Assaulted by Akihabara

One of the first things you see when exiting the Akihabara metro line is an advertisement of one kind or another. At first it starts out pretty tame with only a few posters here and there across the walls. But as soon as you leave the terminal it’s a never-ending assault on your senses. The streets echo with the voices of shopkeepers shouting our their special discounts, girls dressed in pretty clothes handing out flyers, flashing neon signs displaying shop stores, and television screens plastered to the sides of buildings informing bystanders of the latest and greatest products. I imagine it’d probably be a lot like going to Times Square.

Unlike Times Square however you’re still surrounded by ads, to the point where they can literally cover the walls and ceilings. You don’t really notice it a first since most of the ads use a lot of negative space, but when you have a moment to look around you notice them. Whether you look left, right, up, or down your eyes are bond to land on some form of ad. While this can make sense form an advertisement standpoint in which you want to provide the younger consumers with as many options as they need to select their own style. Which is the main goal of most advertisement agencies in Japan, because once a consumer chooses their brand chances are they’ll continue to buy that brand for the rest of their life. So the main thing an ad wants to get across to the consumers is that their brand is a brand they can empathize with. It’s much more important for the consumer to relate to a brand then for the brand to actually be functional, and it would appear that the ad companies can be quite aggressive to get their empathic messages across.

The Gundam Cafe

In Japan, there's this thing called Mobile Suit Gundam. Its an epic animated series that has spurred nearly countless spin-offs and sequels. As a cultural icon, I've read that it can be compared to what Star Wars has become in the States. Ever since it was introduced in America, I've been a pretty avid fan. When walking around Japan If you know what to look for there are quite a bit of iconic references. But to be even more specific: The Gundam Cafe. Everything about this place has been designed to reflect different aspects of the anime, from the outfits of the employees to the restrooms. It's also actually a pretty classy place, which struck me as odd at first because back home, Gundam isn't something that's necessarily associated with people dressed in formal attire, enjoying fine dining and expensive drinks. When I say expensive I mean it. The cheapest drinks were around 800 yen and I remember seeing some food items for over 3000! I've been there a few times now and every time I go it's pretty busy. Two of those times there was a line of people coming out of the place, waiting to get in. I think its really great that something that back in the U.S. that would be considered kind of nerdy can hold this kind of status here in Japan. Of course, I might be slightly biased because I'm such a fan but either way it was a pretty interesting and enjoyable cafe.

To see more, here is a link to the Official website.

Tattoos in Tokyo

Tattoos have a long history in Japan which has made it hard for modern Japanese citizens to get tattoos. Throughout Japanese history tattoos have been outlawed for various reasons. This has made trying to find a tattoo parlor very difficult.

On the first free day in Tokyo I planned to get a tattoo of a koi fish because koi are so prominent in Japanese culture. I thought that it would at least be somewhat easy to find an open tattoo parlor while in Tokyo because it is the second largest city n the world. I was so wrong.

The people at the front desk of our hostel gave me the name of a local tattoo artist and directions to his shop. Two other girls went with me to look for the shop and it was a lot harder to find then I ever could have imagined.

The map only gave us a few land marks so we had to ask multiple people for directions as to where the shop was. Most people made funny faces when we asked, because of the continued stigma of tattoos. After searching for a few hours we were lead to an apartment building by a nice shop keeper. Many Japanese tattoo artists still tattoo in their apartments instead of the traditional shops in America. This scared me quite a bit but I really wanted this tattoo. When we rang the doorbell the man who answered said that the tattoo artist was away on business in Australia.

Undeterred I decided to look for more tattoo shops online. With help from others in the class I found another shop, this one was a traditional American style shop where you can just walk in. I figured out the directions to this shop and planned to go on our last day in Tokyo.

We took the train all the way to Harajuku and walked down the main street during rush hour. It was packed full of people in the strangest clothing I have ever seen. This made it extremely distracting and hard to find the tattoo shop. Eventually we found a body piercing shop and asked for directions to the tattoo parlor. The shop keeper said it had left and that there were no tattoo parlors in Harajuku. Disheartened but not totally convinced we asked another person on the street if they knew one. He called the number on the shop's sign but wasn't able to help. In the end I wasn't able to get my tattoo in Japan as I had dreamed.

For those of you who think it would be great to get a tattoo while in Japan, do your research way ahead of time. Have many backup plans and give yourself plenty of time to find the shops. Because of the still persisting negative opinion about tattoos and those who have them Japan is not the place to get one.

Rice in Japan- Why White?

Upon my airplane's decent into Japan I saw many shiny rectangular plots of land geometrically arranged in a farm-like fashion. I knew from and previously read material and photographs that these were Japan's infamous rice paddies. Never before had I been so inspired to learn about rice in Japan though.



Rice is not native to Japan. In fact the crop was introduced to Japan in the third century B.C. In the Yayoi period. It is likely that rice traveled to Japan from China or Korea. It naturally grows in more tropical conditions which is why there is sometimes an agricultural and economic scare in cooler summers in Japan.

There are many types of rice. The type of rice found most often in Japan is a short-grained “japonica” variety. It is uniquely sticky and round. Rice in Japan is also typically white which means that the outer husk (a wonderful provider of insoluble fiber which is responsible for healthy digestion and protection from cardio-vascular disorders) is removed. I wonder why a highly health-conscious culture such as Japan would remove this healthy outer husk. After hours of research the reasons I found for this action are as follows:

-Brown rice (which maintains it's husk) is chewier than white rice which adds another element to the palate upon eating. White rice is simpler, a characteristic of food which is appreciated especially in Japan.

-White rice has a sweeter, more pleasant fragrance than brown rice, which has a grassier, more harsh scent to it.

-White rice is also purer in appearance. It's brightness lends a clean and clear element to any meal. This aspect is also appreciated in Japan.

Brown rice is also available in Japan but not nearly as readily as white japonica rice. Even though fiber is removed from the number 1 grain of Japan, Japanese people seem to experience enhanced digestive health due to their consumption of high amounts of fermented foods and beverages which are not often consumed in the west.

To find out more about rice in Japan visit http://japanese.japan-talk.com/jt/guide/japanese-rice

The Ins and Outs of Tenryuji Temple

When we headed over to Tenryuji temple I was expecting another tour consisting of the inner part of some super beautiful temple and an explanation of the temples history. This was not the case however as we only took a tour of the gardens, which while quite exquisite, and I was a little saddened that we wouldn’t get to see more of the temple. Though would not have been surprised if the gardens were the most impressive part of the temple. We weren’t allowed to spend to long on the grounds as we had to head off for Tokyo at around 2:00pm, but what I did get to see was absolutely beautiful.

Like Ryoanji this temple is known for it’s garden, which is one of the oldest in the world. The main difference between the Tenryuji temple and the Ryoanji temple is while the Ryoanji temple focuses on its rock garden the Tenryuji temple focuses more on the garden as a whole instead of one specific site. The temple’s garden felt more like walking though a small park if only because of all the trees and greenery. And while the view was quite spectacular I didn’t get the chance to view the garden in its entirety due to lack of time. Of course the fact that my feet were still throbbing from our previous hikes around Kyoto didn’t help much in terms of getting around swiftly either.

Even though my time in the garden wasn’t quite what I would have liked it to be I still got a chance to witness first hand how the Japanese attempt to imitate nature. The garden as a whole definitely showcased a strong sense of shin-gyo. This is a Japanese aesthetic term used to describe where something lies between man and nature. Shin-gyo happens to be in the middle of the two but leaning slightly more towards man.

After the temple we walked through the bamboo forest, which was only about2 blocks long, and I found it quite disappointing. Personally I was expecting more of a forest and less of a smile climb up a hill and the large amounts of people crossing though didn’t help to create the atmosphere I was expecting either. The easiest way to describe it would be to say that the real forest doesn’t do the pictures justice.

But enjoy a quick sketch of the gardens at least:

Hama Rikyu and the Fractal Universe

Today we went to Hama Rikyu which is the site of what used to be a Shogunate villa. I think a good comparison would maybe be central park in New York. One of the first things I noticed was that, even though we were in a park full of trees and foliage, the skyscrapers from the city still seemed to dominate the sky. In a city like Tokyo, I guess this is something quite hard to avoid. For someone like me, who hasn't seen much of this type of thing before, I don't mind. It was still very pleasing to my eyes. Experiencing the world here is almost like doing things again for the first time. Obviously the people are different but even the native plant life here spurs my curiosity -- especially the trees. Here are some pictures of a couple trees that are common here but that to me, look quite unusual. When I look at them I imagine the vascular system of the body. They resemble a network of veins or nerves -- things of a fractal nature. There are computer-generated pictures of the entire universe (as we know it to be) that map out the way galaxies have arranged themselves and still they follow this vascular pattern. Why? It's peculiar the way nature repeats and presents itself in this place we call the universe. In a way, I feel we are the universe. Japan: the instigator of my contemplation.

While typing this blog, a very long and interesting conversation was born on fractals. To gain a better understanding of what they are, here's a link.

It feels great to be alive.

Today was one of the greatest days I've had yet here in Japan and in my life as a whole. I know it's really something to say that, but I mean it. The day began with a tour of Byodo-in, also known as the Phoenix hall, a national treasure of Japan. This temple is nearly 1000 years old. This just isn't something you can find back in the states. There's something about the ages of these places and monuments that fascinates me. I imagine all the people that must have walked and interacted here and it instills in me a sense of awe, leaving me speechless really. It's hard to compare a 1000 years of blood, sweat and tears to anything else I've experienced thus far in my life. After we left the temple our group split up to find some lunch. A friend and I looked around for a while and were beginning to think we wouldn't find a satisfactory place to dine. Our efforts were not in vein because eventually at the end of the road (ironic?) we found a soba noodle place on the 3rd floor over looking Uji river. I didn't know what to expect from the food but I soon realized it was some of the best I've had since we've been here. Immediately I noticed the spectacular view of the river and mountains. Breathtaking really. The perfect place to enjoy Japanese cuisine while at the same time taking in the scenery if there ever was one. I had tempura soba with shichimi, a Japanese spice consisting of 7 ingredients. When were finished with our meal we took a stoll through the market again and bought some green tea ice cream. I wasn't aware this even existed but in Japan there's virtually green tea everything. Very delicious. From there we went down to the river I spoke of previously. This is where things really started to fall into place. There was a man playing an oboe whose music permeated the surrounding atmosphere and set the mood perfectly. In that moment time stopped and the dream was alive. One of the most memorable moments in my life, one that I'll never for get. I took this energy and put it into a sketch of the view I had from where I sat. I wanted to keep working but time is of the essence and we had a train to catch. Besides, once you stop letting these moments move through you and you try to hang on to them, they lose their meaning. I was there, I lived it and I loved it. I can't wait to return.

Because I found it interesting, and because it's pretty culturally significant, here's a link to learn more about green tea.

Kinkaku-ji: The Golden Pavillion

I'd love to tell you about my experience at Kinkaku-ji, (this goes for my experience in Japan as a whole as well) but for me words cannot truly describe what it means to experience what I have seen. But I'll do my best. Last semester I drew a picture of this temple for a project I did for one of my art classes but it wasn't until I was preparing for this trip that I realized I would be going there. This temple is positioned like a dream on the waters edge in the outskirts of Kyoto. Pictures really don't do the gold leafing on the temple justice, its most definitely something that must be seen in person to really be appreciated. All the temples here have a presence to them and the gold on this one only seems to heighten that quality. One thing about the architecture here that stands out to me is the amount of overlapping, converging, horizontal and vertical lines. For me, this makes sketching things out rather difficult. So I've realized that to represent things accurately I should try to draw them in layers, starting with what would be farthest into the picture plane. This makes trying to keep track of how how everything is laid out easier, for me at least. There's a sort of fusion and harmony between the modern and the traditional here in Japan that I don't see present anywhere else in the world. Being more concerned with the overall aesthetic in everything than the practicality. Which makes nearly everything art. Which makes for a very visual culture. And so, it is here I find myself in Japan. Visual culture, in context.

Here's a link to find out more about Japanese architecture.

Elegant simplicity.

Throughout the course of Japanese art and aesthetics, specifically the two-dimensional works, we often observe how the works are dominated by large amounts of negative space. Even within this negative space we can still find vast amounts of detail. When I was visiting the Tokugawa art museum, several of the scrolls that they had on display depicted a celebration of the Tokugawa daimyo opening up a shrine within a major city. The paintings used vast amounts of negative space, very small subject matter and other artifacts within the painting. Even though the work may be dominated by negative space, within the smaller subject matter lies an incredible amount of elegant detail. The use of patterns gives the art perfect balance between simplism and elaborate detail.

As I’ve traveled through Japan I’ve noticed that many of their logos and emblems contain this same sort of simplicity. Many of the logos contain few words or numbers and are instead dominated by simple images. This tendency ranges from the cities’ symbols to restaurant signs and company logos and so forth. While these current designs lack the elaborate detail of the earlier Tokugawa works, they form a sort of elegance through their use of other western design concepts such as unification, symmetry, and other such ideas. And even though these newer designs lack the same attention to minute detail that their ancient and more formal predecessors possessed they still attain a certain elegance that we rarely see in the western world.

Ninjas are to Uenoshi, what the Cornhuskers are to Lincoln Nebraska.

From Kyoto to Kusatsu, and from Kusatsu to Tsuge, then from Tsuge to Iga-Ueno, and finally from Iga-ueno to Uenoshi. Roughly two hours to get to the city. On the train ride there I got the chance to see some of the most beautiful mountains I’d ever witnessed, with clouds literally rolling down them. We also got a view of the ocean and it was a little unsettling to be so close to both the ocean and the mountains. We could look out one window and see the ocean spread as far as the eye can see, then turn around and right outside the other window would be the foothills rising up to mountains that pierced through the clouds.

After getting off our final train it was just a short walk through the Iga Park grounds to get to the ninja museum. The scenery was once again absolutely beautiful and I could tell that the trip was already starting to pay off. We passed by the souvenir shop filled with allsorts of ninja related trinkets, none of which were actually very impressive.

Once in the museum we were taken on a tour of all the different kinds of secret passageways and hidden chambers the ninjas would use to escape from invading samurai. One of the more common ones was a simple wall panel that had a pole down the middle and could quickly rotate around. Our guide asked for volunteers and I happily obliged her. I attempted to whizz through the hidden passage, but as the top of the door frame only went up to my shoulders there was much more crashing and stumbling involved then what I would have liked.

After the tour of the ninja house we next got to travel around the actual ninja museum and try on some Mizugumo (special shoes used to cross the swampy moats of castles) as well as chain mail armor that they used for training up their muscles and jumping ability. The museum also held a large assortment of tools that the ninja would use. These ranged from the well known items like shuriken and the Ninjato, or ninja sword, to less well known ones such as a sort of bullet proof vest and special tools used to jam sliding doors so that they might prevent their targets from escaping. You could also learn some interesting facts that popular culture tends to smudge up, like how ninja’s actually wore dark navy blue instead of black so that even on nights where it wasn’t completely dark they could still blend in to the shadows.

When we finished the Museum we got to see a weapons demonstration where our two masters showed us how different tools and weapons were used by the ninja. This ranged from how well a Ninjato can cut through objects, to using the sheath and string attached as a sort of radar for finding people in the dark so that you can have the drop on them. We also got to see how a kurasagama and shuriken worked. The Shuriken were quite impressive. Especially since when looking at the matt he threw them at the shuriken seemed to magically appear imbedded within it.

After that we headed back through the souvenirs shop and had dinner at small bar with a ninja corgi on the sign. The food was good and the barkeep gave us a menu in English, which was appreciated. I was tired at this point and didn’t feel like working out the kanji. We caught the five o’clock bus back and got to enjoy the scenery once again, but this time with a sunset backdrop. It was even more gorgeous then when we head up. All in all it was a good day and well worth the trip.

Kawaii Food Fuels The Japanese

American culture uses pseudo Asian meditations and therapy to relax from the stress of who will become the next American Idol. Japan takes a break from the excessive work weeks through Hello Kitty style kawaii culture. Kawaii culture, which is explained in the Graphic Japan ready by Sharon Kinsella as a celebration of all that is "sweet, adorable, innocent, pure, simple, genuine, gentle, vulnerable, weak, and inexperienced in social behavior and physical appearance." To simply put it, its cute things.

At Nishiki market, the kawaii culture can be experienced through the way food is presented. Everything from candy, to rice crackers, to even mochi are transformed from their normal state to flowers, leaves and fruits. The walls of kawaii candy seem to be just as important to the Japanese experience as the tumpura stand next door.The reason for kawaii in food seems a little strange to an American like myself, but it is said that kawaii is used not because it is simply super adorable, but it is a connection to childhood that in a culture where adults are expected to work long hours in intense company groups.

The kawaii food in the specialty shops also had a lot of seasonality, or mono no aware. The rice crackers have pictures of delicate flowers and fish. The candies are shaped into seasonal flowers and fruits in pastel shades. The idea that there are certain things for every season, such as spring, is something that is important to thte culture thing. It was really interesting to see that even something that is really new like kawaii culture, especially when you think about how old the Japanese culture ranges back, has routes in something so importantly Japanese.

If you go to Nishiki market, or any sort of food store in Japan, you really should keep an eye out for the different types of kawaii food and candy you are bound to see.