Back on my bike

Well, it has been a long long time since our last post. Our lives changed somewhat at 2:46 on March 11th when a 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck off the east coast of Japan near Sendai. The earthquake triggered a huge tsunami and many lives were lost. We felt the quake in Tokyo-it was like riding on a runaway freight train. The whole house moved (I was at home at the time) and everything fell off shelves and onto the floor. It was noisy and terrifying and lasted what seemed like a lifetime, but was actually 6 minutes. We experienced over 500 aftershocks in the 5 days that we stayed on in the city. With the news of the damaged and leaking nuclear power plant (150 miles from here) getting worse by the hour, we decided to follow the embassy personnel and evacuate out until it was safe to return. With plans to be in Fairfax for Henry and Cat's May wedding, it was time to be at home for a while.

Now we are back and getting used to life here in the city again. I am planning on catching up on some wonderful events we attended before the earthquake, but which I did not manage to write up earlier.

I will try and write about the most interesting experiences and sights in chronological order, going back as far as the end of last year.

Throw Those Beans!

Today (February 3rd-for some reason the date above is still on Wednesday, which is USA time) it is time to say sayonara to winter with the annual Setsubun festival. Setsubun was originally celebrated four times per year, but gradually became a spring-only event. Shrines across the country mark the beginning of February with the custom of mamemaki (bean throwing). The tossing of the soy beans is thought to drive out demons and bring in good luck for the coming year.

Today I went with some friends to Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa, to see priests throwing beans into the huge crowd, a tradition first recorded in “Edo meisho zu-e,” an ancient pictorial record of the city.  A big crowd gathered under a perfectly blue sky to hear the cry of “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!” Demons out! Good luck in!

As they shouted this the priests and dignitaries in traditional yukata robes tossed handfuls of beans towards us and everybody jumped to catch the beans in order to have as much luck as possible. I managed a handful, mainly in my scarf that I held out as a net. Hopefully enough beans to bring good luck for the coming year. I am glad I was wearing glasses and did not get a soy bean in my eye!

 

As you can see in the video clip (apologies for my finger blocking the view), the crowd was jostling for the beans, but still polite and cheerful. I have not yet had an experience in a crowded situation (and there are many of those in this heaving city of nearly 13 million people), where I was at all concerned by the huge numbers of people all squished into a small area. I have always felt very safe and secure and happy to be around a group of people obviously having so much fun!

Back in Cyberspace

Well, it has been a long time since my last post and for that I apologize. Before Christmas I was in England with Tony's mother and once I got back it was full steam ahead for the Christmas run. Hugo and Ryan arrived 5 days before Christmas and Henry and Cat piled in on Christmas Eve. They all took side trips to Kyoto and Hugo and Ryan had a couple of days in Osaka. In between times we took in some great days of sightseeing and shopping (mainly window shopping at the current prices and exchange rates) and had some terrific meals. One of the highlights was New Year's Eve. We had dinner at Gonpachi, a famous restaurant used as the backdrop for a well-known fight scene in the movie, Kill Bill. Then near midnight we went over to the Zojoji Temple, near the Tokyo Tower.

There was a huge crush of people and the sides were lined with stalls selling food and drink. At midnight everybody released clear helium balloons and the year was lit up on the tower. There was much good-natured cheering, singing and jostling. If you have to be in the middle of a huge crowd, this is the place to be! We attempted our own little 'gaijin' corner singing Auld Lang Syne, but were less than effective.We nearly lost Tony as the crowd heaved and he thought he might land in the middle of the stand where they were frying potatoes (the Japanese LOVE potatoes), but we managed to hold on to him. The crowds were enormously jolly and very well-behaved.  It was a truly memorable night....I am including a video of the temple, showing the balloons being launched and the tower in the background;

Asleep on the train

I will let this one speak for itself. Click on the video, taken with my iPhone as I sat across from this weary traveler on the subway!

A little language goes a long way

Just a brief comment. I am now taking Japanese language lessons. A teacher comes to the house twice a week and I thought that I was getting pretty darn good. So when we were out to lunch with a group of people the other day, I thought I would be brave and utter a few words of Japanese. I had hoped to say, "this is very tasty" of the meal. Unfortunately, what I actually said was, "I am very tasty".

Oh well, I will keep trying..............

Of greater interest is the piece (below) about the Samurai Horseback Archers.

Samurai Horseback Archers

In October, we went with a group of friends from the Tokyo American Club to Kamakura, where we enjoyed a wonderful display of Horseback Archery. This art is called Yabusame. The archers ride at full gallop and shoot at three targets as they ride. This skill dates back to the Kamakura period when the shogun of that period, Minamoto No Yoritomo, became so concerned about his samurai's archery skills that he organized the Yabusume as practice.

It was a glorious, early autumn day. We went on the train to Kamakura and had a delightful lunch in a Japanese restaurant. We then went to the shrine and witnessed a wonderful ceremony, where all the participants went to pray before the competition.

 

Immediately following this ceremony, we went to a narrow area, alongside the track where the archers would ride. We had seats and where able to watch a wonderful procession of all those involved in the competition. 

After the procession, the 'competition' began, although it appeared to be more of a display than an actual tournament. The archers started at one end of the track, their names were announced and then they came careening down the track, shooting at each of the three targets. We were alongside the middle target. The archers flew by, reloading with remarkable speed and agility, and with their robes flying behind them. As they shot at each target, many of them let out thrilling, blood-curdling yells. 

Yabusame

Yabusame was designed as a way to please and entertain the myriad of gods that watch over Japan, thus encouraging their blessings for the prosperity of the land, the people, and the harvest.
A yabusame archer gallops down a 255-meter-long track at high speed. The archer mainly controls his horse with his knees, as he needs both hands to draw and shoot his bow.As he approaches a target, he brings his bow up and draws the arrow past his ear before letting the arrow fly with a deep shout of In-Yo-In-Yo (darkness and light). The arrow is blunt and round-shaped in order to make a louder sound when it strikes the board.

Experienced archers are allowed to use arrows with a V-shaped prong. If the board is struck, it will splinter with a confetti-like material and fall to the ground. To hit all three targets is considered an admirable accomplishment. Yabusame targets and their placement are designed to ritually replicate the optimum target for a lethal blow on an opponent wearing full traditional samurai armor (O-Yoroi) which left the space just beneath the helmet visor bare.

Yabusame is characterized as a ritual rather than a sport because of its solemn style and religious aspects, and is often performed for special ceremonies or official events, such as entertaining foreign dignitaries and heads of state. To be selected as a yabusame archer is a great honor. In the past, they were chosen from only the best warriors. The archer who performs the best is awarded a white cloth, signifying divine favor.

A truly memorable experience. I hope to add some video footage soon (when I have figure out how!).

Sumo

On September 25th we attended the Sumo Tournament with a group of friends. On arriving at the stadium, as we were walking to the entrance, we heard cheering from a crowd who were lining the pavement. One of the wrestlers was arriving from his stable (where a group of wrestler's train) and was being given a royal welcome as he walked into the stadium. He was dressed in traditional clothes and with the very distinguished hairstyle that is so peculiar to this sport. The wrestlers all belong to a stable, where they train together. Fighters do not go up against another wrestler from the same stable.

The stadium is similar to any kind of sports arena, but the central ring is very small and made out of clay and is called a dohyo. Five judges sit around the outside of the ring. A referee (gyoji), dressed in an elaborate kimono stands at the edge of the ring and officiates each bout, at the end of which he points to the winner. The rules are simple, since a wrestler (rikishi) loses when any part of his body, other than the soles of his feet, touches any part of the ring, or if he is thrown out of the ring. Any technique or maneuver can be used, except for pulling his opponent's hair, hitting him with a closed fist, boxing his ears, choking him or grabbing his opponent's robes in an inappropriate place (my delicate version of the rules).

 

The wrestling bouts are between increasingly experienced and successful fighters and so the day progresses at a more and more exciting pace. There is a lot of posturing and slapping of bellies and thighs. They throw a handful of salt into the ring to chase away evil spirits and crouch down and stare at each other and then one gets up and wanders off as if he is not quite yet in the right mood....each time the excitement among the spectators increases and the stadium gets noisier and noisier. The actual bout can be as long as 4 minutes, but can also be over in seconds, so great concentration is needed.

The tournament lasts 15 days and we were fortunate to watch a terrific wrestler, Hakuho (photograph above), a 25 year old Mongolian, who was unbeaten this time around and is heading towards catching up with the all-time record. He was unbeaten in the entire 2-week tournament. By the end of this tournament, he was close enough to the record of 69 consecutive wins that was set in 1939, that it is believed he will surpass it in November. He is the fourth non-Japanese overall, to be promoted to the highest rank in sumo, yokozuna. Many of today's Sumo wrestlers are not Japanese, but are Hawaiian, Mongolian, Estonian and other nationalities. It is a terrifically exciting and absorbing sport