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vkjapanicorn · 5 years

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June 8 - Kyoto National Museum

Yesterday, we visited Kyoto National Museum. The exhibits revolved around Buddhism, and specifically, the priest Ippen. The museum showed things like scrolls, paintings on silk, and statues. Since pictures weren't allowed at all, the only one I have is from the outside of the building. I bought a pack of playing cards that show all sorts of beautiful artworks. After the museum, I headed back home and played Sims for a couple hours. I don't remember what I ate for lunch, but it was probably onigiri. I went to do laundry later that evening, where I was attacked by a Roomba. Excited about the free day (today), I ended up playing Sims until 4AM and completely forgot about my blog post.

Academic Reflection

I tend to be drawn to paintings on flat surfaces more than sculptures, which is why the first artwork to catch my attention was a series of paintings on scrolls, titled "Illustrated Biography of the Priest Ippen" by an artist called En'I. I noticed that the scrolls became progressively more colorful and hectic, especially around scrolls six to seven. I noticed a lot more vibrant reds and density of people. Of course, these were the scrolls portraying his nembutsu dance. I was shocked at the size and quantity of the scrolls, I can't imagine how long they took to complete. The storage box for them was also on display, it was smaller than I expected, but this is likely due to the fact that the scrolls take up little space when rolled up. There were also painted screens, my favorite piece from the Tokyo museum was actually of a screen, and I also strongly enjoyed "Scenes in and Around the Capital" by Iwasa Mataberi, which depicted Kyoto. It was very lively and detailed, my favorite part of this work was the monks selling fans as souvenirs outside of a temple, showing that we really haven't changed much. Lastly, I was intrigued by the depictions of Buddhas dying. There are always other monks, animals, and deities weeping and grieving. One of the plaques explained that the silk was painted from behind as well to enhance the vibrancy of the colors.

The statues of the standing guardian deities were all sculpted in dynamic poses, standing underneath them almost made me feel like it was going to come alive and smack me. Also, many of them were in triads, which I don't know the explanations for. Statues of monks were usually in a pose called "one leg pendant", which I also do not know the reason for.

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vkjapanicorn · 5 years

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June 7 - Kyoto International Manga Museum

Today we went to see the Kyoto International Manga Museum! I was beyond impressed by the collection they had: it was manga spanning generations upon generations, from countries all around the world. I didn't realize you weren't supposed to take pictures until after I'd already taken quite a few: oops. The kamishibai performance was actually hilarious, it's obviously meant for children but I had a ton of fun and genuinely enjoyed the theatrics of it. I found a little corner showcasing the top manga of 2018, and sat down to read a volume of My Hero Academia that portrays one of my favorite scenees from the anime. I actually own that volume in English, my friends banded together and got me the first four volumes for my birthday. I couldn't understand all of the Japanese, but I knew what happened and what they're saying already so it was still really enjoyable to read. I think that the Golden Bat from the kamishibai story was the first holder of All Might's power, 'One for All', which explains why he was the number one hero. After the museum, I went with Alex to get lunch. It was really good, and expensive enough to justify my konbini onigiri and melon pan dinner.

Academic Reflection

I found the history of manga to be very interesting, I wasn't very familiar with it beforehand. Most intriguing was the fact that the term was coined as early as the 1770s. The main exhibit showed the evolution of manga and its style very nicely. It also didn't shy away from mentioning Western influence, as well as showing similar comics from other countries. I also enjoyed learning about things that were distinct features of Japanese manga and were unique to the genre.

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vkjapanicorn · 5 years

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June 6 - Fushimi Inari Shrine

Today we visited Fushimi Inari Shrine, famous for its thousands of torii gates. It was very pretty, I loved how there were no shortage of fox motifs all around the area. I got a couple good pictures with the gates, all with company names inscribed on the backs. I didn't do the hike up to the top of the mountain after what happened to me at Mt. Takao, but I did find the stone where if you make a wish and pick up the stone, its weight indicates whether it will come true or not. It said to "guess" how much the stone weighed, and since it felt lighter than I was expecting, I hope that means my wish will come true? I got some street vendor yakisoba for lunch before heading back. I lost track of time and played sims for about 5 hours before I went out to get more money from an ATM. I went to a different 7-Eleven and ended up walking in a new direction. I walked past a Noh theater and a park, as well as some cool wildlife. The salamanders were at Fushimi Inari, but the koi , Eurasian tree sparrows, and other unidentified birds were all encountered on my way there or back home.

Academic Reflection

By far, the most interesting thing I learned today was that according to folklore, fried tofu is a fox's favorite food, and thusly, Inari sushi and kitsune-udon/soba are named after the kami. I want to see a fox eating fried tofu. Also intriguing to me was that in the reading, we can see that Inari worship touches all classes, from small business owners to wealthy CEOs. I appreciate that Inari's depiction is ambiguous, I prefer when things concerning spirituality and religion are open to interpretation, so everyone has their own idea of them. One last thing I wonder is why the idea of Inari being a fox is discouraged, if the image of the fox as Inari's messenger is so prevalent, and generally, the kami has a variety of forms and depictions.

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vkjapanicorn · 5 years

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June 5 - Kyoto Imperial Palace

Today we went out to visit the Kyoto Imperial Palace. I ran into Family Mart to get some food and an umbrella because it was supposed to rain today, and it's forecasted to rain later this week. I got the "Meister's Milk Tea" instead of the "Royal Milk Tea" and it's basically the same thing but less sweet. As a sugar junkie, I was sorely disappointed. We are able to get a guided tour, which was genuinely enjoyable and interesting! I thought the whole location was really beautiful, especially the gardens. The bridges, flowers, pond...everything together made for such an aesthetically pleasing scene. I'm really glad I got to see such a critical part of Japanese culture and history, I learned a lot today. My favorite part was actually the Empress's Gate. The guide informed us that her gate had a curved roof because she was supposed to be "softer". While this is inherently sexist, I thought that this made for a more beautiful construction. I had convenience store food all day today because this is what happens when I don't tag along with people who go to restaurants. I think my day is over now, I haven't slept in about 5 days. The move is probably to be in bed at a reasonable time today.

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vkjapanicorn · 5 years

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June 4 - Kiyomizudera and Gion

Today we got on the bus to visit Kiyomizudera, the 'Pure Water Temple'. It's a really beautiful temple dedicated to Kannon. Unfortunately, there was some scaffolding due to construction so we didn't have a completely unobstructed view from the top. We also got to visit a shrine dedicated to finding love, and fountains that would grant you success, longevity, or love depending on which one you drank from. Being uninterested in both love and long lines, I didn't participate in the activities at these two locations. I purchased some lucky cats for my family in the area. Next, we visited Gion, but didn't see any geisha or maiko. I lost an unspecified amount of money to a UFO catcher before calling it a night.

Academic Reflection

Continuing yesterday's trend of crazy stories, today's reading had my head spinning. It was a wild ride of magic, spirituality, and misfortune. I found it surprising that the characters in the story received messages and prophecies so clearly, often people who are religious speak about not "hearing" anything. I was also intrigued to see that in the tale, the stepmother had as much power as Kannon did when she was able to curse Shintokumaru. Another thing that caught my attention was that Kannon was portrayed as male in thsi story. For the second reading, I actually learned that geisha were not primarily prostitutes. As mentioned by the author (when they said that sometimes the image of geisha is sometimes 'problematic'), a lot of people associate geisha with prostitution. That's simply the image that was portrayed to me growing up, and I didn't know any better. I now understand that they are well educated, and are entertainers moreso than just prostitutes.

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vkjapanicorn · 5 years

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June 3 - Kinkakuji and Daitokuji

Today we met up at 7:50 before we headed for Kinkakuji, the Golden Pavilion. I thought that if we were there that early, we'd be the only ones there, but after discussion and the bus ride, the place was already swamped with tourists and schoolchildren. I strongly prefer the Tokyo subway: the cars are more spacious, there's more routes available, and it's faster. Howver, I digress. I hadn't been spoiled on the appearance of the temple: I had no idea what it would look like before I saw it in person, and was surprised to see that it really was covered completely in gold leaf. It was very shiny and attractive, and it contrasted with the lush green natural surroundings. After walking around the temple for a bit, we got back on the bus and went to Daitokuji, a huge temple complex. From there, we visited several temples with their own zen gardens, and at the last one, got to hear an explanation of the artwork. After heading back to the vicinity of our residences, I got lunch with Alexandra and Jade, before we split up in the Shopping Street Union. I was minding my own business when I thought I saw a Sound Voltex sign out of the corner of my eye. I saw correctly. :)

Academic Reflection

I found it absolutely hilarious that a temple for a religion dedicated to casting off worldly pleasure was completely covered in gold leaf. Like, literally covered. Because I'd never seen it before, it was certainly jarring, as all the other temples and shrines we'd visited had been bright orange at most. Another thing I found interesting from the reading and discussion was the story about how the temple had been burned down. I didn't know it had burned down before, so I actually found out through that story we read. I was perplexed, at first I thought it was truth, but the narrative slowly became more and more bizarre and unbelievable. I agreed with Kadeen when she said the author was a little cuckoo. I wonder why the author chose to write about a historical event that way, surely people were very upset and emotional about the burning of such a valuable place, this story felt almost like a mockery. The last important point I learned today was about the phrase "zen garden". If someone said those words to me, I'd picture the rock gardens like we visited today, but I had no idea that that phrasing was an entirely Western invention, and excludes such gardens that aren't part of a temple.

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vkjapanicorn · 5 years

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June 2 - Himeji-jo

Today we visited Himeji Castle, built in the 16th-17th centuries, but is still intact! It was about a two hour train ride out to Himeji, that cost me approximately $30 out of pocket. Before we walked to the castle, I got some curry for lunch. Once we arrived, there were some people dressed up as guards and soldiers outside that we were allowed to take pictures with, it was awesome. The castle was really beautiful, and the view from the top was spectacular. We got to see the original stone steps as well as interior architecture and other features of its construction. My favorite part was the little hidden rooms that samurai would conceal themselves in, and spring out to attack the enemy as they raided the tower. I'm lucky I got to see the famous snow white roof in person! There was a street market nearby that I got ice cream in before we headed back home. Due to some train shenanigans, we didn't make it back in time for Allison's b-day dinner. :( I convinced Lily and Summer to play the cat gacha I found in Shinkyogoku yesterday; Summer regretted it so she so sold me her prize, but I believe Lily currently has gacha fever worse than I do.

Academic Reflection

Going back to a prior day's reading about forest resources in Japan, I could see in person exactly why timber resources were so valuable. The main beams that supported the tower spanned the entire structure from the ground to the top, and were incredibly wide as well. Trees that were both tall, thick, and straight enough to be used to such constructions were likely very hard to come across, and were thusly prized. I enjoyed the second reading about castles like these and warfare. I am more familiar with European (Western) architecture and weapons, so seeing a Japanese fortress genuinely interested me. I enjoyed observing all the fine details and constructions that assisted in the defense of such a building, such as the stone drops and previously mentioned compartments for hiding samurai. I was surprised to learn that the daimyo had relatively little influence on castle towns, and that the masses generally set the patterns for settlement.

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vkjapanicorn · 5 years

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Media Reflection - Akihabara and Gaming

What I Expected

Akihabara is hailed as the “geek capital” of the world, famous for their electronics and variety of merchandise for all sorts of Japanese media. Before this trip, I’d had my own mental image of what such a place would look like. I thought it’d be much smaller, like a little plaza full of a bunch of stores that sold assorted and rare anime merchandise. I’d been led on by little pictures I’d see on Tumblr of shelves of merch for series that had virtually no fanbase in America, such as these ones below. I’m a huge fan of Arpeggio of Blue Steel, and it’s extremely difficult to find it anywhere in America, even online, even more so now that it’s been years since the show’s completion.

I thought things like maybe I’d wander into a random store that would have all of these series specific items, and that the selection would be so wide that even relatively unpopular series that had long run their brief courses of fame would be represented in such a “hotspot” for anime lovers. I’ll speak later about what I actually found.

Shopping in Akihabara

I visited Akihabara with that lofty dream I described previously in mind. I wanted to find some merch for a series almost no one has heard of, as well as rare and unique goods for other series that would be virtually nonexistent back home. My two weeks in Tokyo, I went out into the heart of Akihabara nearly every single night, googling specialty stores and specific goods to seek out in the future. Shockingly, even series I thought were popular were hardly represented at all if you weren’t looking for them. Fire Emblem, which is a phenomenon in America after the release of Awakening in 2013, was stupendously difficult to seek out. In fact, the largest selection of Fire Emblem goods I found was in Ikebukuro! The first image is of the Fates artbook I hunted down specifically in Akihabara, versus the entire Fire Emblem corner I stumbled upon in Ikebukuro in the second image (that had several Fire Emblem artbooks).

Going back to Arpeggio of Blue Steel, I visited thinking I’d find tiny goldmines full of merchandise, and that all I’d have to do was find the store selling them. I was wrong. I visited a variety of stores specializing in anime merchandise, and was surprised to find just one item. It was a printed image of a character from the show, in a gold frame, selling for 14,800 yen, hanging in the staircase next to a bunch of advertisements and other posters for sale.

Akihabara in Video Games

There are many games and shows set in Japan, some specifically in Akihabara. One such game is Persona 5, which allows you to travel to many districts in Tokyo. I know I’ve been saying all trip that I’ve never played Persona, but I definitely have, and was able to see the game’s portrayal of Tokyo and Akihabara prior to arriving in Japan.

The game shows many of the electronics specialty stores Akihabara is known for, which I actually hadn’t been expecting. I thought the whole area would have been overridden with anime merchandise. Instead, there were many large department stores such as Yodobashi that would have whole floors dedicated to computers and laptops, then televisions, larger appliances, and video game consoles. Persona showed these tiny, cramped spaces filled with all sorts of electronics, which I found to be accurate to some stores I passed on the street. While there were massive department stores, there were also smaller specialty stores that would only sell one type of electronic, and some would only sell certain parts. I found Persona’s portrayal of Akihabara to be faithful, though it was a bit brighter and prettier in the game for obvious reasons.

Video Games in Akihabara

Persona and Fire Emblem are both video game series that are popular outside of Japan, so I was shocked to see how sparse their selections of merchandise were. There were two gacha machine in the entirety of Akihabara that carried Persona 5 related goods, and I was actively seeking out more gacha machines! Again, I found a larger selection in Ikebukuro than in Akihabara, and there was a Persona 5 Animation exhibition that actually took place in Shibuya with a small selection of pricey goods. I find that it’s actually easier to find Fire Emblem related clothing, accessories, and other related merchandise in America than in the country the series originated from, with the exception of officially licensed cosplay costumes. I went to a Cospa store to check out the Persona 5 school uniform in person. I also verified that it is totally not worth the seven hundred some dollars it would cost to purchase the whole set.

One thing that did surprise me though, was the dedication to the games themselves. Fire Emblem Three Houses, the upcoming release for the Nintendo Switch later this summer, has been very poorly advertised in America. However, I was shocked to see a little stand dedicated to the game with the trailer playing on the TV. They even had preorders for the game and the collector’s edition available. I have seen nothing in American stores like Gamestop for Three Houses thus far.

I was also stunned to see the absolutely immeasurable collection of goods for more popular series, as well as accessories. If you go to gaming stores in America, they will usually have a few small goods like shirts, plushes, and action figures, but on a single floor of a Yodobashi, I found the equivalent of an American Macy’s dedicated solely to console games. The following photos are of a mere fraction of the Nintendo accessories! I didn’t even get any pictures of the shelves upon shelves of games for the myriad of consoles represented.

When the Persona 5 Animation was just coming out around this time last year, it was actually advertised on the big digital billboards in Akihabara. The first image is of said advertisements, versus my photo from last week of the upcoming anime currently being advertised. Maybe just like Arpeggio of Blue Steel, the series had simply run its course, and I was looking for something that wasn’t “new” in Japan anymore.

Gaming in Akihabara

Going along with how splendidly represented the actual video games are versus their merchandise in the district, there was also a lot of physical gaming to be done. Another portrayal of Akihabara shown in Persona 5 was this arcade, where you can play on a crane machine for a chance at one of the dolls. I found this to be inaccurate, as winning anything from one of these machines is pure witchcraft, and I’m sure is actually impossible. Despite this, I found the claw machine arcade in Persona to closely resemble the ones in the Sega towers, or the Taito game station.

There were no shortages of gachapon machines scattered throughout the neighborhood, and I even found entire stores dedicated solely to these machines. They could be found everywhere from the sides of stores, back alleys, train stations, and the insides of larger stores, regardless of if they sold anything game or anime related. I played a considerable amount of gacha, as it was readily available, and your chances of receiving a prize were 100%, compared to a claw machine’s 0%.

Of course, there were also many arcades in Akihabara. Every pachinko place I walked past reeked of cigarettes and had loud music pouring out of it. I felt the same about the elevator up the Tower of Eternal Amusement.

The Tower of Eternal Amusement, listed on Google Maps as the “Try Amusement Tower”, was the closest and most comprehensive arcade to our residence in Tokyo. It was totally different from my mental image of a Japanese arcade. It was what some people would describe as “sketchy”. It was nothing like an American Boomer’s or Dave and Buster’s. The tower’s elevator smelled like a designated smoking area, and every floor it opened on had a different variety of jarringly loud anime and Japanese music. Despite this, the arcade was actually very neat and well maintained, I saw staff wipe down the machines as people left. It was so crowded you barely had any room to walk, but this meant more cabinets, and a larger variety of games. It was totally unexpected, as I’d pictured a shimmering, clean, bright, and spacious room as an arcade in Tokyo. There were a lot of very talented gamers in there, the guys that full combo the hardest difficulties. I saw a group of friends bring gloves, camera gear, and personal drumsticks to play Taiko No Tatsujin. Needless to say, I was intimidated. Speaking of guys, every time I went to the arcade, it was only men. I only once saw a girl in the arcade, on our last night in Tokyo.

PC Gaming in Akihabara

Besides just the huge floors dedicated to console gaming and multi-story arcades, I was also intrigued to see the availability of high end computer gaming stores. Along with the specialty stores that sold just computers and the department store levels dedicated to computers for gaming and work, I saw many small brand specific stores. Some of these were international brands, like American Razer, or Taiwanese MSI. I have never in all my years seen a physical Razer only store, so I couldn’t help but peer into the window when I walked past. It was filled with mice, headphones, and laptops, most of which are only available online or in limited inventory physically in America. I’d never pictured stores like these being scattered throughout Akihabara, they’re not usually on the front page of tourist websites.

Conclusions

Akihabara was less anime/manga oriented than I’d believed it to be: it was more focused on gaming and electronics. Items for characters originating from video games was generally easier to find than characters from manga and anime. The anime goods specialty stores only sold the hottest, trendiest merchandise in Japan, which didn’t necessarily translate to what was popular in America at the time. Even then, most of the stores you’d encounter walking down the streets of Akihabara sold exclusively figurines. Since I don’t like to collect figures, there wasn’t a lot for me to buy. Tokyo in general was also very mascot driven, while merchandise for specific series was difficult to seek out, random goods for popular mascots were prevalent. For example, Sumikkogurashi and Sanrio characters could be found in at least a few gacha machines in every clump, as well as scattered through stores randomly.

#this is 1764 words oops

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vkjapanicorn · 5 years

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June 1 - Free Day in Shinkyogoku

Today was our first full day in Kyoto, and we were free to do whatever we wanted. WIth this is mind, I spent several hours last night playing Sims instead of sleeping. Due to this, I woke up incredibly late this morning, even through the construction noises, and everyone else was gone for the day. Lonely and sad, I got brunch at the closest Family Mart before I was intimidated by my new surroundings into hiding in the house and playing more Sims. When Amaya got home, I finally closed Sims and left with the others for the Shinkyogoku shopping street union. There were some unidentified swimming birds in the river, unfortunately my pictures aren't good enough to postively identify them. We spent all day shopping together, and I spent an absurd amount of money on more gifts for my family and friends, and a new shirt for myself. We also visited a shrine that had ROBOTS who would deliver fortunes for the low low price of 200 yen. Summer got three excellent fortunes in a row. I managed to fight temptation and not get a single baked sweet, though I did make a list of bubble tea/snack places I'm certainly coming back to (there was a melon pan stall that all of us ALMOST gave in to due to the heavenly smell). Overall, I had a really pleasant first day in Kyoto! I still have a little bit of Tokyo-sickness, but it'll pass with time. :)

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vkjapanicorn · 5 years

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May 31 - Kyoto

This morning was my last one in Tokyo! I was super sad to leave, I feel as if I wasn't truly ready to go yet. Despite that, it was onwards to the shinkansen. At the station, I was able to get my last minute Tokyo Banana. I was really hoping to get Panda Banana, but settled for Giraffe Banana. No worries: it was still delicious! I might try to get some more before my flight at the Narita airport for my family. Or...I could eat them all on the plane myself. I thought the bullet train ride would be super cool, but I actually ended up feeling motion sick for the first time in my life, and my head hurt every time I tried to look out the window. I got a few photos and videos before going to sleep for about half of the two hour ride. Once in Kyoto, we got settled into the machiya. I then went to dinner at a vegan restaurant with Alex and Alexandra before we split up to go shopping. I only bought a pair of socks, but I found (and played) some more gacha. Ah, feels just like Akihabara...

Academic Reflection

I never considered economic disparity as a possible outcome of constructing new shinkansen stations. I suppose it would make sense that people would be drawn to areas that are easily accessible by public transit. This would explain why areas with a bullet train station experienced greater population growth than areas without one. Combined with Japan's aging population, I can see how this would be devasting on the working population of a rural area as everyone of working age relocates to a larger city. I wonder if this phenomenon only applies to shinkansen stations, or if this can be seen with other train stations as well. I also wonder if constructing more stations would not only make commutes easier, but also offset the population loss described by the author. The ride felt very luxurious to me, and I was told that the tickets cost over $150 per person. I personally think that the shinkansen in particular appeals more to long distance travellers who are vacationing instead of commuters though, which could be another explanation for population growth, as people who get on this train can't afford to keep going back and forth.

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vkjapanicorn · 5 years

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vkjapanicorn · 5 years

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May 30 - Mt. Takao

Today we got on the train to visit Mt. Takao. I didn't take the cable car as I thought I could handle the hike and go up myself, but it was absolutely exhausting. After that initial ascent though, the trail got significantly flatter and easier. As a Florida kid, I wasn't prepared to scale a mountain like that, I now know that hiking up mountains is very hard. There were shrines, statues, and places to get food all the way up the mountain. I thought the tengustatues at Yakuoin Shrine looked really cool. I had coffee for the train ride, onigiri for breakfast at the base of the mountain, ice cream at the top, and soba for lunch at the base again. After the trip, Seth and I got terribly lost on our way back home, but we made it, and got taiyaki on the way. After playing some Smash with the others, we got sushi for dinner and crepes for dessert. There was a mall next door, and I snagged a new pair of shoes literally a minute before they closed. I'm going to miss Tokyo a lot, I had so much fun! It's bittersweet to leave, but I'm excited for the shinkansen ride tomorrow morning, and even more excited for the memories and adventures I'll experience in Kyoto!

Academic Reflection

After reading about forest management policies, I was curious to see the state of the greenery at Mt. Takao. It was completely lush, packed densely with trees and plant life. Though I didn't see any, there were a myriad of birds singing within the leaves. I was intrigued to see how virtually untouched the mountain seemed, except for the paths, signs, shrines, and rest stops/refreshments. All the human constructions were contained tightly to the path, anything outside of the fenced areas were complete wilderness. A lot of the trees seemed very tall and old, with roots that stuck out the side of the mountain so much onto the paths that you could sit on them as a sort of natural bench. I'm very grateful for the protection of natural areas like these: I can't imagine what the mountain would be like if it were stripped of all its plant life for fuel and resources. It would be desolate, and all the wildlife would have gone alone with the trees.

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