Dec 28, 2018
Books and Coffee in Hiroshima
We’ve already talked about where to track down Hiroshima’s best hot coffee in the depths of January, but once you’re in the cafe, you’ll need something to read, surely. You can swipe through Instagramm, sure, but for now we’re shooting for urbane sophistication, and that calls for print.
Unfortunately, Hiroshima still hasn’t been able to keep a decent English language bookstore afloat, and the offerings at many of the large chains can be fairly thin. Used bookstores are often your best bet, though the one used bookstore in town that focuses on English volumes doesn’t seem to have rotated its stock for the better part of a decade.
For bookstores selling new books, the best option in downtown Hiroshima is Maruzen. It’s not one you’ll just stumble across though, since it’s located on the 7th and 8th floors of the Yamada Denki building on the corner of Aioi Dori and Chuo Dori, between the Fukuya and Mitsukoshi department stores. The English-language selection is concentrated at the north end of the 7th floor, left of the elevators. It’s pleasant enough, and the shelves are lined not only with a modest but well-chosen selection of classics and bestsellers, but also magazines and children’s books.
If you’re looking for Japan-themed gift books for people back home, they have an excellent selection of those as well. From here, to enjoy your new purchases with a coffee, you can head back to the ground floor and exit from the south side of the building, which will put you in Ebisu Dori and only seconds away from the entrance to Chamonix Mont Blanc, one of the city’s best surviving Showa era coffee houses. Alternately, there is Tully’s Coffee located right on the seventh floor itself, though seating is limited and slightly cramped.
My favorite stop for used books, not far from Maruzen, is Academy Books in Hondori. Academy has two locations within easy walking distance of each other, but the better of the two is located between Aioi Dori and Parco in the shopping arcade, a little south along from Fukuya Department Store on the arcade’s west side. Look for glass shelves of used books and glass cases displaying vintage Hiroshima Carp memorabilia and more valuable volumes and hanging scrolls. For a book lover, the entire shop is a delight, two narrow floors of tantalizing spines interspersed with boxes stuffed with old postcards, maps, and other treasures.
The foreign language section is on the second floor, near the windows looking out on the arcade. I haven’t asked, but you get the distinct impression that Academy regularly buys up the libraries of recently deceased university professors. Where other used bookstores may have unused, Teddy bear-themed address books or a field guide to the Birds of Indiana (actual finds), here you’re more likely to find the collected poems of Edmund Spenser or a survey of Norwegian ghost stories. If nothing appeals, come back in a week because things change quickly. There’s almost always something worth buying, especially when paperback prices are sometimes under 500 yen.
A little farther afield, in the quirky Yokogawa district, is the appropriately quirky Hon to Jiyuu, or Books and Freedom. This is another rambling, narrow, used bookshop, hard by the railroad tracks just east of Yokogawa Station, in an alley filled with funky little shops and restaurants, a few steps away from the entrance to Yokogawa Cinema. There’s not much in English here, but the shop focuses on fine art and literature, and some of the books are either in English or so focused on imagery that the text is an afterthought.
Like Academy, this shop is worth taking your time with, running your finger along the crammed, creaking shelves to see what jumps out at you. Rest assured, something will. And when you’re done, one of the best things about Books and Freedom is the (small) in-house bar and performance space. There may not be a concert underway when you drop by, but you can sit at the bar and enjoy a coffee or beer and talk with one of the friendly people staffing the place. Don’t forget, either, to wander up and down the nearby streets of Yokogawa when you finally leave. The area is well worth an entire article of its own.
Additional Information
Maruzen Books
Address: Ebisucho 5-2 2, 7-8F, Naka-Ku, Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture, 730-0021
Access: On the 7th and 8th floors of the former Tenmaya department store building, presently a Yamada Denki Labi electronics store on the first floors. Corner of Aioi Dori and Chuo Dori, between Fukuya and Mitsukoshi Department Stores.
Hours: 10:00 to 22:00 (closed January 1)
Telephone: 082-504-6210
Website: https://honto.jp/store/detail_1570062_14HB310.html
Academy Books
Address: 1-7 Hondori, Naka Ward, Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture 730-0035
Access: Look for a narrow storefront with bookshelves and glass display cases on the west side of the Hondori shopping arcade between Parco and Fukuya.
Hours: 10:00 to 20:00
Telephone: 082-247-3118
Website:http://www.academysyoten.jp/
Hon to Jiyuu
Address: Chome-4-14 Yokogawachō, Nishi-Ku, Hiroshima-shi, Hiroshima-ken 733-0011
Access: Approximately two blocks east of Yokogawa Station. In a narrow lane of bars and restaurants south of the tracks.
Hours: 2:00-23:00 Saturday to Sunday. (Closed Mondays)
Telephone: 082 233-9239
Juja Han juja_han [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons
Dec 26, 2018
Mobile Suica Makes Getting Around Japan Easier
Back in the day, a journey on any of Japan’s rail lines meant you might need a degree in Japanese cartography and computer science to figure out how to use the ticketing machines found in every station at that time. The old routine went like this: Walk into the station and look at the gigantic map plastered above the machines. Find your destination station on the said map and remember the price next to the station.
Next, walk over to the ticket machine and push the button, pull a lever, touch a screen (depending on the age of said machine) with that price you memorized from before (or double-take the map like I almost always did). Shove coins/bills into the machine and grab the ticket, head to the gates and stick it into the slot and grab the ticket back from the other side…. Better not lose it, or else you’re paying whatever the highest possible fare is on that line when you get to your stop!
Nowadays, IC fare cards like Suica and Pasmo came along and ended that foolishness. Just charge up your card with yen and tap, tap, tap your way around town without stopping. So what’s more convenient and time-saving than this? When you make your phone or smartwatch your IC card. Enter Mobile Suica.
What’s a Ticket Vending Machine (because I can’t remember)
When I switched over to an iPhone 8 and Apple Watch in November 2018, one of the compelling reasons was the ease of the Mobile Suica app that could be used on the devices thanks to the inclusion of the same chips and antennas that are found in the cards and faregates. Apple Pay has been a thing since iPhone 7, but this particular iPhone release allows for a set of contactless near field communications protocols under the term NFC-F, a standard that has been used in Japan since 2004 from Sony.
Conversely, most made-for-Japan Android smartphones, and even most feature phones before them, have had this ability for over a decade now through an app called Osaifu Keitai. Just as Apple made smartphones easier to use and pushed the bar higher, their Apple Pay solution has done the same and the iPhone version of Mobile Suica is one of the outcomes.
Apple Pay + Mobile Suica
To start your journey into the world of mobile transport payments on your iPhone, you’ll need the following:
- Made-for-Japan iPhone 7 (phones purchased outside Japan won’t work with NFC-F) or any version after and including iPhone 8 (made for any market since NFC-F was standardized at this point) and/or Japanese model Apple Watch Series 2, or any series 3, 4.
- A debit/credit card already set up in Apple Pay -or- any Japanese debit/credit card issued in the country, even if not able to be used with Apple Pay (more on this later)
- Physical Suica card (optional). You can actually create a virtual Suica card using the mobile Suica App itself, but since the app is in Japanese, it takes a few extra steps… Chances are if you’re in Tokyo already, you have a Suica card anyway. If not, head over to a JR station and pick one up for ¥500 at the ticket machines.
- Have the region of your device set to Japan (this doesn’t change the language of your device, just what App Store country you download from.)
If you have all of this ready, go ahead and download the Mobile Suica app from the App Store. The first thing to note is everything’s in Japanese, but for our purposes right now, we don’t need to worry about that.
Next, open up the Wallet app and tap the “+” icon in the upper right corner to add a new card. The next screen should have a new entry, “Add Suica Card”; tap that and follow these directions from Apple to transfer a Suica card into your phone or watch.
How to generate a virtual Suica instead
You can also go into the mobile Suica AP and generate a virtual card, but since the app is only in Japanese for now, please follow this guide from At A Distance if you don’t know Nihongo. I’m hoping the language situation changes because this is the best way to get tourists and expats on their way to Japan all set up to use transport here.
What about Apple Watch?
After you’ve got a valid pass on your iPhone, you can easily move it to your Apple Watch through the Watch App’s wallet function. The cool thing about this is even if you have an iPhone that doesn’t have the NFC-F ability for Mobile Suica, Apple Watch series 3 and 4 do and can be used.
What about us out-of-country Android users?
Since 2010 when the first “made-in-Japan” Android smartphones were released, they were the first to be able to use Mobile Suica. That’s because manufacturers ported the above mentioned Osaifu-Keitai Java apps over from their gala kei feature phone counterparts. (Remember, Japan literally invented mobile payments over a decade and a half ago.)
But what this also meant is that those of us bringing an Android phone into Japan are out of luck here since they are missing a certain microchip and special SIM card to make it work; iPhones have the necessary hardware built in and “it just works™️.” However, if you have a Japanese Android smartphone, and comparable SIM card, then all you need is the Google Play App and just follow the instructions for adding a new card, and if your phone is compatible, then you should see the following screens to add a Suica card.
What’s a Ticket Vending Machine (because I can’t remember)
When I switched over to an iPhone 8 and Apple Watch in November 2018, one of the compelling reasons was the ease of the Mobile Suica app that could be used on the devices thanks to the inclusion of the same chips and antennas that are found in the cards and faregates. Apple Pay has been a thing since iPhone 7, but this particular iPhone release allows for a set of contactless near field communications protocols under the term NFC-F, a standard that has been used in Japan since 2004 from Sony.
Conversely, most made-for-Japan Android smartphones, and even most feature phones before them, had this ability for over a decade now through an app called Osaifu Keitai. Just as Apple made smartphones easier to use and pushed the bar higher, their Apple Pay solution has done the same, and the iPhone version of Mobile Suica is one of the outcomes.
Apple Pay + Mobile Suica
To start your journey into the world of mobile transport payments on your iPhone, you’ll need the following:
- Made-for-Japan iPhone 7 (phones purchased outside Japan won’t work with NFC-F) or any version after and including iPhone 8 (made for any market since NFC-F was standardized at this point) and/or Japanese model Apple Watch Series 2, or any series 3, 4.
- A debit/credit card already set up in Apple Pay -or- any Japanese debit/credit card issued in the country, even if not able to be used with Apple Pay (more on this later)
- Physical Suica card (optional). You can actually create a virtual Suica card using the mobile Suica App itself, but since the app is in Japanese, it takes a few extra steps… Chances are if you’re in Tokyo already, you have a Suica card anyway. If not, head over to a JR station and pick one up for ¥500 at the ticket machines.
- Have the region of your device set to Japan (this doesn’t change the language of your device, just what App Store country you download from.)
If you have all of this ready, go ahead and download the Mobile Suica app from the App Store. The first thing to note is everything’s in Japanese, but for our purposes right now, we don’t need to worry about that.
Next, open up the Wallet app and tap the “+” icon in the upper right corner to add a new card. The next screen should have a new entry, “Add Suica Card”; tap that and follow these directions from Apple to transfer a Suica card into your phone or watch.
How to generate a virtual Suica instead
You can also go into the mobile Suica AP and generate a virtual card, but since the app is only in Japanese for now, please follow this guide from At A Distance if you don’t know Nihongo. I’m hoping the language situation changes because this is the best way to get tourists and expats on their way to Japan all set up to use transport here.
What about Apple Watch?
After you’ve got a valid pass on your iPhone, you can easily move it to your Apple Watch through the Watch App’s wallet function. The cool thing about this is even if you have an iPhone that doesn’t have the NFC-F ability for Mobile Suica, Apple Watch series 3 and four do and can be used.
What about us out-of-country Android users?
Since 2010 when the first “made-in-Japan” Android smartphones were released, they were the first to be able to use Mobile Suica. That’s because manufacturers ported the above mentioned Osaifu-Keitai Java apps over from their gala kei feature phone counterparts. (Remember, Japan literally invented mobile payments over a decade and a half ago.)
But what this also meant is that those of us bringing an Android phone into Japan are out of luck here since they are missing a certain microchip and special SIM card to make it work; iPhones have the necessary hardware built in and “it just works™️.” However, if you have a Japanese Android smartphone, and comparable SIM card, then all you need is a compatible SIM card and the Google Play App. Just follow the instructions for adding a new card, and if your phone is compatible you should see the following screens to add a Suica card.
Coming Soon
We’ve come a long way already; not only can you ride trains, buses, and taxicabs, but rent bicycles, use coin lockers, play video games and buy groceries with Suica. With it and other regional transit passes becoming another payment method for goods and services, officials are looking at ways to extend the technology. The next step is to make Suica a transit pass app for all of Japan, that’s set for 2021 when the infrastructure behind the pass network [gets a huge upgrade.](https://www.sony.co.jp/SonyInfo/News/Press/201809/18-0925/index.html)
While you can use Mobile Suica on the majority of transport systems nationwide now, it still cannot be used as a commuter pass outside of JR East’s rail lines.; it isn’t possible to create a mobile PASMO or Nimoca, etc., yet. The new update will change that and more to enable even more seamless travel and use around Japan and beyond.
—
— By Jason L. Gatewood
Images:
courtesy https://appllio.com/google-pay-suica*, Apple Support
Dec 26, 2018
Japan Brewer’s Cup: The Tournament of Suds 2019
Please read the following in the voice of one of those monster truck TV spots from back in the day:
Thirty-five of the best craft brewers from all over Japan, plus one each from Taiwan and the Czech Republic, and six craft beer importers are thrown in for good measure. They’ll duke it out on the third weekend in Yokohama Osambashi Pier to show who has the best IPA of the day and whose Pale Ale raises the most hell! It’s the Battle of the Brews at Yokohama Cruise…Center. The annual Japan Brewer’s Cup is upon us!!
Ok, that sounded admittedly hokey, but also kind of cool too right? We have talked enough about Japan, and it’s history with beer to know at this point that it’s probably the best place in Asia to hunt down and guzzle your favorite beer in almost every corner of the country. So, of course, it only seems fitting for the masters of microbrew in Nixon gather together once a year and crown the most superior indie suds. For just ¥500 to get in and around ¥500 per drink, you can also be sure this is one of the cheaper options in the beer festival circuit in Japan too.
If you want to see the judging, be sure to come early when the venue opens up; otherwise, you may miss the art of beer judging. Don’t fret if you do though because that amber gold will still find its way into a mug or pint until the sun as long set behind Landmark Tower just across Yokohama Bay.
For More Information:
http://japanbrewerscup.jp/english.html
Osambashi Pier
1-4, Kaigandori 1-Chōme
Naka-Ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa
Japan 231-0002
About a 5-minute walk from Nihon-Odori station [MM05] and 15 minutes from Kannai Station [JK10]
Schedule:
Thu, Jan. 24th, 10 am to 6 pm (Only Judging)
Fri, Jan. 25th, 4 pm to 10 pm
Sat, Jan. 26th, 11 am to 9 pm
Sun, Jan. 27th, 11 am to 7 pm
Entry: ¥500
— By Jason L. Gatewood
Image by Paul Joseph from Vancouver, BC, Canada (08-mar-31) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
“Gravity Tap” is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
Dec 26, 2018
Rugby World Cup Japan 2019
While most people around the world know the Summer Olympic Games will be here in Tokyo in 2020, we actually have a very large sporting engagement to host a year before that during early autumn 2019, just over eight months from when this will hit the interwebs.
The Rugby World Cup is the world’s third largest sports tournament behind the Summer Games and Soccer World Cup. Japan has hosted both of those other sports before, so this should be like old hat to us (we hope) and give us a chance to test out a lot of facilities that will also be playing double duty in 2020. Not to mention giving a chance for Japan’s burgeoning rugby scene to be front and center during the tourney. Yes, that’s right, Japan has some great rugby teams and storied past.
Japan’s Rugby History
There are some 3000 officially sanctioned clubs in Nippon, and the sport has been played since the latter half of the 19th century when a team organized itself called the Yokohama Foot Ball Club. Later on due to the influence of foreign professors, Keio University along with a host of other prominent colleges started teams and began playing each other. Even the brother of the Showa Emperor, Prince Chichibu, came to love and promote the sport, becoming the president of the Japanese Rugby Football Union. Nowadays you can catch a match between any of the 16 corporate owned teams in the Top League who vie for the Lixil Cup every year.
From September 20 until November 2 of 2019, twenty of the worlds best teams will challenge each other in 40 matches along with the quarters, semis, and final matches. There will be 12 different venues around the country from Hokkaido to Kyushu, with Tokyo Stadium in Chofu and Yokohama International Stadium hosting many games as well as the playoff and final matches around the Kanto Capital Region. The schedule is already posted, so do give the table a look and check out where your favorite team is playing at the venue of your choice.
Getting Tickets
Tickets for the matches can be found only in one location: https://tickets.rugbyworldcup.com/. There are no other official means to purchase tickets at the time of this writing, however, at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, there were ticket agents with permission to sell seats at the venues themselves. It isn’t known yet whether this will be the case for the Rugby World Cup as well, or not, so stay tuned.
— By Jason L. Gatewood
Images: “Japan vs Australia IRB 2008” by Historian is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
Dec 26, 2018
Day trips from Nagoya – Tajimi, Gifu
Just over the border from Aichi into Gifu Prefecture is the town of Tajimi, an area renowned for its ceramic manufacture, great natural beauty and peaceful streets. Being just 40 minutes by train from Nagoya it is an excellent destination for a day trip
Tajimi’s Famous Ceramics
With clay in the surrounding hills, there has been pottery manufacture in Tajimi for some 1,300 years, evidence of which can be seen the moment you step into the train station to be greeted by an immense ceramic wall. Outside of the station and across the Tokigawa River you come to Honmachi Oribe, a Meiji era street with its black and white wooden houses that has been the center of Tajimi’s ceramics industry since those times.
The street, named after famed feudal-era tea master Furuta Oribe, is home to a number of shops trading in pottery and ceramics, with the local green-glazed Mino-yaki style particularly prevalent. From reasonably-priced souvenirs to more expensive works of art, you can find something for all tastes, and April sees more than 50 producers selling their wares during a ceramics festival.
Some of the old houses have been reconfigured as small museums, and if you want to learn more about the craft, a ten minute bus journey from the station takes you to Ceramic Park Mino. Here you can shop and try your hand at making your own pottery as well as exploring the Museum of Modern Ceramic Art and the Gifu Prefectural Ceramic Museum.
20 minutes by bus from Tajimi station is Tajimi Mosaic Tile Museum, displaying some 10,000 examples of tile production throughout history. However, the most impressive aspect of the museum is the building itself. Designed by Fujimori Terunobu, it is a great example of blending architecture with nature, as it rises like a terracotta anthill from the grounds.
Eihoji Termple
Built in 1313, Eihoji is a serene spot of tranquility, and perhaps Tajimi’s greatest manmade beauty spot. The Zen Buddhist temple sits amongst gardens that reflect the seasons, turning the plump pink of cherry blossoms in spring, the gorgeous golds of maple trees in autumn and elegant snow-dappled whites in winter.
The temple overlooks a large pond in which koi carp glide peacefully below arched bridges, and the air of tranquility is enhanced by chanting of the studying monks in the meditation room situated beside a waterfall that cascades into the pond below.
The temple is found by way of a winding old path through cedar groves and bamboo copses, where you can discover small buddhist Jizo statues. Eventuallt the path leads up through the hills affording stunning views of the area.
Tajimi Catholic Monastery
Zen Buddhism is not the only religion represented in Tajimi. Built by German Catholic missionaries led by Father Mohr, the Tajimi Monestary holds an English Mass on the second and fourth Sunday of the month.
The building is striking, and is immediately recognizable for its northern European style and its imposing spire. But perhaps above the architecture, the Tajimi Monastery is best known for its vineyard and wine production. A wine festival is held each November, but the locally produced wine can be purchased all year round and makes for a great souvenir.
Dec 22, 2018
Fun Things to Do in Kansai 2019
The New Year is upon us and attention turns for many on resolutions for the year ahead. For those of you who have pledged to get out and try new things in 2019, here is a selection of fun things on offer in Kansai that will create a few memories – not to mention great photo opportunities.
Sample some traditional Japanese art and culture
There are many places where you can immerse yourself in the pleasures of traditional Japanese art, music, theater and dance. One of the best places to head to is the Gion district of Kyoto, home to the Gion Corner Museum of Contemporary Art. This venue hosts a range of performing arts, most notably maiko and geisha dancers performing the kyo-mai dance in traditional costumes. Also on offer is Kyogen theater, indigenous Gagaku court music and dance, and the wonderful Bunraku puppet theater. Sometimes, lucky visitors get to experience maiko and geisha dancers giving street performances close to the venue, while those really wanting to indulge can opt for a maiko makeover.
Website: http://www.kyoto-gioncorner.com/global/en.html
Experience the ways of the samurai
Have you ever watched a sword-wielding samurai warrior gracefully executing their moves in a Japanese film and thought “I’d love to have a go at that”? Well, the Kyoto Samurai Experience offers visitors a glimpse into the world of the samurai, including the philosophies of the Bushido (the way of the warrior) and a zen meditation session. Of course, no samurai session would be complete without a chance to handle a sword. You will be taught how to hold and wield an authentic katana sword and test your skills by cutting through a goza mat.
Price: 12,000 yen (8,300 yen for children aged 6-12)
Website: http://waraku-kyoto.com/en/
Ascend the Umeda Sky Building
If you really want to hit the heights, you can go all the way up to the top floor of the 40-story 170-meter spectacle that is the Umeda Sky Building in Kita Ward, Osaka. Voted among the top 20 buildings in the world by The Times, the building has an observatory with a 360-degree panoramic view of the city. Worth visiting at night for the magnificent views. If this isn’t quite high enough, there is the Abeno Harukas, also in Osaka, which is Japan’s tallest building at 300 meters.
Website: http://www.skybldg.co.jp/skybldg/english.html
Laugh your socks off at stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy isn’t quite as big in Japan as it is in the US or UK, but Osaka has a thriving comedy scene with several venues where performers can be seen. The ROR Comedy Club in the heart of the city hosts regular shows on Fridays and Saturdays with comedians performing in English. If you’re feeling brave (or drunk) enough to give it a go, there are open mic nights on the first Saturday of each month.
Website: http://www.rorcomedy.com/
Take part in a Japanese tea ceremony
At the Sakai City Museum, learn all about the ancient traditions of the Japanese tea ceremony and get the chance to actually participate in one. See a master carry out the ceremonial preparation of matcha green tea, a custom that involves Zen Buddhism and culminates in enjoying a freshly brewed cup. Once your thirst has been satiated, you can tour an exhibition explaining the history of the ceremony.
Price: 200 yen
Website: https://osaka-info.jp/en/page/sakai-museum
Wear a kimono for a day
If you fancy a bit of dressing up, head to Menkasoh in Jo Terrace Osaka. This food store offers a Japanese dress-up experience and will suit you up in an authentic kimono, complete with sandals, which you can wear while dining on udon noodles, roaming the city or even posing for a portrait. Both men’s and women’s kimonos are available in a variety of colors and styles.
Website: https://en.jo-terrace.jp/shop
Suisui [Public domain]
Dec 21, 2018
Firefighting Display in Kobe’s Meriken Park 2019
There is a lot that needs to be protected from burning in Japan. The forests are sacred and wood is a traditional building material that goes back centuries. Smoke was so common in Edo, as Tokyo was once known, that the capital was known as the “city of fires.” It is no surprise that Japan has a culture of firefighting all its own.
Professional firefighters first showed up in Edo in the 17th century. They marched with military precision and sported specially-tailored coats emblazoned with colorful emblems. These sashikos were highly engineered pieces of apparel – a single thick-layered coat would have to pass through the hands of a spinner, a weaver, an artist, a dyer and a stitcher before it went on the back of a hikeshi, as the firefighters were called. They were the rock stars of their time.
Specific Jobs for the Hikeshi
Hikeshi were given one of three assignments. They could be responsible for the reigning shogun’s castle and surrounding samurai residences, they could stand watch over important buildings or they could battle the blazes that afflicted the common folk. This last group were the Machi-Bikeshi and they absorbed most of the hero worship.
These Machi-Bikeshi were a rough group, not afraid to mix it up on Japanese streets while doing their jobs. Their main task was not to fight actual fires, which in the days before pumpers was often a futile task, but to pull down buildings in harm’s way. This was done with long-handled hooks, called tobiguchi. But the Machi-Bikeshi’s main tool was the hashigo ladder.
Early Japanese buildings were mostly a single story, two at most. To quickly scout an area in the event of a fire these tall ladders were employed as mobile lookouts. Several hikeshi would raise a ladder while one particularly nimble firefighter would scamper up the hashigo and perch precariously to report on what he saw.
Strutting Their Stuff
Just after New Year’s Japan’s municipal fire companies would typically stage a parade, bask in the community’s affection and give displays of the latest and greatest in firefighting techniques. These dezome-shikis would involve shiny firefighting equipment rolling down the street and at the end of the ordnance display would be the much-anticipated Hikeshis doing acrobatic performances on free-standing ladders that evolved from balancing atop the mobile lookouts. Being inclined to risk-taking as Hikeshis tended to be, these routines became more and more dangerous and have in the past not always been death-defying.
Firefighting Display
In addition to impressive machinery, there is water spraying, firefighting training drills, and music from the firefighters’ band. The opening ceremony is at 10:00 a.m. and the performances begin at 10:00 a.m. The event is free to all.
Firefighting Display 2019
January 6, 2019
10am to 3pm
Free to all
Merikan Park 〒650-0042 Hyōgo Prefecture, Kobe, Chuo Ward, Hatobacho, ２ (Map link)
Source: http://www.city.kobe.lg.jp/safety/fire/event/dezomesiki2019.html
By U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Dominique Pineiro [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Dec 20, 2018
What’s the Deal with Sampuru?
If you’ve spent any time in Japan, you will have seen the tantalizing array of food in the restaurant windows. This is sampuru, which means a sample, and it’s replica food. Sampuru has existed for almost a century, over which time it has evolved to become an art form.
The Origins of Sampuru
Sampuru began as a way to show customers what dishes restaurants had on offer. The first was made back in 1917 and was a rice omelet. Sampuru then became commonplace in the 1930s. At this time, menus were still uncommon and color photos an impossibility.
Originally, sampuru was made of wax. However, this material was brittle and susceptible to fading or melting in the sunlight. For this reason, artists switched to plastic, resin, and vinyl in the 1970s.
By the time menus became mainstream, patrons were already accustomed to seeing sampuru when they visited a restaurant. Plus, it adds another dimension to the experience. Rather than just selecting a dish according to its name and description, sampuru allows consumers to visualize what their meal will look like.
How Sampuru Is Made
Although it would be much easier to manufacture sampuru with machines, the food replicas are still all made by hand. This is because dishes must look as much like the real thing as possible. Only by handcrafting each piece is it possible to achieve such high quality.
Artists work by looking at photos or using dishes sent by the restaurant. They strive to reflect the taste and temperature in their pieces. This painstaking process means that sampuru costs much more than actual food. On average, it costs around ten times as much, but it can be even more.
The exact method used to make sampuru depends on the food. In some cases, it is possible to create a silicon mold out of real food. Then, once the silicon has set, the crafter fills the mold with liquid plastic. Finally, the artist uses paintbrushes and airbrushes to color the food and give it realistic toning.
In other cases, this method is unsuitable. A better option is to create sampuru in the same way as chefs would prepare actual food. For instance, artists make soba out of a powder and water mix that is run through a noodle-making machine. Tempura is made with actual oil and sauces with real spices — both for the color and the smell.
It can take craftsmen many days to complete a piece, especially when the dish has many details. Fresh fish is particularly challenging — it takes up to two weeks to complete.
Sampuru Today
Sampuru today is available in far more places than restaurant windows. People buy sampuru of their favorite foods in the form of magnets, keychains, phone cases, and flash drives. One such online establishment is Fake Food Japan.
As well as being an interesting aspect of Japanese culture, sampuru is extremely useful for non-natives visiting restaurants. If your understanding of kanji is limited (or perhaps non-existent), sampuru will show you exactly what you’re going to get with a meal. This avoids the risk of ordering something you won’t enjoy and removes the difficulty of communicating with a waiter about your preferences.
Ph0kin [CC BY-SA 3.0], from Wikimedia Commons
Dec 17, 2018
Vegan Food in Kobe
With the new year comes new year’s resolutions. Whether your goal is to become vegan (or vegetarian) or you’re looking to reduce meat in your diet, you’ll need to find new places to eat and purchase food. The great thing about Kobe is that the city has vegan options for traditional Japanese food as well as for global cuisine. There are a few places that stand out as the best, all of which are easy to get to from anywhere in Kobe.
Modernark Pharm Café
This combination of a vegetarian restaurant and cozy café has a farmhouse-style atmosphere. There are numerous vegan options on the menu, all healthy and delicious. As the staff speaks English, this is a top choice for foreigners who have a limited proficiency in Japanese. In fact, you can even receive a menu in English.
Address: 3-11-15 Kitanagasadori, Chuo Ward
Open Hours: Every day, 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Vegan Cafe Thallo
Vegan Cafe Thallo is excellent for vegan lunch and dinner as well as for just tea or coffee with a snack — the café stays open for drinks and dessert between lunch and dinner times. All the dishes are vegan and gluten-free, which is a rare find in Japan. Plus, the prices are reasonable and the staff friendly (and English-speaking).
Address: 4-7-12 Kitanagasadori, Chuo Ward
Open Hours: Every day, 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; lunch is from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., dinner is from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Hinabi
You need to know about Hinabi to find it, as from the outside it looks more like just another house than a restaurant. Inside, however, you will be met with a casual and welcoming environment. The restaurant offers a set lunch menu, but you can also choose from a range of vegetarian and macrobiotic dishes. In the small gift shop, you can purchase cookies and cakes to take home.
Address: 6-2-8 Motoyama Kitamachi, Higashinada-ku
Open Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Kanauta
If you need to treat yourself while on a vegan diet, head over to Kanuata bakery. It is situated just across the street from Kobe Daimaru department store. This hidden gem offers baked goods like waffles, donuts, and cakes, all vegan and free from alcohol, white sugar, and wheat flour. Plus, the ingredients are sourced from local businesses and farms. Although there is limited seating room, it’s the ideal place if you want to pop in and take something home.
Address: 1-1-1 Motomachidori, Chuo Ward
Open Hours: Thursday to Tuesday, 10:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Natural House
Last of all, we have Natural House. If you’re looking to purchase ingredients to cook vegan meals at home, you need to check out this store. The small supermarket stocks a variety of high-quality vegetarian and vegan products including soy mock meats as well as organic fruits and vegetables and regional items. Although it is more expensive than regular supermarkets, you will be able to find products that are not usually available.
Address: 2-7-7 Motomachidori, Chuo Ward
Open Hours: Every day, 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Vegan Feast Catering [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
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Dec 12, 2018
Nagoya City Science Museum
The Nagoya City Science Museum (NCSM) is a fairly recent addition to the list of things to do in Nagoya. The website highlights many interesting points about the museum, starting with the distinctive appearance of the spherical shape of the world’s biggest planetarium, called Brother Earth.
The diameter of the sphere is 35 meters, and a highly realistic starry sky is shown on the planetarium’s screen within.
- Deep Freezing Lab where you can see a complete aurora in the exhibition room at -30C degrees! You can also observe a variety of real ice and experiments involved with it, and find out what a polar region is like. a -30 degree ºC room where visitors can see man-made auroras
- Tornado Lab where you can observe a 9 meter-high man-made twister.
- Water Lab where you can learn about the properties of water through experiments conducted at each stage of water’s cycles; clouds, rainfall, rivers, and oceans.
- Electric Discharge Lab where bolts of electricity 4 meters long are discharged with a roaring crack from two towering Tesla coils.
There are new programs every month at the planetarium, as well as public projects tailored to public school students.
- Brother Earth / Planetarium Regular Programs
- General Projections – Easy explanations about comprehensive astronomical topics are presented every month. For example, how to observe stars at night.
- Night-Time Projections – For adult visitors. These shows feature a special laser show in addition to usual show content. Reservations required, Japanese language only, monthly on Saturday at 18:30
- Kids Hour – A playful planetarium for kids full of fun activities teaching how to find certain stars at night, stories of constellations, or space travel. Japanese Language Only.
Another interesting point about the science center is the environmentally friendly facilities themselves. Here are a few of the most notable eco-friendly aspects of the new building.
- Photovoltaic Power Generator – A photovoltaic power generation panel inserted between two panels of glass is set into the glass walls of a staircase.
- Wind Power Station – Two windmills of straight wing/vertical shaft type are installed on the northeast wall of the 4th and 5th floors of the building.
- Green Wall – A green wall unit measuring about 1,500 square meters has been installed on the south side of the building to reduce the air conditioning load by reducing the surface temperature of the outside wall and thus reducing the effects of the heat island phenomenon.
- Cool heat Tunnel – To reduce the burden of air conditioning on the environment, outside air is taken underground where it is cooled in summer and heated in winter through geothermal utilization before being sent to the air conditioner.
- Rainwater storage Tank – An underground storage tank to store rainwater collected on the roof that can be used for toilets and for watering the green wall.
Why not take the family out for a day of learning and fun? Depending on the season, the building will be either quite warm or quite cool; what better excuse to go anywhere in Nagoya in Summer than “they have great air-conditioning!”
Nagoya City Science Museum
17-1, Sakae 2-chome, Naka-ku, Nagoya 460-0008 (Google map)
Phone: 81-52-201-4486
Hours 9:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. ※Last Entry by 4:30 P.M.
www.ncsm.city.nagoya.jp
Image from www.ncsm.city.nagoya.jp
