Shoganji Temple: Saganoseki, Kyuushuu

Golden Week is over and I just returned from a week-long trip in Kyuushuu. I thought for something different, this time I would try staying at a zen temple (something I've always been interested in doing) and that  it might be a good way to revive a rusty zazen practice, as well as just relax in country life, surrounded by nature.

I found Shoganji temple (in pics above) on the web while searching for zen retreats. The temple is located in a small village (Ojuki) which is part of a fishing peninsula called Saganoseki, not far near Oita. It offered accommodations to foreigners or nationals, regardless of zen experience (although some experience is recommended).  They've hosted visitors from the US, Germany, Canada, Croatia, and many other places. Prices were reasonable and it was rather last-minute so I figured "why not?".

The man sitting next to me is Jiho Kongo, the head monk in charge of the  temple. Shoganji is over 600 years old and has been in his family for over 100 years. He speaks great English and is very friendly, as well as a wonderful cook! Here we are getting ready for lunch.

Above are some more shots around the temple. It's totally surrounded by trees and mountains and can hear frogs and birds singing all the time. The rightmost pic is of a well where that we got drinking water from for daily use. It was really good!

Daily schedule was: up at 5:30 and zen practice until around 7, gardening/chores from 8-10, Lunch at 12 and afternoons were basically free until dinner at 5:30. Lights out around 9 or 10. We did take some trips to local sento (baths) a few times, as well as some other walks/excursions.

One of my most memorable experiences was that I got a chance to help make mochi! I've seen this done a few times, but this was first time participating. I love eating mochi (too much) so was really looking forward to it. Some friends and family of Jiho-san came over for the mochi making. Above is a shot of 2 of us going at it, pounding the rice and yomogi mixed together.

The pic farthest left is yomogi (mugwort) and we picked it fresh around the temple grounds. Mixing it in when pounding the sweet white rice makes it turn green and adds flavor. After the rice mixture turns completely green as gets really sticky, its then stuffed with anko (sweet red bean) and covered with kinako (soybean powder), as is seen in the pics on the right. Man... heaven on earth for me, if you knew how much I loved this stuff! I restrained myself to 2 (sometimes 3) daily : P

If you like simple, fresh regional Japanese dishes, you won't be disappointed. Fresh fish, vegetables, fruit and rice make up most of the dishes. Kyuushu is especially known for citrus fruits and amazing fish. From right to left: Sashimi with negi, takenoko (bamboo shoots), udo (bitter mountain vegetable), sazae (a shellfish kind of like conch), and takenoko, fuki and aburage. We picked the takenoko right outside the temple on a mountain path and had it as side dish throughout the stay. 

There were many other dishes during my stay including grilled fish and squid, oshinko, nanbanzuke, salads, fruit, rice and of course, mochi for dessert. Jiho-san believes in simple style (ie not too much flavoring or sauces to let the freshness of food be tasted). Its true, with food this fresh, you really don't need it.  

I did try no breakfast for the whole time, which is part of the health system observed there. I must say I was skeptical at first (as most people are according to Jiho-san), but after few days not only did i survive without it, I found that i had more energy and didn't even miss it. Drinking lots of water is important in lieu of breakfast though.

In addition to the local foods, there is of course the sea, which is so accessible. I think i walked down to the beach (which is only 10 min walk from temple) around 3 or 4 times a day. Water is clear and can see some reefs/coral too. One thing I noted during these walks was that every person i passed, child or adult, greeted me. I found it amazing since I almost never experience it in Tokyo. I guess that is a normal part of village life. Local people were very friendly.

Unknown to me, I came during a matsuri time and so the town was in festival mode on the 3rd and 4th. I get the feeling in such a remote village, they don't get too many foreigners here, which I think was confirmed upon entering the festival area. The kids, having no fear of course, ran right up to me and started asking me lots of questions, very curious and jumping all over me which lasted pretty much all day..lol. We had a lot of fun. The adults eventually loosened up when they heard I could speak Japanese and offered me some beer and snacks for which I was grateful. The kids were a riot though, so genki!!

Friendly people, beautiful scenery, great food...couldn't ask for much more. Hope to go back for a visit again! Many thanks to Jiho-san, Okaasan and Obasan for their warm hospitality. ありがとうございます!

LA/VFX blog

Just wanted to direct those who might be interested to a blog I'm doing while in LA about taking Visual Effects courses and the 3d scene there. It's called 2LA43d. Hope you check it out!

I will continue Let's Good Times once I'm back in Japan. For now enjoy this new one. : )

I Miss Japan soooooooooooooooooooo much. sigh....

I'll be back ...

Today is a warm, rainy, breezy day in Tokyo and I'm at one of my favorite lunch spots, Hibiki. Being on the 49th floor, there is a great view of the city to gaze at while enjoying my Chirashizushi. It's rather sudden, but after over 2.5 years here, I'm leaving tomorrow to move back to the US for the time being. Freelancing isn't working out the way I'd like and I think to shake things up a bit, make some kind of change. I will be living in Los Angeles, CA and taking some advanced 3d training at a facility in Hollywood for about 9 weeks.

I really wish I wasn't leaving, honestly. Most of you know how much I enjoy living here. Of course I miss my friends and family at home terribly - that goes without saying. Just in terms of a place to live that I feel comfortable in, constantly stimulated, and suits me in various ways, Tokyo is it. I love living in a city where the public transportation is clean, on-time, and a car is not even remotely needed, which removes the whole parking/traffic hassle. I can't imagine there being another city in the world the density of Tokyo that is so clean and safe. Apparently that stuff is important to me. I think a lot of cities can learn a thing or two from Tokyo.

But, another important value is to be working in an environment that suits me and where i feel I can express myself and feel good about while making a decent living. That too is so important and thus, it's been a hard decision.

I know I will be back, if not as a resident, then at least as a frequent visitor. I guess for some this place can get in their blood after a while. I guess its better to leave while feeling so lucky and positive about the experience rather than jaded and negative as I have heard many do. I owe so much to so many people who made my stay here easy and fun. I can't even begin to say how much i appreciate all I have received from everyone. I hope I can repay some of what I have received someday.

Although I know I will talk with my girlfriend frequently, that is going to be very rough. Skype will be getting a lot of use I think...

Looking forward, the school I will be attending is called the Gnomon School of Visual Effects in Hollywood. All of the instructors work in the industry at major studios, so not only will it be great instruction, but a networking opportunity as well. I hope to get something going after it ends, but will keep options open and just focus on working my arse off for the next few months and hope something good comes from it.

So I guess we'll see. If I can get my name in some movie credits somewhere, that would be cool too. Maybe I will start an LA blog too. I'll keep this one open cause Japan is not over for me, not by a longshot. As the infamous gov of California once said, "I'll be back".

Nara and the Buddha's Nostril

After a looooong delay, i finally made some time to upload those pics from my Nara trip a while back. Nara is one of the most important cultural areas in Japan with many famous shrines and temples. In addition to that, it's a wonderful nature spot where the deer are aplenty are roam free. Just as in Miyajima, they aren't shy in the least. In fact I'd call 'em downright hostile...hah. The pics below are from Kofukuji. This temple has the tallest 5 story pagoda in Japan and is next to Nara deer park.


Next was Kasuga Taisha. To reach the shrine requires a bit of a hike through some forrests. The deer of course is the god-protector. Very cool, quiet, and mossy : )


Lastly is Todaiji, which might be the most famous temple in Japan, famed for housing the largest sitting Buddha. This is tops on the list for sightseers in Japan and it's worth the trip. One of the pillars has a hole going through it called the 'Buddha's Nostril". it's quite narrow and if you can fit through it, all good stuff will come to you. Kids have no problem, but sometimes you see the zealous adult give a go, which must be fun to watch. As with everywhere in Nara, be careful of deer gangs. : )

Kyoto 京都

Well, first off HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone! And to my Japanese friends, 明けましておめでとうございます。今年もよろしくお願いします。That's basically just "Happy New Year and please treat me nicely this year as well", kind of. Sometimes phrases just don't translate well. Anyway. I am super behind in my posting, so here is one from a trip at the end of last year, the Osaka-Kyoto-Nara trip. I will cover Kyoto in this one. It's actually my 2nd time there, but there is so much to see in Kyoto I think one could go many many times and always find new treasures.


First stop was Tofuku-ji. Rebuilt in 1890, it's famous for its 4 zen gardens (one on each side) designed by some famous landscape designers in 1939. The gardens represent an abstraction of the 8 aspects of Buddha's life. It's so serene there since the temple is surrounded by nature on all sides. Very peaceful atmosphere.


Next was a trip to Tenryu-ji, which is in Arashiyama part of Kyoto on the eastern side. This temple is a World Heritage site, also known for its gardens. What I enjoyed most was the famous bamboo forest (Chukurin no michi) nearby. A bamboo forest is such a different experience, I can't describe it really, just very cool and completely green. I really loved visiting there.


From there visited Fushimi-inari Shrine, noted for its thousands and thousands of closely-spaced red 鳥居(torii). These red torii appear in many photos/postcards/advertisements. It's one of the most known visual symbols of Kyoto, I think. Also, the route is veeeeery long, and mostly uphill, so be forewarned. Not a good spot for the high-heel-ed. Bring water too. :P


After all that sight-seeing, it was nice to relax at a 旅館 (ryokan-japanese hotel). I actually messed up the reservation and went to the wrong hotel, but fortunately the one I went too still had a room. Turned out to be a great place to stay in a very charming, traditonal part of Kyoto called Gion, where you can spot 舞妓（maiko) from time to time. Maiko are not geisha, but most visitors can't tell the difference. Their kimono, hair, makeup, and even sandals are different, acutally. The women kind enough to pose in the photo above were neither Maiko or Geisha, just visitors getting into the feel of Kyoto, probably.


The 懐石料理(kaiseki ryori or many japanese dishes served in courses) was really very nicely done. You could see the late fall theme in the pic on the far left. Kyoto's kaiseki is most famous in Japan, being the historical center of culture. Also 京野菜（vegetables grown in Kyoto) are known thoughout Japan for being supremely tasty. I can't disagree with that...everything was wonderful. I especially liked 'hamo', which is a white fish, served in a broth famous in Kyoto.


On the morning of the last day, took a quick visit to Nishiki Market, which is a busy, popular market for the locals. You could see many of Kyoto's specialties here and sample as well. They had some grilled scallops-kabobs that looked too incredible to pass up. It was hard to leave here!! haha....

I would like to return to Kyoto again someday and explore more of this city that has so many different attractions, as well as more of it's delicious foods! :P

Next: Nara

Thanksgiving in Philadelphia

Well, as many of you might know I was home visiting for 2 weeks over the Thanksgiving holiday. I was glad I chose Thanksgiving over Christmas to come home for a few reasons, one of which is I missed Thanksgiving foods! The other is the general level of crazy is a wee-bit less and travel a bit easier perhaps. I had a great time visiting family and it was great to see everyone, especially my Mom, Dad and Sister's family. I really missed them. Also I saw some former coworkers and friends and that was great too.

One thing is for sure, I ate a LOT of pizza..i think I averaged about 2.5 slices a day, which helps account for the 5 lbs gained (no extra charge at airport). Turkey was great (as usual) and got to see the new Comcast building featured above. I gotta say, I was pretty impressed..go Philly! Largest HD screen in the world at a cool 1 mil. Nice little building they put up, those Comcast folks.

Well, guess I am way behind on posts now. Still have Kyoto and Nara to do. Right. Just let me take a little nap first...still jetlaggin a bit : )

Tokyo Disneyland

Quick sidetrack from Kyoto/Nara trip since I wanted to blog about day trip took to Tokyo Disneyland. Not really high on my list of Japanese places I expected to visit, but suffice it to say I found myself in the position to go and my curiosity to compare/contrast was too strong to pass up the chance :P (thanks Kayo!)

I have to say the Tokyo version was more similar to the US one than I expected, albeit much smaller. But then again, with Disney never leaving any room for error and is so strict with their branding, I guess that it's really no surprise. I felt that Disney in the setting of Japan was somehow fitting, while at the same time starkly in contrast to the US one. On the similar end of things, with Japan being the land of 'cute', its a no-brainer that Disney would be a big hit here. It's almost more fitting here than in the US in that respect perhaps. But something about seeing all those so American figures and cultural references in the context of Japan/Japanese was surreal for sure. Old west and pioneer stuff (and the cultural context inherent in that) must be so strange and hard to relate to for the Japanese, just as some very old traditonal Japanese cultural elements are completely lost on me. But as I find that stuff so interesting, perhaps its that same contrast that draws the crowds.

And when I saw crowds, I mean crowds. I went on a weekday and still all the fastpass rides were sold out by about 2pm. The average wait time for popular rides was about 1.5 hours. But just like everywhere here in Tokyo, people just take it in stride and make no big deal about it. Nonetheless, I wouldnt want to see what weekends are like there.

I gotta say, listening to Disney characters talking in Japanese was pretty strange and kind of funny : )

Up next (for real): Kyoto

Osaka is all about the food!

Hey all! 久しぶりだね！Haven't blogged in a while, but I'm still alive so....I've been working these days at a French animation company here in Tokyo called Aoki . I am helping with lighting and rendering for a commerical to be shown in China and it's a very nice style they are using. It's like an old Chinese painting becomes 3d and can move through it, but still looks like painting. I can't say too much more than that, but I'm happy to work with some really talented artists on an interesting project. Well, now to the main point of this post : )

I went on a short trip to Nara, Kyoto, and Osaka recently. I've been to Kyoto before, actually, but there is so much to see there, it's for sure worth going more than just a few times, I think. Although Osaka was the last stop, I'll start with that first. As the title says, for me it was all about the food!

Osaka is in the Kansai region and is Japan's second largest city. The dialect and culture is quite different than in Tokyo. Generally Kansai people are thought to be more outgoing. talkative, and generally go at slower pace than in Tokyo/Kanto region. Of course this is a stereotype, but it's generally accepted as a characteristic. Their sterotype of Tokyo people is they are always in a hurry and not so friendly. Kind of like America's East vs West Coast deal. Most of the comedians in Japan come from, or at least can speak, in the Kansai accent, as it seems to be the comedy capital. People say jokes are funnier in Kansai dialect. I' m still trying to understand basic Japanese humor, so its above my head for sure! lol... I think humor is one of the hardest parts to understand in a foreign culture, and perhaps a true sign of fluency. But again, I digress....back to the food!

The image at the top of the post is the main dish I wanted to try in Osaka. No, its not a hamburger. It's お好み焼き (okonomiyaki) and it's the centerpiece of food favorites there. Basically its a grilled mixture of chopped cabbage, green onion, egg, flour, and various topping and styles like pork, beef, chicken, with a dallop of mayonaise for good measure. The name kind of means "grill to your liking" indicating that you can design to your own taste/liking. It's placed on a 鉄板 (teppan, or steel grill) in front of you and just let it cook and cut pieces off and eat while its goodness is sizzling in front of you. Yum!

Anyway you can get okonomiyaki anywhere in Japan, and I even had Hiroshima's version of it before (Hiroshimayaki) and Tokyo's "monjyayaki", but for the real deal, you gotta go to Osaka. For sure, it's worth the trip. すごく美味しかった!


Ok, some more Osaka treats in the above pic. Far left is the area where most of the goodness can be found, the Dotonbori district. Here there are countless eateries, restaurants, and pubs so if you want to eat, this is the place to come. To the right of that was a sushi bar that had the BIGGEST sushi I have ever seen. It was almost funny, and the pieces were too big for one bite (that's big if it cant fit in my big mouth!). I put a mug of beer in the pic for scale. Mammoth! Center pic is the crown-jewel as I already talked about, the heavenly (angels singing in background here) okonomiyaki. The last two images on the right are of No. 2 in my book and just as popular, たこ焼き(takoyaki, or fried octopus dumplings). It's mostly a flour and octopus mixture, lightly fried, and topped with kastsuobushi (bonito fish flakes), seasoning, and mayo. Piping hot, so be careful (I burned my mouth).

As far as the town of Osaka itself, not much in terms of sightseeing aside from Osaka castle, which I heard is essentially now a big museum. I was happy just to take a gourmet tour. ^_^

Up next: Kyoto

Got me some wheels..

Just picked up bike last week and i gotta tell you, I am loving getting around Tokyo by bike : ) For one, Tokyo isn't really that big (which you don't realize if travel by train all the time) so everywhere is within striking distance. But the biggest plus by far is I can ride it to work which means NO MORNING PACKED TRAINS! woo-hoo! Sweaty-bodied salarymen pressed against you in sardines-packed rush-hour trains are a probably my (and most people, it seems) least favorite thing about summer in Tokyo. Anyway I digress...

I didn't get a mama-chari, but a regular mountain bike and it folds in half for easy storage. Its not a high end one, but seems fun to ride and not bad for what i paid for it. Pretty much EVERYONE has a bike here and since bikes ride on the sidewalk with pedestrians (bad for them) instead of the street, its less dangerous and easy to get around. I think its the best mode of transportation in this city : )

Bonodori

A Bonodori is a summer festival where a tradtional dance is performed by all those who wish to strut their stuff, most wearing yukata (light summer kimono). There are many during the summer so I went to go check out one near my place in Yotsuya Sanchome . All japanese summer festivals kind of have similar elements: yakisoba, yakitori, kakigoori, and lots of beer! I saw a few familiar faces from the festival in which I helped carry the omikoshi a few posts back. That was kinda cool and one of the guys that recognized me hooked me up with some yakitori and a beer, on the house which I thought was really nice of him.



Below is a some video of what the dance is like. Basically people do the dance while moving in a circle around a stage. Check out the Taiko drummer on the stage's top platform...pretty cool : )

Ise Jinguu

Ise Jinguu is regarded as the most holy shrine in all of Japan as it's considered the birthplace of Shinto. The shrines are taken apart and rebuilt every 20 years, thus promoting central Shintoist ideas such as impermanence and rebirth. There are actually two shrines, the Geku (outer shrine) and Naiku (inner shrine) which are separated by a great forest, about 20 min apart by bus . Both shrines are protected by a series of four gated walls, so no one can get any closer than the first gate. I started at the Geku (below) which is just a few minutes walk from Ise station.


The Geku (outer shrine) dates from the 5th century and honors Toyouke no Omikami, the god of human necessities like food, clothing and shelter. As I mentioned above, no one is allowed to go past or take photos inside the first gate (above far right). I didn't really mind so much, because just like at the Atsuta Jinja in Nagoya, the atmosphere in and around these shrines was, for me, the most special part. If you get there early in the morning before the crowds arrive, you can enjoy strolling and exploring in the cool, quiet, lush forest among the towering cedars. It can be quite a spiritual experience, I think. The Geku is a nice warm-up for the star attraction, the Naiku, and I headed there next.


The Naiku (inner shrine) is about 200 years older and is the formal home of Amaterasu no Omikami, the primary deity of the Shinto religion and the traditional ancestor of the Imperial family. Also it's significant since it houses one of the three sacred objects of the royal family, a mirror which has reportedly not been looked into for over a thousand years.

Naiku seems to get much more crowded than Geku so I would suggest avoiding weekends or holidays if you can. In the first part of the journey, you pass through the toori and cross a long cedar bridge, said to span the physical and spiritual worlds. From there you can see the beautiful Isuzu river that runs through the shrine environs.


Being such a oppressively hot day, it seemed irresistible to everyone (myself included) to take off the shoes and dangle their legs in the cool river water for a few minutes. A murmured "kimochi ii~" could be heard by those that ventured in. Even this little girl (with parents close by) curiously investigated the cause of everyone's grins : )


After leaving the wide, expansive views of the bridge and river area, the environment quickly changes back to the now-familiar dark, cool green forest. Here, there is also a bridge and the river finds its way to this point as well, but it's a totally different feeling. Mossy cedar-plank bridges, dewy leaves and glistening stone-steps form the approach to the main shrine (pic above, far right). No pics or entry inside here either, but I was fine to just soak in the forest's coolness on such a hot day. Very close by and just a few mintues walk is an lively, historic shopping area called Oharimachi.


Oharaimachi (and the more recent Okage yokocho) contrast the stillness and solemn feeling of the shrine area and a great way to recharge your batteries after some long walking most of the day. This edo-style shopping village has all the usual souvenir stuff you can find just about anywhere in Japan, but also some local specialty sweets and microbrews : ). I tried Maccha Kakigoori (green tea flavor shaved ice) for the first time while here (the pic above 2nd from left). It's pretty common summer treat like our water ice.

Another local specialty is akafuku which is anko (sweet red bean paste) with o-mochi (sweet glutenous rice) inside. It's a lot better than it sounds and it's veeeeery sweet, so eating while drinking some green tea (to add bitter taste) seems to balance well. Turns out they are best eaten after one day so if you bring them as omiyage (souvenirs), keep that in mind :P. Neat place to stroll around for a few hours and lots to eat and enjoy. Both shrines and the shopping area takes the better part of a day I think.

Well, overall great trip and really glad I went to visit. Starting the new contract from tomorrow, so I'm just glad to have been able to get a short summer trip in before getting busy. Alright, it's time to work! : /

Toba

There are 3 main areas to visit if you go to the Ise area: Ise, Toba, and Ise Shima. I planned to just visit Toba and Ise since there was plenty to see in both those spots in just 2 days. This entry will be about my time in Toba. The picture above is of the "meoto-iwa" or 'wedded rocks' as they are known as in the nearby town of Futami. Joined by a thick rope, they are said to represent the founding gods of Shinto, Izanagi and Izanami according to Japanese mythology.


Toba is mostly a bayfront resort-area, dotted with small, nearby islands in Toba bay. There are ferries that visit the islands throughout the day and are reachable within 20 to 50 minutes. Mostly they are fishing islands with some very remote parts, undisturbed nature, and unique festivals. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to visit any due to weather and time constraints, but maybe next time. In the picture above you can see one of the islands, Sugashima in the background and to the right is the Mikomoto Pearl Island where i did make a short visit.


Kokichi Mikomoto invented the cultured pearl process in the late 19th century and much of the fame of Toba comes from this heritage. On the island there is a museum showing the technique he invented, antique pearl jewelry, pearls for sale (of course) and even an all-pearl replica of the Liberty Bell that was created for the 1939 World's Fair in New York. I'm not so crazy about pearls, but it was interesting none the less to learn about it.

One cool thing they had was a show featuring "ama", who are women oyster divers. Before the cultured pearl process/pearl farming, the white-suited ama would dive and, just by holding their breath, search the floor of the bay for oysters and bring them to the surface. You can see an ama diver in the picture above, 2nd from the right. They can really hold their breath a long time, trust me! :P

I also visited another attraction which is close to Mikomoto, the Toba Aquarium. It was interesting and really huge with lots of displays. For me though, aquariums are like 'if you've seen one, you've seen them all', so I didn't spend loads of time there. Plus there were screaming kids everywhere so I had to get out of there :P. Good for a family trip, for sure and lots to see. Now, on to a more interesting attraction Toba has to offer...SEAFOOD! : ) : ) : )


Toba is really a small town and like most resort areas, the local people take life easy and more slowly, especially compared to a hectic-paced, open 24-hour place like Tokyo. That means restaurants closed early (like 7 or 8) and I had a lot of ground to cover, so no time to waste! With the help of a map (and some recommendations by the hotel staff), I thought it might be fun to do a little 'tabearuki', or walking around and just sampling a few things from each place. Basically the thing to get in Toba is grilled shellfish. The area's most famous dishes are Ise-ebi (spiny lobster), awabi (abalone), and tekonezushi (vinegar soaked rice with katsuo sashimi and nori).

As you can see by the picture above, I hit a few spots and went for their recommended seafood platter with a cold beer (or two). For the freshness and quantity of shellfish you receive, the price is absurdly low. I couldn't let such a bargain go to waste, so let's just say it was a good night for the restaurant/bar owners on that street...lol.

In the pic above on the far left is a tiny bar called Kyubei , where I spent a few enjoyable hours and was typical of most of the places I visited that night. The owner/chef and his wife really welcomed me, as well as the local regulars, and were very curious to know about gaijin visitors to their small town, let alone Japan (see pic below). Although no one spoke any English, I got by OK with my Japanese and we had some nice conversations and warm exchanges over cold beers and shared food. Incredibly, I had similar experiences in almost every place I went. That kind of small town friendliness, you just don't find in big cities and it was a nice change.


Also my stay the Toba International Hotel was just great. Fantastic service, friendly and helpful staff, food, great views ... 4 stars all across the board, so I highly recommend it for anyone who makes a trip to this region.

Up next: Ise Shrine

Nagoya

Just back from a short, but very memorable trip to Nagoya and Ise. Perhaps I'll split into 2 posts, with this one being about Nagoya since there are many pics and things I'd like to cover : )

The capital of Aichi Prefecture and located in the heart of Central Japan, Nagoya is one of the Japan’s key industrial zones, especially for automobile manufacturing. Nagoya is not really a 'superstar' in terms of sightseeing destinations and seems to get passed over in favor of the standards like Kyoto, Tokyo, etc. But since it's on the way to Ise (which was my main destination), I decided to see what Nagoya had to offer and do some exploring. Despite the lukewarm press, it's quite an interesting city with lots of history and some cool things to see. One day should be enough to cover all the best parts, though.

I arrived on the first day via Tokaido Shinkansen's Kodama train which only takes about 2.5 hours from Tokyo. It's always fun for me to ride those trains. Feels like being on a plane, but on the ground. First stop upon arrival was the famous Nagoya Castle.


Built in 16th century (but destroyed in WWII and later rebuilt in 1959),It's one of Japan's most impressive castles and home to many rare artifacts and paintings. Although it was a super hot and muggy day (Nagoya is also famous for hot/humid summers), I wandered the expansive grounds, many floors, and eventually to the top of the castle for a nice view of the city. There are many cool exhibits about how the castle was built, samurai swords and battle equip, rare fusuma-e (paintings on sliding doors), and even a 3D movie (with glasses) about the castle's history and future plans. There are plans to rebuild some of the more important still-missing structures. The twin 88 kg gold 'shachi' adorning the roof have become the symbol of the city. There is also a Noh theatre located in the front court. I would say that is you only had time to see one place in Nagoya, this is probably the place to go.


The city itself has some interesting buildings and plazas. There is Hisaya-oodori Park (a main park-like thoroughfare through the center part of the city) which is full of trees and fountains, as well as the TV Tower offering city views. The Sakae district is the urban hub of the city and home to Oasis21 which is kind of like a huge shopping, park, and entertainment complex. Around there you can find all the big name shopping stores and things like that. Needing a break from the sensory-overload and advertising, I was off to visit more serene surroundings - Atsuta Jinja.


Atsuta Shrine is one of Japan's most sacred, housing one of the three imperial regalia of the emperor (the Kusanagi Sword). It was founded in the 2nd century and rebuilt in 1935 and hosts some 70 festivals ever year. What I liked best about it were the structures seemed to be in perfect harmony with the grounds/forest - as if they were always there. Being in these kinds of very old forests and wandering the trails, discovering ancient structures/shrines - its incredibly peaceful. I really enjoyed visiting this one and it was by far, my favorite place in Nagoya.

Well, what kind of post would this be without any talk of food. As most of you surely know by now, food is one of my raison d'etre for being in Japan. The dishes Nagoya is most famous for seem to be misokatsu (miso sause on pork cutlets), tenmusu (shrimp tempura rolled up in a seaweed and rice package), and kishimen (flat broad noodles) flavored in miso or soy sauce broth.


I went to try misokatsu at the most famous chain of its type in Japan, Yabaton. I like pork cutlet so this is the same but with miso flavor. There was really long line as this is best place in Nagoya to get it. It was really really good and i ate much more than I should have but what the hey, on vacation and all that : /. To note, the poster above where the pig (the mascot) is demonstrating the benefits of eating misokatsu, is heavy with "Nagoya-ben" or the local dialect. For example, in the first panel he says "dera uma" which is that region's way to say 'very delicious' but in Tokyo, they would say "chou oishii" or "chou umai". Just a little linguistic tidbit there.

There are other interesting-looking places like Nagoya/Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Higashiyama Park/Zoo, and the Noritake Porcelain Factory, but i only had a day so I focused on just the one's that seemed most interesting to me. If you are in Japan for a while or stopping on the way somewhere, its really a nice day's excursion.

Coming soon Part 2: Ise and Toba

Short trip and new contract

I'm off to Ise for a few days to do some sightseeing and picture taking before starting a new contract in the middle of this month. Ise is in Mie prefecture and home to the most important shrine in Japan - Ise Jinguu. Also much fresh seafood, bays and the Pacific ocean on the south part. Looking forward to riding Shinkansen again (only 3rd time). It's gonna be HOT though...things are steaming up over here already. Will post some pics and notes when I get back.

The new contract is with a German company just starting up in Japan and I will be doing CG car lighting and rendering. Just finished a sample that I had been working on (seemingly forever) to try to get the feel for this kind of thing. It's a real learning curve, but hopefully they can teach me some cool tricks. This is what I came up with so far. Note that I didn't do any modeling (its from CAD), just materials, lighting, render and composite. Does it look like a real car? i dunno... anyway, back online soon!

Spicin' things up

Well, I guess the Japanese food experiments continue. This classic is called Kare Raisu (curry rice). It's really similar to our beef stew with a bit of a curry 'kick' to it. The most basic ingredients include beef, onion, carrots and potatoes, but there are so many versions that you can pretty much put in whatever you like. It's a bit more 'labor intensive' than the other dishes (lots of stirring, cooking time and attention, etc) but well worth it! This dish can be reheated again and again , with more ingredients added each time and the flavor deepening too as the ingredients blend together. So, making a big batch seems the way to go. Next time want to try with shrimp and scallops. yum.

First Matsuri

A matsuri is a Shinto festival that is celebrated at different times throughout the year in Japan, but in summer they seem to be more frequent. They range in scale from the modest small neighborhood ones to very elaborate famous ones as well. I always wanted to try to participate in one and just today, I found the chance. I often go to Yotsuya Sanchome to study (since there is a Starbucks there :P) and the other day I saw the festival registration booth was still open. I read about foreigners participating in them, but I was still a bit reticent to apply. But yesterday after noticing a lanky, red-haired kid (clearly non-Japanese) participating, I felt the waters were safe. I went to the booth and asked if could help out on the following day to which I received an "OK desu". After buying some festival wear, namely tabi (toe-split shoes) and a hantako (traditional short pants) I was all set. They said they would lend me the hanten (jacket) since it costs about 300 bucks to buy, thankfully.

I arrived the next day at 5pm and after getting in costume (with the help of some local store owners who sold me the festival wear), was offered some beer and sake as preparation : ) . This was my first time helping to carry an omikoshi and so I was a bit nervous since it looked rather difficult. Basically, a group of men (and some women too) carry the omikoshi (a large wooden platform) on their shoulders around the neighborhood for several hours. On top of the platform is a relic from the shrine which is believed to enhouse the kamisama (or patron God of that Jinja/Shrine). It's kind of like giving the diety a ride around the streets and bestowing good luck to all the neighborhood businesses. It's rather heavy and at each business we stopped and danced while supporting it on our shouders. It's believed that the more you sway and dance, the more the kamisama is entertained and thus, the more luck is bestowed. Although it was quite a struggle to carry for so long on one's shoulders, everyone did so laughing and smiling ...


The one thing keeping everyone going was the fact that every hour or so (the event lasted about 4 hours), we got to take a break, put down the omikoshi, and enjoy some more beers and food. Towards the end, everyone was so tired (and a bit tipsy) and so it became really hard to keep the float moving in an orderly way. But despite that, it never fell and everyone gave all their effort.

One neat thing is that the whole time while carrying the omikoshi, certain people chant one phrase "essa" and the other chant "yoisa" in repetiton. After a while, the words started to blend together and a interesting transformation takes place, like duality slips away for just a moment...its hard to describe, but it was pretty cool.

Everyone was very kind to me, making sure I was doing OK and offering food and drinks. I was honored to be allowed to participate.Even the erai hito (elders) expressed their thanks to me and that was really special for me. I was invited back for next year's so I have time to practice and heal up, haha. My shoulders feel like someone took a baseball bat to them, so I am gonna take it easy for a few days. Totally worth the pain though. I feel so lucky to have had that experience. : )

Homu Cooking

I had this dish the other day for the first time, which is funny considering how it's apparently such a standard dish here in the warmer months. It's called hiyashi chuuka which means "chilled noodles" basically, which is what it is. It turned out to be not that hard to make, but the one I ate at my office the other day was much better : / For one, I forgot the red pickled-ginger and also forgot to boil the bean sprouts. Oh, well..for first time it came out not too bad, I think (see pic above). It's really refreshing during hot, muggy days since its served chilled and with cool veggies. Other nice part is it only takes a few minutes to make. : )

I've been trying to cook some of my favorite dishes at home and although I'm still a long way off from nailing them, it's fun to try anyway(and edible, I might add!). I also tried to make hijiki nimono the other day. That one is a bit more involved, but since it's one of my favorites, I'll keep trying - ganbarimasu~! Maybe next one I will try a super easy one, namely, the infamous kare raisu (Japanese Curry Rice). We'll see how it goes ...

Moriyama Exhibit at Tokyo Photography Museum

I went to see a photo exhibit of Daido Moriyama at the Tokyo Shashin Bijutsukan recently. He is a famous post-war photographer from Osaka who innovated a style of high contrast, blurry, grainy photos, often with skewed horizons. He refers to himself as a "stray dog" (title of the image above) since a large part of his time as a freelance photographer was spent roaming the city streets and sometimes isolated areas. His work reminded me that you can see some amazing things in ordinary everyday life (if you are looking closely enough). They showed a video after and its incredible how this guy takes photos (sometimes not even looking through the lens, just quick, bold, and no hesitation). What was also cool was he seemed to 'paint' his photos as much as he take them with his exposure techniques. Check ut some shots on his official site by clicking his name at the top of the post.

Inspired by the show, I took some "shirokuro" (black and white) shots myself below ... with a little help from the digital darkroom, of course : )