The Lovely Lotus!

As I sat under the cherry tree, which in spring had been laden with lovely blossoms, I enjoyed a delicious chocolate ice cream and the peace and tranquilty of the traditional Japanese gardens. The air was filled with the chirping of crickets and the croaking of frogs. Giant carp were poking their heads from the water, tortoises were basking in the sun and the crows were aark-aarking above. Sitting in the shade was wonderful respite from the heat and the hot sun shining from a cloudless blue sky. My damp clothes were almost acting like a coolgardie safe but not enough to really cool me down. These days I even find my camera fogs up with the humidity. I had to lick quickly before my ice cream melted all over me. With no one to take my photo, I resorted to a self timed shot to record my presence in this beautiful place....Sankeien Gardens!

In the absence of any 'alien' visitors and to prevent me from going insane with my own company, I'm back to setting daily missions. When I first arrived in Japan, I began setting small missions to help me adapt to my new and foreign life. Setting goals meant I ventured out more and more and soon became quite comfortable with, not only my own company but, the new and unknown Tokyo. I need to remind myself that in those early days I had no one to tell me how to do anything. I know it beats work but after 15 months, sometimes, it's a bit hard maintaining enthusiasm for constant sightseeing,..... hence the latest missions.

Yesterday's mission was simple: Ride to World Porter's and have lunch at my favourite Indonesian Restaurant, Sura Baya. What a tough mission! It was a bit lonely but the food was great, as was the view. As it was really too hot outside, I spent the rest of the day wandering around the air conditioned department store in search of another small backpack for everyday forays. 

I'd also had another small mission to complete. (Help Nanny! I am sad, my lucky charm's broken! Can you please get the same coloured one that's blue, dark blue for me? Thank you. Can you really, really get one for me? Please. I love you nanny. Love Henry X). Heading off through Chinatown, armed with a photo of the said charm, that mission was easy. Done! Just call me 'Jenny Lost and Found in Japan' now!

Today I decided I wanted to visit Sankeien Gardens and photograph the lovely lotus flowers, not to be confused with water lilies. Last year, I photographed the lotus flowers at the large lake in Ueno but had not seen them at Sankeien Gardens. We were relatively new in Yokohama at that stage and the gardens were still unexplored. I headed off on my trusty steed, 'the bike', and passed through the tunnel under Yamate Hills and through Honmoku. It takes about 20-25 minutes, with no errors, to reach the gardens and by the time I arrived I was pretty hot. Paying my 500 yen admittance fee and walking through the gates, I realized instantly that my choice to visit the gardens was perfect.

Like a typical tourist I clicked away taking photos of the lotus flowers (hasu no hana), seed pods and plants. The roots of the lotus plant, sliced and boiled, are used in various Asian cuisines. Lotus rootlets are often pickled with rice vinegar, sugar, chili and garlic. They have a crunchy texture with a sweet-tangy flavour. The dried seed pods are a familiar addition to many floral arrangements.

On the shady side of the lake, children were fishing for yabbies or freshwater prawns. Using bamboo sticks with string and dried cuttlefish as bait, the yabbies were lured away from their safe haven under the canopy of lotus leaves. There was much excitement and merriment each time an unfortunate creature was snared.

Ladies wandered around the gardens sheltered by umbrellas and I even saw a photographer 'shooting' a young bride and husband to be. Listening to him calling out lengthy instructions to the assistants made me think I was on the set for 'Lost in Translation'! 

Beautiful large, bluey-green butterflies were flitting everywhere but, unfortunately, were too active to be photographed. Beautiful lotus, crepe myrtles and plenty of critters. I spent a very pleasant few hours wandering around and then headed home.

I don't know whether I had been steamed, broiled or baked but I was cooked to perfection, medium rare I believe, by the time I arrived home! Phew!! It's common thing to say here, 'Totemo atsui desu ne!' I think the workers who I passed on my return journey had the right idea.

O Mikoshi Festival!

During the Japanese summer, there are many special festivals and ceremonies celebrating a range of events. They are very colourful, noisy occasions which always attract large crowds. This year, invitations were extended to all company and expatriate company staff to attend the Chiyoda mikoshi festival. Last year I had missed seeing the festival and Stephen had been unaware of it until it was virtually happening. Having only heard about it after the event, I was pleased to have been forewarned this year.

A mikoshi is a portable Shinto shrine. Shinto followers believe that it serves as the vehicle of a divine spirit. Often, the mikoshi resembles a miniature building, with pillars, walls, a roof, a veranda and a railing. Typical shapes are rectangles, hexagons, and octagons. The body, which stands on two or four poles (for carrying), is usually lavishly decorated, and the roof might hold a carving of a phoenix.

Matsuri is the Japanese word for a festival or holiday. Festivals are often based around one or two main events, with food stalls, entertainment, and carnival games to keep people entertained. Japanese festivals are usually sponsored by a local shrine or temple, though they can be secular (in this case I'm not sure which) or in other instances around hanabi (fireworks). This year, many firework's festivals have been cancelled with the money going towards the Earthquake/ Tsunami victims. Instead of three in Yokohama there will only be one. There are no specific matsuri days for all of Japan but, festival days do tend to cluster around traditional holidays such as Setsubun or Obon (see end of  post). Last year in Motomachi Street we even saw children carrying a miniature version of a mikoshi, as well as a taiko (the Japanese word for drum) drumming performance.

During a matsuri people bear a mikoshi on their shoulders by means of two or four poles. They bring the mikoshi from the shrine, carry it around the neighbourhood that worships at the shrine, and in many cases leave it in a designated area, resting on blocks, for a time before returning it to the shrine. Some shrines have the custom of dipping the mikoshi in the water of a nearby lake, river or ocean but this did not happen at the matsuri in Tsurumi. At certain festivals, the people who bear the mikoshi wave it wildly from side to side. At some point during the festival procession, the shrines are blessed by Shinto priests from the local shrine.

The mikoshi is often carried through the neighbourhood for hours on end. There's usually a team of 50 to 100 people, who work in shifts of 30 to 50 to carry the mikoshi, which can weigh several tons. As drums beat, the bearers chant 'Yassho! Yassho! all the way. After the festival, most participants have bruises on their shoulders but always claim that, despite the anguished expressions on their faces, they're having fun!

At the office where Steve is based there was a very large gathering of people. People from each of the Chiyoda Offices in Tsurumi, plus the expatriate companies working with the Japanese company excitedly assembled. Everyone, sporting blue and white headbands, watched as the mikoshi underwent final preparations. The ceremony began with the formalities, which included a sake kampaii and lots of chanting. 

Yumi and Yuko enjoy a sake kampaii!!

Shiraz is ready to share the load!

Initially, the mikoshi  was lifted by a group of men, all dressed in the customary costumes, who wildly shook the shrine as the crowd chanted with them. The mikoshi was carried around the block to the rear of the office building where there were a few more formalities. The shrine was then carried through the streets of Tsurumi for about two hours.

Women were the first bearers and, at this stage, I tentatively joined in. Standing with friends, there was lots of giggling and excitement. With drums beating and people clapping and cheering we lifted the mikoshi onto our shoulders. For some reason, I'd imagined with so many people carrying it you wouldn't notice the weight (there were about 40 women bearers). Wrong!! It was heavy. I can attest to the bruises. At intervals, the ceremony leader would stop the procession so the bearers could lift the shrine up and down repeatedly to the beats of the drum. Naturally, we also had to stop for traffic lights during which time we couldn't put the mikoshi down! By the end of my shift, just over half an hour, my shoulder felt quite bruised and, after constantly chanting 'Yassho! Yassho!', my throat was a little dry. It was terrific fun though. Sugo-i sugo-i desu!

Steve joined the second shift of men and was also surprised at the weight (nothing a massage in Chinatown couldn't fix), particularly with the wild waving the men did. The shrine was finally returned to the office where it was left resting on blocks. The beer flowed freely and a feast followed. It was a fabulous experience but, possibly, not one I would do again. Another unique Japanese experience!!

 Footnote:
Obon is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the deceased spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people return to ancestral family places and visit and clean their ancestors' graves. It is also when the spirits of ancestors are supposed to revisit the household altars. It has been celebrated in Japan for more than 500 years and traditionally includes a dance, known as Bon-Odori. The festival of Obon lasts for three days; however its starting date varies within different regions of Japan.

Shrines are set up in homes with food and drink placed on them for returning spirits to come and rest during Obon. In the evening of the last day waterways are illuminated by hundreds of floating paper lanterns that are cast off down the rivers to send the visiting spirits of ancestors back to the realms of the dead, sometimes you see the names of the deceased written on them.

Setsubun is a festival held one day before Spring in the Japanese lunar calendar but is not a national holiday. For centuries, the people of Japan have been performing rituals with the purpose of chasing away evil spirits at the start of spring. In the 13th century, it became a custom to drive away the evil spirits with the noise of drums and the smoke from burning sardine heads and wood. In modern days, a more common ritual is to throw roasted beans around the house and at temples and shrines. As you throw the beans you should shout...Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi! (Devils out, happiness in!). You then pick up and eat the number of beans which correspond to your age. Mmmm, that could take me a while!