Monday, April 04, 2005
Kanamara Matsuri Festival.
Ok, now some things about Japan are different, some are strange and others just totally defy explanation... this event is one of the third variety.
My weekend started out like any other... shopping, housework, etc... then it struck me as a good idea to get some culture and visit a festival at a shrine... fairly reasonable, yeah? I thought so too... but the festival I attended is unlike anything I have ever seen before... because I lack the literary genious that is obviously required to describe such an event, I've stolen someone else's description... the photos are 100% my own though!
Spring is in the air, and perhaps the joys of the season in the Kanto region are nowhere more lusciously expressed than in Kawasaki Daishi, Kanagawa Prefecture, which is bracing itself for its annual phallic festival. Shinto offers more titillating tumescent thrills than most world religions, as the Kanamara Matsuri (Festival of the Steel Phallus) this year on April 2 and 3 proves. Sexually transmitted diseases spurred the popularization of phallic symbols in some of Japan's festivals dedicated to the male member, such as this one dating back to the Edo period (1603-1867). At that time, Kawasaki's "ladies of the night" prayed not only that business would be brisk, but for protection from syphilis. Come cherry blossom time, they gathered baskets of bamboo shoots and other sprouting delicacies, carried the shrine's phallic image in procession through the streets, and then sat down to a merry banquet on mats spread out on the courtyard of Kanamara Shrine. With the spread of syphilis now curbed, participants in the modern festival solicit donations for HIV/AIDS research. Today, the highlights of this saucy festival include transvestites parading through the town's streets carrying a mikoshi (portable shrine) with a humungous pink phallus on top. And, if that's not guaranteed to make you blush as deeply as the surrounding cherry blossoms, then the spectacle of grandmas and grandpas sucking on carnal candy and sweetmeat replicas of this stupendous phallus, is more than likely to. Other attractions include locals carving penises out of daikon (radish), children and young women sitting astride penis-shaped seesaws for good luck and fertility blessings, as well as a seated banquet in the compound of Kanamara Jinja (aka Wakamiya Hachiman-gu shrine) where the phallic radishes are auctioned. All are welcome to take part in the festival's parade and banquet, which includes dancing and karaoke singing. Many revelers, Japanese and foreigners alike, turn out in kimono, Edo period attire or drag for this two-day event of phallic fun which is also attended by many of the area's community leaders and civic dignitaries.
My weekend started out like any other... shopping, housework, etc... then it struck me as a good idea to get some culture and visit a festival at a shrine... fairly reasonable, yeah? I thought so too... but the festival I attended is unlike anything I have ever seen before... because I lack the literary genious that is obviously required to describe such an event, I've stolen someone else's description... the photos are 100% my own though!
Spring is in the air, and perhaps the joys of the season in the Kanto region are nowhere more lusciously expressed than in Kawasaki Daishi, Kanagawa Prefecture, which is bracing itself for its annual phallic festival. Shinto offers more titillating tumescent thrills than most world religions, as the Kanamara Matsuri (Festival of the Steel Phallus) this year on April 2 and 3 proves. Sexually transmitted diseases spurred the popularization of phallic symbols in some of Japan's festivals dedicated to the male member, such as this one dating back to the Edo period (1603-1867). At that time, Kawasaki's "ladies of the night" prayed not only that business would be brisk, but for protection from syphilis. Come cherry blossom time, they gathered baskets of bamboo shoots and other sprouting delicacies, carried the shrine's phallic image in procession through the streets, and then sat down to a merry banquet on mats spread out on the courtyard of Kanamara Shrine. With the spread of syphilis now curbed, participants in the modern festival solicit donations for HIV/AIDS research. Today, the highlights of this saucy festival include transvestites parading through the town's streets carrying a mikoshi (portable shrine) with a humungous pink phallus on top. And, if that's not guaranteed to make you blush as deeply as the surrounding cherry blossoms, then the spectacle of grandmas and grandpas sucking on carnal candy and sweetmeat replicas of this stupendous phallus, is more than likely to. Other attractions include locals carving penises out of daikon (radish), children and young women sitting astride penis-shaped seesaws for good luck and fertility blessings, as well as a seated banquet in the compound of Kanamara Jinja (aka Wakamiya Hachiman-gu shrine) where the phallic radishes are auctioned. All are welcome to take part in the festival's parade and banquet, which includes dancing and karaoke singing. Many revelers, Japanese and foreigners alike, turn out in kimono, Edo period attire or drag for this two-day event of phallic fun which is also attended by many of the area's community leaders and civic dignitaries.
Snowboarding at Hakuba
I had a fantastic week of snowboarding. There was heaps of snow still, most days the weather was perfect and there was almost nobody else on the ski slopes. How could I have not had a great time? Check out the snow!!
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Sunday, March 20, 2005
Tokyo Tours R Us
What a busy couple of weeks! A friend of mine from the land of Oz (Christian) came to visit me in Tokyo. It was great to see him again and we had heaps of fun!
First, we went to Hakuba near Nagano March 12 and 13. We spent the weekend attempting to snowboard (I have to say I think I spent more time on my bum than on my board!) but we had a good time. The place where we stayed "Luna Piena" has great breakfasts and dinners and the best service ever! AND it's a mere 5 min walk to the chairlift at Happo ski/board resort. I had such a great time that I'm going back there for a week-long snowboarding holiday at the end of March.
After our boarding weekend (Nursing many bruises and sore muscles) we returned to Tokyo... Christian did the self-guided tour thing during the days and I proceeded to work hard all week. After that, we both still managed to go out shopping and dining most nights (not a bad effort, hu?)
I introduced Christian to the wonders of Japanese cuisine including Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancakes) and Yakitori (various chicken skewers). We found a fab Italian restaurant with the very Italian name of "Ole, Ole" and had great Indian food and even went to an Irish pub for dinner and a pint of Kilkenny on St. Patrick's Day!.
My kids had their school concert on Thursday. They did the most fantastic job. I was so proud of them, I nearly cried!
Christian led me astray and FORCED me to purchase a snowboard set... I have to say it IS super nice!!
On Saturday we went to Disneyland. It was fairly busy (It's a long weekend here) but we managed to get on some rides and have a good look around. We ended our day with a ride on Splash Mountain. I managed to get the wettest of everyone on the ride and still managed to look perfectly calm (almost comatose) in the photo... so I decided it was worth purchasing!
Then on Sunday I sent Christian off home... waving goodbye as his taxi disappeared into the sunset... I hope I told the taxi driver the right place to go!
First, we went to Hakuba near Nagano March 12 and 13. We spent the weekend attempting to snowboard (I have to say I think I spent more time on my bum than on my board!) but we had a good time. The place where we stayed "Luna Piena" has great breakfasts and dinners and the best service ever! AND it's a mere 5 min walk to the chairlift at Happo ski/board resort. I had such a great time that I'm going back there for a week-long snowboarding holiday at the end of March.
After our boarding weekend (Nursing many bruises and sore muscles) we returned to Tokyo... Christian did the self-guided tour thing during the days and I proceeded to work hard all week. After that, we both still managed to go out shopping and dining most nights (not a bad effort, hu?)
I introduced Christian to the wonders of Japanese cuisine including Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancakes) and Yakitori (various chicken skewers). We found a fab Italian restaurant with the very Italian name of "Ole, Ole" and had great Indian food and even went to an Irish pub for dinner and a pint of Kilkenny on St. Patrick's Day!.
My kids had their school concert on Thursday. They did the most fantastic job. I was so proud of them, I nearly cried!
Christian led me astray and FORCED me to purchase a snowboard set... I have to say it IS super nice!!
On Saturday we went to Disneyland. It was fairly busy (It's a long weekend here) but we managed to get on some rides and have a good look around. We ended our day with a ride on Splash Mountain. I managed to get the wettest of everyone on the ride and still managed to look perfectly calm (almost comatose) in the photo... so I decided it was worth purchasing!
Then on Sunday I sent Christian off home... waving goodbye as his taxi disappeared into the sunset... I hope I told the taxi driver the right place to go!
Sunday, March 06, 2005
Nagano Cultural Weekend March 5-6
This weekend I went to Nagano with some people from work.
We had a fantastic time.
First, we saw some of the city of Nagano. The Special Olympics were just finishing so there were lots of foreigners around. We got a volunteer guide when we went to the temple (she was awesome). Thanks to her, I managed to find the key to enlightenment AND be re-born... all in the space of an hour!
We stayed at a hostel inside the first set of gates to the temple. It used to be acommodation for the monks at the temple and it was gorgeous. The landlady was great too. She even gave us warm sake and called the local restaurant to deliver dinner to us!
It did become a little bit tragic when, around 7:30pm, we had eaten dinner, consumed a number of bottles of wine and were ready for bed! We decided instead to play some games... what followed was a couple of hilarious hours of (gradually more substandard) charades and celebrity head.
On Sunday we were up at the "crack of sparrows" to wash our faces in the icy tap water (hot water was down stairs but it was 2 degrees down there) I stuck to the cold water in the 5 degree environment. Bags packed, we went back to the train station (along with some Estonian masseurs... sadly, all female) for breakfast (some of us nursing slight hang-overs) then on the bus up to near the Snow monkeys.
http://www.jigokudani-yaenkoen.co.jp/frameset.html
Check this website if you're interested. Not only does it have a "live webcam" (which seems to show one pic an hour) but it also has some of the most attrocious Engrish I've seen in a long time! But... the snow was beautiful and the monkeys were very cool!
A word to the wise... don't take any plastic bags! The monkeys associate that with food and they WILL attack (Saw it happen to an old lady Sunday morning). The lady was fine but her rice ball took a quick journey up the nearest tree, in the hands of a monkey.
We had a fantastic time.
First, we saw some of the city of Nagano. The Special Olympics were just finishing so there were lots of foreigners around. We got a volunteer guide when we went to the temple (she was awesome). Thanks to her, I managed to find the key to enlightenment AND be re-born... all in the space of an hour!
We stayed at a hostel inside the first set of gates to the temple. It used to be acommodation for the monks at the temple and it was gorgeous. The landlady was great too. She even gave us warm sake and called the local restaurant to deliver dinner to us!
It did become a little bit tragic when, around 7:30pm, we had eaten dinner, consumed a number of bottles of wine and were ready for bed! We decided instead to play some games... what followed was a couple of hilarious hours of (gradually more substandard) charades and celebrity head.
On Sunday we were up at the "crack of sparrows" to wash our faces in the icy tap water (hot water was down stairs but it was 2 degrees down there) I stuck to the cold water in the 5 degree environment. Bags packed, we went back to the train station (along with some Estonian masseurs... sadly, all female) for breakfast (some of us nursing slight hang-overs) then on the bus up to near the Snow monkeys.
http://www.jigokudani-yaenkoen.co.jp/frameset.html
Check this website if you're interested. Not only does it have a "live webcam" (which seems to show one pic an hour) but it also has some of the most attrocious Engrish I've seen in a long time! But... the snow was beautiful and the monkeys were very cool!
A word to the wise... don't take any plastic bags! The monkeys associate that with food and they WILL attack (Saw it happen to an old lady Sunday morning). The lady was fine but her rice ball took a quick journey up the nearest tree, in the hands of a monkey.
Friday, March 04, 2005
School Cancelled for Friday March 4th due to Snow 6:23a.m
Due to the heavy snow fall over night ... International School has decided it is not safe for children to come to school. School will be closed today. There will be no school for ECE, Primary or Secondary.
Due to the heavy snow fall over night ... International School has decided it is not safe for children to come to school. School will be closed today. There will be no school for ECE, Primary or Secondary.
Horay!
I still have to go to work,
but I also get to play in the snow....
and I don't have to share it with the kids! :-D
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Monday, February 28, 2005
Carren’s February Update
What have I been up to?
Well, earlier in the month I had the flu (I was sure I was dying) lost my voice and had to take some time off work. What I really needed was some TLC from my mummy and lots of chicken soup!
On February 2 at school, we celebrated a Japanese festival called Setsubun. It’s about welcoming in the New Year. You throw soy beans at evil spirits (the school bus drivers with paper bags on their heads… I kid you not!!) and you are meant to eat the same number of beans as years you’ve been alive… I offered some of the other staff a spoon for their beans! Hahaha.
I went to Hiroshima on February 11, 12 and 13 with Jen, from work. Because of the flu, we were both coughing and spluttering all over each other and everyone else… but that’s sharing!
We did all the usual touristy things there… we went to Miyajima island and took some postcard-style photos of the big red gate in the water.
Unfortunately the ropeway was closed for renovations so we couldn’t go to the top of the island to see the view and the monkeys…. There was no dirth of “wild” life on the island though… we got up-close and personal with a ba-zillion deer… we did heed the warnings on the signs “stay away from deer with horns” seemed like reasonable advice!
We went to the Memorial Peace Park. Being winter, the trees were grey skeletons, against the skeletal backdrop of the A-Bomb dome… and to make it even creepier, the trees were covered in crows!
We also went to a used kimono shop…. We spent hours in there poring over the kimono and the obi (belts). Of course we both have great taste so we had to compromise about who would get which ones! An older Japanese woman came into the store while we were there and appointed herself our translator and educator about the history of the obi. She was awesome… she even negotiated a discount for us!
On our two nights in Hiroshima we ate a local speciality “Okonomiyaki”, Japanese pancakes with stuff inside, for dinner. In Hiroshima they usually have Japanese noodles and cabbage and some random sea creature (or 3)… seeing we’re both allergic to fish (well planned, hu?) we opted for the fish-free varieties. In my very best (read 'tragic') Japanese I also requested no fish flakes, no other fish products, etc. Neither of us got sick or died so I must have been understood. Yay me!
We also managed to squeeze in a spot of shopping and a few trips to Starbucks and Mister Donut (we had to keep warm somehow!!).
And I came away from Hiroshima with not just the usual one regional Hello Kitty but 3! They were so cute, how could I resist? There was one regional Miyajima kitty I didn’t buy though… she has an oyster shell on her head, like a hat… only it really looks like a drippy, mouldy poo… I have to draw the line somewhere!
But really, the highlight of our entire trip to Hiroshima was our visit to “God Burger”. I figured that anything endorsed by God must be good! Unfortunately, the best things in the “restaurant” (I use that term very loosely!) were the staff uniforms!
I too want an apron that simply says “GOD” on it!! (The burgers didn’t taste bad… they didn't have taste at all)
On February 19 I went to watch a Kabuki performance. Kabuki is Japanese theatre. The actors all wear white face make up and men play all the roles. It was really great! I had an English translation for it (a little earphone thingie) and I had a great time. I would definitely like to try to get back to see another performance before I leave Japan. Some Japanese friends said that they need a translation for it too, because it uses old-style Japanese language!
One of the Japanese staff members at school is leaving as of the 25th of this month… she’s going to Australia for a while to study at uni. Her two sons (both in primary school) will join her after the Easter Hols in Oz. Meanwhile, her husband will hold down the fort at home. She is going to be missed a great deal here and I hope everything goes really well for her!
On the 25th, in the wee hours of the morning it snew (the past tense of snow) in Tokyo! While I rode my bicycle to work that morning, I was cursing my choice of days to forget my gloves. If not for the rain which followed the snow, we might have been lucky enough to have a day without kids, or at the least we could have played in it! As it was, there was just a couple of centimeters of cold, white stuff hanging around… mostly on the grass and the roofs of cars and homes.
So… That’s my February, in a nutshell… I’m already planning trips for March and April/ May. I have friends (from Oz and formerly Oz but currently Ireland ) coming to visit me and I’m flat out and feeling pretty happy with how everything is going at the moment.
What have I been up to?
Well, earlier in the month I had the flu (I was sure I was dying) lost my voice and had to take some time off work. What I really needed was some TLC from my mummy and lots of chicken soup!
On February 2 at school, we celebrated a Japanese festival called Setsubun. It’s about welcoming in the New Year. You throw soy beans at evil spirits (the school bus drivers with paper bags on their heads… I kid you not!!) and you are meant to eat the same number of beans as years you’ve been alive… I offered some of the other staff a spoon for their beans! Hahaha.
I went to Hiroshima on February 11, 12 and 13 with Jen, from work. Because of the flu, we were both coughing and spluttering all over each other and everyone else… but that’s sharing!
We did all the usual touristy things there… we went to Miyajima island and took some postcard-style photos of the big red gate in the water.
Unfortunately the ropeway was closed for renovations so we couldn’t go to the top of the island to see the view and the monkeys…. There was no dirth of “wild” life on the island though… we got up-close and personal with a ba-zillion deer… we did heed the warnings on the signs “stay away from deer with horns” seemed like reasonable advice!
We went to the Memorial Peace Park. Being winter, the trees were grey skeletons, against the skeletal backdrop of the A-Bomb dome… and to make it even creepier, the trees were covered in crows!
We also went to a used kimono shop…. We spent hours in there poring over the kimono and the obi (belts). Of course we both have great taste so we had to compromise about who would get which ones! An older Japanese woman came into the store while we were there and appointed herself our translator and educator about the history of the obi. She was awesome… she even negotiated a discount for us!
On our two nights in Hiroshima we ate a local speciality “Okonomiyaki”, Japanese pancakes with stuff inside, for dinner. In Hiroshima they usually have Japanese noodles and cabbage and some random sea creature (or 3)… seeing we’re both allergic to fish (well planned, hu?) we opted for the fish-free varieties. In my very best (read 'tragic') Japanese I also requested no fish flakes, no other fish products, etc. Neither of us got sick or died so I must have been understood. Yay me!
We also managed to squeeze in a spot of shopping and a few trips to Starbucks and Mister Donut (we had to keep warm somehow!!).
And I came away from Hiroshima with not just the usual one regional Hello Kitty but 3! They were so cute, how could I resist? There was one regional Miyajima kitty I didn’t buy though… she has an oyster shell on her head, like a hat… only it really looks like a drippy, mouldy poo… I have to draw the line somewhere!
But really, the highlight of our entire trip to Hiroshima was our visit to “God Burger”. I figured that anything endorsed by God must be good! Unfortunately, the best things in the “restaurant” (I use that term very loosely!) were the staff uniforms!
I too want an apron that simply says “GOD” on it!! (The burgers didn’t taste bad… they didn't have taste at all)
On February 19 I went to watch a Kabuki performance. Kabuki is Japanese theatre. The actors all wear white face make up and men play all the roles. It was really great! I had an English translation for it (a little earphone thingie) and I had a great time. I would definitely like to try to get back to see another performance before I leave Japan. Some Japanese friends said that they need a translation for it too, because it uses old-style Japanese language!
One of the Japanese staff members at school is leaving as of the 25th of this month… she’s going to Australia for a while to study at uni. Her two sons (both in primary school) will join her after the Easter Hols in Oz. Meanwhile, her husband will hold down the fort at home. She is going to be missed a great deal here and I hope everything goes really well for her!
On the 25th, in the wee hours of the morning it snew (the past tense of snow) in Tokyo! While I rode my bicycle to work that morning, I was cursing my choice of days to forget my gloves. If not for the rain which followed the snow, we might have been lucky enough to have a day without kids, or at the least we could have played in it! As it was, there was just a couple of centimeters of cold, white stuff hanging around… mostly on the grass and the roofs of cars and homes.
So… That’s my February, in a nutshell… I’m already planning trips for March and April/ May. I have friends (from Oz and formerly Oz but currently Ireland ) coming to visit me and I’m flat out and feeling pretty happy with how everything is going at the moment.
Tokyo City News
Well, the weather is cold. I suppose I should expect that, being winter and all... it's still quite a shock to the system when you step out of the super-heated department stores or subway into the icy wind though. We had a taste of spring the other day 17 degrees, warm! sunny and glorious! We have suffered since then with freezing weather and even snow! Gambate spring!!
School News
Well, I can't give a vomit count or a wall / floor painting count... we seem to have passed that stage (thankfully!) I can, however say that our kids are awesome! We are practising every day for the school concert (March 17) and working hard on our Units of Inquiry. Most of the kids have been sick with one flu or another (seems to be much worse this year) they're all tired but they're still trying really hard.
Social News
Well, after my effort in Europe, I decided to give my liver a bit of a rest (it's still kinda angry with me)... however, it didn't last long cos I'm being led astry on a regular basis by the other people in my appartment building. (Not my fault Mummy, I swear!) We have drinks at the fountain each fortnight (The building is named Heights Fountain... for no apparent reason... it's only 3 stories tall... very little by Tokyo standards and there is definitely not a fountain anywhere near us!). I prefer to call it "Hump Day at the Fountain" because we hold it on a Wednesday night... Wednesday, being the middle of the working week is the "hump" once you get past Wednesday, it's all downhill to the weekend! People tend to give me strange looks when I invite them to "Hump Day" though... maybe I should just stick to calling it drinks??
Well, the weather is cold. I suppose I should expect that, being winter and all... it's still quite a shock to the system when you step out of the super-heated department stores or subway into the icy wind though. We had a taste of spring the other day 17 degrees, warm! sunny and glorious! We have suffered since then with freezing weather and even snow! Gambate spring!!
School News
Well, I can't give a vomit count or a wall / floor painting count... we seem to have passed that stage (thankfully!) I can, however say that our kids are awesome! We are practising every day for the school concert (March 17) and working hard on our Units of Inquiry. Most of the kids have been sick with one flu or another (seems to be much worse this year) they're all tired but they're still trying really hard.
Social News
Well, after my effort in Europe, I decided to give my liver a bit of a rest (it's still kinda angry with me)... however, it didn't last long cos I'm being led astry on a regular basis by the other people in my appartment building. (Not my fault Mummy, I swear!) We have drinks at the fountain each fortnight (The building is named Heights Fountain... for no apparent reason... it's only 3 stories tall... very little by Tokyo standards and there is definitely not a fountain anywhere near us!). I prefer to call it "Hump Day at the Fountain" because we hold it on a Wednesday night... Wednesday, being the middle of the working week is the "hump" once you get past Wednesday, it's all downhill to the weekend! People tend to give me strange looks when I invite them to "Hump Day" though... maybe I should just stick to calling it drinks??
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