tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224141320467621942024-03-13T08:55:00.349-07:00Unbroken WheelUnbroken Wheelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15112782412376785171noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422414132046762194.post-75590517615301219892021-03-31T23:46:00.005-07:002021-03-31T23:54:37.942-07:00March 2021 Tottori Newsletter<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_2EZ0Rfha_I/YGVrA9ql7uI/AAAAAAAAAls/FjM7mhVf5C0_sMhfjY-WJCyQAXW_3_TJwCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="717" height="771" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_2EZ0Rfha_I/YGVrA9ql7uI/AAAAAAAAAls/FjM7mhVf5C0_sMhfjY-WJCyQAXW_3_TJwCLcBGAsYHQ/w522-h771/image.png" width="522" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Dm5VqL3YqLw/YGVrOnABPsI/AAAAAAAAAl0/DoFaF0Y5pQYy4mVRNb5AJMvrmfkNqI6IACLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="1049" data-original-width="732" height="749" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Dm5VqL3YqLw/YGVrOnABPsI/AAAAAAAAAl0/DoFaF0Y5pQYy4mVRNb5AJMvrmfkNqI6IACLcBGAsYHQ/w523-h749/image.png" width="523" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FLPdkowcmFQ/YGVrdUpFX6I/AAAAAAAAAl8/ZgZzTz-7eBAjG2pP5LFnG2LzNRw-4FMHQCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="1049" data-original-width="727" height="761" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FLPdkowcmFQ/YGVrdUpFX6I/AAAAAAAAAl8/ZgZzTz-7eBAjG2pP5LFnG2LzNRw-4FMHQCLcBGAsYHQ/w528-h761/image.png" width="528" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FTfbdLj0Ek8/YGVrjx8i6JI/AAAAAAAAAmE/NVW3pZT8jK0CU8T9LbrJeGhCtfVcWvqnACLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="1049" data-original-width="751" height="762" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FTfbdLj0Ek8/YGVrjx8i6JI/AAAAAAAAAmE/NVW3pZT8jK0CU8T9LbrJeGhCtfVcWvqnACLcBGAsYHQ/w545-h762/image.png" width="545" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><p></p>Unbroken Wheelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15112782412376785171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422414132046762194.post-81170765829624656152021-03-31T22:41:00.000-07:002021-03-31T23:52:28.900-07:00Kugami Gravestone Dance<p> </p><p class="MsoHeader"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><b>Kugami
Gravestone Dance</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoHeader"><br /></p><p class="MsoHeader"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoHeader"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-c6gCGYIqwZc/YBeToh-VvBI/AAAAAAAAAdk/16SN20HEx_sZT5T2numiUso2UQYafB_JwCLcBGAsYHQ/30-1%25E5%25A2%2593%25E8%25B8%258A%25E3%2582%258A.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-c6gCGYIqwZc/YBeToh-VvBI/AAAAAAAAAdk/16SN20HEx_sZT5T2numiUso2UQYafB_JwCLcBGAsYHQ/30-1%25E5%25A2%2593%25E8%25B8%258A%25E3%2582%258A.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">A Dance of Solace in the Graveyard</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US">Introduction<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">For one
night a year, the hilltop graveyard in the coastal community of Kugami serves
as the stage for an extraordinarily unique tradition and otherworldly
spectacle: a communal dance around gravestones performed to the recitation of
tragic tales and rhythm of taiko drums. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US">History<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Designated
as an intangible folk cultural property, exact dates and details regarding the
genesis of this unusual practice remain shrouded in mystery; the locals of
Kugami know from their own childhood recollections of this anticipated annual
celebration that they have danced in the graveyard since at least the Taisho
era (1912 to 1926).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">To this
day, they still leave their homes as night lays claim to July 14<sup>th</sup>
of the lunar calendar and, paper lantern in hand, traverse steep paths cleft
through bamboo thickets to reach the crest of a coastal sand dune. There,
around the obelisk shaped gravestone of each
household that lost a family member within the lunar year, they dance to
welcome their spirit home for the Obon
festival – no matter the weather. </span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US">The Dance<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">In the
past, the heads of each household observing the first Obon for the departed would dress in full kimono complete with the family’s crest
and<span style="color: red;"> </span>formally welcome each participating dancer
to the venue — their family grave. Dancers, in turn, would wear yukata. Now,
the custom no longer includes specifications on attire or formalities for host
or dancer. </span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Once dancers
have arrived at the venue, the dance itself begins. Each dance lasts 15 minutes
per gravestone and is simple enough to learn by following along: move your
hands in a motion that resembles scooping something up while taking supple
steps clockwise around the gravestone in a circular dance similar to the
typical Donen Odori, and dancers can join or exit the circle at any time. The
number of dances in a year depends on how many households have lost a family
member during the year; </span><span lang="EN-US">this year saw a total of six</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US">dances. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">To provide
rhythm, a solitary taiko drum drums out a slow and steady beat. Meanwhile, a
singer-narrator recites one of the 20 different customary <i>kudoki</i> — a term for predominantly lyrical sections of traditional
samisen songs — which include works such as the tragic tales </span><i><span lang="EN-US">Yaoya Oshichi (Greengrocer
Oshichi)</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> and <i>Bancho
Sarayashiki (The Dish Mansion at the Bancho)</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US">Atmosphere</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Though the
idea of dancing to tragic poetry performed late at night around the gravestone
of the recently departed may come across as somewhat depressing and dreary, </span><span lang="EN-US">the atmosphere in the graveyard certainly isn’t; dancers and
spectators alike engage in jovial conversation between dances while drummers generously
share cans of beer carted with taiko in their plastic wheelbarrows. Then, in
one lantern-lit procession down midnight paths, the celebration heads to the
next venue. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US"></span></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gxFXEvv5HSc/YBeUBEbqM-I/AAAAAAAAAds/f7wVlQrXGqELIKTtHuQJWJsDHYN6P8ljQCLcBGAsYHQ/2014_0814201409%25E5%25A2%2593%25E8%25B8%258A%25E3%2582%258A0021.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gxFXEvv5HSc/YBeUBEbqM-I/AAAAAAAAAds/f7wVlQrXGqELIKTtHuQJWJsDHYN6P8ljQCLcBGAsYHQ/2014_0814201409%25E5%25A2%2593%25E8%25B8%258A%25E3%2582%258A0021.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wheelbarrows of Taiko Drums and Beer </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b></b></div><b><br /><br /></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US">Invitation</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Fancy a
late night dance in the graveyard? Feel free to join the next Kugami Gavestone
Dance; after all, this is a </span><span face=""Malgun Gothic",sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">gathering</span><span lang="EN-US"> that enforces no dress code, expects no reservations, and intends to
welcome everyone — both the living and formerly so — to the family grave. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-E1MLA3zAOMk/YBeUMkCGGII/AAAAAAAAAdw/_sgO9C6lc-wNxnAlt4Kmnd97qPnz0EJ8wCLcBGAsYHQ/2011_0815201108%25E5%25A2%2593%25E3%2581%258A%25E3%2581%25A9%25E3%2582%258A0007.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-E1MLA3zAOMk/YBeUMkCGGII/AAAAAAAAAdw/_sgO9C6lc-wNxnAlt4Kmnd97qPnz0EJ8wCLcBGAsYHQ/2011_0815201108%25E5%25A2%2593%25E3%2581%258A%25E3%2581%25A9%25E3%2582%258A0007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Details: </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://www.tottori-dentou.net/dantai_detail.php?id=74">https://www.tottori-dentou.net/dantai_detail.php?id=74</a></span><span lang="EN-US"> (Japanese Only)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoHeader"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">
<br /></span></p>Unbroken Wheelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15112782412376785171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422414132046762194.post-68795840108577909542021-03-11T23:27:00.001-08:002021-03-15T14:47:11.637-07:00<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Hinamatsuri:
An Imposter<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yTAjh9jVZbo/YEsUFuLlf9I/AAAAAAAAAkc/y9A2DTgMdNwerBrEwx_myDAZNCfTXsp8QCLcBGAsYHQ/1614616894484-01.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yTAjh9jVZbo/YEsUFuLlf9I/AAAAAAAAAkc/y9A2DTgMdNwerBrEwx_myDAZNCfTXsp8QCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h266/1614616894484-01.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heian style dolls (Nagashibina Doll Museum)</td></tr></tbody></table><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></b>Hinamatsuri, recently familiar as Girl's Day, is celebrated on March 3<sup>rd</sup> of each year. During this festival,
households with young daughters set up a display of ornamental dolls dressed in
shimmering Heian court attire and positioned according to rank on red-carpeted tiered
platforms with a variety of items commonly seen in the palatial residences of
the Heian period (794-1185). These displays exude an ambiance of historical
authenticity that often tricks people into thinking Hinamatsuri has survived an
entire millennium unscathed when it’s actually a usurper that stole the
identity of a much older ritual and achieved a clean getaway by changing its
name in 1687. <p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Beneath
The Spreading Japanese Plum Tree <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span>From the Eleusinian Mysteries to Halloween,
the restless hands of time mold, break, and then either reform or discard all
of man’s religious practices, and Hinamatsuri is no exception. Far beneath the plum
flowers, the mutable significance of March 3<sup>rd</sup> has roots that plunge
deep down past even the Nara period (710-794) of Japanese history, and, at
their very tip, evince an uprooting and replanting. This isn’t surprising; in
fact, from the Chinese calendar to the Chinese writing system, much of Japan’s
cultural development during the 6<sup>th</sup> and 7<sup>th</sup> century
occurred as a result of the nobility importing and adopting the contemporary
culture of China. Amongst these, the already ancient Chinese philosophy of Yin
and Yang and the Five Elements struck a novel yet classical taste in the
aristocratic Japanese, and they quickly planted it in their gardens.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">With this philosophy came the idea that
calendar dates that featured a repetition of odd numbers — such as the third
day of the third month of the year — represented an auspicious occasion, and
these dates were collectively termed the <i>Gosekku</i>
(Five Seasonal Festivals) in Japan. Thus, over 1,000 years before being renamed
Hinamatsuri, March 3<sup>rd</sup> was first given the name <i>Joshi</i> (</span>上巳<span lang="EN-US">) which has the approximate
English meaning of “First Day of the Snake of the Third Month” and Chinese
Zodiac pedigree. Coincidentally, it also happens to be around the time of the
year that Japanese plum trees flower which explains the day’s alias as <i>Momo no Sekku </i>(Plum Festival).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Party
Like It’s The Day Of The Snake <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span>But what’s an auspicious occasion without a
celebration? In China, rituals of purification were traditionally observed on
Joshi; the Japanese nobility decided it better to have a Winding Stream Party. At
one of these parties, partygoers sit at the side of a meandering stream —
presumably one that resembles a snake — composing poetry while lacquer cups
full of sake float towards them. When a cup reaches a partygoer, he must put
down his brush, pluck the cup from the water, and drink all of the sake. Next,
he reveals his poem. If not finished, or if considered unsuitable to the
present theme, he forfeits. Increasingly large cups bobbing in the current or otherwise,
one can enjoy imagining the nature of the penalty imposed on the insufficiently
poetically inspired. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span>These parties quickly gained popularity
amongst the upper elements of society, and even the emperor hosted his own annual
Winding Stream Party from 701, which may or may not be the earliest example of
an imperially sanctioned drinking game, but is certainly one of the most
elegant.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Genji
Atones For Partying Too Much<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span>And what of the dolls? Unlike the
significance of March 3<sup>rd</sup>, the ancient ancestors of today’s hina dolls
seem to have been an endemic species of Japan. Long, long ago, in a time before
Winding Stream Parties, hina dolls first appeared in Japan in their most
primitive form of simple accessories and other personal belongings delineated
by their use in a ritual and collectively termed <i>agamono</i> (items of atonement). The owner of agamono rubbed it on
their person and then sent it afloat in a river or other waterfront as part of
a ritual of purification.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span>At the core of agamono is the Shinto
dualism of purity and pollution, and the Japanese appear to have combined this
with the utilitarian convenience of rivers as waste disposal systems.
Surprisingly, the earliest written record that shows a coalescence of agamono,
dolls, and Joshi is found in the landmark work of fiction, The Tale of Genji.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span>Written in the 11<sup>th</sup> century by
the noble woman Murasaki Shikibu, The Tale of Genji vividly describes the life
of high ranking courtiers during the Heian period. In chapter 12, the main
character, Hikaru Genji, is exiled to Suma (modern Kobe in Hyogo Prefecture)
when one of his many secret love affairs is exposed. On March 3<sup>rd</sup> of
the old lunisolar calendar, the exiled Genji conducts a ritual of purification.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Genji:
The Patron Saint Of Nagashibina<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span>Half-brother to the emperor and raised as a
high ranking courtier, Genji undoubtedly participated in many Winding Stream
Parties. However, with his exile and isolation in Suma, there were no more
floating cups of sake to interrupt the introspective purgatory brought on by
such behavior as engaging in an illicit affair with his stepmother. Therefore,
on March 3<sup>rd</sup>, Genji consoles himself for having to miss out on the
fun of Joshi by heading to the waterfront. There, he makes a small doll out of
straw. Next, he rubs the doll on himself to absorb his sins and harbor his own
calamitous fate. This done, he sets it afloat and watches as the current
carries it out to sea in the first example of a ritual that would later be called
<i>Nagashibina</i> (literally “doll
floating”).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ve2HTweeHu0/YEsVD3iV85I/AAAAAAAAAko/3TpF8fWSW5wYfS1OQDVnmRiRJV2fLGTKgCLcBGAsYHQ/1614616031494-01.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ve2HTweeHu0/YEsVD3iV85I/AAAAAAAAAko/3TpF8fWSW5wYfS1OQDVnmRiRJV2fLGTKgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h266/1614616031494-01.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nagashibina raft and agamono (Nagashibina Doll Museum)</td></tr></tbody></table><span lang="EN-US"><br /><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Thus, Genji’s doppelganger serves as a
spiritual garbage bag for his sins and misfortune and carries them far out to
sea to trouble him no further. Unfortunately for him, no sooner does his doll
disappear beyond the waves than a terrifying storm blows in from the sea and
engulfs the entirety of Suma. Eventually the storm passes, Genji’s
transgressions are forgiven, and he returns to a hedonistic existence in the
Heian court; however, in just a few short decades, the heydays of courtiers
like Genji, along with all of the frivolity, roguish behavior, and court
intrigue that exemplified their gay life, come to a violent conclusion. These
classical men of leisure that prioritized poetry, literature, beauty, and
romantic love above all else suddenly found themselves at the cutting point of
the swords and spears of men cultivated for war. Chased out of their ornate palaces
and out to sea on barges, many nobles, including the child emperor, carried
their own misfortune to the bottom of the Shimanoseki Strait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Dolls
Turn The Tables <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span>After the establishment of Japan’s feudal
military government, it became customary for subordinates to gift the dolls to
be used in Nagashibina rituals to their superiors. This custom immediately turned
into a competition to curry favor and served as impetus for the dolls to grow increasingly
elaborate and expensive until they became more valuable as toys for young girls
than as a vessel for transporting sin out to sea. The weakening influence of Shinto
only exacerbated this shift in usage. Thus, by the 16<sup>th</sup> century, March
3rd had become an occasion for young girls to enjoy doll play, and the doll’s significance
as agamono greatly diminished.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SjyhfMVw1oc/YEsWF6aCpKI/AAAAAAAAAk0/IjuO-OO5x4AHWLAlgzWvAFjda4G5ySmSgCLcBGAsYHQ/DSC_3055.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SjyhfMVw1oc/YEsWF6aCpKI/AAAAAAAAAk0/IjuO-OO5x4AHWLAlgzWvAFjda4G5ySmSgCLcBGAsYHQ/DSC_3055.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dolls from the Meiji period (Nagashibina Doll Museum)</td></tr></tbody></table><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Hina, the name that came to represent these
dolls, has its own etymological tale, and this story begins with the
onomatopoeic word for the chirping sound of a baby chick: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hi-hi </i>(pronounced as “hee hee”). In Japanese, the verb to express
the act of an animal making a sound is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">naku</i>,
and connected with a baby chick with the sentence particle <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">to </i>(pronounced as “toe”), which makes the phrase to describe a baby
chick chirping <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hi-hi to naku</i>. This
was shortened to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hi-hi-naku</i>, and
later to simply <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hina</i>. This word, in
turn, came to represent something cute, small, and cuddly — even going on to
literally mean <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">chick</i> — and the dolls fit
the bill.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">In 1579, Megohime, a princess of the Tamura
clan, left home to marry the young heir of the powerful Date clan, Date
Masamune, at the age of 12. During the Sengoku period (1467-1615), a time of
interminable civil war, such marriages were commonplace policy for cementing
alliances. Mere child hostages in political marriages, these brides hugged
their cherished childhood dolls to their chest as they climbed into the
palanquin for the nuptial procession that would take them to a foreign land and
a stranger’s bed. Customarily, it was purported that the dolls would intercept
and absorb any misfortune lurking along the road to their husband’s home, and
thus they regained some of their former function as agamono.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">This custom became so widespread and
popular that the dolls were considered an indispensable wedding accessory, and mothers
began passing them down to their daughters not as toys but as heirlooms for use
on the occasion of their own wedding. The Edo period arrived and brought an end
to the long years of ceaseless civil war, and the need for children hostages in
diplomacy greatly decreased. In this time of peace and stability, marriage was
widely considered the most auspicious occasion in a woman’s life, and young
brides no longer needed the fond memories stored up in their favorite plaything
to comfort them on their nuptial procession. The dolls once again lost most of
their function as agamono; instead, thanks to their close association with
weddings, they started to symbolize womanly happiness.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ImYbt2yZT0c/YEsWLEWGrxI/AAAAAAAAAk4/FM9HOWAur24OmfpuEFpVFC5daOOHN5PVwCLcBGAsYHQ/1614615023940-01.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ImYbt2yZT0c/YEsWLEWGrxI/AAAAAAAAAk4/FM9HOWAur24OmfpuEFpVFC5daOOHN5PVwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h266/1614615023940-01.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dolls from the Showa period (Nagashibina Doll Museum)</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">With their newly acquired status as an
image of happiness, parents with young daughters began to display their
heirloom dolls on March 3<sup>rd</sup> as a way of praying for their daughter’s
happy marriage. Ironically, it was a desire to keep these former toys out of their children's hands that led to their display on decorative platforms with the most precious dolls positioned highest up and furthest out of reach. By now, the dolls were widely referred to as hina, and the Edo
government declared March 3<sup>rd</sup> a national holiday for the observance
of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hinamatsuri</i>. In other words, from
1687 until today, March 3<sup>rd</sup> has been celebrated as the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Festival of Dolls</i>!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Today
And Tomorrow And Beyond<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span>Back in Genji’s day, failure to toss
agamono into the river on March 3<sup>rd</sup> would leave the owner polluted
and at risk of calamity; in the 19<sup>th</sup> century, putting the family
display of heirloom dolls away any later than March 4<sup>th</sup> would result
in a late marriage. Verily, the only immutable experience in human life is
change, and today the value of a traditional marriage and children has lost its
synonymous status as the supreme happiness of a woman. Even now, at this very
moment, the meaning of Hinamatsuri is changing: some families still exhibit their
heirloom dolls to express their wish for their daughter’s happy marriage, but more
and more do so in celebration of their growth; with every year that passes, the
significance of March 3<sup>rd</sup> as the <i>Festival
of Dolls</i> loses ground to its significance as <i>Girl’s Day</i>. Whether cause, effect, or somewhere in between, fewer
and fewer girls choose marriage, and Japan’s birthrate plummets; the girls
certainly grow, but many grow old with no girls of their own.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span>So what of the dolls? Having long since
forgotten their role as agamono, toy, and subsequently as a source of
consolation, how much longer until they will have forgotten how to symbolize
womanly happiness? How much longer until they no longer have a reason to come
out from storage and stand upon red-carpeted platforms?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">The
Nagashibina Doll Museum<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span>It is only natural that once hina stopped
being tossed into the river that people began to collect them, and the
Nagashibina Doll Museum in the Mochigase district of Tottori City has one of
the best collections in the nation. Inside, the various kinds of dolls that
appeared all throughout the many centuries of their popularity are on permanent
display. Whether originally intended as agamono or otherwise, vast expanses of
time have made them invaluable, and no hand will set them out to sea, but
behind the elegant costumes and placid expression painted on their faces, some
of these dolls may yet faithfully harbor the missteps and ill fate of their
long since departed owner.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9KkWP9lDbQY/YEsWR96eDvI/AAAAAAAAAk8/K1l1B7SxDJE9EUJNGaZY-EJIdERSZqfgACLcBGAsYHQ/1614612805518-01.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9KkWP9lDbQY/YEsWR96eDvI/AAAAAAAAAk8/K1l1B7SxDJE9EUJNGaZY-EJIdERSZqfgACLcBGAsYHQ/1614612805518-01.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nagashibina Doll Museum</td></tr></tbody></table><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The museum also carefully preserves the
traditional ritual of Nagashibina. On the historically appropriate day of March
3<sup>rd</sup> on the lunisolar calendar, which falls around the middle of
April on the Gregorian calendar, participants follow the ritual once performed
by Genji to make dolls and rafts out of paper and straw, transfer their
troubles to their agamono, and then set it afloat on the Sendai River. Whether
looking to shed some winter sin or simply interested in witnessing one of the
oldest rituals in Japan, everyone is welcome, and the museum offers workshops
for making the dolls and rafts. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To conclude, Joshi combined with Winding
Stream Parties and the Shinto ritual of agamono to give rise to Nagashibina,
which in turn combined with doll play and wedding traditions to give rise to
Hinamatsuri. In these days of progress and its corollary all-out war on
traditional norms, the dolls that required nearly a thousand years to become
synonymous with March 3<sup>rd</sup> will not easily retake their position as
agamono, toys, tokens of solace, or symbols of womanly happiness; moving
forward, their role as purveyors of history will likely define them. Ironically,
exhibitions and activities in museums, shrines, and other historical facilities
may be the only future left for these little dolls.</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-m9MSaC18e6M/YEsXFcpUC-I/AAAAAAAAAlI/LzuYhwtz_n0QYs0FwRL5D6Blmq0C7-KEACLcBGAsYHQ/1614614917981-01.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-m9MSaC18e6M/YEsXFcpUC-I/AAAAAAAAAlI/LzuYhwtz_n0QYs0FwRL5D6Blmq0C7-KEACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h266/1614614917981-01.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The long road of a fond memory...</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><p></p>Unbroken Wheelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15112782412376785171noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422414132046762194.post-74512354237780734842021-02-25T17:08:00.001-08:002021-02-25T17:08:40.230-08:00<p> </p><p style="background: white;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; font-family: "MS UI Gothic";">Japan's
Representative Food</span></b></p><p style="background: white;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; font-family: "MS UI Gothic";">
Quick question: what food do you imagine when you hear "Japan"? If
you answered "why, sushi of course!" as mostly everyone to whom this
question is posed do, then I'll pursue the matter further with a follow-up
question: what food besides sushi do you imagine when you hear
"Japan"?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; font-family: "MS UI Gothic";">Allow me to presume that your answer includes noodles; if not,
please take a moment to let me know what non-noodle dish represents Japan for
you in the comments and, for the time being, pretend. Before proceeding any
further, I should confirm that, despite a veritable cornucopia of noodle dishes
in Japan, we all agree that there can be only one noodle to represent Japan,
and that it must be made from the buckwheat that the Japanese have been
producing since even before the Nara period (710 - 794) to nutritionally
compliment their staple food of white rice, and that all of the newcomers and
flashy upstarts such as yakisoba, champon, ramen, and tsukemen should hereafter
only receive the tepid consideration reserved for distant relations of the
fabulously successful. So, of course, we agree that soba reigns supreme. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; font-family: "MS UI Gothic";"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; font-family: "MS UI Gothic";"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-peHZaiy0e0o/YDhDYBz7C7I/AAAAAAAAAjU/vj9yWRWxEHENtaDLXgkIUES-HbuMXM4CQCLcBGAsYHQ/DSC_1199-01.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="214" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-peHZaiy0e0o/YDhDYBz7C7I/AAAAAAAAAjU/vj9yWRWxEHENtaDLXgkIUES-HbuMXM4CQCLcBGAsYHQ/DSC_1199-01.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maybe not the prettiest, but a very special soba...</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></p><p style="background: white;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; font-family: "MS UI Gothic";">Go to the Dojo</span></b></p><p style="background: white;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; font-family: "MS UI Gothic";">
Now that we've settled on Japan's other most representative food, let's imagine
someone close to you - say, for the sake of argument, your immediate supervisor
- told you to go and pound soba, where would you start? No - no reason for
anger: telling someone to go pound soba is not a rebuke; in Japanese, the verb
used is "</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "MS UI Gothic";">打つ<span lang="EN-US">", which means "to hit", and strikes me as far more
apt a description for the actions involved in the process. But I
digress. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="background: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "MS UI Gothic";"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></span></p><p style="background: white;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; font-family: "MS UI Gothic";">First, make an appointment to receive training from a soba
master at the <a href="https://www.shikano-soba.com/taiken/index.html" target="_blank">Shikano Soba Dojo</a>.
The lesson fee is \110 per person, but individuals and groups alike must also
pay a set fee of \2,860 for ingredients to make soba for four, so it's best to
bring a few friends along to split this and the resulting food.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background: white;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; font-family: "MS UI Gothic";"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.5pt;">Next, travel to the locality
of <a href="https://www.kirinnomachi.jp/en/spot/9858/" target="_blank">Shikano</a> in Tottori city.
As always, I recommend riding a bicycle, but there is also a bus to Shikano
from Hamamura Station <a href="https://www.shikano-soba.com/access/index.html" target="_blank">(access details here</a>). Once there, change into a soba making gi, wash your
hands, and do a few warm-up stretches.</span></span></p><p style="background: white;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; font-family: "MS UI Gothic";"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.5pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oxrZmW75gao/YDhEnZu48-I/AAAAAAAAAjc/LvO_xOs2Mfkgmm6BUGlLY2GBGey2HTOsACLcBGAsYHQ/DSC_1032-1-01.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="214" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oxrZmW75gao/YDhEnZu48-I/AAAAAAAAAjc/LvO_xOs2Mfkgmm6BUGlLY2GBGey2HTOsACLcBGAsYHQ/DSC_1032-1-01.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soba punching gi (apron) provided for use by the Dojo </td></tr></tbody></table></span></span></p><p style="background: white;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; font-family: "MS UI Gothic";"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></span></p><p></p><p style="background: white;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; font-family: "MS UI Gothic";">Pound Soba</span></b></p><p style="background: white;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; font-family: "MS UI Gothic";">
The Dojo uses buckwheat flour grown locally in Shikano. Soba-beating black
belts can pound out ju-wari (literally "100%") soba using only this
buckwheat flour; however, due to its dry, crumbly consistency, white belts will
find themselves punching above their weight. Therefore, wheat flour is mixed in
as a form of edible glue to make hachi-wari (literally "80%) soba. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background: white;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; font-family: "MS UI Gothic";">Training begins with an easy warmup of dumping buckwheat and
wheat flour together in a huge wooden mixing bowl. Next, add in water while
mixing with by hand as the aroma of buckwheat flour fills the room. After all
of the water has been added and the dough formed, knead the soba dough by
rolling it around the edge of the bowl until it becomes smooth and glossy.</span></p><p style="background: white;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; font-family: "MS UI Gothic";"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.5pt;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vagsyQ1XpF8/YDhFuOB9LRI/AAAAAAAAAjs/_pm_mV-ne-k6ZK3Xi5rkasJH_fO2ZxHBgCLcBGAsYHQ/DSC_0494-1.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="214" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vagsyQ1XpF8/YDhFuOB9LRI/AAAAAAAAAjs/_pm_mV-ne-k6ZK3Xi5rkasJH_fO2ZxHBgCLcBGAsYHQ/DSC_0494-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; text-align: left;">I received plenty of help and learned techniques from a local expert, though I did think the tables a little short for the vertically endowed. </span></td></tr></tbody></table></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="background: white;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; font-family: "MS UI Gothic";">
</span></p><p style="background: white;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; font-family: "MS UI Gothic";">After kneading out all of the cracks and dents, the real workout
begins: put the dough on the table and then squish it into a disc of 20 cm in
diameter. Next, take the large wooden roller in hand and stretch out the dough
using the traditional technique: start in the middle, push the roller in one
long continuous stroke and slide hands from the middle to the edges of the
roller, repeat 3 times, and then change the direction of the dough. Continue
until the dough reaches about 40 cm in diameter.</span></p><div><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; font-family: "MS UI Gothic"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language: JA;"><br /></span></div><div><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; font-family: "MS UI Gothic"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language: JA;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6QxXLApKbXY/YDhGcxI1uwI/AAAAAAAAAj0/1DOOkKUH4bs3bZNjW6Nju3pbCyKyiTdbQCLcBGAsYHQ/DSC_0708-1-01.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="214" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6QxXLApKbXY/YDhGcxI1uwI/AAAAAAAAAj0/1DOOkKUH4bs3bZNjW6Nju3pbCyKyiTdbQCLcBGAsYHQ/DSC_0708-1-01.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Learning of the double soba palm strike technique</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.5pt;">Now comes the part where the
choice of verb starts making sense: wrap the dough around the roller and then
firmly slap the edges of the dough to flatten and unroll it. These palm strikes
require accuracy, strength, and enough endurance to persevere until the dough
reaches a uniform thickness of 2 mm.</span></span></div><div><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; font-family: "MS UI Gothic"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language: JA;"><br /></span></div><div><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; font-family: "MS UI Gothic"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language: JA;"><p style="background: white;"><b><span lang="EN-US">Weapons Training</span></b></p><p style="background: white;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">Next, position a wooden straightedge atop the folded dough near
the edge and, with the left hand, press it down with just enough strength to
keep it stationary while not squishing the dough; with the right hand, aim a
soba-kiri knife at the sliver of soba dough jutting out from underneath the
straightedge. </span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p style="background: white;"><span lang="EN-US">The goal is to cut noodles with a uniform thickness of 2mm, and
this is done by using the straightedge as a guide for inserting the blade,
slicing back, and then tilting the blade to push the straightedge back 2 mm in
preparation for the next cut. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background: white;"><span lang="EN-US"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rcTgnjto410/YDhHRKQSotI/AAAAAAAAAj8/fnUV8nJuizQs8xqHZMwTW-DRJwR73b9agCLcBGAsYHQ/DSC_0768-1.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="214" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rcTgnjto410/YDhHRKQSotI/AAAAAAAAAj8/fnUV8nJuizQs8xqHZMwTW-DRJwR73b9agCLcBGAsYHQ/DSC_0768-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Japanese tamahagane breezes through soba dough</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">Results may vary. Even though my first cuts resulted in
extra-thick noodles, after much practice, I began to cut, slice, and tilt to
such a regular rhythm that I felt like I'd become a soba
artisan. </span></span></p><p style="background: white;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p></span><p style="background: white;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; font-family: "MS UI Gothic";">It’s Better to
Share<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p style="background: white;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; font-family: "MS UI Gothic";">
</span></p><p style="background: white;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; font-family: "MS UI Gothic";">The taste of noodles freshly made by my own hand, I'm sure, is
fantastic. But I wouldn't know. The sight of soba of such diverse shape and
size beat and cut by my coworker proved irresistible, and was delicious. In
turn, he ate all of my noodles in a breathless race without even looking up.</span></p><p style="background: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "MS UI Gothic";"><span lang="EN-US"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iF41qyJpcnU/YDhHX5kyuOI/AAAAAAAAAkA/pbGRuceW3AMeiOX3IgawrZkTigYcfYlPACLcBGAsYHQ/DSC_1060-1-01.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iF41qyJpcnU/YDhHX5kyuOI/AAAAAAAAAkA/pbGRuceW3AMeiOX3IgawrZkTigYcfYlPACLcBGAsYHQ/DSC_1060-1-01.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A highly memorable lunchtime adventure</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; font-family: "MS UI Gothic";"><br /></span></p></div>Unbroken Wheelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15112782412376785171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422414132046762194.post-52870677773179409742021-02-14T17:37:00.000-08:002021-02-14T17:37:05.847-08:00<b>Tottori and Vermont</b> <div>Tottori and Vermont, though separated by thousands of kilometers, shook hands in
2000, swore friendship in 2008, and embraced as siblings in 2018. As part of
this relationship, youths of Tottori and Vermont have had the opportunity to
travel, stay, and learn in the other region. There, they come face to face with
their host’s culture in an invaluable opportunity to not only develop
perspective and objectivity but also forge a friendship that overleaps the
distance.</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3w0W-rFSVPU/YCnOjxbFAkI/AAAAAAAAAi8/X3RA6hXJcEwBwUrQFfvFkmEheca3L87kgCLcBGAsYHQ/s960/Key%2Bto%2Bthe%2BCity.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3w0W-rFSVPU/YCnOjxbFAkI/AAAAAAAAAi8/X3RA6hXJcEwBwUrQFfvFkmEheca3L87kgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Key%2Bto%2Bthe%2BCity.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Governor Shinji Hirai and Governor Phil Scott celebrating the Sister State Agreement </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div><br /></div><div>The
<a href="http://www.torisakyu.or.jp/en/" target="_blank">Tottori Prefectural International Exchange Foundation</a>
and
<a href="http://greenacrosstheworld.org/" target="_blank">Green Across the World</a>
have been conducting this youth exchange program since 2009. To date, Tottori
has sent 11 delegations of high school students to Vermont and hosted 7
delegations from Vermont on this program. In 2020, not a single student from
Vermont or Tottori boarded an aircraft for the long flight to the experience of
a lifetime in their Sister State. </div><div> </div><div><b>Through Thick and Thin</b> </div><div>Strained but not broken, 18 of the young adults of Tottori who had participated
in the program filmed, edited, and sent a message to reinforce the friendship.
Out of consideration for the Vermont students that had lost their opportunity to
visit Tottori, the video consists of three segments: </div><div><br /></div><div>1.) The sights of Tottori
that they would have seen</div><div>2.) The culture and festivals to which they would have
been introduced</div><div>3.) The words of welcome and friendship they would have heard </div><div><br /></div><div>Only be available until March 31, 2021, please take this time to appreciate the
luster of a friendship that sticks through thick and thin by watching this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPA2jp05Sd0" target="_blank">video message</a>.
</div><div><br /></div>Unbroken Wheelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15112782412376785171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422414132046762194.post-54118631762080413282021-02-08T22:25:00.001-08:002021-02-08T22:25:16.667-08:00<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Hot
Running <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span>What does the word “reggae” summon to mind?
Perhaps it brings the sound of an offbeat rhythm guitar, the sight of dreadlocks,
and the experience of running 42.195 kilometers. Strange as it may sound, this is the
impression of reggae shared by a growing number of people in Tottori.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span lang="EN-US">This unusual association of reggae to running traces back to March of 2016 when two local runners, one male and one female, performed exceptionally well in the Tottori Marathon. </span>For their effort, they won a trip to Jamaica to participate in the Reggae Marathon, Jamaica’s premier international marathon event. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oqyzTcb-LLY/YCIjFty9KJI/AAAAAAAAAh4/MIC7QSYAASI4S9GxgfBqCRJNEstueplIgCLcBGAsYHQ/DSCF1309.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oqyzTcb-LLY/YCIjFty9KJI/AAAAAAAAAh4/MIC7QSYAASI4S9GxgfBqCRJNEstueplIgCLcBGAsYHQ/w267-h400/DSCF1309.JPG" width="267" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The race starts before the sun and temperature rise. </td></tr></tbody></table></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Bob Marley: Carry-on or Check-in?</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Since that hosting of the Reggae Marathon
in December of 2016, runners from Tottori have raced in every subsequent hosting
of the event. Moreover, they have claimed victory in the men’s full marathon
division every year; to date, a total of four Bob Marley trophies and one Rita Marley trophy have relocated to Tottori. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ALVsDS0cNuY/YCIjSLtbOwI/AAAAAAAAAiA/l89NR_bjV4YC1igOwh6ia1wCtP_N40-RgCLcBGAsYHQ/DSCF1615.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ALVsDS0cNuY/YCIjSLtbOwI/AAAAAAAAAiA/l89NR_bjV4YC1igOwh6ia1wCtP_N40-RgCLcBGAsYHQ/DSCF1615.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Tottori boasts the highest ratio of people to Bob and Rita Marley trophies in Japan.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">In return, runners from Westmoreland have
participated in every hosting of the Tottori Marathon since 2017. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NClfJpIOh8s/YCIjabZZzVI/AAAAAAAAAiM/JK6SZJVxKJIAvJqsoge3IG1ddEdilZD5ACLcBGAsYHQ/DSCF6352.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="364" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NClfJpIOh8s/YCIjabZZzVI/AAAAAAAAAiM/JK6SZJVxKJIAvJqsoge3IG1ddEdilZD5ACLcBGAsYHQ/w547-h364/DSCF6352.JPG" width="547" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jamaican runner becomes an instant celebrity in the <a href="https://www.nnn.co.jp/event/marathon/" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">Tottori Marathon </a><span style="text-align: left;">(Japanese).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Sumo Are Wasted on Cross-country</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">This mutual marathon exchange has not only
sown the seeds of grassroots internationalization along the marathon courses in
Tottori and Westmoreland, but also in the sports associations, schools, and
businesses that have cooperated in the program. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IqR2TS0SnEo/YCIjUQnkGVI/AAAAAAAAAiE/juATCA23NW4LvmIhOIkb-cQZO6thLHVkwCLcBGAsYHQ/DSCF6703.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="354" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IqR2TS0SnEo/YCIjUQnkGVI/AAAAAAAAAiE/juATCA23NW4LvmIhOIkb-cQZO6thLHVkwCLcBGAsYHQ/w531-h354/DSCF6703.JPG" width="531" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A warm welcome from the Johoku High School Sumo Stable. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Unfortunately, the hosting of the 2020
Reggae Marathon event went virtual due to the impact of coronavirus. Therefore,
instead of enjoying the thirty-degree temperatures, sun and Caribbean Sea in
December, the runners of Team Tottori braved the cold of winter and
participated from some of their favorite spots to run in Tottori.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MA4GZ4hLbSI/YCInp9vPwNI/AAAAAAAAAig/svLLtS2mt8ke9zSu7AgnvZZEKSdl4FdIwCLcBGAsYHQ/DSCF1667.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MA4GZ4hLbSI/YCInp9vPwNI/AAAAAAAAAig/svLLtS2mt8ke9zSu7AgnvZZEKSdl4FdIwCLcBGAsYHQ/w481-h320/DSCF1667.JPG" width="481" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interested? Visit the <a href="https://www.reggaemarathon.com/?v=24d22e03afb2" target="_blank">Reggae Marathon Official Site</a>)<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Running from Japan</b></p><p class="MsoNormal">Watch this quick video created to share the
joyful spirit of participating in the world’s most fun marathon and next time
you encounter the word “reggae”, you too might feel like going for a run! </p><p class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ug4K7C202mE/YCIosXaAZmI/AAAAAAAAAis/ozjInLAvk1k9vydMDb4jhJQ05k3DDUx3ACLcBGAsYHQ/%25E3%2582%25B9%25E3%2582%25AF%25E3%2583%25AA%25E3%2583%25BC%25E3%2583%25B3%25E3%2582%25B7%25E3%2583%25A7%25E3%2583%2583%25E3%2583%2588%2B%25281%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ug4K7C202mE/YCIosXaAZmI/AAAAAAAAAis/ozjInLAvk1k9vydMDb4jhJQ05k3DDUx3ACLcBGAsYHQ/%25E3%2582%25B9%25E3%2582%25AF%25E3%2583%25AA%25E3%2583%25BC%25E3%2583%25B3%25E3%2582%25B7%25E3%2583%25A7%25E3%2583%2583%25E3%2583%2588%2B%25281%2529.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-UfAE53G3c&list=PLVNBF3FqH7rvRtZ3D9Ti7s6VuRd5ImT0c&index=1" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">Reggae Marathon in Tottori</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p>Unbroken Wheelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15112782412376785171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422414132046762194.post-88472487519977282842021-02-04T21:13:00.003-08:002021-02-04T21:32:40.981-08:00<p><b>A Special Performance Calligraphy Video Message</b></p><p>Tottori Prefecture and Westmoreland Parish share a special bond of friendship. Officially Sister Regions, they engage in a wide variety of international exchange activities. Amongst these, the annual youth exchange program, which is the first of its kind between Japan and a Caribbean Nation, has grown widely popular. </p><p>Unfortunately, the global spread of coronavirus necessitated the cancellation of the 2020 Tottori-Westmoreland Youth Exchange, and the high school students of Chuo Ikuei that were selected to participate ultimately missed out on an incredible opportunity to visit Jamaica. </p><p>But that didn't stop them from carrying out a cultural exchange: they decided to create and videotape a special performance calligraphy message to their friends in Jamaica. </p><p>Calligraphy, using brush and ink to write characters, is part of traditional Japanese culture. Performance calligraphy combines many of the traditional aspects of calligraphy with modern music and dance. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ujWYkQjuSA0/YBzYWQ-ASeI/AAAAAAAAAhg/GHFRZ43PjJMWpAO8IEcBdZnMA8epoBT-QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DSC_1055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ujWYkQjuSA0/YBzYWQ-ASeI/AAAAAAAAAhg/GHFRZ43PjJMWpAO8IEcBdZnMA8epoBT-QCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/DSC_1055.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Please click the following link to watch their performance calligraphy video message.</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1H3EcRSiYs&list=PLv3WmeqUC67ulRlhshMxUEDUhvkRigAek&index=2" target="_blank">Tottori Performance Calligraphy Video Message </a><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unbroken Wheelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15112782412376785171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422414132046762194.post-28456374624792448352021-02-04T20:46:00.003-08:002021-02-04T21:27:24.891-08:00<p><b> The Official Tottori Newsletter for January 2021</b></p><p>What does the arrival of a New Year bring to Tottori? Take a look below to see this month's featured sites, spots, activities, and tastes!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--jgAFGKkoWE/YBzNVCkjipI/AAAAAAAAAhM/dfpWgppc38I3pSOoCAFiwTCKE7Zk2SXaACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/jan1.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1421" height="828" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--jgAFGKkoWE/YBzNVCkjipI/AAAAAAAAAhM/dfpWgppc38I3pSOoCAFiwTCKE7Zk2SXaACLcBGAsYHQ/w575-h828/jan1.png" width="575" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ovv_OFsxTTw/YBzNc7Amr0I/AAAAAAAAAhQ/YilMSwODiHozaoFvOGY86Xhpd_wlhx8rwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/jan2.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1417" height="831" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ovv_OFsxTTw/YBzNc7Amr0I/AAAAAAAAAhQ/YilMSwODiHozaoFvOGY86Xhpd_wlhx8rwCLcBGAsYHQ/w575-h831/jan2.png" width="575" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p><p> </p>Unbroken Wheelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15112782412376785171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422414132046762194.post-36456662108135526652021-02-04T20:28:00.002-08:002021-02-04T21:29:16.879-08:00<p> <b>The Official Tottori Newsletter for December 2020</b></p><p>Check out the newsletter posted below for information on some of the best winter season sightseeing in Tottori.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iD3dfJrr0GA/YBzHSdf7WCI/AAAAAAAAAgE/xrDiK2M-4u0lsh1eG1q1lN8SrDJ9GUJswCLcBGAsYHQ/newsdec.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1419" height="822" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iD3dfJrr0GA/YBzHSdf7WCI/AAAAAAAAAgE/xrDiK2M-4u0lsh1eG1q1lN8SrDJ9GUJswCLcBGAsYHQ/w570-h822/newsdec.png" width="570" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Bva-Zu87t8g/YBzIFzXs2II/AAAAAAAAAgQ/JcV9BvpQ0voClzaoQ_1sEtwS6BdY0nhgACLcBGAsYHQ/dec2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1418" height="822" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Bva-Zu87t8g/YBzIFzXs2II/AAAAAAAAAgQ/JcV9BvpQ0voClzaoQ_1sEtwS6BdY0nhgACLcBGAsYHQ/w569-h822/dec2.png" width="569" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><p></p>Unbroken Wheelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15112782412376785171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422414132046762194.post-66743358316884710602021-01-31T22:43:00.006-08:002021-01-31T22:43:49.484-08:00<p> <br /></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Ametuchi: A Special Train in a Land
of Myth<o:p></o:p></span></b></p></div><br /><div><span style="font-family: 游明朝, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b><br /></b></span></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-b_4xndoJYkA/YBeel_Z1JsI/AAAAAAAAAe0/3jHyEJ_5RtosJcPDpIXKaImjaRPMUshqgCLcBGAsYHQ/1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1307" data-original-width="592" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-b_4xndoJYkA/YBeel_Z1JsI/AAAAAAAAAe0/3jHyEJ_5RtosJcPDpIXKaImjaRPMUshqgCLcBGAsYHQ/1.jpg" width="109" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">A c. 1885 CE illustration of
Izanami (left) and Izanagi (right) creating the islands of Japan with their
spear.</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: times;">“When heaven and earth began…”<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: times;">These
words form the opening sentence of Japan’s oldest extant literary work, the; in
the original text, “heaven and earth” are represented by kanji characters read
as <i>ametuchi</i>. Written around 711, it chronicles mythical gods
and demons from the dawn of time in Japan, and many of these legends took place
in the San’in region. For a sightseeing train that runs through this land
steeped in myth and a cradle of early civilization, much the way the opening
sentence prepared its readers for the legendary tales to come, the name of
Ametuchi expresses a point of embarkation for a memorable journey. <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: times;">Native Japanese <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: times;">Pride
in heritage: even while so many nations march onward with necks stiffened and eyes
fixated on things to come, a sense of debt and desire to discharge it dutifully
compels the people of Japan — to stop. Then, perched atop mossy rocks of ruined
castle ramparts and under shaded approaches to forgotten shrines, they drop
ancestral lines into the deep dark of history moats and wells; they know that
the oldest well hides the most discoveries. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: times;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Sj7c7eja9FQ/YBehXBkPLgI/AAAAAAAAAfI/Q-vDEcefhd4a-OD91AiKDxXvWQkWqCbSACLcBGAsYHQ/3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1216" data-original-width="2048" height="190" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Sj7c7eja9FQ/YBehXBkPLgI/AAAAAAAAAfI/Q-vDEcefhd4a-OD91AiKDxXvWQkWqCbSACLcBGAsYHQ/3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Exterior of Ametuchi<o:p></o:p></span></b></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span><br />This mytho-historic sensibility inspired nearly
every aspect of Ametuchi’s design: the azure exterior represents the sky and
sea of San’in while the silver design wrapped around the bottom imitates both
the temper pattern of a Japanese sword blade smelted in a <i>tatara</i> (traditional furnace) and the mountain ranges of San’in; overtop
all of this, a metallic finish gives expression to the divine atmosphere.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-dHPGw5j2qWM/YBeg-u20PHI/AAAAAAAAAfA/15tiCkwIALEkewM5ra0_pCA7GrzPguo3ACLcBGAsYHQ/2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="368" data-original-width="704" height="167" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-dHPGw5j2qWM/YBeg-u20PHI/AAAAAAAAAfA/15tiCkwIALEkewM5ra0_pCA7GrzPguo3ACLcBGAsYHQ/2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Amaterasu emerges from the
Heavenly Rock Cave (Shunsai Toshimasa, 1887)<o:p></o:p></span></b></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Folk Crafts on the Move<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 游明朝; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Inside, nearly everything mundane, utilitarian, and
entirely expected of public transportation has been transformed into cultural
crafts in a mythical motif. Overhead, colorfully dyed Inshu <i>washi </i>(traditional paper) adds an
elegant tint and sense of mystique to the ambient lighting. On walls, indigo-dyed
<i>Kasuri</i> and other traditional textiles
decorate partitions. The restaurant style tables for four, two, and outward
facing counter seats were all crafted from Japanese cedar and pine grown in the
region. In this train, even the sink is a ceramic work of art from a local kiln.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 游明朝; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rdJvPqzmre8/YBeh1_12n1I/AAAAAAAAAfU/R9b2cYsyUIkPD9o8MSNiPI4WDgWNCUGEQCLcBGAsYHQ/4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1932" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rdJvPqzmre8/YBeh1_12n1I/AAAAAAAAAfU/R9b2cYsyUIkPD9o8MSNiPI4WDgWNCUGEQCLcBGAsYHQ/4.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Kagura costume miniature (Kagura
Shop Kuwanoki)<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 游明朝; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Edible History <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.5pt;">Onboard services include meals produced to
perfectly meld with the Native Japanese atmosphere; depending on the direction
of travel, whether from Tottori to Izumo or the reverse, meal choices feature
local specialties arranged in an artistic representation of the point of
departure. As an example, the Ametsuchi Gozen Yoake lunch box expresses an
amalgamation of the mythological worldview of the Kojiki and the picturesque
scenery of San’in. For a more decadent option, the Oenosato Sweet Set offers
seasonal pudding and roll cakes made with farm-fresh ingredients and no
additives.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.5pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Wl1cf7q1FEc/YBeia7U9uTI/AAAAAAAAAfc/UOH9QM-JoxcX98JjxCfpO0vMYnN_H3stwCLcBGAsYHQ/5.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Wl1cf7q1FEc/YBeia7U9uTI/AAAAAAAAAfc/UOH9QM-JoxcX98JjxCfpO0vMYnN_H3stwCLcBGAsYHQ/5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Ametuchi Gozen Yoake lunch
box<o:p></o:p></span></b></p></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Scenery</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><b> </b>O<b><o:p></o:p></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">ver
the course of 154.3 km, Ametuchi travels through some of the most scenic
regions in all of Japan. The rails run close to the coastline and lakeshores,
and north facing windows offer views of the Sea of Japan, Nakaumi, and Lake
Shinji; on the south side are spectacular views of Mt. Daisen, the tallest peak
in the region, along with the rest of the rugged Chugoku mountain range. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ApC3A9jtfro/YBejBExpUqI/AAAAAAAAAfs/XxRhnZd1A0s5mB3X9qBo1SH1SKBHZMeJwCLcBGAsYHQ/7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="1293" height="117" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ApC3A9jtfro/YBejBExpUqI/AAAAAAAAAfs/XxRhnZd1A0s5mB3X9qBo1SH1SKBHZMeJwCLcBGAsYHQ/7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Since
the tracks traverse wide swaths of rice paddies, pierces through bamboo thickets,
and runs parallel to primeval beech forests, each season colors the world
beyond the window in its own vivid hues. In contrast, the farm villages tucked
into mountain roots and fishing communities lining the coast elude the passage
of time and appear as if unchanged from their construction hundreds of years
ago. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uc4LOFZWQko/YBejGoJLURI/AAAAAAAAAfw/wivJvsmRSpEZauzqn7iCXxp78H70ujlwwCLcBGAsYHQ/6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1652" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uc4LOFZWQko/YBejGoJLURI/AAAAAAAAAfw/wivJvsmRSpEZauzqn7iCXxp78H70ujlwwCLcBGAsYHQ/6.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Details<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 游明朝; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Information on Ametuchi tickets and service schedule can be found here: <a href="https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/train/ametuchi/">https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/train/ametuchi/</a>. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "游明朝",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "游明朝",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p></p><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75"
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--></div>Unbroken Wheelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15112782412376785171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422414132046762194.post-11529026379951409322021-01-31T22:20:00.003-08:002021-01-31T22:20:40.327-08:00<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Japan’s
Oldest Triathlon Goes Decimal<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">The
Year of Tomeru<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Every year in Japan since 1995 there is a
vote to choose one kanji character that best represents the events of that
year; for 2020, I’d like to nominate “</span>止<span lang="EN-US">”</span>(<span lang="EN-US">read as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tomeru</i>, literally “stop,”</span>)<span lang="EN-US"> as a worthy candidate. This year, even before the cherry blossoms
had a chance to attract crowds of admirers, thick clouds of tomeru swarmed the
wireless waves like mosquitos at a lakeside barbeque; at home, television and
internet cables spewed them forth in great black spurts; and in the public
square, big fat ones rested lazily atop colorful event posters. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Shock and a sense of loss accompanied the
first incidence of seeing a tomeru fixed atop the name of an anticipated event
like a cheap tombstone; now, with an entire year’s worth of events likewise
buried, and much in the manner that an individual grave appears less tragic
when seen from the vantage of a hilltop overlooking a vast cemetery, spectators
have grown numb to the spectacle. Even the events, it seems, have come to
accept this little piece of fate and last twist of the knife — they go without
a whimper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">At this juncture, I should make clear that my
purpose is not to explore the cause of this tomeru pandemic nor consider its
necessity; rather, I wish to use it as a backdrop and a stage for Japan’s
oldest and hardest triathlon.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">The
Birth of Kaike Triathlon<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Back in 1981, members of the Kaike Inn
Union gathered to plan a suitable special event for the 60<sup>th</sup> anniversary
of the Kaike Onsen, a beachfront Japanese style hot spring resort. Situated on
a coastline of white sandy beaches and giant black pines, Kaike Onsen had
already established a nation-wide reputation as a health spot: the hot water of
its hot springs sooth a wide variety of ailments and the shimmering waters of
the Sea of Japan invigorate. They therefore concluded to build upon this brand
identity by creating an event that epitomizes incredible health while also
utilizes the picturesque natural surroundings. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">What they brought into existence not only
adequately achieved their purpose, but also would gradually develop into a
completely new identity for Kaike Onsen that has now, by some standards,
eclipsed the old. On August 20<sup>th </sup>1981 at 7:00 a.m., 51 men and 2
women took part in Japan’s first triathlon. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Molding
Tetsujin<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Since its humble beginnings, the race has
grown to such a gigantic proportion that it attracts over 1,600 applicants from
all over Japan vying for the maximum 940 individual and 80 relay team slots. At
first glance, this may not seem like an especially large number, but taking
into consideration the nature of the task, it certainly should. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The race opens with athletes in the Sea of
Japan where they battle waves, currents, and crowds in an open water 3 km swim
(120 lengths of a standard 25 meter swimming pool) along the coastline. Returning
to shore, drenched athletes peel off wetsuits and trade goggles for cycling glasses
and set out on a 140 km odyssey that takes them along river levee roads,
through large swaths of wetland rice fields, up 1,800 meters worth of elevation
at Mt. Daisen, and through shady tunnels created by leafy branches of old
growth beach forests. Finally, the cycling shoes come off, and on come the
running shoes, and athletes embark on the final leg of the journey: a full
marathon. This 42.195 km course begins in Kaike Onsen, continues along the Sea
of Japan into the city of Sakaiminato, and then turns back towards Yonago and
the finish line located on a 400 m track in a large athletics park. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">If all of this still doesn’t sound
difficult enough, well then! here comes the best part: the competition is held in
the middle of July when temperatures reliably exceed 34 degrees! This is not an
accident; in fact, enduring Japan’s iconic summer sun is considered such an
integral part of the challenge that it inspired the competition’s moniker as “Red
Hot Kaike”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Feel confident you can reach the finish
line? A resolute “Yes” is the absolute minimum requirement (there are many more
requirements) for even thinking of signing up. Even then, many challengers can
tell you from experience that saying is one thing and doing something else entirely:
20% that start the race do not finish. Those that do complete this race within
the time limit rightfully earn the title of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tetsujin</i>
(literally “iron human”). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Tetsujin
Vs. Tomeru <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The slogan of Kaike Triathlon is “Brave and
True”, and under this banner many thousands of men and women have gathered to
test themselves in a ritual that demands both. In the seas off the coast of
Kaike Onsen where they swam, on the roads winding the foot of Mt. Daisen where
they cycled, and on the streets of Sakaiminato where they ran, sweat from the
burning bodies of these tetsujin has fallen; like sadness shed with every tear,
the will to overcome spilled out in sweat. Over the years, this indomitable
spirit has seeped into more than just the land and sea along the course. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">This year should have marked the 40<sup>th</sup>
anniversary of the competition, and the organizers had planned on making it a
race worthy of the milestone; however, government measures and public pressure to
completely stem the spread of a contagion necessitated action, or, perhaps more
accurately, inaction. With hearts of lead, tetsujin watched as even this
legendary race began corroding under intense pressure into a “retire” before
finishing, a “did not run”, and a red-lettered “tomeru”. The integrity of this
historical competition and the spirit deposited in it fell into question. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Happily, it is a spirit that doesn’t like bending,
and many of the organizers — tetsujin themselves — possess it. Unwilling to
admit complete defeat to tomeru, they came up with an audacious
counteroffensive called the 39.5<sup>th</sup> Kaike Triathlon.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">How is
Kaike 39.5 Different?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">More than what it is, it is what it isn’t
that defines 39.5. First, it is not a full-blown competition: no awards await
the fastest athletes in each category. Second, the main adversary is not oneself:
the distance and difficulty of each stage have been greatly reduced. Third, it
isn’t a surrender in the recently popular Orwellian manner of “not losing” by
“not trying”: it is a defiant “no” to tomeru and a signpost to another
way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The competition still begins with swimming;
however, unlike prior years, all 1,000 athletes don’t start in one large
flotilla upon the waves of the Sea of Japan. Instead, each athlete completes a
2 km swim on an individual basis and self-declares the result before arriving
on race day. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Next, the cycling portion has also
undergone a transformation. Instead of traversing the 140 km road course,
athletes set up their bicycle on stationary rolling devices spread out across a
grassy field. Then, at the starter’s signal, they peddle an equivalent of 50
km. Peddling in place means that athletes encounter no air resistance — a
double-edged sword. Though high rotation speeds are easier to maintain, the
cooling factor of actually moving at high speed is gone. So that athletes don’t
overheat, volunteers circulate and spray them with ice water. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Third, besides the course, the run remains largely
unchanged. Athletes still begin as soon as completing the cycling stage by
dismounting, changing shoes, and heading towards the start line. For 39.5, the
course takes them down a 16 km seaside cycling trail that connects Kaike Onsen
to Yume Minato Tower and then back for a total of 32 km. Closed to traffic, the
route is flat with magnificent views of the Sea of Japan, white sandy beaches, Japanese
black pine forests, and, towering in the distance, Mt. Daisen. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Finally, the largest difference between
39.5 and all of the previous iterations happens at the finish line: when each
athlete crosses, they turn and commend the organizers and volunteers for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">their</i> audacious bravery. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></p>Unbroken Wheelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15112782412376785171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422414132046762194.post-21003978786911061552021-01-31T22:16:00.000-08:002021-03-15T14:45:53.533-07:00<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Ginei
Kenshibu and the Greatest Duel in Japanese History<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bJ3TP9KPDQE/YBebluMGByI/AAAAAAAAAeI/nD8DNjJDSBcGLDp96x1itFdqjXQK6x34wCLcBGAsYHQ/img_rosetsu_kawanaka.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="276" data-original-width="550" height="161" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bJ3TP9KPDQE/YBebluMGByI/AAAAAAAAAeI/nD8DNjJDSBcGLDp96x1itFdqjXQK6x34wCLcBGAsYHQ/img_rosetsu_kawanaka.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">What
is Ginei?</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">Ginei refers to a Japanese form of poetry
recitation. The poem that will be discussed in this article is a <i>kanshi</i> poem (Japanese term for Chinese
poetry as well as Japanese poetry written in Chinese) composed by Rai San'yo
and titled “Fushikian Strikes at Kizan”.
Here is the poem in Japanese with a full explanation of both the contents and
context provided in the sections to follow.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "MS 明朝",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Century; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Century; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">不識庵機山を撃つの図に題す</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "MS 明朝",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Century; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Century; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">鞭聲粛々夜河を過る</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "MS 明朝",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Century; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Century; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">暁に見る千兵の大牙を擁するを</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "MS 明朝",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Century; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Century; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">遺恨十年一剣を磨き</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "MS 明朝",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Century; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Century; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">流星光底長蛇を逸す</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> <span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">Fushikian is the posthumous Buddhist name
of Uesugi Kenshin, a powerful samurai lord of a domain called Echigo in northern
Japan (Today’s Niigata Prefecture). Kizan is the posthumous Buddhist name of
Takeda Shingen, a powerful samurai lord of a domain called Kai in central Japan
(Today’s Yamanashi Prefecture). These two heroes and their armies fought in a
total of five engagements at the famous site of Kawanakajima (1553 to 1564).
This poem is composed in the form of a sympathetic exploration of the state of
mind of Kenshin based upon the composer’s vast knowledge of Japanese history.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">What
is Kenshibu?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Kenshibu is a traditional dance holding a
sword or a fan performed to the accompaniment of Ginei. The performer is
expected to exhibit the samurai mentality as well as the spirit of one who has
dedicated their life to the way of the warrior – just like Kenshin. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HKl8_S4D3jo/YBeb1jZhtsI/AAAAAAAAAeQ/kxVzJv0a-wsy0ok7dSO7QQ0tRRAPvsc7ACLcBGAsYHQ/whenculturesclash.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HKl8_S4D3jo/YBeb1jZhtsI/AAAAAAAAAeQ/kxVzJv0a-wsy0ok7dSO7QQ0tRRAPvsc7ACLcBGAsYHQ/whenculturesclash.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oINzumfpCxY/YBecdbQvIVI/AAAAAAAAAec/xY49RkR0jhQ2dR9SSpPb3xBAJE9amXnbwCLcBGAsYHQ/blogpic.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1759" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oINzumfpCxY/YBecdbQvIVI/AAAAAAAAAec/xY49RkR0jhQ2dR9SSpPb3xBAJE9amXnbwCLcBGAsYHQ/blogpic.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Tell
Me the Tale of the Greatest Duel in Japanese History!<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">In the dying hours of the starless night of
October 18<sup>th </sup>1561, Uesugi Kenshin, lord of Echigo, leads a vanguard
of horseback samurai warriors across the Chikuma River. With cloth tied on the
bottom of their horse’s hooves and riding whips silent, they stalk through the
dark like an army of northern tigers on the prowl, and their prey is Takeda
Shingen, lord of Kai, camped with his army at Kawanakajima. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">At the Takeda camp, a lookout glances an indistinct
shape moving beyond a veil of mist that hangs across the damp earth of the
riverbank like a curtain and he strains with all his might to determine whether
it’s only his imagination or not. At that moment, dawn stretches her arm out
across the horizon and through the mist, and the lookout spots the Echigo
cavalry charging towards him while arrayed tightly around their general’s
standard. Frantic calls to arm pull Takeda’s sleeping forces from their tents
and scrambling into defensive formations. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The rushing waves of cavalry smash into
Kai’s camp: spears snap, swords clang, and bones crack as waves of horseback
samurai wash over Kai’s hastily assembled lines. From all around, Kai reinforcements
let loose a savage roar of battle as they pour headlong into the fray; bloodied
men fall screaming to the mud, and an all-encompassing cacophonous din of war
soars into the red dawn sky. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Into the very vortex of this tempest of
steel, flesh, and blood rides Kenshin with such reckless abandon as to take
both armies by surprise. With single-minded determination, he rushes into a
breach in the enemy lines and, with enemy soldiers closing in on all sides,
races for the enemy command post. Bursting into Kai’s field headquarters, he charges
the last few meters separating him from Shingen who sits in his general’s chair
wearing full samurai armor and a look of genuine surprise. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Kenshin raises his sword and summons the
righteous fury of Bishamonten, the Buddhist god of war; the blade — polished to
a mirror — reflects the leaping flames of the brazier to appear as if wreathed
in flame. Shingen, caught completely off guard, leaps to his feet as the flaming
sword streaks like a shooting star towards the root of his neck; he manages to
fend off the strike with the only thing he has ready — his iron war fan. Their
eyes lock: Shingen reaches for his sword as Kenshin readies a second strike,
but a Takeda warrior spears Kenshin’s mount which causes it to flee. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The duel ends inconclusively, but the
battle rages on until the number of corpses from both armies littering the
field makes any further fighting difficult. Seeing the staggering amount of
death, Kenshin decides the cost of victory unacceptable and orders a retreat. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Later, while marching back to Echigo with
his remaining warriors, the weight of regret seems to grow heavier the further
he moves from the battlefield. For Kenshin, ten long years of war had culminated in that one precious opportunity to resolve his longstanding grudge against Shingen; in one brilliant flash, the chance disappeared forever. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">What Does the Poem Mean?</span></b><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Kanshi poetry is difficult to accurately
translate into English. Below is an approximation of the poem.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: HGS行書体; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: HGP創英角ポップ体;">Fushikian Strikes at Kizan</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: HGS行書体; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: HGP創英角ポップ体;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: HGS行書体; mso-hansi-font-family: HGP創英角ポップ体;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: HGS行書体; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: HGP創英角ポップ体;">Horse whips silent, river forged at night<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: HGS行書体; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: HGP創英角ポップ体;">At dawn see the General</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: HGP創英角ポップ体; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: HGS行書体; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: HGS行書体;">’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: HGS行書体; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: HGP創英角ポップ体;">s banner lead thousands of warriors<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: HGS行書体; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: HGP創英角ポップ体;">A grudge of ten year</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: HGP創英角ポップ体; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: HGS行書体; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: HGS行書体;">’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: HGS行書体; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: HGP創英角ポップ体;">s standing to polish one sword<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: HGS行書体; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: HGP創英角ポップ体;">Brilliant as a shooting star falls harmlessly
into dark<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: HGS行書体; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: HGP創英角ポップ体;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Unbroken Wheelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15112782412376785171noreply@blogger.com0