine from the eyes of the demonstrators.

When the day was over, I was relieved at how little violence there had been compared with years past, and by how the police were able to make positive adjustments. 

Completely drained and exhausted, I started back to Tsukuba.

For everyone who was there , especially the police, August 15th proved once again to be Japan`s LONGEST DAY!

Here is a tour of Yasukuni Shrine on August 15th 2010 through my cell phone pictures:

The gigantic steel torii, at the entrance to the shrines precincts. The original steel gate was melted down during the war to make armaments. About 200,000 people passed under it on the 15th of August 2010

Few people stop to appreciate this statue of Omura Masajiro ( 1824-1862)- the father of the modern Japan army, and first Minister of War. It was the first bronze statue ever put on display in Japan (1888). Omura left his home in Choshu to study Dutch Studies which enabled him to gain an understanding of European military tactics

By the chozuya ( the water basin for purifying hands and mouth) some older gentlemen do a little cos-play ( these same guys come back every year in the same costumes)

Across the path near the snack bars there are always harmonica players to accompany anyone who would like to sing some old patriotic songs

The last gate before the worship hall ( haiden) is the beautiful Divine Gate of Twelve Pillars

Passing through the Divine Gate

The White Dove House- the birds are the messengers communicating between this world and the spirits of those enshrined. To find it, turn right at the Divine Gate

Finally, at the Worship Hall ( haiden)

Go to the right and there are statues dedicated to the three animals which helped out the military in various war: dogs. horses and pigeons. Offering are left for their spirits

A commemorative group photo being taken of what is probably a Yakuza FAMILY. Conspicuous plain-clothes agents were closely watching them, photographing each individual (as they walked into the shrines grounds), videoing them throught their stay and took extensive notes. When I asked a scary looking member of this group who they were, he looked at me, or should i say LOOKED THROUGH ME, and then just turned away without acknowledging my existence.

3 Comments

• At August 17, 2010, Tornadoes28 wrote:

  Do foreigners generally avoid this area during this time of year to avoid confrontations or is it still relatively safe?

  I can see the right wingers growing in numbers in the future now due to China's growing power and passing Japan economically. They may feel bitter about China becoming more powerful than Japan.

• At August 17, 2010, Avi Landau wrote:

  Hello there, Tornadoes28 !

  To tell the truth, there are many MORE foreigners than usual to be found within the precincts of Yasukuni Shrine, as well as around it, each Aug. 15th.

  Most do not stay very long, however, as it is usually extremely hot and humid and very crowded.

  As I have said in my posts, there is no danger at all within the shrine grounds. The only act I have ever seen which resembled anything like anti-foreigner violence within the sacred precincts, was an old man stomping joyously on a Peoples Republic of China flag. This scene was of course photographed by tourists, bloggers and journalists alike, and these images might have given the impression that Japan was on the war-path again.I felt that broadcasting such pictures were extremely misleading as that was a single, eccentric ( maybe homeless old man) who was probably drunk.

  In other words, if you act respectfully, everyone is quite friendly. The Japanese worshippers might even express their appreciation for your visit saying: Thank you for coming!

  Outside the shrines territory, things are different ( as I have written before), and you really have to watch what you say. I would not recommend openning up any debates, not matter how much good-will intended.

  Regarding the demonstrations, there are few foreigners who stick around for them ( and those who do are usually the same faces that you see every year).

  First, few people know about what goes on, as it is not advertized. Many who DO come to see the demonstrations mistakenly think they will be held AT the shrine and then leave thinking that they missed it.

  The greatest danger posed to any foreigner who decides to go next year would be after the procession passes its closest point to Yasukuni and then heads on back to its starting point where it eventually breaks up. It is then that roaming right-wingers looking for a fight, many drunk with either alcohol or rage, might mistake you for one of the demonstrators.

  As to the future of Japanese nationalism, you might be right. But then again, as my grandmother used to say- who the hell knows?!

• At August 18, 2010, Sue wrote:

  What an interesting article! I teach at a highschool in Ichibancho, down the road from Yasukuni. As we are in holiday at that time, I've never seen the demonstrations. Our summer vacation begins at about the time that Yasukuni holds its Mitama Matsuri in July.

==============

Kanto Tetsudo Bus and JR Bus Kanto (I am not sure if they intentionally made these names to confuse people) operate a joint bus route between Tsukuba and Tokyo. The tickets are usually 1150 yen, but from April 26, 2007 to March 31, 2008 you can buy 3 tickets to Tokyo for 1900 yen, which comes out to 633 yen per ticket. However, please note that these tickets can only be used for the trip to Tokyo and cannot be used on the way back from Tokyo to Tsukuba.

This tickets are on sale at the Tsukuba bus terminal, but they can also be purchased on board the bus. You cannot buy them at Tokyo Station.

The schedule is available here:

http://www.kantetsu.co.jp/bus/highway/center/center_jikoku.pdf

The first schedule is for the trip from Tsukuba to Tokyo (上り=nobori=going up).

Stops:
University of Tsukuba (筑波大学=tsukuba daigaku)
University of Tsukuba Hall (大学会館=daigaku kaikan)
University of Tsukuba Hospital (筑波大学病院=tsukuba daigaku byoin)
Tsukuba Center (つくばセンター)
Takezono 2-chome (竹園二丁目=takezono nichome)
Sengen 1-chome (千現一丁目=sengen itchome)
Namiki 1-chome (並木一丁目=namiki itchome)
Namiki 2-chome (並木二丁目=namiki nichome)
Namiki Ohashi (並木大橋=namiki ohashi)
Shimo Hirooka (下広岡)
(The above stops are all in Tsukuba)
Ueno Station (上野駅=ueno eki)
Tokyo Station (東京駅=tokyo eki)

On holidays, the bus does not stop at Ueno, so the last column in the first schedule shows what time you can expect to arrive at Tsukuba Station on holidays.

The second schedule is for the trip from Tokyo to Tsukuba (下り=kudari=going down). The bus leaves from Tokyo Station, then goes to Shimo Hirooka (which is in Tsukuba), Namiki Ohashi, Namiki 2-chome, Namiki 1-chome, Sengen 1-chome, Takezono 2-chome, Tsukuba Center, University of Tsukuba Hospital, University of Tsukuba Hall, and the final stop, University of Tsukuba. (This bus never stops at Ueno Station.)

“Nobori” and “kudari” are used to describe the direction that trains are travelling relative to Tokyo. Trains that are heading towards Tokyo are 上り and trains that are heading away from Tokyo are 下り. There are some exceptions, and there are other ways of labelling train lines (e.g. 北行=kita yuki=northbound, 南行=minami yuki=southbound), but often trains that travel on routes that end up outside of Tokyo are labelled like this.

Happy travels!

It’s time for a change! Clean out your closets, under your bed, in the spare room, dump out the handbags and start spring afresh with a new look.

Who: You, your friends, and a gaggle of fun girls whom you haven’t met yet

What: A swap! Bring your clothes (maternity wear, handbags, ballgowns, fur coats – it’s all welcome) You can gently place it on the piles and then tear into the fashion, taking as much as you like.

When: Sunday, April 27th from 2-5 PM

Where: Pink Cow, Shibuya (it’s in the basement)

How much: 2500 yen, including one drink ticket

Why: The surplus money raised from the event goes to Habitat for Humanity. The remaining clothing is donated to the Salvation Army. To date, the swaps have generated over 400 bags of clothing in the 4 years that they have been running. You get to meet fun women, new clothes, cocktails, gossip and more!

A few points to remember: Please, no footwear – it has proved to be too difficult to swap. However, if you have a magazine addiction like myself, I am welcoming all magazines for swapping! No books, thank you, but any glossy mag is bound to find a new home.

Above all, remember: Never wear anything that panics the cat.

I’m sorry for short notice, but Contemporary Dance Performances by the members of Contemporary Dance Association of Japan will be held in Tokyo tonight and tomorrow night. One of the performers, Yuriko Arima teaches dance in Tsukuba. She offers lessons in English for those who don’t speak Japanese. It doesn’t look like it’s been updated for a while, but here’s her dance studio website: R Dance Club

2007 時代を創る　現代舞踊公演
(Direct translation would be something like “Contemporary Dance Performances that shape the time 2007” )
September 4, Tuesday and 5, Wednesday
Doors open at 6:30pm, and performances begin at 7:00pm
Venue:Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space Medium Hall (English)
Tickets: 3500yen

We purchased our combination ticket for 1500 yen (didn’t it used to be more expensive?) giving us access to the museum as well as to the observation deck. Our ears popped as we were whisked with surprising speed up to our high altitude destination. When the doors opened we walked out into a dazzlingly clear view of the megalopolis, which turned into a full panoramic view as we slowly made our way around the glass-lined periphery of the building. From up here, we can try to put the puzzle of the city together. As we are accustomed to shuttling underground between our favorite districts, emerging out of subway stations or walking down from trestles makes it nearly impossible to form a mental picture of the city. My geographical understanding improves with each trip up to this floor and I would recommend it as a perfect starting point for a first trip to Tokyo (just as I would suggest starting a Kyoto tour off at Enryaku-ji Temple on top of Mt. Hiei). For Tsukuba-ites it is especially interesting (and moving) to gaze out in a straight line beyond the green oasis of the Imperial Palace, at the irregular M-shape of Mt. Tsukuba. It can be seen how the Chuzen-Ji Temple, now Mt Tsukuba Shrine, was the protector of the unlucky North-Eastern Direction of Edo Castle, mirroring the way Enraku-Ji protects the Kyoto Imperial Palace’s unlucky direction. You can come back to this floor again and again to try and pick your favorite haunts out of the confusion. In the distance are Mt. Fuji, Tokyo Bay, Boso Peninsula, and Haneda airport. Trying to find Meiji Shrine, Tokyo Dome, Budokan, etc. can be much more difficult than finding Wally.

Just as the view calls for repeated visits, I find myself usually coming back again and again to each of the exhibits I’ve seen at the Mori, which occupies the interior of what I guess is the 53rd floor (access is one floor up from the observatory by escalator). The Crossroads exhibition will have me back again as well. The curators have selected works in various media by 36 artists/collectives to represent the Japanese art scene of the past few decades. Before showing your ticket and taking the escalator, you might not be able to pass up giving Kohei Nawa’s musical fountain a turn. What can be more irresistible than making music and water flow at the same time?

At the top of the escalator you can check your bags and coats and maybe pick up one of the free audio tour contraptions, which provide explantions and interviews with some of the artists. Then you head into the thick of it. For the next 2 hours I found myself surprised, puzzled, amazed, and even tearing uncontrollably with laughter. Let me walk you through the exhibit for a brief tour of my favorite works.

You are greeted first by Tatsumi Yoshino’s bronze dog-head, followed as you turn the corner by his larger, Christ-like, twisted and emaciated hounds. No-one can be sure what these can represent (even the artist), but for me they were moving tributes (bronzes are usually reserved for people who have made significant contributions to society) to dogs and other animals who have suffered and died for the sake of mankind in medical and other scientific experiments.

In the same room are Tiger Takeshi’s surreal trips to Mt Fuji and his spacey comic strips. Opposite this is a very large and sharp photo of a garbage dump in what appears to be a Middle Eastern country. Many visitors stood around it,scouring it for details.

Entering the next room, the lights comes slowly up and down on Chu Enoki’s terrifying and beautiful city, or planet, of scrap metal. It can be viewed from within or from a separate viewing platform. From either, it is unforgetable.

Another room has Shinichi Hana’s bizarre white marble sculptures which contain enough details to elicit lengthy (and puzzled) viewings. They certainly get you racking your brains for possible meaning ( I must admit that I came up with nothing).

You then enter a room with what is possibly my favorite work, Takahiro Iwasaki’s Out Of Disorder installation, which at first appeared to be a large room strewn with several pieces of dirty laundry. On closer inspection, however, and then by actually getting down on hands and knees, you can find tiny sculptures made out of pencil lead, mounted strategically on the socks, T-shirts, and underwear. Just as the stones in a zen garden can represent islands, mountains, or countries, you can see whole worlds in the laundry lying on your floor!

I had always associated the modern art movement in the West with Japan and Zen. Of course, the impressionists are well known to have been interested in and impacted by Japan, especially by Japanese woodblock prints. The later modernists’ use of the aesthetic principles of simplicity, sudden inspiration, and stream of consciousness seemed to me to also have been a result of Western contact with Zen. The Roppongi Crossings exhibition, however, shows many works which depend NOT on simplicity, but on great detail, and what must have been a tremendous amount of tedious labor. This reminded me more of Chinese works such as those miniature masterpieces found at the National Palace Museum in Taipei, which inspire oohs and aahs from viewers who wonder how many decades it would take to create such a work

I had such a feeling when I came to Yoshino Yoshimura’s corner. The wall seemed to be adorned with sheets of newspaper. A closer examination seemed to confirm this. Checking the explanation plate however, I realized the impossible (and possibly ridiculous) fact that these were hand penciled, exact copies of newspapers! I had the same feeling again with Yoshio Sagishi’s tiny ceramic constructions which were painstakingly made, drop by drop. Koichiro Tsukikawa’s video works also shows fabulous intricacy and detail.

I will mention one more work which left an impression on me, and this installation surely pushes the definition of what art is to the limit. With their Arithmetik Garden, Sato Masahiko and Kiriyama Takashi have created a mathematical puzzle which the visitor tries to solve by passing through various gates. I was completely stumped, and had to let my friend’s young daughter finish things off.

When I soon found myself at the exit of the exhibition, I was overcome with disappointment. I didn’t want it to be over. But it will be on until January 14, 2008, so I’ll be going back. Especially on clear days, when I can enjoy the exhibit, and the view.

Contemporary Japanese food culture
documentary “eatrip” will be screened with English subtitles at 19:15 on Monday 6th, 15th and 22nd, June at the Ebisu Garden cinema.

“eatrip” will be presented in the Documentaries of the World section of the Montreal World Film Festival 2009.

■About “eatrip”
http://jp.truveo.com/trailer-eatrip/id/313405396
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fq20090612a1.html
http://eatrip.jp/

DINNER TIME!!!
“eatrip” is a wonderful consideration of people and food. Try it! You’ll like this delectable morsel, this jovial dinner time, this lovely nibble at the link between people and food. To eat is indeed to live. Life is just an “eating trip” (eatrip).

People eat. That is how we survive. For humans, however, eating has become more than just sustenance and replenishment of nutrients. It has become an opportunity for bonding with others, for chatting about what we’ve been up to, and asking about our loved one’s days.
The act of eating is also the act of interacting with nature. Meat, vegetables, fruit and grain are all living organisms that combine to sustain us. And if life is a journey, then surely eating is an excursion in itself. After all, is not life a series of dinner times?? Are our lives not sequences of feeding, nurturing and growing??

■About the film
“eatrip” is the directorial debut of food coordinator, creator and teacher, Yuri Nomura. “eatrip” explores the interpersonal relationships that food nurtures. To eat is a universal experience and this documentary takes the audience on a journey throughout Japan looking at how life can be led optimally through the daily ritual of eating. From the Tsukiji fish market to an Okinawan farm, the film offers poignant interviews with intriguing personalities, a few of whom include: Nichiji Sakai, head monk of the Ikegami Honmonji temple; Kanji Takahashi, a distributor of Japanese soup stock (Bonito broth); Naoko Morioka, an Okinawan leading a self-sustainable lifestyle; So-oku Sen a tea ceremony master and descendant of famed Sen No Rikyu; and Yayako Uchida, a musician and writer who recites poems about food.

“eatrip” culminates with a passionate meal cooked by the director herself, for actor Tadanobu Asano and singer UA and a handful of other eclectic guests.

Special screening for “eatrip” with English subtitles
(19:15 on Monday 22nd, June).

1 Comments

• At June 21, 2009, Tokyofoodcast wrote:

  Looks interesting. I hope I can do go tomorrow. Thanks for this info.

The recent inauguration of the new National Art Center near Roppongi, has made things EVEN MORE interesting for art lovers, and being that it is located near a Hibiya Line station it is easily accessible to Tsukubans (even for those with only a few hours to spare).

I wanted to arrive at the museum early today, to have as much time as possible taking in the works of Australian Aboriginal Artist Emily Kame Kngwarreyey, who had been a ritual body painter and sand artist until she finally put brush to canvas in her late seventies. Living in the Red Center of Australia, a couple of hundred kilometers from Alice Springs in a community ironically called Utopia, Emily must have spent nearly all the time in the remaining decade of life painting, as she created THOUSANDS of canvasses, many of them HUGE. She usually did this by spreading a canvas out on the sand, exposed to the elements, and in some of her works careful examination reveals bits of sand, vegetation and even an occasional DOG PAW PRINT!

Emily had no formal artistic training and virtually no knowledge of Western or Eastern artistic traditions. And though eventually prices for her canvases soared way over the million dollar mark, she certainly was not painting for the money. This makes her works, for me at least, an exciting example of pure artistic expression which provide an accessible channel for gaining insights into her peoples’ 40,000 year old culture.

The National Art Center’s building itself is quite interesting ,though I only looked at its facade briefly and then hurried into the exhibition gallery. If the floors were not wooden I would think that I had entered an airport terminal with a spacious lobby repleat with restaurants and cafes set at regular intervals . The galleries are entered through what look not unlike airport gates, and you actually have to pay for each exhibition separately at these gates(at least this was true today). All the restaurants were crowded, making it seem that the outer hall was the CENTERPIECE of the museum as opposed to the inconspicuous galleries. I was surprised to see that there was even food being offered to match one of the exhibitions. For the European Still-Life Painting show from the Kunsthistoriches Museum in Vienna, one of the restaurants had an Austrian chef serving special Viennese lunches!

The  design of the building should not come as a surprise when one learns that it was the creation of architect Kisho Kurokawa who also designed (among many other notable commissions) the Kuala Lumpur Airport Terminal! Of course when that was built it was the largest terminal in the world. And what a lonely place, too, never having been able to compete with Singapore Airport as a regional hub and seeming almost empty in its hugeness,a veritible ghost terminal with staff shuttling to and fro by bicycle through its long and lonely corridors.

Paying my 1,300 yen entrance fee, I took a deep breath and entered another dimension: DREAMTIME. Emily’s works are abstract, appear simple and can be divided into several distinct phases. Nearly all the works on display, however, were alike in that they were absolutely mesmerizing. I felt like I was at a Thai Restaurant. Thai food is delicious and it also physically affects your mouth, giving it a unique sensation. For the first time in my long museum-going life I felt the same sensation — IN MY EYES. More than any Da Vincis, Rembrandts, or Picassos my eyes FELT Emily’s canvases.

Of course we can try to interpret these works. Maybe they are maps containing wisdom related to gathering traditional foods and medicines. Maybe they are reflections of subtle observations of the desert landscape. Maybe they are inner-visions which all humans can relate to as a reflection of a collective consciousness. I could go on and on, but as my friend Rick said about this show, maybe it should just be FELT and not THOUGHT ABOUT. 

Several times I reached the exit of the gallery, but each time I headed back to the start, staggering about, intoxicated, trying to absorb as much of Emily’s energy as I could.

This incredible exhibition closes Monday evening. If possible, SEE IT.