Men Who? 面子

Displayed here is a small potpourri of menko, which are small cards that are used for a children’s game. I came across them the other day at a used book fair when I was shopping for a gift in Shin-tokorozawa. I had no idea what these cards were when I saw them, but they looked perfect for a project I am working on in my spare time (i.e., Web site). I asked the proprietor about them, and he explained the rules of the game, which are quite simple. One player places a card face up on the ground, at which the other player throws a similar card as hard as he can. If the card initially placed on the ground flips over to reveal its reverse side, the thrower takes his opponent's card and adds it to his collection. It’s kind of a silly game, actually. But I imagine that it can get pretty serious for frustrated prepubescent boys, who are looking for any excuse to display their prowess to their fellow peers.

I also asked the proprietor if he could date the cards for me. He couldn’t. His best guess was post-war, but that could mean anything. I imagine they are from the 50s or early 60s, but can’t say for sure. That would require a menko expert, and I have no idea where I could find one of those let alone start my search. I just like the colors and caricatures anyway.

Sunday in Kamakura 鎌倉への遠足

I recently visited the historic city of Kamakura (also see here) for a walking tour sponsored by the Tokyo Fulbright Association. About ten Fulbright grantees from the Tokyo area participated, as well as roughly an equal number of Japanese Fulbright alumni. This was my first time to Kamakura. I’ve always assumed it was so much farther away, but actually it’s just one hour south of Tokyo by train, no transfers.

I was told beforehand to expect crowds of people, because Kamakura is a popular tourist destination on the weekends. We went on a Sunday in the middle of a three-day weekend, so the place was just swarming with people. This made it rather difficult for me to get any decent pictures, but that’s ok; I’ll visit again sometime soon during the week when things should be quite.

The last photo here is a traditional Shinto wedding, which just happened to be going on while we were passing through the shrine grounds of Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū (鶴岡八幡宮). All these years in Japan, and I had never seen a Japanese wedding until this day. I’m still puzzled why anyone would want to get married on a weekend in Kamakura, up on a stage, in the middle of one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions, surrounded by throngs of curious strangers. But that’s just me of course.

Goro 待ってるんですけど、餌を

Goro, waiting. Stage 2.

There was some debate this evening about whether or not I should subject my readers to so much Goro ゴッチャん. Two pictures would certainly suffice. Better yet, one. But in the end I couldn't let go, so you're getting four. My wife has reminded me that parents appreciate photos of their children far more than anyone else. For the same reason, it's foolish to inundate the public with pictures of Goro; no one will care. The Egyptians would have loved it, but they are gone. So it goes.

What is Stage 2? We’ve confirmed that the cats time their evening meals by the sun. They wake up around 4:00 these days, and by 5:00 dinner is already late in their minds. I took these photos after Goro’s initial paces about the house, his first attempt to alert us to his empty stomach. Stage 2 is finding a place to perch near one of us, should the initial frustrated saunters go unnoticed, and to strike a number of attention-getting poses. I’ve provided a few examples here for your enjoyment.

My Base of Operations 机の上にゴジラが居る

This is my desk at home. I cleaned it up a bit the other day when we were moving some things around in the apartment (including that big white shelf in the photo).

I am pretty organized, and like to keep my work space as clean as possible. Despite my best efforts, however, my desktop normally resorts to an orderly chaos.* At least, that was true back in the States when I had a massive L-shaped desk at home and a small campus office. Since coming to Japan, my work patterns have changed.

There are a number of reasons for this, one being available space (living environments are smaller in Japan). Also, I don’t want a massive desk right now. We could fit one in this room with no problem, but it would just encourage me to spread out more papers, books, and various “works in progress.” I only use this desk when I need a computer. If I am reading and taking notes, I haul what I need to the Japanese room and work there, since it is completely empty during the day save a small table and a few cushions on which to plop. I make a mess in there while I am working, but at the end of the day I must pack away all my books and papers to make room for our futons. Thus, I haven’t had much trouble keeping things in order around the house.

And in case you are wondering: yes, that is a Godzilla (ゴジラ) statuette on my desk. I’ve always wanted one, and snagged this guy last week when I happened upon him in a shop in Shin-Tokorozawa. I don’t know how I’ve lasted this long without one. Every Japanologist should have a Godzilla on their desk!


*NOTE: (I am aware of the oxymoron in this sentence, and must beg the word sleuths amongst you to allow me the absurdity of just this one paradoxical comment.)

Mt. Fuji 富士山だ！

I can see Mount Fuji from my house. Actually, I have to go outside and around the corner to see it, but that’s nothing. This is the best time of the year to see the mountain, because the air is so crisp and clear.

Be sure to click on the photo for a larger image.

Hodgepodge ごた混ぜの家

A touch of this, a dash of that. Voila! C’est une maison!

The last photo from my Iruma tour. I stumbled upon this interesting home toward the end of the day, and spent about 30 minutes just looking at it. I should have taken several detail shots, because it really is amazing what they have worked into the main structure of this home. On the opposite side, for example, there is a complete bicycle integrated into one of the exterior walls. I wonder who lives in there.

Be sure to click on the photo for a much large picture. Au revoir, mes amis.

Burned to the Ground 全焼全滅

I took this photo during the much storied Iruma photo tour of last month. An old home and workshop burnt to the ground recently near our apartment. I feel just awful for the people who lived there, but I saw this coming. The house was built probably right after the war when materials were in short supply; it’s mainly corrugated tin and wood. I don’t know what kind of “workshop” was in this place, but I know they used to burn a lot of wood in there. I'm not saying that's what caused the fire, but it's possible.

A family of cats lived in there. We used to see them from time to time on our walks to the local market. I hope they made it out safely.

Dog and Death 犬と死神

Despite the rather ominous title, I can assure you there is nothing grim about this post. Featured here are two pictures: a dog and a detail of another road sign. I took both of them on my recent Iruma photo tour. The photo of the dog speaks for itself, I think; but the sign deserves a brief explanation. It’s promoting the 110 repot-a-crime hotline to children, telling them to call right away should they see any strange vehicles prowling around or are accosted by some shamelessly sinister villain.

The thing that actually caught my eye in this sign was the caricature of Death in the upper-right corner. What’s he doing there?

Incidentally, I think it would be pretty difficult to find signs like those featured here recently back in the States. Cities would be too afraid of lawsuits filed on behalf of children claiming irreparable psychological damages. That’s pure conjecture, of course. A real tightrope. Ha! I think I’ll sign off here for today. ヘばなー！

Danger!! あぶない！！

This is another photo I took in Iruma a couple weeks ago. I found it next to the river that runs through the center of the city. It’s a warning to children, and reads: Danger!! Don’t Play in the Water. The creepy creature reminiscent of a Dr. Seuss creation is the mythical water sprite known widely as kappa (河童) here in Japan. I don’t know if this image would have intimidated me as a child, but it strikes me as rather eerie now.

Daytrip to Gunma 群馬県への遠足

My wife and I went on another daytrip to Gunma prefecture with her parents, today. I had a wonderful time, as usual. We visited the Akagi Nature Park (赤城自然園) for a walk to view the autumn foliage, and stopped by a local farmers’ market and apple orchard (キミちゃんりんご園) for fresh produce on the way home. The dog and cat in the last picture were at the orchard.

Sayama Street View IV 狭山市 その４

I found this a couple weeks ago during my photo tour of the area. It’s a storefront sign for a shop abandoned long ago. I love the accidental display of color and faded patterns that time has etched into this alloy canvas. I wouldn’t be surprised at all were I to stumble upon an oil painting of a similar design in some gallery.

Click on the photo for a much larger image if you are curious.

Obama オバマ

This afternoon I took a break from my studies to visit Miyakien (ミヤキエン) for another week’s supply of free range eggs. When I entered the main office, the old woman behind the counter greeted me with a familiar hello followed by some small talk about the weather and such. As she was putting my eggs together, she turned to me and added: “Wonderful news about the election.” I was a puzzled for about a nanosecond, and then realized she was talking about the US election.

“Oh, you mean Obama. Yeah, that’s wonderful news,” I replied.

“He’s so young and smart. I feel so much better about the world’s future now, knowing that it’s in the hands of a new generation. He gives me hope.”

“I feel the same way,” I respond as I completed my purchase and headed back for home.

“He gives me hope.” This from a little old lady running a humble egg farm in rural Japan. “He gives me hope.”

Waseda Dōri Used Bookstores I 早稲田通りの古本屋 その１

This is one of my favorite used bookstores on Waseda Dōri, Atsumi Shobō. They have a great selection of books related to my specialization, so I visit about once a month to spend a portion of my allocated research fund.

I picked up several titles yesterday (thanks, Fulbright!). You can see them here in their opened and unopened states. I love the way they wrap even the humblest of purchases in Japan. Fortunately, they have an amazing recycling program in place as well, but that is a story for another day.

Manhole Covers VII マンホールカバー その７

I had completely forgotten about these photos—taken on 20 September—until this morning, the standard and painted variant of Kokubunji’s official manhole cover. Enjoy!

Meeting Friends 友達

I went to campus today for the first time since my affliction, and met some friends for lunch and conversation. I first caught up with Bob in the Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum (Enpaku) on the Waseda campus, and we soon settled in for a nice chat on a nearby bench. We were soon joined by another friend from Stanford, Mr. Gundry. The three of us went to a nice little Korean restaurant in the area for lunch, and spent a part of the afternoon in the International Center watching Obama win the presidency.

I listen to Memories 89 One KCEA-FM with WINAMP a lot these days. I love the old radio shows and music from that bygone era. Great stuff.

Iruma Air Show 2008 入間航空祭 2008

Monday (3 November) was Culture Day (文化の日) here in Japan, and I spent most of the day at the Iruma Air Show (入間航空祭) at the Iruma Air Base. It was pretty much your standard basic air show. An eye feast of decommissioned and current planes lined up in a row, some demonstrations, a brass band, gut-wrenching carnival food and cheap crappy toys, the Miss Air Show photo op, interviews with pilots, and the Miss Air Show photo op. The Blue Impulse team (an aerial aerobatic team similar to the Blue Angels in the US) put on a cracking (suddenly I’m British) demonstration at the end of the show as well. The only disappointment was the weather, but it didn’t bother me too much.

Couple observations. First, there were a ton of guys here with cameras and all sorts of camera gear. It was obvious to me right away that these people knew what they were doing, because many of them came with a step ladder in addition to the regular bags of equipment you expect to see photography hobbyists hauling around. I felt like a complete neophyte next to these guys. And you should have seen the way the ones with the huge telephoto lenses strutted around and claimed the best spots on the tarmac. Like a bunch of bull elephant seals staking out breading territory on a beach. Lots of testosterone and lens envy in the air that day.

Over 200,000 people visited the base for the show. The only times I’ve ever been surrounded by 200,000 other bodies is in cities, but there are all sorts of structures and what not around. This was an uninterrupted sea of people. When the show came to a conclusion, it took an hour to walk the 200 meters to the exit. That’s a lot of people.

The Miss Air Show photo op. I didn’t even know this was part of the program. I was standing around with a bunch of other guys admiring a Kawasaki T-4 (suddenly I’m a military plane enthusiast now), when a bus pulled up out of nowhere and several women dressed in kimono emerged with one officer escort a piece. They each then proceeded to their assigned positions on the tarmac, stood in front of their respective aircraft, and posed for the cameras for about ten minutes. Babes and planes, more testosterone. Ha!

I was actually more moved by one girl in particular, and her brief encounter with the T-4. She posed in front of the plane with her officer like the others, but it was obvious she was more interested in the plane than anything else. She kept turning around to catch fleeting glimpses of the craft before finally turning her back to the photographers (I loved it!) and asking the officer a number of questions. He kindly answered in turn, but something caught his attention and he turned away for a moment. (I think someone wanted him to redirect her attention toward the cameras, but I could be wrong.) It was at that instant that the girl extended a tentative hand and lightly touched the side of the plane. The plane must have affected her somehow, because even when she was led away, she kept turning around as if she wasn’t quite ready to say good-bye to her newly made acquaintance. It all seemed too intimate; I felt like I spy and a thief.

I’m Back 復活しました

I am back after an unanticipated break of ten days. I wrote several entries in my head during my absence, but for a time I couldn’t bring myself to start hammering away at these keys again. You see, I was waylaid on 25 October. I know there are all sorts of degrees to the waylay; some will set you back more than others, assuming you are able to get back on your feet and resume course after the waylay, that is.

I was waylaid by a vile pestilence last Saturday just shortly after returning home from an extended photography tour over in the neighboring city, Iruma-shi. The tenacious spore spawn started as a taunting tickle at the back of my throat, and by the close of the evening it had flowered like a bristly creeper across my battered oropharynx. A fever ensued shortly thereafter, followed by sweating and general discomfort. I went down hard and stayed down for several days. On Sunday I was delirious and couldn’t even manage to get out of bed. I have bad memories of debilitating fever-induced aches and pains that had me squirming around on the floor (my wife was away) when I needed a drink of water or some other form of nourishment that my body required to stem the tide of the heinous viral infection assaulting my immune system.

I haven’t been sick for about four years now, so I’ve known this was coming. It really couldn’t have happened at a worse time for me, though. I had to miss two events I have been waiting months for as a result: seeing my old advisor Professor Ii Haruki (伊井春樹先生) at the International Forum on “The Tale of Genji” (源氏物語国際フォーラムＩ) and my father-in-law’s 60th birthday party at the Hitachi Mejiro Club (日立目白クラブ). Curses! Fire and Brimstone!

But, I’m back now. I won’t be able to run for a couple more days, but I am up and moving again.

I took this picture of our cats last night. That’s Momo on top using her brother Goro (who is unfortunately slightly out of focus) as a heating pad. It’s getting colder here every day.

Back to work.