(Click for larger version)

This post is in response to usagijen’s article / mini-rant about Tokyo Tower and aesthetics in general, which was itself inspired by a comment on ghostlightning’s latest Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 post where someone referred to Tokyo Tower as “overrrated”.

Both are highly recommended reading, by the way, whether you’ve been watching Tokyo Magnitude or not. Her post really helped remind me just what a significant place Tokyo Tower holds in Japanese history, as both a visual landmark and a symbolic one.

From her article:

“As for Tokyo Tower, well let’s just say I gained much more appreciation for it after watching the AWSUM movie ALWAYS ~Sunset on Third Street~, as I witnessed how this landmark became the pillar of hope back in the 1950s where people are starting out a new life after the war. It was a sign of a new era in Japan — an era of hopes and dreams, an era of a bright future (a bright ‘mirai’).

They built Tokyo Tower with the ambition of making it the TALLEST tower in the world, and other towers might have ‘outgrown’ it now, but you can’t take away the fact that it was successful back in its time. Having known its significance made me all the more realize that TOKYO TOWER IS BEAUTIFUL.”

While Tokyo Tower is a bit dated by today’s standards, and while it’s kind of a rip-off of the Eiffel Tower, you certainly can’t deny its major cultural significance. Even from just a purely visual, aesthetic standpoint, I still find it quite beautiful. In typical Japanese fashion, they even modify the lighting to different colors seasonally or during certain events to help give the skyline a different look.

Speaking of giving Tokyo a different look, Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 has been a really interesting show for me;  I hope to write more in depth about it soon. The really interesting thing, though, has been seeing the kinds of reactions it produces in others. It seems like the series really tries very intentionally to tell its story in a way that provokes a reaction from the viewer, whether toward the circumstances or toward the characters, and I think that’s what you can attribute much of its success to.

Oh, one thing that did always bother me when looking at Tokyo Tower, by the way, was the fact that even from as far away as the Mori Tower in Roppongi, which is where the above picture was taken from, I could still see the incessant flashes from the Tokyo Tower observation deck of tourists snapping photographs. I mean, seriously? Were you expecting to light up all of freaking Tokyo with your little point and shoot digicam? I know some of these new Japanese models are pretty powerful, but come on now folks.

If anything, it’s just going to produce a lot of unnecessary glare and serve to ruin the exposures of other nearby photographers. I guess I’m just jaded because I see so many people now with digital cameras who don’t know the first thing about how to operate their camera or how to take a decent photograph. Without so much as a thought about lighting, composition, or shutter speeds, they just run around blithely snapping away, stunning their photographic subjects into submission with the blinding power of their xenon flashbulbs.

OK, OK, I’m done ranting. Hope you guys liked the photo. If anyone is interested, I could probably made a desktop wallpaper version, too.

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With a great concert, good food, and lots of events and interesting cosplay, the remainder of AX proved to be an exceptionally fun time, if a bit tiring. Unfortunately, my main Compact Flash card malfunctioned midway through day 2 of the con, so I lost most of the pictures from that day, including photos of the enormous bowl of chashu ramen I grabbed for lunch down in Little Tokyo. ;_;

Fortunately, I do still have lots of photos to share with you guys. I had hoped to do day-by-day coverage of the con, but between the frenetic nature of the events down there combined with the commute into LA and back again every day, it’s taken me until now to get properly rested up again. Yeah, I’m definitely getting too old for this kind of stuff. ^^;

Nevertheless, AX was a ton of fun; I got to meet Shokotan and David Hayter, as well as consume dangerously large quantities of Japanese cuisine. Oh yeah, and I bought the newest Taiko no Tatsujin (a.k.a. Taiko Drum Master) game for DS.

Anyway, so without further ado…random cosplay shots and other pics from the con:

Shinigami Chop!

Dr. Stein

Tsubaki wielding…Tsubaki??

I’m always glad to see cosplay from newer or under-represented series, if only because the cosplay percentages at the average anime con work out to something on the order of:

50% Generic Bleach Captains or Akatsuki members
10% Ichigos in various stages of transformation
8% Narutos and Sakuras
6% Assorted other Naruto cast
6% Luffy
5% Final Fantasy characters
3% Link
2% Fat goth loli girls

10% EVERYTHING ELSE EVER

Thus, I generally ignore all the usual suspects and try to search out people with genuinely unique or creative costumes. And while those folks can be few and far between, thankfully I was not disapppointed, as there were some really awesome costumes this year. Case in point:

TETSUUOOOOO!! KANEEEDAAAA!

Cat accessories and loincloth not included.

This is easily the best Al costume I have ever seen, bar none. Even more impressive was the fact that he could move around and strike all sorts of poses in that thing without pieces of it falling off.

The obligatory line-up of Code Geass ladies. Minus points for no Cheese-kun, though.

Konpachi

Yes, you read that right. Konpachi. What can I say? This man is a genius.

DESU.

Saber can give me sword lessons any day of the week.

Hey, finally a Gurren Lagann cosplayer!

And quite an impressive costume is was. She told me that the gun is hand made from PVC pipe, wood blocks, and pieces from airsoft guns, and that it took her and a friend almost two months to assemble. Quite a piece indeed. If you look closely, you’ll even see that…uh…hey guys? We’re still talking about the gun here, right? Right?? …guys?

And after that, of course we can’t forget the obligatory “Pierce the heavens with your drill” Kamina pose of manliness and huge sunglasses.

ZETSUBOU SHITA!!

Finally, an Itoshiki-sensei appears! There was another one at the con who actually had a rope tied into an actual noose around his neck; talk about dedication to costume accuracy. Sounds a little scary though, if you ask me, walking around an anime con wearing a noose. All it takes is one glomp gone wrong… o_0

Again, I don’t normally photograph Inuyashu cosplayers and the like, but these guys had very well made costumes and seemed to really be enjoying themselves. Besides, any women who can actually carry around Sango’s boomerang all day like that automatically gets my respect.

Speaking of oversized weapons…Zabuza would like you to bring the opponents to his sword. It is, in fact, fully charged.

Not to be outdone, this guy had what I believe was the largest prop weapon at the convention. Even if security would’ve allowed him to bring it into the exhibit hall, I don’t think he could’ve gotten that thing through the door anyway.

Japanese people always have the best cosplay when it comes to traditional outfits, of course. Note the little kitsune mask the guy has on the side of his head.

I just love shooting with backlighting for those little shoji umbrellas, I’m not gonna lie.

Now some other assorted non-anime costumes. Here’s Dark Link and…a Tier 6 feral druid?? Oh my. <.<

One wonders why she’s wielding what looks an awful lot like Braxxis’ Staff of Slumber, though, if she’s full Tier 6…

Now this one I bet took some serious work to put together…as well as to put on! And yes, it is an actual legitimate blonde haired girl inside that suit.

Other non-anime themed cosplay ranged from some that were aborably cute…

…to others that were random and wacky…

…a few that were just silly…

…and a couple that were just downright disturbing. o_0

The location of the convention, the Los Angles Convention Center right in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. As alway, the weather was warm and beautiful.

The L.A. Sparks fans had absolutely no idea what to make of all the congoers, running around with their crazy outfits and dancing the Carmelldansen and whatnot. I saw some pretty funny reactions, I must say. Sadly, I wasn’t able to capture any of them on camera.

Fisheye lenses are fun, by the way. ^^

In keeping with summer traditions, there was a tree set up for Tanabata. As you can see, there are quite a few wishes hung on the tree, including some rather interesting and unusual ones.

“I wish the cake wasn’t a lie!”

“I wish for an actual wish!”

“I wish for more boink!”

There was even one that said “I wish more people could appreciate English dubs.” I was sorely tempted to hang my own card up next to it that said, “I wish English dubs didn’t suck so much!”

The dealers’ hall was suitably huge with lots of random anime and video game themed products available, as always. The only thing I ended up buying was a couple of imported DS games – the aforementioned Taiko no Tatsujin 2 game, and a kanji drill game to help me brush up on my penmanship.

Well, hope you weren’t too terribly bored by all the random cosplay photos. I tend to get a little carried away since there are so many hot chicks interesting photo ops. ^^;

Speaking of which…I was able to take a photo together with Shokotan. I wonder if I should post it up on the site too? Of course, I doubt very much you guys want to see my ugly mug.

In any case, Epic Win now returns you (hopefully!) to your regularly scheduled sarcastic anime blogging program. Until next time!

~0rion

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It’s been a while since our last humorous entry, and we haven’t talked about Japan much since our post about Junky Healthy Taco Rice and other fun Engrish stuff, so we thought a good way to kill two birds with one stone would be to show you guys some of the funny Engrish-style T-shirts those crazy Japanese have cooked up.

Dental hygiene is of extremely great in portance in Japan. Whilst I was perusing the various and sundry clothing shops scattered throughout Harajuku, I came upon this incredible shirt. It’s awfully rare to find a T-shirt that so unilaterally implores others to follow societal mores, really. Come to think of it, I think teeth are often undervalued in our society…well, or maybe that’s just England?

Nevertheless, it serves as a good reminder. Also, check out that bad tooth – do all cavities have such a huge bite taken out of them? Thankfully, they provided three standard teeth to allow for comparison. Gosh, I love this shirt so much.

Ordinary Japanese people of all ages can be seen everywhere with hilarious T-shirts like this – everyone from teenagers to salarymen to middle-aged housewives. I’ve even seen little kids with shirts like these, some of which made some, ahh…rather bold statements. And of course, neither they nor their parents had any idea of the meaning.

In fact, most of the them have absolutely no clue what the shirts they’re wearing say. Take this guy, for example:

Don’t be a Dick, YOU BANANA

Seriously, don’t do it. Actually, I’m not sure whether to be more insulted that he’s calling me a dick or that he’s calling me a banana.

A few more horribly overpriced but funny random shirts spotted while shopping in Harajuku:

Bear hate Ronald! Katakana reads: “Bear Claw”

Well, I honestly never thought I’d find myself cheering on pedobear. Seriously though, it’s about time someone taught that freakish clown some manners. Serves him right for peddling carcinogenic foodstuffs to innocent, unwitting children.

Much like Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, several of these shirts employed somewhat dark, morbid humor to great effect.

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I’d love to wear one of these things to a PETA meeting; I’m thinking it might cause the members to lighten up a bit.

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Yeah…either that or they’d kill you on the spot. And considering the near-rabid nature of most of the PETA members I’ve know, I’m leaning toward the latter, really.

OK, now for a few of the shirts we’ve bought in Japan:

Save a Tree, Eat a Beaver!

Not quite Engrish, per se, but humorous enough that I thought it warranted sharing. I spotted this on the rack at one of the many tiny clothing shops in Harajuku and bought it on the spot. I couldn’t resist; it’s just hilarious on so many different levels.

Rust.

Oxidation of metals is a serious problem. Thankfully, these people are apparently working on not one, nor even two, but in fact several methods to prevent this horrible malady from troubling humankind much longer. Thank God someone was, I’d begun to give up hope.

Click for larger version

It’s as if several newspapers all vomited simultaneously onto one piece of clothing. Despite the disarray of text, some of the phrases are rather encouraging, though. I’ve always enjoyed “watching time go right out the window.” In fact, that’s been a pastime of mine for a great many years now. On the other hand, I would disagree with the statement that “dawn is loved most by everyone.” Dawn has actually been a vicious enemy of my sleep for many years.

Hmm…“trying to hold ON but didn’t even know.” Kind of reminds me of the Darker than Black OP, somehow. I also couldn’t help but laugh at the “Segregate me” line…which is conveniently in bright letters and apart from the rest of the text.

ALL THE PEOPLE DESIRE PEACEFUL
STANDARDBEARER

I’ve been referred to as a master by some, a master of lethargy and caffeine addiction, but a master nonetheless. Sometimes I feel it is important to let others know of my mastery, and the fame contained therein. Also, peaceful is a strong desire for…well, everyone apparently. But wait, how can one be a famousmaster and a standard bearer at the same time? It boggles the mind.

Or maybe that’s the lesson – we’re all famous…in a standard kind of way.

There is a Difference

Don’t you hate it when people group various and sundry wrenches together as though they were identical, even though they clearly are not? Man, that really pisses me off! Morons confusing monkey wrenches with socket wrenches, or socket wrenches with ring spanners; that’s just unacceptable as far as I’m concerned. Thankfully, the good people at Uniqlo share in our collective frustration. Now everyone will know that categorically “there is a difference.” There is no excuse now, you keep those damn wrenches in order, you hear me?

Oh man, good ol’ Uniqlo! I don’t know where I’d be without it. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Uniqlo, it’s kind of the Anchor Blue of Japan – good discount clothing chain with lots of variety. I pretty much bought all my threads there while I was in Japan, and to this day those are some of the most comfortable clothes I own.

Finally, I would be remiss if I did not mention this shirt, spotted on a clothing rack in Shibuya. Sorry about the image quality; I was in a hurry at the time and snapped the photo while on the run…

Crime Pays In Mad Ways

Luxury taxes can be expensive. In fact, they can be so obtrusive that they may very well prevent you from obtaining your bling. Why let those governmental charlatans misappropriate your hard earned kane? Theft is far more cost effective. Remember kids, nothing is quite as cheap as “free.”

Crime evidently does in fact pay, and not only does it pay, but it does so in a maddening fashion. Well played, indeed.

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This year I decided to forego the usual western customs in favor of following a more Japanese approach to celebrating the New Year. Fortunately for me, the Japanese community in Los Angeles puts on quite a celebration on the first few days of the year, with traditional food, music, and dancing.

After enjoying the first sunrise of the year (hatsuhinode), I headed down to Little Tokyo to catch the festivities (and buy some manga, of course). They had stages set up for various performances at both Weller Court in front of the Kinokuniya bookstore, as well in the Japanese Village Plaza, pictured below.

Among the many performances of the day, this was my by far my favorite. As you can see, it was an ensemble performing traditional Japanese music and dances, but it was composed of both traditional instruments (shamisen and drums), as well a bit of a more modern touch (electric guitar and bass). The performers were all fabulous, especially this young lady who did several types of traditional dance and seemed to be quite the pro.

This guy playing the electric guitar was pretty cool, if a bit odd looking. I talked to him for a while after the show and he really reminded me of Ryuusuke from Beck.

Bon Odori (Bon dance) at the stage in Weller Court.

In addition to the regular Bon Odori, they also had several guys who did some awesome breakdancing while wearing traditional Japanese garb and dancing to traditional music. It really reminded me of how Little Tokyo and the Japanese who live here are a perfect example of blending old and new ideas. They celebrate their Japanese culture and heritage, but they like to do it in very American ways oftentimes.

They had a lot of fun getting the crowd involved and trying to teach the gaijin how to do a Bon dance, as well.

Also, as a random sidenote, in the very upper right of the frame is the local Curry House, one of my favorite places to eat down here in Little Tokyo, with Orochon Ramen (on the third floor out of the shot) being a close second. Man, I love their chashuu ramen.

In addition to the various performances, they had guys pounding mochi, stalls selling the usual festival goodies like yakisoba and takoyaki, and just generally a great festive atmosphere. It also was not nearly as crowded as your average “real” Japanese festival. And by “not nearly as crowded”, I mean that I was still able go in the direction I wanted while in the middle of the crowd, whereas usually you don’t have much of a choice – you go wherever the crowd is going. I’m sure the guys who just got back from Comiket can attest to that.

This lady, with her amazing kimono, very kindly agreed to pose for me. I only wish I could’ve done the shoot at a better location. <_<

Another of the traditional New Year’s Day activities in Japan is the first temple visit of the year (hatsumoude). I went mainly because they give out free spiced sake with gold flakes in it on the first day of the year.

After trying some, I really wished I could’ve found out what kind it was, because it was daaaang good, too. Some sort of junmai ginjo, but I couldn’t tell anything beyond that.

While I was there I went ahead and got an omikuji (fortune slip) as well, which says that my luck for the year is good and that I will have success in finance but fail in love. Yeah, that sounds about right. >_>

While I’m at it, here’s a quick tour of some of the more interesting spots in Little Tokyo (and by interesting, I mean you can get anime goods). First and foremost is the local Kinokuniya, one of only 6 in the United States, and the largest of the ones I’ve visited. This is the premier spot to get manga and artbooks, especially Japanese language imports, which is what I’m primarily interested in. They stock pretty much everything imaginable, they’re really fast about getting new releases in, and if they don’t have it they can order it for you free of charge.

Today I was happy to see that they had several new manga I wanted, including the latest Yotsubato! tankouban (manga book), number 7 in the series. Woohoo! The prices are also quite excellent, ranging from 3 to 6 dollars for a tankouban; in other words, generally equal to the price in yen listed on the back. This is a huge improvement over the English translated equivalents, which are usually twice as expensive. Being able to read Japanese has really saved my wallet, I gotta say!

Kamikaze Anime is the smallest of the three anime related stores in Little Tokyo, but they’ve found a nice niche, with a good selection of import games and Japanese T-shirts, as well as lots of hard to find out-of-print manga.

Anime Jungle has two locations in Little Tokyo. The one pictured here deals also exclusively in figures and similar goods like plushies, posters, doujins, and other fairly rare items. I don’t really collect figures, did from what I’ve seen they’re pretty good about getting the latest hot releases in stock, although they don’t last very long.

Their second location across the street has a greater variety, including lots of OSTs, cosplay items, and gothloli stuff.

All in all, between these four shops and the various other stores scattered around the area, there’s not too much that you can’t find here.

I have to say, the Japanese really know how to celebrate the New Year right. I haven’t been to too many of the festivals down in Little Tokyo, but all of the ones I have been to have been an absolute blast. If you’re anywhere near the LA area, consider coming down during August for the other major festivals of the year, Obon.

* Photos used with permission from the subjects.

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Minami-ke’s Kana-chan apparently thinks that she is boss.

And certainly, in addition to frequently bending Chiaki to her will, she seems to have the show’s male cast pretty well under her thumb.

What she does not realize, however, is that someone else has already laid claim to that title:

NO ME

As a matter of fact, SUNTORY BOSS is actually the real boss. And not just the usual garden variety “hit their weak point three times” kind of boss, either. He’s the boss of them all, and apparently has been since 1992.

Sorry Kana, looks like you lose this one.

Image used with permission from Vong Yonghow @ Halcyon Realms.

Also Tommy Lee Jones is boss.

That rainbow blend is serious business. I mean, for being a rainbow it sure looks tough and indimidating, like the beverage itself could kick your ass. Or be your boss. It’s also pretty tasty.

Also Tommy Lee Jones will be supremely disappointed if you do not purchase refreshing and delicious Suntory™ brand beverages. I mean, he just looks so distraught at the thought that you might not be drinking refreshing and delicious Suntory™ beverages right now.

In fact, you should probably go out and get some refreshing and delicious Suntory™ beverages immediately, just in case. You might make Tommy Lee Jones upset, otherwise. And you don’t want to see that.

Whoa whoa, hey, don’t go overboard! We only got paid enough to say the name once. I mean, uh…oops…

You didn’t see anything.

Anyway, so here in America we have these “truth in advertising” laws that requires advertising claims to be more or less factual. In Japan, however, they have no compunctions about making bold, grandiose statements like this.

It’s actually an interesting insight into how the culture works – rather than being caught up in percentages or scientific study findings, advertising generally focuses on creating a certain vibe. Thus, ads frequently make humorously bombastic claims, often in English. It’s not so much a statement of fact as it is a way of projecting the right image and feeling, which is what sells in Japan. Plus, half the time people aren’t quite sure what the English means anyway, so they can get away with saying pretty much whatever they want.

The “SUNTORY BOSS” photo above is what these BOSS vending machines look like from the front; the earlier photo was the side view. They’re pretty much everywhere in Japan. I used to see them every day on my walk to work.

One other interesting general tidbit to note about vending machines in Japan is the little recycling bin next to the machine. Most Japanese people, especially the older generations, consider it somewhat rude to eat or drink while walking. It’s pretty common to see a salaryman buy a drink and then stand there and drink it on the spot, thus the recycling bin comes in really handy, especially since the Japanese don’t seem to believe in putting just regular old trashcans in public places.

That’s also another reason why the drink sizes are so small and wee; it makes them easy to finish in one go.

And yes, Tommy Lee Jones is the Muteki Kanban Musuko for Suntory, and has been for a long long time.

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Continued from Part 1.

Having finally achieved the summit of Mt. Misen, Miyajima Island’s tallest peak, I decided to hurry back down to the beach so that I could secure a good spot from which to photograph the fireworks.

Major holiday events are serious business for the Japanese. Regardless of whether it’s for the nation’s largest fireworks show or just for hanami (flower viewing, especially during sakura season) at the local park, they come early, they come prepared, and they come in full force. Almost as soon as the sun comes up, every available spot with a good view becomes blanketed with blue tarps and picnic baskets. Groups of festival goers sit around drinking, chatting, and playing games while also keeping a close eye out to ensure that no one encroaches too closely on their carefully chosen viewing location. Arrive a mere two or three hours ahead of time, and you’ll be lucky if you can still find a place to sit!

Last year I went with some Japanese friends to see the big hanabi taikai (fireworks festival) at Showa Park in Tokyo. Through a series of unexpected delays, we ended up arriving a mere two hours prior to the event, and this is the sight that greeted us when we showed up…

That’s right. There was absolutely nowhere left to sit down. In the end, the only spot we could find was one way in the back where the view was partially obscured by trees.

Fortunately for me, the Miyajima festival location offers one major saving grace. The best place to watch the show from happens to be the beach area directly in front of the giant torii. Most of the time it’s underwater; only during low tide does the area become accessible. This provides a nice natural restriction on how early people can begin to stake out their spots.

The “floating” shrine, Itsukushimajinja. Not quite so magical at low tide.

Compare this shot to the identical one taken earlier in the day.

The tide was still receding, so I spent some time taking in the festival action and grabbing a few tasty treats from the various food stalls lining the narrow avenues.

I love these Japanese style, two-tier picnic tables. You can still take your shoes off and relax Japanese style even though you’re outdoors.

Delicious takoyaki (octopus puffs), fresh from the fryer

Kakegouri (shaved ice)

Mmm…grilled squid on a stick

It’s actually quite delicious. Tastes like chicken, except kinda rubbery. No seriously.

World’s most awesome squid chef.

This guy was a real pro. He filleted those squid incredibly fast and still was able to have a friendly chat with me. If there’s an Olympic event for squid preparation, then this man is surely the reigning gold medalist.

My favorite! Fresh yakisoba topped with a fried egg!

Ahhhhh, I love festival food. Man, now I’m making myself hungry. How I wish I was back in Japan for Obon again this year!

Once the tide had gone out, the festival goers wasted no time heading out to the beach to stake out some prime real estate.

I managed to grab a nice spot right at the front along with a small army of other photographers.

And just in time, too! The setting sun made for an amazing backdrop

As the sun slowly sank beneath the horizon, young couples strolled about and groups of yukata clad children rushed up to touch the torii gate or hunt for clams in the shallow water.

Simply gorgeous. I can’t recommend Miyajima enough as a tourist destination for anyone traveling through the Hiroshima area.

I had been told that the fireworks display would be amazing, but nothing could have prepared me for the breathtaking spectacle they unleashed over the bay.

Loudspeakers had been set up all around the island, and the hour long show began with a young woman telling the tale of the island’s folklore origins. For hundreds of years Miyajima was considered a sacred place. No one was allowed to be born or to die on the island. The few residents who did call Miyajima home always treated it with the utmost respect. Even today logging and commercial development on the island is strictly prohibited, and the many groups of day tourists still explore it with a touch of awe and reverence.

After the explanation ended, they kicked off the fireworks display with a real bang…and a bit of a surprise. Not only was the coordination of the fireworks show itself impressive, the whole thing was choreographed to music, which echoed hauntingly across the island. The event was broken up into six segments of 10 minutes each, each one set to a difference piece of music. Everything from traditional Japanese music to pumping techno set the mood as the fireworks exploded one after another. It was without a doubt the most amazing pageantry of light and sound I have ever witnessed, putting every other fireworks display to shame.

The grand finale

Absolutely beautiful.

~0rion

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Japan is, in my very humble opinion, one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Certainly it’s one of the most accommodating to travellers. The country offers a stunning juxtaposition between the modern and the traditional, all easily accessible via one of the world’s most modern transportation networks. Hop on the shinkansen (bullet train) in Tokyo and head north into the mountains, and within an less than an hour the seething mass of humanity and skyscrapers gives way to rice fields, endless bamboo forests, and soaring alpine scenery.

In addition to anime news and reviews and the like, it’s also my goal to share with you my passion for other aspects of Japanese culture. As a former resident of Tokyo and a card-carrying Japan-o-phile, I always enjoy talking about the many fascinating and unique experiences I’ve had while traveling throughout the Land of the Rising Sun. To that end, I hope to put together these little travel diaries from time to time as I feel motivated, giving you a window into my journies.

Since it’s Obon season right now, I thought it would be fitting to show you a little bit about one of my more memorable Obon adventures. Guff hasn’t been to Miyajima yet (the poor sap), so this post will be just me (0rion).

Miyajima Island is one of Japan’s three traditional “most scenic places” to visit, and the island’s famous “floating” torii gate is quite possibly the single most photographed structure in all of Japan. In addition to being a popular tourist attraction just in general, every year during the height of Obon the island becomes the site of one of the most spectacular fireworks festivals in all of Japan. I had the great pleasure to be able to attend last year’s festival, and I can confirm that it is indeed a sight to behold.

Hiroshima’s A-Bomb Memorial Peace Park

During the Obon season pretty much every single accomodation on the island gets booked almost a year in advance, so I stayed on the mainland in nearby Hiroshima and took a ferry to get to Miyajima.

Even while approaching the island, the torii serves as a striking landmark. I was a bit surprised at all the people with tarps along the shoreline who had camped out the best spots to see the fireworks from – even though it was only 9 in the morning!

My second surprise came when I was immediately accosted by at least 20 semi-tame deer after disembarking on the island. I say “semi-tame” because they seem to have absolutely no fear of humans whatsoever, they walk around like they own the place, and they’ve become accustomed to being fed by people. As a result, they aggressively chase after anyone who looks like an easy target, including small children and the elderly, and will quickly devour any unsecured personal items, whether they’re edible or not. I saw one guy who got his tourist pamphlets eaten when a deer snuck up behind him and grabbed them right out of his hand!

They’re even walking in the street

Deer liek loli

Itsukushimajinja

The torii gate is a part of Itsukushimajinja, the island’s resident Shinto shrine. The shrine itself is constructed so that during high tide it appears to be floating on the surface of the water. I understand that walking along the shrine’s floating corridors with the waves lapping along either side is supposed to be a rather magical experience, but with the festival crowds in full force it was pretty packed, so I decided to pass. Since I had time to kill before the real festivities, I instead started heading up the mountain to check out the view from its 535 meter summit.

At first it was pretty fun, surrounded by the beautiful foliage and Japan’s signature giant black swallowtailed butterflies, which are big enough that from a distance I’ve mistaken them for birds on occasion.

After a while, however, the steepness of the climb increased dramatically, to the point where I was basically ascending a 2 kilometer long staircase. It was a hot August afternoon, I didn’t have any water with me, and I wasn’t sure how far it was to the summit, so eventually I chickened out and headed back down to take the ropeway instead. Only later did I realize that I had come within a hundred feet of the upper ropeway station. It had been just out of sight around the bend. Ah well. The ropeway made for a pretty fun ride, so I didn’t mind too much.

Hiroshima city visible in the background

If the deer own the lower regions of the island, then the monkeys are surely the rulers of the summit. They were absolutely everywhere. While they weren’t as openly aggresive as the deer had been, they certainly weren’t afraid of humans either. For the most part they ignored the people and went about their business, although a few of the more adventurous ones seemed to enjoy loitering along the side of the trail and people-watching. I kept hoping for them to throw poo at the passersby, but they seemed content just watching the crowds trekking up and down the mountain, as though this was some kind of huge entertainment for them.

The sign says, “Monkeys are present around here.”
Yeah, no kidding.

Yup, there they are all right.

This guy seemed pretty deep in thought. Enough so that I was able to sneak up and get a nice close-up of him.

Isn’t Engrish wonderful?

“We do not hope to be such a monkey.”

The Japanese tourists couldn’t figure out why I kept laughing. By the way, the katakana on the right there says “geppu”, which means “burp”.

“Sup.”

Being the boss monkey is serious business.

There was even a mother with her baby relaxing in the shade.

They didn’t seem to mind me at all.

After hanging out with the monkeys for a while, I decided to make the final trek up to the summit. Although it wasn’t too far, the final segment of the trail was without the benefit of canopy cover, and climbing stairs in the burning August sun takes its toll pretty quickly.

Part of the trail had been washed away in a recent typhoon.

I stopped for a quick break at this little shrine near the top of the island. See that little white box standing on the table in the lower-left corner of the picture? It turned out to be a cooler full of Ramune with a sign that said, “It’s hot outside, so please take one and leave a donation in the box.” All right!

I’ve never been so glad to chug down a refreshing bottle of Ramune. Mmm, I can still taste it now.

At long last, the summit.

I finally arrived at the summit in the early afternoon. Note the Coke vending machine there. You just can’t get away from those things in Japan; they’re absolutely everywhere. You know, it must really suck to be the guy who has to restock that thing. Unless you’re flying in on a helicopter, the only way to get anything up there is to just lug it up the mountainside, one stair at a time.

Continue reading part 2.

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