TsukuBlog

For many Japanese, it goes without saying that worshipping at a Buddhist temple on any given day brings one merit. Some days, however, are special. In fact, according to tradition, tomorrow, July 10, is VERY SPECIAL INDEED, as dropping in at the Asakusa Kannon will be equivalent to 46,000 regular day visits! This sounds-too-good-to-be-true offer gets even better. From early in the morning to about midnight, hundreds of small stalls will be set up selling hozuki and wind chimes, two classic symbols of July in Japan. Hozuki are delicate, almost translucent, orange pods, which are reminiscent of half-deflated origami balloons. They have traditionally been used as decorations, toys and laxatives! The hozuki market is held in Asakusa because sometime in the 18th century a certain samurai’s attendant is said to have dreamed of the plant’s curative powers which were later confirmed by the amazed local residents. The market has been held ever since, for more than 200 years.

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.

Japan’s month long rainy season (tsuyu, 梅雨) usually ends in mid-July, and that means there are  precious few days left to savor its SPECIAL BEAUTY. Many Japanese consider Ajisai (紫陽花, or hydrangea) to be the quintessential flower of this season, as they look just right when wet, and enshrouded in mist. And though these flowers can be found almost anywhere you turn your head in Tsukuba, thousands of Tsukubans make long trips (or should I say pilgrimages?) to famous ajisai temples, especially in Kamakura. Nearer to home there are 2 other nationally renowned hydrangea-viewing meccas, the Amabiki Kannon near Makabe, and the Taiho Hachiman Shrine in Shimotsuma. Both highly recommended at ANYTIME. All the more so in this season.

The flower has a long history in these islands and  many scholars actually assert that it is indigenous to Japan and in fact introduced to China from here. After centuries of breeding, numerous varieties have been developed and new colors, pinks and whites, brought out. By taking a look at the etymology of the Japanese name AJISAI, we can see that in earlier times the flowers were mainly blue, as the sounds used to make up the name originally meant a GATHERING OF BLUES (aji-from atsu (集まる) or gather , and ai (藍), indigo blue.

Hydrangea have another Japanese name, however, nanahenge (七変化), or seven transformations, which derives from the flower’s unique characteristic. The colors of the petals change according to the chemical make-up of the soil! This feature has given the flower rich symbolic meaning in Japanese art and poetry — especially to represent a fickle and changing heart. It is because of this characteristic too, that hydrangea were shunned by the warrior class in the feudal period, because for them, changing colors, or by extension loyalties, was anathema .

For Westerners, however, hydrangea can be seen as a symbol of silent devotion, as its scientific name, otaksa, appears to refer to Otaki-San, a woman from Nagasaki’s pleasure quarter, who was the  mistress of the German naturalist P.F. von Siebold, who went on to introduce ajisai to Europe .

One more point. These flowers are to be looked at and NOT EATEN. Recently, there was a nationally reported case of food poisoning which occurred down the road from my house in Tsukuba at the curious and pricey Italian restaurant Toeimon Sakae. The chef, in keeping with the season-conscious aesthetics of Japanese cooking(despite this being an Italian eatery), garnished a dish with the very IN SEASON leaves of hydrangea. These were subsequently consumed by the unsuspecting  diners.

This resulted in what must have been an unforgettable scene, right out of Monty Python. You see, the leaves of ajisai have always been used to induce vomiting, especially when poisons were consumed. Imagine then, the eight customers wretching uncontrollably, spewing out their expensive dinners onto the antique furniture and tatami mats (this restaurant is in a magnificent thatched roof farm house!).Surprisingly,the penalty for this chef`s oversight was a mere one-day suspension of business. 

 while you’re out there enjoying the last few AJISAI DAYS remember: LOOK BUT DON’T TASTE.

You know you’ve found a great museum when your 30-something year old friend finds an exhibit and practically screams your name from across the room and shouts, “Come here!!” I had heard about Ibaraki Nature Museum from Alien Times and I sometimes noticed posters or banners advertising their exhibits, but I didn’t really have a good sense of what it was all about.

The Ibaraki Nature Museum is all about science and nature. It has permanent exhibits that cover various topics (see below) such as dinosaurs, the senses, and geology. Rather than making you read boring panels about the exhibits, however, this museum lets you interact with almost everything you see. There is an exhibit that lets you pet a real (but stuffed) fox, one that lets you see the world through the eyes of a fish, a grasshopper, or a cat, and one that shows you a skull and lets you guess what animal it came from. One of my favourites showed a bat, a grasshopper, a dog, and a dolphin and then let you play a sound. When you increased or decreased the frequency, the animal would move if it could hear it and stop moving when it stopped hearing it. Dogs could hear a huge range beyond what humans could here, but bats couldn’t really hear in our range, but had an impressive range above what we could hear. There are lots of buttons to press, videos to watch, and things to touch. It is even possible to take photos throughout the museum, since the exhibits are generally replicas rather than the real thing.

20061111 Ibaraki Nature Museum

Also, they have good support for people who don’t speak Japanese. There are pamphlets in several languages and an audio guide system that lets you listen to explanations based on where you are. The system uses a receiver rather than a cassette, so you don’t have to listen to the explanations in order. The audio guide system was available in Japanese and English (and possibly one other language, but I forgot to check).

I went to the museum on a rainy Saturday afternoon, so I didn’t get a chance to explore the outdoor part of the museum. As you can see from the list below, the outdoor exhibits cover a wide variety of topics and might even require their own trip.

I strongly and highly recommend a trip to this museum. It is a bit difficult to get there without a car, but it is worth the hassle. If you enjoy thinking about science, and especially if you want to expose your children to scientific concepts, this is a must-see place in Ibaraki.

See the full article on the Alien Times site.

All the way gloomy days during the 4th till the 6th of July were all worth it by threading the way to and around Tohoku, Japan. Tōhoku (東北), which literally means “East-North” is the northeastern region of Japan’s Honshu (mainland) island. Tohoku is a host to many museums and temples and it has over a dozen of listed tourist attractions, ranging from parks to rivers and mountains.

The trip was organized by the International Students Center of the University of Tsukuba. It was a 3-days hop to the three (3) prefectures of Tohoku namely, Iwate, Miyagi and Yamagata.

The first prefecture we went to was Iwate. Take a peek at the photos I took. (1. Inside a restaurant 2. One of the temples in Chusonji compund 3. Miyazawa Kenji Museum)

Next destination was Matsushima, Miyagi prefecture. (1. Akiu Ootaki 2. Inside a museum 3. During the bay cruise)

And the last one was Yamagata prefecture. (1. Inside a museum 2. Yamagata ken souvenir shop 3. Cherry fuits)

Although the trip was a little bit tiresome by just sitting inside the bus, the tour guide’s efforts were worth mentioning, trying to be awake and genki (energetic and lively) all the time while all of us are dead tired slumbering in our seats.

The full of memorable stories museums in Iwate, the wonderful splashing waters of the Ootaki in Miyagi, and the tasteful cherries in Yamagata, all made the 3 days trip worth treasuring.

For the rest of the photos in bigger resolution, you may view them in my Zooomr album.

Inspired by Shaney’s post about the Seikan tunnel, I posted a travel suggestion regarding the Seikan tunnel in a comment.
See my comment in the above link.

I recently had the pleasure of taking a trip to Amabiki Kannon, a temple complex about 45 minutes north of Tsukuba. Click on the image below to see some of the photos that I took.

See: Article on Amabiki Kannon in Alien Times

For those who are staying in town…..

Tsukuba Expo Center
CLOSED from December 27(Thur) to January 3(Thur)
Event:
“Let’s make a Christmas ornament with glow-in-the-dark beads”
Dec.22, 23, 24 and 25 from 1PM to 3:30PM

Tsukuba Botanical Garden
CLOSED from December 28 (Fri) to January 4(Fri)

Ibaraki Nature Museum
CLOSED from December 28 (Fri) to January 1 (Tue)
Event:
“The 41st Exhibition - The 4th General Research: Nature of North-Western IBARAKI”
October 20(Sat) to January 14(Mon)

Aquaworld Ooarai
OPEN
Events:
“Costume Contest”
Saturdays, Sundays and holidays during Dec. 1 to 24
Those who come to the aquarium in full Santa Claus costumes will receive a gift at the entrance, and there will also be a costume contest.
“Christmas Nights”
Dec. 23 and 24
The aquarium will be open until 8PM and there will be some special events such as a concert and special dolphin shows.

Potiron no Mori
OPEN
Events:
“Free admission days” - Dec. 22, 23 and 24
There will be a lot of events as always, and there will be fireworks display from 7:30pm on Dec.23 and 24. Admission will be free again on January 1.

Ushiku Daibutsu
OPEN
Events:
“初詣(hatsu moude/ new year’s visit)” to the Ushiku Daibutsu
修正会(shoshoue/ Buddhist ritual) from Dec. 31, 11PM to Jan. 1, 2AM and Jan 1, 7AM to 4:30PM. Admissions will be free on Jan. 1, 2 and 3 (and possibly on Dec 31 as well. Please check). Traditional Japanese music performances by area groups, monkey shows, magic shows, calligraphy (performance?), and many more will take place during these 3 days.

The Mt. Tsukuba Azalea Festival runs from April 26 to May 18. There are about 3000 red and purple azalea (ツツジ — tsutsuji — in Japanese) bushes on the mountain. Special events will be held on Saturdays through out the festival and on Monday, May 5. From May 3 to 6, the plants will be illuminated along the cable car route from 6:30pm to 8pm. A round trip on the cable car costs 1000 yen for adults and children of elementary school age and under are free.

Getting There By Train
From Tsukuba Station, take the Mt. Tsukuba Shuttle Bus (筑波山シャトルバス — Tsukuba san shuttle bus) and get off at the entrance to Mt. Tsukuba Shrine (筑波山神社入口 — Tsukuba san jinja iriguchi). Walk for 5 minutes.

If you come from a station other than Tsukuba Station, and you are planning on using the cable car or ropeway, you might find the Tsukuba Express Mt. Tsukuba Ticket to be convenient.

筑波山つつじまつり(Mt.Tsukuba Azalea Festival)
April 22(Sun) to May 20(Sun)

Events:
April 28(Sat) 11am
Kocarina * Concert at the “outlook floor” of the building in front of Tsukuba Sanchou Station on top of Mt.Tsukuba (*Kocarina is a music instrument from Republic of Hungary )

April 28(sat) 1pm
100 baby azalea trees give away at the cable car(tramway) Miyawaki Station and ropeway(aerial tramway) Tsutsujigaoka Station

May 5(sat) Children’s Day 11am
Children’s Day free gifts given to first 200 kids at Miyawaki Station and Tsutsujigaoka Station

May 12(Sat) 11am
Machitsuki (pounding of “mochi” or rice cake) and tasting of mochi
at the “outlook floor” in front of aerial tramway Nyotaisan Station. Tasting of mochi is limited to first 200 people.

May 19(Sat) 11am
ガマの油売り口上(performance by a tradionational “Toad’s Grease” seller) at the “outlook floor” of the building in front of Tsukuba Sanchou Station

1pm
Charity “Tsukamidori(grabbing)” game at cable car Miyawaki Station　(I don’t know what, but it looks like you have a chance to win nice prizes) First 100 people

I don’t know how much it’ll cost to get into this festival, but it shouldn’t be that expensive. The azalea festival in Kasama has already started last weekend. I’ve been to the one in Kasama twice, and I really liked it!

第３６回笠間つつじまつり(The 36th Kasama Azalea Festival)
April 14(Sat) to May 13(Sun)　8am to 6pm
Admissions: 500yen for adults(high schoolers and up), Junior high kids and under are free

Events:
April 28, 29, May 2, 5 from 10am to 3pm
tea ceremories

May 3 10am to 3pm
琴(koto or Japanese harp) concert

May 4 10am to 12pm
稲荷ばやし(Inari bayashi), traditional Japanese festival music in Kasama

May 4 12pm to 3pm
岩間ばやし(Iwama bayashi), traditional Japanese festival music in Iwama

May 5 10am to 3pm
sales of local produce

The site of Himatsuri, the big pottery fair I mentioned in this blog before, isn’t far from this azalea festival, so you can visit two festivals in one day. If you have a time (and energy!), I highly recommend visiting Kasama Inari Shrine near the azalea festival site because the Japanese wisteria at Kasama Inari Shrine is simply just breathtaking!!

ぼたん・しゃくやく・バラ祭り(tree peony, Chinese peony, rose festival)
at Tsukuba Peony Garden
April 21(Sat) to July 15(Sun)
Open 9am to 5pm on weekdays and 8am to 5pm on weekends and holidays Admissions: 800yen for adults, 300yen for kids*

*If your child(ren) attends a public school in Tsukuba, then she/he should have received a free ticket from school last week.

You can eat the soba noodle, made from soba grown in Tsukuba in the restaurant inside this garden.

A special exhibit on サクラソウ(sakurasou or primrose) will also start tomorrow at Tsukuba Botanical Garden. The weather’s been crazy lately, but spring is definitely here!

The clematis garden at Tsukuba Botanical Garden has 1000 plants representing about 200 varieties. The garden can be viewed between May 3 and June 8 from 9am to 5pm (enter by 4:30pm).

Fee: 300 yen for adults, free for people over 65, people with disabilities and one person who accompanies them, children under high school age
Tel: 029-851-5159

Glass Studio Silica seems like a nice place to go on a day trip from Tsukuba.

1. People of junior high school age and older can try glass blowing for 2580 yen. It will take 30 minutes and the final product will be sent by post (cash on delivery). Reservations are necessary.

2. People of elementary school age (with guardian) and older can do a children’s version of glass blowing for 1550 yen. This also takes 30 minutes and the final product will be sent by post (cash on delivery). Reservations are necessary.

3. People of all ages can try sandblasting. The price depends on the kind of sandblasting that you do, but starts at 950 yen. It will take about 1.5 hours. Groups need to make reservations, but individuals can try it at anytime.

4. People of elementary school Grade 5 age and older can do “burner work” from Monday to Saturday (9am to 12 and 1pm to 3pm) for 1050 yen (or 950 yen for students). It will take about 1 hour (for 1 to 10 people). You can take the final product home after about a 30 minute wait. Reservations are necessary.

Glass Studio Silica is located in Kita Ibaraki, which is in the northern part of Tsukuba. It is open from 9am to 4:30pm (enter before 4pm) and it is closed on the first and third Wednesday of the month. (When a national holiday falls on the first or third Wednesday of the month, the studio will be open.)

Okay, so there are “hinamatsuris” in Tsukuba, Makabe, and in Kasama…. How about the one in Tsuchiura?

I didn’t know about this until today, but the Hina Doll’s Festival in Tsuchiura has started last Saturday. The dolls are on display in 45 businesses along the streets in front of the Tsuchiura Station, Kamitakatsu Kaizuka Furusato Rekishi Hiroba(historical park), and in Komachi no Yakata (park dedicated to the legends of Ono no Komachi).

Tsuchiura Hinamatsuri
Feb.17(Sat) to March 4(Sun)
Free

The participating businesses besides Rekishi Hiroba and Komachi no Yakata are all within walking distance of JR Tsuchiura Station. There are only two free temporary parking lots, one with room for 20 cars (available only on weekdays) and the other with room for 15 cars (available only on weekends) during the festival, so try to get there extra early if you want to go there by car!

Tsuchiura Tourist Association
3rd Tsuchiura Hinamatsuri flyer/map(pdf)

It’s Hinamatsuri (Doll’s Festival) season!

As RrFish and Shaney posted, big events are being held in Kasama and Makabe. If you feel they are a little bit far from Tsukuba, you have another option.

There is an old-fashioned Japanese house named “Sakura Minkaen” in Chuo park in the Tsukuba center area. Tsukuba city is displaying old traditional Hina dolls made from about 80 years ago at the Sakura Minkaen.

Period: From February 16(Fri) to March 4 (Sun) , 2007
Time: From 9:30 to 16:30
Closed: Wednesdays, National holidays
Website (in Japanese)

Sakura Minkaen is located behind the rest house in Chuo Park, near Azuma Elementary School. They hold tea ceremony events and exhibitions there sometimes.

See:
Tsukuba Wiki
Google Map

Most of the days during Japan’s month long rainy season (tsuyu), are overcast and damp, even when there is no actual precipitation. When it IS raining, it is as if your town or city has been transported into the shadowy depths of a thick, wet , forest. It can stay like that for days. For this reason, Japan is a veritable paradise for MOSS (koke苔), which thrives in such conditions. Taking a June stroll, umbrella in hand, within the precincts of some old shrine or temple is like an in-depth tour of the WORLD OF GREEN, with  mosses of varying degrees of verdure growing on stones, tree trunks, or the ground, forming delightful combinations.

It is clear that the darkness of the rainy season and the deep warm shades of moss have had a huge impact on Japanese aesthetics. For example, compare the Buddhist temples or clothes from the brighter lands of India or Thailand, with those of Japan. There are often bright, bold or shimmery colors and surfaces, which are needed so as not to be washed out by the brightness of the sun. In shadowy Japan, different , darker ,colors, more natural and earthy ,came to be utilized and loved. Moss and moss green have been an important part of this sensibility. This can be seen most clearly in Japanese gardening and landscaping, the cultivation of miniature trees (bonsai) and in fabric design.

There are several temples which are actually famous for their moss gardens, including Saiho-Ji and Gio-ji in Kyoto. Nearer to Tsukuba is Myoho-Ji in Kamakura. (Did you know that JR trains can be taken directly to Kamakura from Tsuchiura or Ushiku Stations during the summer?) These are nationally renowned Koke-dera (moss temples), but it is by no means necessary to leave our city to partake in the pleasures of moss viewing. As I mentioned above, the sacred grove of any shrine or the grounds of any temple will do, especially on rainy days.

Unfortunately, the same conditions which allow moss to thrive are favored by various types of mould and mildew and foreigners who come to live in Japan are driven to despair by their relentless proliferation. Walls, books, photos, are all common victims. Once I discovered that a pair of white sneakers I wanted to wear had turned black with mould! This is  not just a nuisance, but a health hazard as well.

Of course, this is a problem for the Japanese, too, but since their ancestors have had to deal with the problem for millennia, there are plenty of bits  of folk knowledge passed down from generation to generation which help  to cope.

The most important point to remember is good ventilation. Make sure that the air in a particular room does not stagnate too long. Whenever the sun DOES shine you might want to let its rays do their work on anything you are worried might get mouldy. Remember: the light of day is the best disinfectant!

A more recently developed trick for dealing with mold was introduced to me by Harumi Takaya, who is always a great source of information about traditional life in Tsukuba. This is the use of baking soda. For example, baking soda mixed in with your laundry detergent at a ratio of 3 to 1 will prevent your laundry from getting moldy (if like most Japanese, you don’t have a dryer). Putting a mixture of baking soda and water into a spray bottle and spritzing it on the walls etc… is also a good idea.

Don’t let the darkness and the rain get you down! Go out and explore Japans endless SHADES OF GREEN! For the summer months THESE are the Emerald Isles!

My Ami Festival in the Town of Ami
August 4 and 5
Please see: My Ami Festival 2007

筑波山ガマまつり (Mt. Tsukuba Gama (Toad) Festival)
August 5
Festival information in Japanese
Famous ガマの油売り口上(toad oil selling performance) at the Tsukubasan Shrine from 10AM, at the top of Mt. Tsukuba from 11AM, and at Monzen Street (street between that big orange shrine gate, or torii and shrine entrance) from 10AM to 5PM. Kocarina concert from 5PM. The 随神門, zui shin mon(gate) will be lit up by candles from 7PM to 9PM(IMAGE), and the 雅楽(gagaku) or ancient Japanese music and dance performances from 7PM.

土浦キララまつり (Tsuchiura Kirara Festival) in Tsuchiura City
August 4 and 5, from 1PM to 9:30PM
Download the festival flyer here
This is a big event just like our very own Matsuri Tsukuba later this month, and quite a lot of events will take place. One thing they got and we don’t is the harbor, and you can get on the excursion boats, White Iris and Jet Wheel Tsukuba for free during the festival!
There are many pay parking lots, but there are only 3 free parking lots and the spaces are VERY limited. The easiest way to go there is either by bus or train. The street in front of the JR Tsuchiura Station will be closed to vehicles during the festival.

下館灯ろう*流し(Shimodate Tourou Nagashi) in Chikusei City
August 4
Festival information from the city’s tourist association website
*Please see: “Toro Nagashi” on wikipedia

水戸黄門まつり(Mito Koumon Festival) in Mito City
August 3, 4 and 5
Festival information in English and in Japanese

潮来祇園祭禮(Itako Gion-sairei/ Itako Gion Festival) in Itako City
Festival information in Japanese

笠間八坂神社　祇園まつり (Kasama Yasaka Shrine Gion Festival)
August 4, 5 and 6
festival info from the city’s tourist association website

八坂神社　祇園祭り (Yasaka Shrine Gion Festival) in Toride City
August 1, 2 and 3
festival info from Toride Syuku website

My former office, the Aizu Wakamatsu International Association, is offering some interesting activities to foreign residents this month. As a part of their “Japanese Culture Month”, you can try out judo, zazen (meditation), kyudo (archery), ikebana, and shodo (calligraphy).

Aizu Wakamatsu is a historical city located in the north west of Fukushima Prefecture (one prefecture north of here). To get there by public transportation, you could take the new Tsukuba-Omiya highway bus to Omiya (80 minutes, 1100 yen, take the Tohoku Shinkansen to Koriyama (57 minutes, 6090yen), and then take the JR Banetsu Saisen to Aizu Wakamatsu (80 minutes, 1110 yen). The easiest way to get there by car is to take the Joban Highway from Sakura Tsuchiura to Iwaki and then the Banetsu Highway to Aizu Wakamatsu (about 3 hours, 5600 yen).

In fact, if you *really* like trains, you might want to take the Tsukuba Express down to Kita Senju or Asakusa (if you want to get on at the first stop to make sure you get a seat) and then take the VERY SLOW train from there all the way to Aizu Wakamatsu. (If you plan it right, you might be able to get one of the trains that actually goes all the way from Asakusa to Tajima, so you will only have to change trains once on the way from Asakusa to Aizu Wakamatsu). This should only be attempted by people who are SERIOUS train lovers and who really want to get a top-to-bottom look at Tochigi Prefecture (skirting, but not actually entering Nikko).

I believe that the fall colours should be on full display at this time of the year, and since Aizu Wakamatsu is nestled in a bowl-shaped valley surrounded by mountains, the scenery should be rather impressive.

Aizu Wakamatsu has a reconstructed castle (Tsurugajo), several sake museums, a samurai house (bukeyashiki), a samurai school (Nisshinkan), a herb garden (Oyakuen), and a tall statue of a female Buddha (Kannon at Aizu-mura). You can also see Iimoriyama, the site of the famous story of the Byakkotai (White Tiger Brigade, a group of young men who fought in the Boshin Civil War) and a temple shaped like a double helix, so you don’t take the same path up as you do down (Sazaedo). You can also try kirie (silhouette art) at Nakafuji workshop. If you have a car, you might want to make side trips to the Hideo Noguchi museum, the Five Coloured Lakes, the glass blowing museum, or the brewery in Inawashiro (in the shadow of Mt. Bandai).

I used to give tours of Tsurugajo and Iimoriyama. The notes from my tours are available online (Tsurugajo, Iimoriyama).

Even if you don’t make it to one of the cultural events this month, I highly recommend a trip to this historic area of Japan.

Here are some more details about the culture month events in Aizu Wakamatsu. If you do decide to join one of the events, be sure to say that Shaney sent you!

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Aizu Wakamatsu International Association Japanese Culture Month

November is Japanese Culture Month at the Aizu Wakamatsu International Association (AWIA). We are providing opportunities for anyone interested to try a selection of Japanese culture activities with no strings attached. Look below for your favorite activity!

Be a samurai for an afternoon.

Judo, Zazen (meditation), and Kyudo (Japanese archery) at Nisshinkan in the former Kawahigashi Town.

November 12 (Sunday) from 1:30pm to 4:00pm. Fee: 1000 yen (fee includes the 600 yen entrance fee into Nisshinkan.) Please make your reservation before November 9th. (You can cancel for free before the 9th, after that a cancellation fee will apply. If we cannot get at least 10 people for this event, it will be cancelled.) Japanese people are also welcome, so invite your friends, girl/boy friends, and coworkers!

Ikebana: flower arranging

November 11th (Saturday) from 10:00am to 11:30am at the teacher’s house (directions will be given to those who make a reservation). Money for flowers: 1000 yen. Please call the AWIA before November 9th (after the 9th, cancellation fees will apply).

Write beautiful calligraphy: Shodo!

November 19th (Sunday) from 2:00pm to 3:00pm at the AWIA.
Money: 300 yen. Please make your reservation before the 18th.

Come try a Japanese cultural activity this month!

For more information, see: Just the Fax (November 2006)

There’ll be a fireworks display at Potiron-noMori in Inashiki City.
Annual fireworks display starts at 8PM and you can get in FREE tomorrow if you go there after 4PM.

Here’s the list of other events at Potiron this weekend:
July 21, Sat.
Anpanman Show from 12:30pm and 17;30pm
Bingo – play to win Nintendo Wii and other great prizes!
- registration starts at 15;30pm and bingo starts at 18:30pm
- 300yen per bingo card
All you can eat BBQ from 11:00am
- 1800yen for adults and 1100yen for kids
RabbitStuff( or “rabisuta”) and Takuya Matsumoto Live from 19:30pm and 20:40pm
Fireworks display from 8:00pm

July 22, Sun.
Beetles hunting from 11:00am
- registration starts at 9:00am. First 100 kids)
Treasure hunting game for kids
- registration starts at 13:00pm
SANA Live from 11:30am and 14:00pm

I’ve mentioned this in my other post before, but you’ll be asked to pay 500yen for the parking which is more like purchasing an annual parking ticket. I think the free shuttle bus service will be available for Saturday, but I can’t find the information anywhere. I’ll post that information here as soon as I get it.

July 7 is the “Tanabata,” and people write their wishes on colorful pieces of rectangle paper and hang them on bamboo plants in Japan. If your kids attend daycares and schools in Japan, they might’ve already done so at their daycares and schools last week, but not all places do that.

Making Tanabata kazari or decoration is very easy if you and your kids are interested in trying out this Asian tradition. If you have origami (colored paper), string and scissors, then you are set! Oh, but where should you go for nice bamboo plants? The easiest way to get them is to ask someone if they have bamboo plants in their yard or neighborhood, but if that’s no an option for you, then you can go to 牛久自然観察の森(Ushiku Shizen Kanzatsu-no Mori) or Ushiku Nature Sanctuary in Ushiku City to get free bamboo grass for Tanabata. Ushiku Nature Sanctuary is closed on Mondays, but you can go there anytime between tomorrow and Sunday, July 8, to get free bamboo grass.

Click here to see what a typical Tanabata Kazari looks like (from Japanese Wiki)
Tanabata (wikipedia, English)
Tanabata (wikipedia, Japanese)

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Ushiku Nature Sanctuary
Admission: free
Map: http://map.livedoor.com/map/?ZM=10&MAP=E140.10.40.4N35.57.39.7&SZ=740%2C450
********************************

Blizzardboy has written another good post about a place that Tsukubans should visit: Asahi Breweries in Moriya. If you like beer — and if my time at university taught me anything, “free beer” is the best kind of beer — you might want to take a trip to the breweries. Just remember to bring a designated driver, or use public transportation as the laws against drunk driving have recently been stiffened.

You might have heard of free guided tour of Akihabara in English and other foreign languages, but did you know that the free guided tour is now being offered every Saturday now? This weekly free guided tour will go on until next January, so why not take the advantage of this opportunity… even if you are a longtimer!

“New Discovery of Akihabara” - main page and English page

Free tour ”New Discovery of Akihabara” on every Saturday, will take you the places where is the most excited in Akihabara such as, pop culture ( Kotobukiya ,Tokyo Anime Center ) , electric town and duty free shop.

Period : Every Saturday
July 7, 2007~January 19, 2008
Tour guide language : English

Meeting place : 1st floor of Radio Kaikan
(30 seconds from the Akihabara Electric Town Exit )
Meeting time : 0:50PM
Departure time: 1:00 PM

Tour course
(please visit the New Discovery of Akihabara website for details):
*1 Radio Kaikan
*2 Electric Town / Shopping District
*3 Tsukumo Robot Kingdom
*4 Overseas model products
*5 Knowledge Field at UDX building
*6 Radio Kaikan (disband)
Fill out a questionnaire and disbands at Radio Kaikan.
( Gift will be given at the end of the tour.)

The tour takes approximately 2 hours.

* The tour course may change due to weather.
*Let us remind you that you may be interviewed by Japanese TV or newspapers due to strong popularity of the tour.

There are at least 34 fruit gardens in Tsukuba where you can buy fruits such as apples, blueberries, cherries, figs, grapes, peaches, pears, persimmons, and plums directly from the source. Some gardens also allow you to pick you own.

Tsukuba City Hall has published a map of fruit gardens in Tsukuba (only available in Japanese). The gardens are marked with the character “観” if you can wander through the gardens and pick your own and “直” if you can buy the fruits directly from the garden.

I went to Fukuroda no Taki (waterfalls) today with some friends. The picture here really doesn’t do it justice, but you can get the general idea.

Fukuroda no Taki is one of Japan’s top three waterfalls. The other two are Nachi no Taki in Wakayama Prefecture and Kegon no Taki in Tochigi Prefecture (near Nikko). I have now seen two of them (Fukuroda and Kegon). Do I get some sort of prize if I see all three?

I think it is probably a bit difficult to get to the falls by train. If you go by car, it is probably best to take the Joban Expressway. I think it takes between an hour and a half and two hours to get there. (Hard to say because, for once, I wasn’t driving!)

There isn’t really much to do but look at the falls and then shop for omiyage afterwards, so it probably isn’t the best place to bring kids. It is a beautiful sight, though, especially after the rainy season when there is a lot of water. I have heard that the best time to go is in the fall when the leaves have turned colour, but the winter waterfalls are also interesting because the whole thing freezes up and people apparently try to climb it (at least, there were some pictures of people trying to climb it).

I would recommend going to Fukuroda no Taki if you have a lazy Saturday or Sunday with nothing in particular to do. It’s not overly exciting, but it’s a good destination for a bit of a drive with friends.

Gerd Knapper, a German ceramic artist and a sculptor who lives in the Town of Daigo (Daigo Machi, 大子町)* in nothern Ibaraki, has opened his gallery in his studio/home in Daigo.

According to the Asahi Newspaper, the opening ceremory for his gallery was held on May19. Among the many visitors who came to congratulate him on the opening of the gallery was the governer of Ibaraki Prefecture. Those who want to visit this gallery must call him and make the arrangements ahead of time. The number is 0295-72-2011.

Here’s the Home pge of Gerd Knapper in English.

In his Japanese website, GERD KNÄPPER, you can enjoy his artworks here, including the one in Tsukuba. You can also see what his studio/gallery looks like here. (Please note that the e-mail address that you see at the bottom of his Japanese website is NOT his personal e-mail address. It’s the e-mail address for the stone shop in Tochigi Prefecture.)

When you make plans for visiting this new gallery in Daigo, please read more about the Town of Daigo in Alien Times!

From October 2006 issue:
Fukuroda No Taki
From June 1995 issue:
Northern Ibaraki: Interesting Day Trips From Tsukuba

As you know, Kyoto is known for its rich history, valuable architecture, geishas and deers…, and the Gion Festival (ref. wikipedia)! Did you know that we have our own Gion Festivals(or 祇園祭) in Ibaraki? The closest one from Tsukuba is the one in Tsuchiura that started today. In fact, you need to be careful when you head to Tsuchiura this weekend because some streets, including a part of route 354 will be closed down during this festival.

JULY
土浦祇園祭(Tsuchiura Gion Festival)
July 20, 21, and 22
Tsuchiura City’s website
According to the Japan Tourism Association’s website, about a hundred thousand people visit this festival every year.
Floats of Tsuchiura and Ishioka

伊佐部の祇園際 (Isabu Gion Festival) in Inashiki City
July 22
festival info from the city website

八坂神社祇園祭（柿岡） (Yasaka Shrine Gion Festival) in the Kakioka area of Ishioka City
July 22
festival info from the city website

真壁祇園祭(Makebe Gion Festival)
July 23, 24, 25, and 26
Please visit the Makabe Chamber of Commerce website for event schedules

石下祇園まつり (Ishige Gion Festival)
July 22 and 23
Joso City website

江戸崎祇園祭(Edosaki Gion Festival)
July 20, 21, and 22
Edosaki Gion Festival website
Related post : Fireworks display at Potiron

小川の祇園祭(Ogawa Gion Festival), in Omitama City
Omitama City website
July 20, 21 and 23

下館祇園まつり (Shimodate Gion Festival)
July 26, 27, 28, and 29
see the details here: Chikusei City website
see other images here: Kids Web Japan

八坂神社祇園祭 (Yasaka Shrine Gion Festival) in Ryuugasaki City
July 25, 26, and 27
Gion Festival page from the Japan Tourism Association site
Yasaka Shrine from the Ruugasaki Tourist Association website
撞舞(Tsukumai)* on July 27
* Tsukumai is considered one of 3 “奇祭,” kisai or “strange festivals” in Kanto Region.

守谷祇園祭(Moriya Gion Festival)
July 28
Festival images from the Yasaka Shrine website

水海道祇園祭 (Mitsukaido Gion Festival)
July 21 and 22*
* Originally scheduled to be held last weekend, but was
postponed to this coming weekend due to the severe weather. *
Festival website
Map

甲神社夏祭り・祇園祭(Kabuto Shrine Summer Festival and Gion Festival)
July 28 and 29
Gion Festival page from the Hitachi Oomiya Tourist Association website

山田祇園祭 (Yamada Gion Festival) in Namegata City
July 29 and 30
Gion Festival page from the city website

柴崎祇園際 (shibasaki Gion Festival) in the Town of Shintone
July 27, 28 and 29

AUGUST
潮来祇園祭禮 (Itako Gion Festival)
August 4, 5 and 6
festival info from the city website

笠間八坂神社　祇園まつり (Kasama Yasaka Shrine Gion Festival)
August 4, 5 and 6
festival info from the city’s tourist association website

八坂神社　祇園祭り (Yasaka Shrine Gion Festival) in Toride City
August 1, 2 and 3
festival info from Toride Syuku website

Guess what and where this is.
No, this isn’t just a typical murky pond in Japan.

Can you guess what that black stuff that’s floating in the pond is?

Nope, not rotten leaves or twigs.

They are tadpoles!

There were thousands of them, and they were swimming like a school of fish! This pond is located inside the Tsukuba Botanical Garden, and the pics were taken last weekend.

Did you know there’s a Hello Kitty-shaped vending machine in Moriya City? It’s the first of its kind in Japan, and it officially debuted in Moriya on April 1.

This Hello Kitty vending machine is located in the Moriya Service Area on Joban Express Way. I know this is the service area we, Tsukuba area residents, tend to skip since it’s the first service area from Tsukuba, but I think this vending machine is a good reason to stop there! I know some of you, TsukuBlog readers would LOVE to take pictures of this vending machine to be added to the list of “weird things I saw in Japan”(I would!) ;-> Please note that Hello Kitty-shaped vending machine is only at the service area on the up lane(上り) side.

If you don’t have a plan of going there anytime soon, I’ll tell you a secret: you can actually see the backside of this vending machine from the Tsukuba Express train(yes, I’ve seen it, and it was easy to spot the famous kitten)!

Visit NEXCO East Japan’s Press Release to see what this vending machine looks like.

The most celebrated spring flowers in Japan, namely the ume (plum blossom) and the sakura (cherry blossoms) are very pretty (in a soft and delicate way), and certainly evoke excitement as they herald the passing of winter. As for me, I much prefer the passionate, deeply-hued, sensuous flowers of early summer, in particular the iris(ayame, kakitsubata, or hana-shobu). I ask what scene could be more beautiful than their purple glow  seen emanating from the mist , on a cloud-darkened, rainy season day?

Irises can be enjoyed at several peaceful locations in Tsukuba City, places with ponds, such as the Expo Memorial Park (万博公園, Banpaku-Koen) or the Tsukuba Botanical Garden. These are ideal places to savor the season and the scenery without the crowds or hullaballoo usually associated with flower-viewing in Japan. However, if you enjoy sharing in the excitement of a large group of picture snapping, souvenir buying revellers, two neighboring cities (though they are in different prefectures) about an hour’s drive from Tsukuba are currently hosting their iris festivals. I’m talking about Itako City (潮来), in Ibaraki and Sawara (佐原), now part of Katori City, across the Tone River in Chiba Prefecture and their annual Iris Festivals. Both events start on June 1st and run to the end of the month.

In a rush of enthusiasm I headed off to Sawara (which is anyway one of my favorite towns in Kanto) for the opening of the festivities. I soon was to find out that I had jumped the gun, as very few of the 150,000 irises in the hundreds of varieties which grow there had started to bloom. I could still enjoy plenty of flowers while the hypnotic beat of the Sawara Bayashi (festival music) filled the air as musicians were ferried through the canals on traditional, pole propelled zapa boats. As you can imagine there were also plenty of vendors selling irises and iris related souvenirs out of stalls.

In Sawara, the iris festival is being held at the Aquatic Botanical Garden (水生植物園, suisei shokubutsu en), about 15 minutes from the city’s historic district. Many visitors to the botanical garden also take boat tours through a narrow canal over which pass 12 small unspectacular bridges. This might be fun for the kids, but otherwise should be avoided, as it would take time away from the rest of Sawara, which is really of interest to anyone who likes to get a glimpse of the old Japan.

Once a great merchant town, thriving on the river trade which passed between Edo and the countryside to its north, the historical district of Sawara still boasts many old shops and houses from the Edo Period (1600-1868). The little river which runs though it (the Onogawa) is lined with weeping willows and there are some old bridges across it, one which regularly emits water and music!

What I like most about Sawara, however, are the Ino Tadadataka Museum and the Katori Grand Shrine. Ino (1745-1818) lived and worked in a shop in Sawara until he was 50, then went to Edo, studied surveying and map-making and then went on to lead a grueling cartographic expedition which culminated in the creation of highly accurate and VERY BEAUTIFUL maps of Japan. The Katori Shrine is one of the most important shrines in the Kanto Area and is unusually Korean looking in terms of color schemes (lots of greens) and decorative motifs. There is always something going within its precincts, and it is unforgettable to watch a wedding procession there, with the priests and shrine maidens(miko) leading the bride and groom among the ancient cryptomeria trees.

One more thing that gives Sawara a star is its festival, or should I say festivals, as it is held both in summer (July) and autumn (October). The festival floats, elaborately decorated by the town’s wealthy merchants, are very impressive and I could say unrivalled in the Kanto Area .

This week and next should be spectacular as all the irises come into bloom.

For more info:
Sawara City Sightseeing, Commerce, and Industry Section
Trip to Katori: Big Float Festival of Sawara
Sawara City Hall

From the festival flyer (English):

Ishioka Festival (Hitachi Soshagu Annual Festival)
The festival originated in the Genroku of the Edo Period for praying for the well-being of one’s family and their good health has been supported and popular among people. It is called one of the three most popular festivals in the Kanto area. The portable shrine in the high social status parades in front followed by about forty magnificent ‘dashis’-floats and ‘shishis’-wooden lion head and wagon covered with long festival cloth with wheels on/ More than four hundred thousand people come to see it during the period.

For the festival schedule, please click here.

You can view the images on the Ishioka City website:
山車(dashi)/floats
神輿(mikoshi)/portable shine
獅子(shishi)/wooden lion head,
or on the
Hitachi Soshagu Shrine website.

It’s a bit early to announce this, but I’m doing it anyway since I’ve come across a timely article on Mainichi Daily News.

From April 15 article:

Pottery-clad audio products hit the right notes

KASAMA, Ibaraki — An electronics manufacturer in Ibaraki Prefecture has begun receiving orders for audio products set in local Kasama-style pottery.

The speakers are shaped like a pot and their sound is clearer than that of normal wood speakers.

The amplifier is priced at more than 800,000 yen and each speaker at more than 30,000 yen.

An official from the manufacturer in Omitama said that the firm planned to market cheaper and smaller pottery-covered audio products. (Mainichi)

If this article got you interested in the Kasama Yaki(pottery), then 陶炎祭(ひまつり or Himatsuri), the largest pottery fair in the entire Kanto Region, will be waiting for you!

From Himatsuri Website:

‘Himatsuri’ in Kasama is the biggest event during the Golden Week with 219 potters and ceramic artists participating. Himatsuri can offer much more than other ‘Pottery Fairs’.
Potters have their individual stalls fashioned with their unique works and wares, and visitors can enjoy shopping for special finds. Visitors may also enjoy hands-on experience while interacting with artists.

In addition to Show-and-Sale of K