With the explosion of color and fresh greenery it is easy to overlook another April blossom, which though humble and quite rustic belongs to one of Japan`s (and Tsukuba`s) most common and important crops- the DAIKON RADISH! 

The daikon ( 大根) is an essential part of the Japanese diet YEAR-ROUND in the form of pickles and in soups and stews. Grated,it is also used as a condiment for a variety of dishes such as grilled fish or noodles. 

Daikon no Hana ( flowers of the daikon radish) Tsukuba 2010

Despite being eaten throughout the year, the daikon is considered to be a vegetable representative of winter, the season in which it has been traditionally harvested. 

Many farmers, however, leave some daikon in the fields over the winter, as they keep very fresh in the cold soil. 

Once they start to flower, either in white or purple cross shaped blossoms, the daikon can no longer be eaten. It will be possible to obtain seeds from them, however,and many farmers also leave them in the fields just to let them bloom. 

Flowering daikon- Konda, Tsukuba 2010

With the important role the daikon has played in the diet and folk customs of the people of Ibaraki, as well as its dominance of the Ibaraki`s AGRISCAPES, I sometimes wonder whether this rustic, yet charming flower should not be the PREFECTURAL FLOWER, instead of the high brow rose.

A row of flowering daikon radish in Tsukuba 2010

For more on the Daikon in Japanese culture and history and its special role in Ibaraki Prefecture I have written: 

http://blog.alientimes.org/2009/03/the-colder-the-sweeter-farmers-let-their-daikon-radish-chill-out-in-the-soil/ 

and 

http://tengooz.blogspot.com/2008/01/two-legged-daikon-radish-and-dosojin.html

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.

Shaney (the wondeful publisher of Tsukublog) and I spoke of offering a rough (emphasis on ROUGH) translation of 'what's on' each month at Nova Hall and Capio. Hopefully, this will be the first installment of what will be a monthly feature. It is a ROUGH translation because, after several experiments, we found the best results by simply machine translating the Tsukuba Cultural Foundation Home Page! Unfortunately (and although I am a translator), no easy way to fix the translation after the computer is done with it. However, it is all understandable. Please go to the following links for further information ...

TCF HOME PAGE (FRONT PAGE)

and

TCF DECEMBER CALENDAR

I also apologize for the following descriptions being rather sketchy ... the Japanese page provides few details. Please contact the theatres, at the numbers listed, for further details.

Highlights for December (not yet sold out ... as appears to be already the Leningrad State Opera Orchestra on 12/22) include the following:

Beethoven's Ninth on Monday 12/29, at Nova Hall ...  Y2000!

A FREE Christmas Jazz Concert on Sunday 12/14

Another FREE Christmas Concert (no details provided) on Tuesday 12/16

A Choir Concert (Y1000) on Friday 12/19

Three different classical and holiday concerts on Saturday 12/20

A FREE Christmas ballet performance on Sunday 12/21

A FREE Piano ensemble concert on Tuesday 12/23

A Doo-Wop concert by the Tsukuba U. Acapella Club on Saturday 12/27

Looking ahead to January, the big event seems to be a perfomance on Saturday 1/10 by members of the National Opera Theater of Leningrad (Y4000).

FINALLY, on a personal note ... we bought a house this year out by Yukari no Mori, plan to be here the next 20 years (spent the last 18 years in Tokyo). I hope to get to know many folks.

Happy Holidays!    J.Cohen

Here is some information from the Tsukuba International Association:

The scenario is a big earthquake in Tsukuba. We will be training to escape from the scene.There are 18 kinds of training drills, and we will observe them.There are exhibitions of disaster information and disaster prevention measures.For example:;evacuation guide, emergency rescue, rescue from a collapsed building, restoration of water supply and electricity, etc.

DATE： September 28 (Sun.) 2008

TIME： 8：00am to 12：00pm

Meeting Place: Tsukuba Capio Parking

*If you are coming to Tsukuba Capio by car, please park inthe toll parking lot near Tsukuba Capio.

Location of the drill: KASUMI Corp. 599-1, Nishiohashi, Tsukuba

Interpreter available (Please ask us if your language is available.)

Number of people: About 20

The event will be held even if it rains, but in the case of stormy weather, please call the Tsukuba International Association or Telephone Service from 7:00 a.m. on that day 0180-99-2984 (Japanese only)

Registration: Call or send an e-mail to the Tsukuba International AssociationTEL 029-869-7675 or inter@tsukubacity.or.jp

Last weekend I approached the castle hill from the turf-lawn field on its east side and veered towards the large bamboo grove on the left. I found an opening, leading to a trail kept clear by small mammals and mushroom hunters. Soon, however, any sense of a path was lost as old, dried out bamboo created obstacles. These could be easily negotiated by stepping over, going around, or snapping by foot. When I stood still, not a sound could be heard, except for the light clattering of the bamboo in the breeze. As I walked on further toward the edge of the grove I noticed some golf balls. This was not surprising as the turf-grass field is often used by my neighbors for driving practice　(it is common to find golf balls in bamboo groves around Ibaraki for this reason). The balls grew more and more numerous as I went on.

Then I noticed something. It looked like a golf ball, but slightly bigger. I thought — AN EGG! I crouched down to get a closer look. It sure did look like an egg, though almost perfectly round. I touched it. It felt like a hard boiled egg which had been peeled. I lifted it. This was no egg, it was a mushroom, connected to the soil with a thin white chord. How amazing! A round white mushroom, among all the golf balls. I searched for more, and found a few, but only among the golf balls.

My mind was racing! Had I found a species of mushroom which had evolved to take on the shape of the golf balls as camouflage? Fantasies of an article in Nature Magazine were spinning in my head. Then I saw a startling sight which brought me back to reality and gave me my first glimpse of something I had only seen before in books — a Phallus Impudicus (a well-known stinkhorn mushroom) which was standing erect having burst out of one of the eggs.

These mushrooms are called suppon take (which literally means snapping turtle mushrooms) in Japanese, because they resemble the neck and head of that creature. They are found not only in the Konda Woods, but also pop up in other locales in Japan, North-East Asia, Europe and North America. When the phallic mushrooms burst out of the egg (sometimes ten inches in a day!) the head becomes covered with a stinky slime which attracts flies and other insects. These critters then help to spread the mushroom’s spores. Before this happens, the egg itself has no foul smell and is actually eaten, not only in China where it is believed to be good for rheumatism (and as an aphrodisiac of course), but also in France and Germany.

These amazing fungi, extended to full length, can be seen through November in Konda-jo’s bamboo forest.

For more on PHALLUS IMPUDICUS and other stinkhorns see:

www.arkive.org/stinkhorn/phallus-impudicus/

www.rogersmushrooms.com/gallery/DisplayBlock~bid~6601.asp

www.rogersmushrooms.com/gallery/DisplayBlock

1 Comments

• At October 23, 2010, Mamoru Shimizu wrote:

  Very funny and sophisticated! Avi-san's idea that the mushrooms imitate golf balls as camouflage! If there were two suppon mushrooms and bursted similutaneously, it might look like eye-balls of Ex-PM Mr Y. Hatoyama?

  Tomorrow morning I would like to visit nearby bamboo forest to find them and might wait for a while for them just to burst and get sound-hearing "SU-PPON".

The KOBAN (police box) in front of the Minami Nagareyama Station

By Avi Landau

The policemen at the Minami-Nagareyama Koban ( police box) just outside the TX and Musashino-Line Stations do their best to give  directions, help people get their lost objects found, and most importantly, enforce the law and maintain order and peace.

It seems that there is one officer in particular stationed there who is especially vigillant, or should I say zealous, in carrying out his duty of serving and protecting the public. This veteran of the force, is also very alert and extremely sharp.

I realize this about him, since despite the fact that I am no taller than the average citizen of this country and was wearing a cap over my clean-shaven head ( which means no brown hairs), he was able to notice, in the second or two that it took me to pass by his quaint, white-washed office, that my nose and eyes were slightly different from those of the rest of the people around me.

That was enough to alert him to danger and set him into immediate action.

He approached me as I was standing in front of  the convenience store next to his koban. I was contemplating going in and getting something to drink, as soon as I had finished the piece of cheese bread ( my lunch) that I was munching on.

Assuming that I could not understand Japanese, he used the thumbs and forefingers of both hands ( despite the fact that he was holding a clipboard) to form a small rectangle (indicating an ID), and asked me to show him my Alien Registration Card, using the expression KA-DO misete kudasai ( Please show me your card).

I have to admit that I was caught a bit off-guard. Not only was this because I had never been confronted in this way before in Japan, but also because I was holding my cheese bread in one hand and my jacket in the other, while my mouth was full.

Nodding "SURE" with my head, and going into a fast-chew-quick swallow- mode, I flailed my arms in a flustered way trying to indicate that first I would have to get rid of my bread and put down my jacket.

He eyed me suspiciously, yet patiently and politely.

Fumbling for my wallet, swollen with unneeded receipts, myriad meishi ( name cards) and various membership cards, I shuffled through the lot trying to find my Alien Registration Card. I muttered an embarrassed yet polite chotto matte kudasai ( just a moment),while he responded with a sympathetic: "You`ve got alot of cards there".

With a feeling of relief I found what he wanted to see and handed it to him. And since I was confident that everything was in order, I thought that that would be it, after he had checked my status validity.

But that was NOT it.Instead of just handing me back my card, he started to write down my personal details on his clipboard.

Then he started questioning me. " What are you doing around here?" Where are you going?" "What do you do for a living?"

If you (dear readers) had been looking at me, you would surely would not failed to have seen my jaw drop and eyes open in disbelief.

I thought about saying something sarcastic or refusing to answer, but KNEW that the best thing to do was cooperate. I have heard that it was possible that things could get much worse if the officer felt I was ressisting.

I told him why I was there. I had to be at Minami Koshigaya Station at 2, and the only way to get there using the TX Line would be to change trains at Minami Nagareyama. And since it was lunch time and I was early, I thought I could have a look around the neighborhood, one which I had never visited before. I also told him that I was going to Koshigaya to  record the narration for a DVD detailing a new neurosurgical technique, using a text which I had translated.

I took the original Japanese manuscript for this text out of my bag and showed it to him. He seemed very impressed with my Japanese ability, but that did not stop him from questioning me further, and writing down everything I said.

To top it all off, he asked me if I had a cell-phone. When I told him I did, he asked me to give him my number!

My eyes nearly popped out of my head in disbelief! Still, I complied. When I finished giving him my number, though,I told him that he could check the number I gave him, by calling me from his cell phone, which to my amazement he did! So now I have his number,too!

When he was finished with his questions and seemed to be satisfied that I would not be a danger to the public ( at least for that moment), he told me that he thought all the foreigners had gone back home after the earthquake and nuclear accident ( so I guess he was disappointed to find one still in Japan). He also said that there were many bad foreigners in Japan ( but I thought he had said that all the foreigners were gone!), and that I should cooperate with the police.

When I asked him if all foreigners are checked and questioned at Minami Nagareyama, he proudly responded- when Im on duty, they are!

Read more about what you should do ( cooperate!) if you are stopped for no reason by the Japanese police here:

http://www.debito.org/whattodoif.html#checkpoint

And no. I will not be going back to Minami Nagaryama very soon.

7 Comments

• At May 5, 2011, Hanamizuki wrote:

  Maybe the police are worried about terrorism after the death of Bin Laden. Sorry for your experience.

• At May 6, 2011, sue wrote:

  On the lighter side, I went to the bakery I often frequent for lunch the other day. Since I work in the governmental district of Tokyo, there are usually a lot of foreigners out and about. These days, however, I have noticed there are not as many expats on the street as before. It used to be that we would see the nursery school baby carriages going by with about six youngsters of varying international hues.

  To make a long story short, when I went in to the bakery to get my lunch, the chef came out to talk to me. He was so happy to see that I was still in Japan and explained how he had lost so many customers in the foreign exodus out of Japan. He was so thrilled that I was staying on that he loaded me with an extra loaf of bread and various of the 'kashi-pan`, dessert style breads. My family was quite happy with me when I came home later that evening bearing his gifts.

• At May 6, 2011, Avi Landau wrote:

  You are not going to believe this, but on the very next day after having been questioned by the police in Minami-Nagareyama (Chiba Prefecture), I was stopped and questioned AGAIN, in the same manner, in Narita City (Chiba Prefecture). Maybe its part of a new prefectural policy. And since this happened just BEFORE the news of Bin Ladin`s death, there was probably no connection between what happened to me and new terror alerts. So now I guess, the police have even more of an excuse for stopping non-Japanese.

  Anyway, as you can imagine, Im feeling a bit paranoid now and dont want to step outside of Tsukuba!

• At May 9, 2011, Mamoru Shimizu wrote:

  Avi-san’s case attracted my interest and reminded of some historical events. On September First 1923 Japan, and especially the Kanto Area experienced a big earthquake called the Great Kanto Earthquake which resulted in the loss of more than 105 thousand lives, mostly by fire.

  After the earthquake false rumors arose that some Korean people (at the time they had Japanese nationality) were said to riot or poison wells, and there were around 200 who were caught and killed by vigilante groups.

  Also some anarchists were arrested by the army-military-police or the special-police and were killed. A famous person killed was Ohsugi Sakae, later the captain of the military police whose name Amakasu was arrested, court-martialed and had been sentenced ten-years penal servitude, ( he served three years) he became a civilian fixer for set-up of the Manchurian Empire 10 years later in 1931. It was the beginning of Japan`s road to to WW2. (There was no relation between the earthquake and the war.)

  Anyway with the recent big earthquake and the ongoing nuclear problem at the Fukushima nuclear plant, and the on going war against Terror it is not so strange that some police officers possibly became sensitive about foreign terrorists. He might had been watched such TV movies as “24”.

  Not only him but most Japanese thought almost all foreigner run away from Japan and almost no tourists are visiting Japan, especially the eastern part of Japan now (Embassies of Many countries suggesting not to have travels in North-East Japan).

  As you know there is Japanese law “Law about duty enforcement by police officers”, by this they can stop and make questions to any person whom he thinks strange, even to a very gentle looking person or infant.

  When I was a college student, first year in 1961, I went to join a demonstration against the amendment of that law to be strengthened someway which I don’t remember, that was the first and the last I joined demonstration because I became to know that joining demonstration tend to make people part of a mob psychology.

  After 9/11 and 3/11 something has changed. We have to expect that public security will become tighter after Bin Ladin’s assassination by Executive Order. It is a pity aspect for me living 21 century afraid of Radiation and Ladinaton.

• At May 10, 2011, Erizabesu wrote:

  Wow, I had such a different experience recently. When I arrived at Narita Airport in the first week of April, I was waiting for a bus and took a seat inside arrivals area. A policeman was carefully approaching every foreign-looking person, asking for their foreign registration cards and noting details. The cop specifically asked if I was a tourist or resident. I thanked him for his vigillance and for checking on all non-Japanese arriving, and that I was glad to be checked.

  I don't see the police as villains necessarily. I've been approached and helped by police in other countries before (and got a free ride to my hotel from Edinburgh police who offered, but did not order, me into their patrol car!).

• At May 17, 2011, Justin wrote:

  By the way, police in Japan are not allowed to stop you for no reason. They require "suspicious activity" in order to stop someone. I've confirmed this with 2 former public prosecutors and a private attorney. Next time you're stopped, demand a reason. If he won't give you one, file a complaint and ask for the reason why you were stopped. As a free person in a free country, don't you think you deserve a reason for being stopped by the police?

• At August 11, 2011, Louis wrote:

  Ahh yes, but Justin, you forget that wanting to know the reason for being stopped is, itself, suspicious enough to justify being stopped. Or at least, that's how they'll play it...

Tsukuba`s Meteorological Observation Tower Will Disappear in June

When not exactly sure of where we are in Tsukuba, locals and long time residents, always look for Mt Tsukuba`s familiar, semi-crushed M shape. When we spot it, we immediately gain our bearings.

When it is too cloudy, or hazy ( as it often is in summer) to spot the  familiar mountain, there is another landmark, which Tsukubans have turned to, to find their way- the 213 meter tall steel tower which since 1975 has been standing within the spacious precincts of the National Meteorological Research Institute.

With its  blinking beacons, it is especially visible at night, and when returning to Tsukuba from other parts, whether by car or by bus,  its flashing lights are always like a warm and reassuring WELCOME HOME.

The Meteorological Measurement Tower

You can imagine how dismayed I was then, to find out, that this highest of all structures in Tsukuba, has been deemed to have outlived its usefulness, and judged too costly to maintain. In other words, it has been condemned, and will be dismantled by the end of June.

I once had the good fortune to have been invited, by a researcher affiliated with the institute, to go up to the top of orange and white tower. I was amazed by how much time the small elevator ( capacity-3) took to get to the top- about 20 minutes! A veritable snail`s pace!

The view from the top was worth the long ride and the frosty temperatures, though, with Mt Tsukuba, Lake Kasumigaura and Mt Fuji all visible.

There is also a ladder which can be climbed to the top- not for the acrophobic! I have heard that this route up has been illicitly used by various late night-thrill seekers, including students from a nearby ( and quite famous) private school.

The tower through the trees

The tower was used to take collect all sorts of meteorological data, which can now be gathered by other means, using newer technologies.

I think I speak for all of those who have grown familiar with, and fond of this tower, when I say I will be sad to see it gone ( though when it IS gone, on very windy days I will no longer have to keep a nervous eye on it as I pass within its falling range!) 

Some of the small woods near the tower

I`m also concerned about what will happen to the area around it after it is dismantled. It is now  a sort of unofficial nature preserve, with plenty of trees and open meadows to provide a haven for birds and small mammals.Unfortunately, most of this will in all probability quickly disappear.

Deconstruction work has already begun, so if you`d like to take some memorial photos or call out a final farewell, you`d better hurry up.

Alas !What will will we look to now when lost on foggy days or by the dark of night?

Here is what Ive written about Tsukuba`s notorious non-working windmills, and what happened to them:

http://blog.alientimes.org/2008/10/tsukubas-non-turning-windmills-turned-objets-dart-gone-with-the-wind/

Keiji Nakazawa`s HADASHI NO GEN (Barefoot Gen)

It is in August , when Japan is most ALIVE ,with the droning of cicadas, the wild expansion of  vegetation, and with the air itself seemingly PULSATING with LIFE, that the Japanese have traditionally remembered The Dead. In this month, not only is there the O-Bon Festival, in which over the centuries the spirits of departed relatives have been welcomed back to their homes and families for a few days, but there are also the 3 major memorial events related to the Second World War- the anniversaries of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ( August 6th and 9th respectively) and the anniversary marking the end of the war itself, which is on the 15th.

Though more than half a century has passed, and with each passing year they become fewer in number, there are still those who vividly remember, and I guess you could say LIVE EVERYDAY with the memories of wartime events. Some such people also live in or around Tsukuba. Im not sure why, maybe because I am a foreigner ( an outsider), but over the years several older Japanese have confided their stories of that time to me.  Since today is the anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki , Chizuko-San`s story comes to mind.

Still elegant , youthful and very active in her late seventies,  Chizuko,  has lived  all over Japan, having moved around the country in her childhood, because of her fathers job as a government official. In 1945, her family was living in Hiroshima, but because of the danger of staying in ANY Japanese city at that time posed by the American bombing campaign, she took refuge at a relatives house, far off in the country, along with her mother and siblings, while her father remained in the doomed city.

On the morning of August 6th, her father was near the center of Hiroshima. Somehow , maybe by having been shielded from the explosion, heat and radiation by a protective wall of some sort, he survived, and made his why though the INDESCRIBABLE HORROR created by the atomic detonation and its aftermath. In  dazed grief and desperation, he set out to reunite himself with his family. Describing how he got to them would require a MUCH longer posting, but anyway, to make a long story short, he DID make it to his family, where they were of couse overjoyed and relieved to see him. He had the same feeling about finding THEM alive and well. That is because they had been staying with country cousins who lived- maybe you`ve already guessed it - just outside NAGASAKI !

Exactly what Chizuko`s father lived through is impossible for us to imagine, and many of those who went through that the same experience found it difficult (and painful) to describe. One of the works that I would recommend which attempts to depict the undepictable horror of The Bomb and war in general is the comic book series entitiled HADASHI NO GEN (Barefoot Gen), by Keiji Nakazawa. If you imagine that a comic book format would belittle this solemn subject, you are mistaken. Rather than millionnaire actors in make-up, or  a multitude of skillfulfully chosen black words on a white page, Nakazawa`s combination of simple text and drawings might be the most perfect attempt ever at portraying the UNIMAGINABLE.

 Since it is one of the GREAT ANTI-WAR and MILITARISM works that I am aware of, I recommend  reading the whole series, preferably in Japanese. There are also translations ,however, including some portions available for free online. See here-

http://books.google.co.jp/books?id=RVagKBV6WVoC&dq=hadashi+no+gen&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=JISa9ZXhCl&sig=LnNR2ea21yHXlrcjKiFiovrvqWw&hl=ja&ei=tXB-SuqbDYaPkQXYnJWBAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3#v=onepage&q=hadashi%20no%20gen&f=false

I have written before about the O-Bon Festival. Reread those posts here

http://blog.alientimes.org/2008/08/theyre-coming-home/

and

http://blog.alientimes.org/2008/08/bon-jour/

And for those interested in Japanese history and culture have a look at my article on visiting Yasukuni Shrine on Aug 15. I will be going again this year, so if anyone would like to join me, let me know.

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

3 Comments

• At August 10, 2009, TSlice wrote:

  Hopefully nuclear weapons will never be used again.

• At August 13, 2009, Chris Watson wrote:

  I'm thinking of going to Yasukuni on Saturday. I'd like to see some fascists up close without getting beaten up!

  What time does the 'fun' start? - I was going to wander down mid-morning.

  It's OK to take photos, obviously...

• At August 14, 2009, Avi Landau wrote:

  I would recommend arriving early and staying through till dusk. Last year the violent encounters between Right and Left-Wing extremists began in the early afternoon, and this was not of course within the precincts of the shrine.

  Taking pictures is no problem at all. As you can imagine the U-Yoku ( rightists), love nothing more, than being photographed strutting their stuff in full costume. It is really quite a show.

  Take it all in .

  If you have any thoughts, please post your comments here.

Kinkan Manju from Kakunodate ( 2010)

I have to admit that Ive been a bit down in the dumps these past few weeks. Its been the weather. I was so looking forward to springs warm embrace, and to being able to walk around my house without having a winter jacket on ( in Japan most houses do not have central heating). But things just have not worked out as expected. We seem to have been given the COLD SHOULDER this year, and Im STILL ( on April 18th) refilling the little fuel tanks on my kerosene heaters, muttering expletives to myself as I do so.

So, while DEPRESSION in Japan most commonly sets in in the month of May, as people have trouble adjusting to new work and study situations which have  begun in spring, with this syndrome being known as GO-GATSU- BYO ( 五月病), May Sickness, it seems that I have come down with a hard case of what I will call SHIGATSU BYO- April Depression. I hope it will melt away as the air warms up.

Even while the weather has been chilled, there have been encounters which have ( briefly) lifted my spirits. One such experience was the result of a meeting with my friend Kaori Kakuta, who had just returned from a trip to Kakonodate ( 角館) in Akita Prefecture, a town famous for its cherry blossoms ( still too early) and its district of old samurai houses.

As is the custom, Kao-San came bearing OMIYAGE ( お土産) to share with friends. These are gifts, usually foods, which ideally should be representative of a place ( either visited or one`s hometown).  Each city and tourist attraction has its own such products with some of them having become iconic representations of their places of origin ( for example, nearly all Japanese people would understand, when recieving dove shaped cookies, that the giver has been to Kamakura).

Kaori had brought what looked like typical Japanese cakes called MANJU, which are dumplings made of wheat flour, usually filled with sweets beans. Not having heard their name, which would have prepared me for what was inside, I casually bit into mine.

Kinkan Manju sliced down the middle revealing its inner contents...

Expecting the usual bean filling, my tastebuds were jolted with the suprising sweet and sour sensations they encountered. I held the cakes up for a look at what exactly it was there inside........ a stewed KINKAN, in other words- kumquats, which are like tiny, bite-sized oranges.

I excitedly asked what these cakes were called, and found out that their creator had simply named them KINKAN MANJU ( kumquat dumplings). I said that it would probably be better to give them a name which would hide the identitiy of their contents because the surprise it provides to unknowing biters is surely one of its strong points.

In any case, these snacks are a great idea and right away I went for another one. i even asked if I could take one more for the road, and was kindly obliged.

...a kumquat!

Just what connection there is between kumquats and Kakundate ( if any), I do not know, but if anyone does head up there, as well you should, for either the cherry blossoms or its historical architecture and crafts, please bring back some KINKAN MANJU for me!

It might also be possible to order them buy phone, mail or email. Here is there contact info:

014-0325
仙北郡角館町東勝楽丁１２－２
tel 018７-５３－２３１０
fax018７-５３-２３１０

The name of the shop is GOTO FUKUSHIN DO ( 後藤福進堂), and it seems that they sell kinkan manju for 100 yen a piece.

For more info on Kakunodate:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3601.html

Remember, you still what time to catch the cherry blossoms up there.

2 Comments

• At April 18, 2010, Dan Waldhoff wrote:

  Aloha Avi,

  They look delicious and especially so because one of my favorite foods is Onsen Tamago!

  Still that depression by leaving the stoves unlit. I stopped heating after reading "Memories of Wind and Water", bundling up inside in stead. I figured if they could do it I could too. From that freezing cold base even a slight warming makes the coming of spring a brighter joy!

  Dan

• At April 19, 2010, Sara Mari wrote:

  Wow, those kinkan manju look so yummy! I've never had a kumquat so that's really interesting to me^^

For the Japanese, falling and fallen cherry blossom petals have always inspired a sense of regret ( OSHIMU, 惜しむ), a sadness brought on by the fact, that all things must pass ( and ever so quickly).

I, too, experience the same melancholy as the petals come raining down on me with each breeze or gust, beginning  just a day or two after the glory ( and power) of the sakura`s full blooming.

Walking around for the next few days can offer a mesmerizingly, even dizzyingly beautiful experience, if you keep your head down observing the myriad of changing patterns which the fallen petals form.

My favorite fallen petal scenes are those that I find in the tracks of wild animals or tires or any other spaces in which the delicate petals are safe from being blown away by the wind.

Shakuyaku ( peonies) in the snow- by Harumi Takaya

More snow in the fields

This year, however, has given us some rare groundscapes indeed, as winter which never wants to give up its grip, has been able to successfully cling on to dear life right through mid-April. In fact, when I got up this morning, April 17th, groggy from sleep and grumpy because it was still VERY COLD in my house, I nealry PLOTZED when I looked out the window and saw an almost completely white landscape! It was the first time in over 40 years for such a late late snowfall.

Nanohana ( rape blossoms) in the snow

I thought that I should get outside and take a closer look, but as soon as I did, the sleet that was falling picked up in intensity and I head back for the shelter of my TATAMI ROOM which was starting to get heated up ( luckilly I still had some kerosene left over for my heater).

Mid-April snow in Harumi Takaya`s garden

A carpet of cherry blossom petals

Pheasant ( kiji) tracks filled with cherry blossom petals in Konda, Tsukuba

Fallen petals by the Sakura City Office, Tsukuba

In the afternoon, when the sky cleared up, I headed out on foot, towards the university. On the way I passed more groundscapes, these, particular to the season. The farmers, have recently been getting the fields ready for the rice plantation by plowing the soil. This is called TA OKOSHI. Traditionally this was done in the coldest part of winter, the idea being to expose harmful warm to the frosty cold and thus killing them.

These days, the farmers wait until early spring to get things started, and instead of relying on the cold, use chemicals to kill the pests. HMMM.

Tractor tracks in a Tsukuba rice field ( April 2010)

The cherry blossom petals will be on the ground for a few more days. In fact, because of the cold, there are still many blossoms on the trees! That means you still have time to enjoy HANA FUBUKI ( petal blizzards) and HANA IKADA ( petals floating in the water) and the dazzling patterns on the ground in general.

Enjoy

Dodan tsutsuji in the snow ( Harumi Takaya)