Poster series: Recruitment ads for police officers and fire fighters



I came across two recruitment posters for police officers and fire fighters recently and couldn't help but be attracted by the designs.  

 

The recruitment poster for police officers has a tagline that says, "Youths with great aspirations, come on!" The calligraphic paintings of a female officer on horseback and a male officer on a motorbike look as if they may spring out of the posters into real action right before your eyes.

 

"さすが京都だ!" I thought to myself when I saw it.  Just as one would expect from a city steeped in traditional arts and culture. The use of calligraphy just turned a common poster into a piece of art.

 

An A2-sized poster found on a notice board near a sunflower farm in the town of Yosano, Kyoto.

 

 

The recruitment poster for fire fighters, on the other hand, cleverly plays on the words of a proverb.  "I want to borrow even if it's a cat's paw" (猫の手も借りたい） is a Japanese proverb which is used to describe a busy state a person is in.  The explanation for the proverb is that when you are so busy, you probably wish that even the animals around you can help you. Instead of using the original proverb, the poster uses the words, "A cat's paws can't be borrowed"　（猫の手は借りられない), to emphasise the gravity of the fire fighters' mission.

 

You may ask, why a cat of all animals? The guess (according to this website) is that perhaps the image of a cat chasing after rats gives Japanese the impression that cats are good helpers. 

An A2-sized poster found alongside other random posters pasted on the walls of a subway station.

The noise outside the door



I woke up in the darkness, frozen in fear. Someone was just outside the door and was obviously meddling with it. There was no mistake. With a door made of metal, even the smallest object hitting against it would send a reverberation loud enough to be heard in my tiny apartment.

 

I turned to face the door while still on my bed, not daring to move, and listened keenly.  I had been studying for my upcoming placement exam late into the night and had barely fallen asleep when I heard the noises coming from the door. Could it be someone who was drunk and got to the wrong door? 

 

I looked at the clock, and then relaxed. It was 5.20am. I was expecting him afterall! I jumped out of my bed and rushed to the door. 



A picture of my mail box that is affixed to the door.
I don't receive all my mails in this box. Only important stuff was dropped off here.
 Sometimes, the postman just left the mail in the letter box at the entrance
 to my mansion, if the mail is not deemed important.



I peered into the box affixed to my door meant for the postman to drop off important mail such as my bills. There it was, what I had been waiting excitedly for in the past week - my first Japanese newspaper! Yes, the person who woke me up from my sleep was none other than the Nikkei Shimbun newspaperman! He must have been trying very hard to fit the newspaper into the narrow slot on the exterior of the door!

 

Nikkei Shimbun, 15 Sep 2012 morning edition received at around 5.20am.

Nikkei Shimbun, 15 Sep 2012 evening edition, which I found in my mail box
when I returned from volunteer work in the evening.

Not too long ago, my neighbour told me about a mailer she had received in her letterbox regarding a newspaper company providing a one-week free trial reading of their papers. As I often threw flyers in my letterbox straight into the garbage bin, I missed out on that application for the free newspapers. Following that lesson, I had since made it a point to go through the stack of mailers in my letter box more carefully.

 

Last week, I saw in the mail Nikkei's mailer offering a one-week free trial reading of its newspaper. I sent out my application on Monday, received an acknowledgement from their Osaka office on Friday and got my first newspaper on Saturday.  With the summer vacation now gone and my Japanese deteriorating into a most lamentable state, the newspapers should come in helpful as I work hard to bring myself up to speed again with the language.

 

And if my sensei should ask me if I had followed her advice and started reading more Japanese texts in the summer vacation, I could at least let her know that I am attempting to read newspapers now.

Autumn is near!

Autumn wear is decked out in the departmental stores, signaling that summer is coming to a close.  I have survived the humid summer.

 

How will I fare in autumn? I can't wait to find out!

 

 

 



My landlady's pride

One reason I am in Kyoto and taking this long break from work is to take time off to smell the flowers, as the saying goes.

Coincidentally, my landlady is a person with green fingers and I am in no want of pretty flowers even at my Kyoto home. The patio of the mansion where we live is where my landlady proudly displays her plants.

Around mid-August, I saw a plant prominently placed at the patio which I had never seen before. It caught my attention because of the small, yellow star-shaped flowers flanked by two white petals.

The flowers were in bloom for only a couple of days and I was glad I took a photograph of them.  I wonder what they are called.

A day after I saw the wilted yellow flowers, another new flowering plant was in their place. And I began to realise why I didn't see these plants before. 

My landlady probably kept some of the plants in her house and brought them out only when the flowers started to bloom so that others might admire them too.

"Come look at this flower! It only blooms for one day," she said enthusiastically when she saw me at the patio, and pointed to the huge, crimson flower which looked like a variety of the hibiscus.

"Okusan, you really like flowers, don't you?" I commented. "Yes, I love them!" She said happily and then started to bring me through the various plants at the patio, for the third time in the five months I have lived here.

How nice it will be if I could always be here to listen to Okusan talk about her plants.





The dilemma over the "right of way"

I have come to discover that a conformist culture does not necessarily mean a law-abiding citizenry. 

 

The Kyoto City Government announced its intensified efforts to remove illegally-parked bicycles in May but the announcement didn't seem to have much effect. People continue to blatantly flout the rules by parking exactly where the "No Parking" signs are clearly visible.

 

 

The City Government said in its information release that the illegally-parked bicycles on the streets "disturbed the pedestrians and traffic of emergency vehicles even if left for just a short time".

 

I can understand the rationale for the bicycle removal but I am not sure if I support it, especially when parking space for bicycles is so scarce.  And even if paid parking lots are available, I don't think I am prepared to pay a few dollars just to park a bicycle.

 

So when I do park on the streets, I try to ensure that I don't obstruct the traffic in anyway and then pray for good luck that when I return, my bicycle will still be waiting for me.

 



Getting a taste from home at Jupiter

Jupiter is an import food shop located in the underground Porta Mall at Kyoto Station, near the fast food restaurant, Lotteria.  I learnt about it from a classmate who has now returned to his university in Australia. He knew that I was desperately looking for durians some months ago when the fruit was in season in Malaysia around June and July.    A Singapore favourite, the "King of Fruit" is imported in large quantities from Malaysia to Singapore every year during that period.

 

 

As I had a craving for the fruit then, I made it my special assignment to hunt for it in Kyoto.  I wasn't successful of course. Durians are a rarity in Kyoto. My Indonesian neighbour pointed me to AEON Mall near Kyoto Station but I didn't see any by the time I went there. So when my classmate told me that Jupiter was selling durian chips, I thought, well, I could settle for the chips instead.



Durian chips from Thailand (second row) spotted at Jupiter.

I paid 197 Yen for the bigger pack and 147 Yen for the smaller pack and happily brought them to class to share with my classmates, some of whom had never heard of or seen a durian before. It turned out that the chips were made of durians from Thailand and were specially treated to remove the strong aroma of the fruit to suit the Japanese tastebud. The feedback from my classmates was that they tasted not much different from potato chips.  Disappointing! The chips did not live up to the reputation of the "King of Fruit" at all!  I felt like I had misrepresented the "King" by sharing the chips.





 

Well, although my craving for durians was not satisfied with the durian chips, Jupiter sells a variety of other foodstuff from different parts of the world. So for an international student like me craving for a taste from home, it is still a good place to look if one does not mind paying abit more. 

 

That is not to say that Jupiter is the only solution though. The other day, I found the cocoa mix that I was craving for in a local Japanese supermarket and apparently, there is a local factory producing the product here.  So we just need to be alert and keep a lookout!





Statistics series: Singaporeans, wherefore art thou?



I was at the Kyoto International Community House to check out the cultural programmes available and found some statistics on the notice boards in the lobby.

 



Source: Kyoto International Community House.

There were 6032 international students studying in Kyoto based on the statistics (as of May 2011). The ranking of the countries in terms of the number of students was as follows:

1. China

2. South Korea

3. Taiwan

4. America

5. Vietnam

 

As for the number of registered foreigners in Kyoto City (as of Dec 2011), the top 10 countries were:

1. Korea

2. China

3. America

4. Philippines

5. France

6. UK

7. Thailand

8. Indonesia

9. India

10. Vietnam
 

If you look at the number of native English speakers in the above list, the competition is probably against 1000 over people for English teaching positions in this city. Assuming half of them already got the job so there could still be about 500 in the competition perhaps, and I am not sure if there are so many positions available. 
 

In any case, I digress. The number of Singaporeans registered in Kyoto City was 35. It has been five months since I came to Kyoto and I have not come across one. I wonder where they are...



A gift from the heart

My Chinese neighbour, J-san, knocked on my door one evening and presented three matcha cookies she had baked.

 

I looked at the star-shaped cookies which were carefully arranged on a pretty little ceramic plate and felt like hugging her but I didn't. J-san was very apologetic that she only had three cookies for me. Being the honest girl that she is, she explained that she had actually made a batch of them but most had ended up in her stomach.

 

The number really didn't matter. I saw only a gift which came from her heart. And I felt very blessed that evening.



Participating in a disaster drill

In mid-August, I received an invitation from the Kyoto City International Foundation (KCIF) to participate in the "Kyoto City Comprehensive Disaster Drill" held on 1 Sep.

 

Although Kyoto is pretty safe from earthquakes and other natural disasters, it is always good to be prepared and gain more knowledge in the area of disaster preparedness. So without hesitation, I replied to confirm my participation.

 



Left: Fire Department officers handing out emergency handbooks and programme to participants.
Right: Volunteers at the registration desk assisting participants with registration.

The drill was held on 1 Sep for a reason.  It was on 1 Sep 1923 when Japan suffered the Great Kanto Earthquake.  It was then the most powerful earthquake in Japanese history until the Tohoku Earthquake in 2011 broke that record. In conjunction with the anniversary of the Great Kanto Earthquake and to remind citizens of the importance of disaster preparedness, nationwide disaster drills are conducted in Japan on 1 Sep every year. 

The location for the disaster drill was a huge open space in a park. Upon arrival, participants were given an emergency handbook and the programme of the event (both only in Japanese) by the Fire Department staff. We were then led to a registration desk where we registered our attendance and received our transport reimbursement. I thought it was very considerate of the organisers to reimburse participants for the transport. 

Participants watching disaster simulation drills.

After registration, we were invited to sit under the tentage to watch the various types of simulation drill involving the emergency responders and the local community emergency response teams.  We were also free to tour the public education booths set up in the area.

As I was hoping to be involved in an actual drill so as to learn more about how to respond in a real emergency, I asked one of the staff if there was any activity international residents could participate in.  "Yes, we do need participants for the bucket relay," said the staff.



Bucket relay

Together with a new friend from Indonesia, we volunteered to join in the bucket relay.  The bucket relay is a method to transport water in buckets from a water source to the location of a fire incident.  During the relay, all the participants stood in two rows facing one another. A few participants would fill the buckets at one end and the half-filled buckets were first passed along by participants in one of the rows, all the way to the "incident area". The empty buckets were then passed along by participants in the other row, back to the water point.  The bucket relay drill seemed to be part and parcel of a disaster drill in Japan. A chapter in the emergency handbook was dedicated to explaining the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for bucket relay.


A student volunteer from the Fire Department.

After the relay, we were brought on a tour of the exhibition booths by volunteer guides. Our guide was an ojiisan who spoke in fluent English.   There were also many student volunteers recruited by the Fire Department who were ready to answer our queries.  I learnt from them that the Fire Department conducted student volunteer recruitment once a year and the volunteers had to undergo a couple of basic training programmes. There was no specific criteria; you just had to have the desire to volunteer.

 

Mobile toilets set up by the residents.

As we toured the booths, I saw, along the way, resident groups working together to set up mobile toilets for use during a disaster. Some groups were moving huge boxes of items simulating logistical transportation during an emergency.  I gathered from our guide that a drill of such  a massive scale involving various local organisations and community groups happened only once a year.  I supposed the locals would be busy exercising their SOPs and  that was why it would be difficult to involve international residents who were there for the first time.

 



A booth displaying the type of food and protection items to prepare and keep
at home in case of an emergency.

From the exhibition booths, I learnt that the Kyoto City Disaster Prevention Centre provides alot more disaster prevention information and training programmes.  I was also informed about an overnight Evacuation Shelter Training Programme in the pipeline. I have signed up for that and am looking forward to receive some practical training on what to do in the event of an earthquake.  You never know when such knowledge would come in handy one day, where ever you may be.

 



Obon in Kyoto - The Gozan Okuribi and a glimpse behind the scenes

The Japanese believe that the spirits of their ancestors return home for a reunion during Obon so many return to their hometowns for this "reunion", typically from 13 to 16 August. A number of companies and shops closed for business during the period since many people would take vacation leave anyway, to spend time with families, clean ancestors' graves or set up praying rites.  Obon is like a combination of Singapore's Hungry Ghost Festival and Qing Ming Festival.


Hidari Daimonji in the day. It is one of the mountains of Gozan Okuribi.

The Gozan Okuribi, literally translated as "Five Mountains Send-off Fires", is a signature Obon tradition of Kyoto. It is held every year on 16 August to mark the end of the Obon Festival. Giant bonfires are lit on five mountains surrounding Kyoto to guide the spirits back to their world.

The talk of the day among my friends in the lead-up to this anticipated event was where to see as many of the bonfires as possible; the fires would be lit in the form of certain characters and motifs. On 16 August at about 6pm (two hours before the bonfires), I made my way to Funaokayama Park which was said to offer a good vantage point.

 



Can you see the end of this narrow street? It was from 

that end where I noticed a crowd and so decided to walk

down this street to check it out.



As I was enjoying my walk, I saw a group of people congregating at the other end of a narrow side street I had just passed.  Having spent some years patrolling streets in my younger days, I have developed a propensity to check out assemblies of people along the streets. Naturally, I turned into the  narrow street which opened into a residential area. The group of people were obviously waiting for something to happen, as many of them were armed with cameras. I saw fire-fighters on stand-by as well.

I turned to a young lady to ask what was going on. "It is related to Obon but I don't know the details," came the answer. I noticed that amidst the row of houses before me was a small temple so I went in to see if I could obtain some leads. A monk was chanting and a group of men in happi and a couple of firemen were watching over the fire burning in a fire urn. As I pieced the images together, I began to understand.

 





People congregated outside a small temple which is amidst a row of houses,  
waiting for the Gozan Okuribi procession.

 

I went back to the lady I approached earlier and asked, "When the procession goes up the Hidari Daimonji to light up the bonfires, can all of us here go together?" Hidari Daimonji is the nearest mountain where one of the bonfires would be lit.  "I don't think the public is allowed to go up," she said. As I waited with the crowd, I overheard the conversation of two ojiisans beside me. One of them said he travelled from his hometown to witness this Kyoto tradition every year. 

Firemen on stand-by inside the temple where the huge fire torch standing

on the left would be lit.

"Excuse me, could you tell me what kind of event is being held here now, please?" I asked. "The procession up the Hidari Daimonji will start here. The fire on the mountain you will see later comes from this temple. There will be a huge fire torch brought up from here to the mountain," said the ojiisan, confirming my guess.

 

I had tried to research on the internet if there was a procession somewhere but didn't manage to get much information. Yet, by a fluke, I had stumbled upon it. Here was a chance to see the procession up close! And perhaps, perhaps there was a chance of going up the mountain too? It was a hot summer evening, but I shivered in excitement at the thought.

Heading for the Hidari Daimonji to light the bonfires. At around this time,
members of the procession to other mountains should be getting ready
for their hike up the mountains too.

By about 7.30pm, the street in front of the temple was crowded with onlookers, many of whom appeared to be part of  Japanese tour groups. At about 7.45pm, men in happi carrying small torches came running out from the temple. And then, the huge torch ablaze with fire appeared, carried by two young men. 

 

 "Ganbatte! Ganbatte ne!" the people lining both sides of the streets cheered. A number of them appeared to be families of the men carrying the torches, and they were shouting out words of encouragement to the men. I gathered later from internet searches that specific families in Kyoto took charge of maintaining the Gozan Okuribi custom on a voluntary basis.

 

 

As the men with the torches moved ahead, so did I along with some of their family members and other onlookers. I could not remember how far I walked before I realised that I was the only "onlooker" left following the procession. The group came to a stop at a small gate, which opened into a steep flight of steps leading up the mountain where the bonfire was to be lit. In single file, the members of the procession went up the steps. The words of the lady I met earlier came to mind. "The public is not supposed to go up the mountain."

I am going to be discovered, I thought. For a split second, I thought about giving it a go and see what sort of response I would receive. I had come this far afterall.  As I stood contemplating my circumstances, I sensed a pain in my knee. I had recently fell off my bicycle and was still nursing my injury. I looked at the flight of steps before me and reluctantly accepted the reality. Slowly, I retreated.



Back at the main street.

The members in the procession were holding torches of fire which lit up the area. As the last of them disappeared into the mountain, I suddenly found myself in the lonely darkness surrounded by trees. I didn't realise it could be so eerie in the early evening. Thankful that there was only one path before me, I hurried back to the main street.  If the fires were meant to guide the spirits back to the Other World, then I must be surrounded by spirits following the fires. The thought sent chills down my spine and drenched in cold sweat, I trudged on until I saw the reassuring figure of a police officer.

 



People lined both sides of the road.

Back at the main street with a direct view of  Hidari Daimonji, crowds of people were on stand-by with their cameras poised. An ojiisan perched himself on a ladder he had brought along for a better view. Concerned that I would miss the bonfires by the time I arrived at Funaokayama Park, I decided to join the crowd observing Hidari Daimonji. Slightly after 8pm, the bonfires began. Satisfied and still with some hope remaining, I left the spot at Hidari Daimonji heading for Funaokayama Park.

View from Funaokayama Park.

When I reached the peak of the park where the five mountains could be seen, most of the bonfires were already snuffed out.  I stood there for a while, superimposing the images of the fires from the travel guides that I had seen onto the mountains. Happy with what I saw in my mind, I left the park, eager to tell my story.

When Orihime meets Hikoboshi in Kyoto - Tanabata Festival

In July, I wrote about the Tanabata Festival (七夕) being rather "low-key" in Kyoto. I was wrong.

At that time, I had the impression that the festival was celebrated in Kyoto on 7 July, instead of the 7th day of the 7th lunar month (i.e. August).  It turned out that while some did choose to celebrate Tanabata in July, it was actually celebrated extensively in August too.

Known as "Kyo no Tanabata" (京の七夕 ), the annual series of events in Kyoto celebrating the Tanabata Festival ran from 4 to 13 August this year. The events which mostly started from 7pm to 9pm, were held at Horikawa and Kamogawa. Admission to the events was free.

The main attraction at Horikawa was the light-up display, reminiscent of the Milky Way separating the mythical lovers, Orihime and Hikoboshi. The stroll to the "Milky Way" took me a good 30 minutes due to the slow moving crowd ahead. Fortunately, the crowd movement was orderly, kudos to the ushers and the cooperative visitors.

Along the way, message lanterns and light displays such as art installations and Tanabata decorations kept the walk interesting.  The waterway beside the walking path was afloat with little blue spherical LED lights, adding a nice touch to the ambience. If the Milky Way were real, and Orihime and Hikoboshi were to meet on that August evening, I wonder how they would have felt, having so many people in their way.

Nearby, the Nijo Castle was open to the public for free in the evenings. Long queues could be seen outside the castle as people flocked to see the spectacular play of lights on the castle walls.

The illumination show on the Ninomaru Palace was especially captivating. Check out the magical play of light on the palace walls via this youtube video (0.53s onwards).

Over at Kamogawa river, it was less crowded. Visitors could pay to write wishes on tanzaku paper which would be hung up on the decorated bamboo leaves that lined the river bank. There were also other decorations on display but it was the lighted wind chimes on display inside bamboo baskets which I found fascinating. 

 

 

Check out this youtube video to experience the relaxing song of the wind chimes at the Kamogawa river during Tanabata.

 

How to enjoy the Gion Matsuri

Hailed as one of Japan's greatest festivals, the Gion Matsuri is a month-long festival in July, with the festival highlights being the Yoiyama from 14 to 16 July and the Yama Hoko Junko Grand Parade on 17 July.

A ritual at Yasaka Shrine on 17 July 2012, just before the parade of the mikoshi

(portable shrine) that evening.

A tradition of more than a thousand years, the festival first started in 869 as a religious purification ritual at the Yasaka Shrine in Gion, decreed by the emperor then as a response to a serious plague. As the ritual had been deemed successful, the imperial court decreed that it be performed everytime there was an epidemic or disaster. Eventually, it became a yearly ritual to appease the Gods.

Just days away from the term exams,  my school mates and I  took time to bask in the lively atmosphere of Yoiyama, the "pre-party" to the Grand Parade. During Yoiyama, the downtown streets around Shijo and Karasuma were car-free. Food and game stalls were set up along the streets where the Yama and Hoko floats were on display. Throngs of people crowded into the streets in traditional yukata in the evenings, and the Gion Bayashi  (the festival music) filled your ears.

A day before the exam, more than half the class did not turn up at school.  They were watching the Grand Parade of massive Yama and Hoko floats. A classmate told me that truancy was necessary because watching the parade was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

While I missed some of the most exciting parts of the festival, I managed to see enough to draw a few learning points and I thought I should share them here.

Yoiyama

Check out the floats but don't forget the traditional performances!

One of the massive Hoko floats on display.

There were many events during July as part of the Gion Matsuri from the first day of the month till the last. For example,  32 floats were on display across the streets during the Yoiyama, which meant alot of walking if you wanted to see them all. I didn't see all of them.   I think it should suffice to look at a select few for the craftsmenship and let the rest come to you during the Grand Parade instead.

There were also traditional dance, music and theatrical performances held at the Yasaka Shrine (free entry) so one should try to drop by Yasaka Shrine to catch these performances.  I didn't manage to watch these performances unfortunately, due to poor time management.

Soak in the evening atmosphere

I went to check out the Yoiyama in the afternoon trying to avoid the crowd. But on hindsight, I should have stayed till the evening to see the lit-up lanterns on the floats and on the streets in spite of the crowd. It was quite a sight, judging from the photos I saw from friends' albums.

Look out for treasures on display while walking through the streets

During Yoiyama, the old textile merchant homes and businesses on Shinmachi and Muromachi typically open up the front of their homes and shops to show off their antique folding screens and other treasures, a tradition from the ancient times.  I actually overlooked all these treasures!

Buy a yukata (remember to compare prices!) and wear it



Following the Hanagasa Flower Hat Procession on 24 July 2012. A parade that

 was part of the Gion Matsuri.

If there was a good time to buy and wear a yukata, it had to be during the Gion Matsuri.

Forget Uniqlo which does not carry a yukata collection every year, and Rakuten which sells yukata sets with pre-set obi (the piece of cloth you tie around the waist).

Stroll the streets and look out for shops selling traditional yukata, obi and other accessories at great prices. Many shops lowered the prices because of the matsuri. Besides, it was the summer sale period too.




My yukaka cost 1800 Yen, my obi cost 800 Yen and

the pair of geta (free size) cost 800 Yen. It is possible

 to find yukata at 1000 Yen and  geta at 500 Yen

during this period.

I bought a yukata for a good price - at 3400 Yen (SGD 54) for a three-item set.  It was the first shop I came across and I recalled it was in Shinmachi. But there were yukata sets with even better prices as I walked further on.

 

Note the time of the last bus

I had friends who were so absorbed in their revelry that they missed the last bus and had to take a taxi home. It seemed that Kyoto did not extend the bus service hours even when there was a massive event such as this. Generally, many buses stopped running at around 11pm.

The Parades

Go early to get a good photo position



Having been to a few massive events here, I have learnt that

being a few hours early before an event  to get a good

spot is very common among the Japanese.

I did not get to see the Grand Parade in the morning of 17 July but I witnessed the Shinko Festival that evening, after class. It was a ritual in which three mikoshi (portable shrine) carrying the shrine deities that presided over the matsuri were transported from Yasaka Shrine.



View of the parade from the side of the Yasaka Shrine. It was too far away!



The ritual began at 6pm and I was there an hour earlier but the streets were already lined with people waiting. I had a position which was alright but decided to cross over to the side of the Yasaka Shrine. It turned out to be a mistake as the mikoshi did not exit from the main gate of the shrine. It might have been better to stay in the streets opposite the shrine.



I shall target to get onto the building in the background for a good photo op in future.

I also noticed there were many people on the roof-top of a building overlooking the road intersection so I figured that should be a prime position too.

 

I learnt my lesson after the Shinko Festival and managed to get a good photo position early for the Hanagasa Flower Hat Procession on 24 July, which was a parade of large umbrella floats.



The Hanagasa Flower Hat Procession on 24 July 2012 in clear view.

Never stand near a police officer

Many of my photos had these men in blue in them.

Just as tourists and locals lined the streets to watch the parades, so did the the police officers. Many officers lined the streets yelling polite warnings at people and managing crowd movements. If you ended up at a spot near one, you would be beset with the most terrible misfortune of having these men in blue in every possible photo that you took of the parade. I think they look most out of place in the photos of a thousand-year-old festival!

Reflect on the festival



The skeleton of the Ofune-hoko float which was on display

at the Kyoto City Intangible Cultural Property Display Room

on the first floor of Yodobashi Camera in front of Kyoto Station. 

When my landlord spoke of the matsuri, he spoke about it with pride. And I felt the passion of the residents of Kyoto from what I saw of the matsuri. How could a city retain the traditions from days long past if not for the passion and conviction of its people? 

I came across the story of the Ofune-hoko float which used to be part of the Grand Parade in the ancient days. But as it had been destroyed a few times in the past, it had been excluded from the Grand Parade for more than 100 years.

The locals who have been taking care of this float have been trying to reconstruct it to its past glory. For 15 years, they worked hard on reviving the float. The good news is there is a possibility of seeing this float back in action in 2014.

I really like how the young people and children are always involved in the festivals.

When I reflect on the festival, from the music that I heard, to the craftsmanship of the floats that I saw and the people who made it happen every year, I could not help but feel glad that I was there. 

How could the Gion Matsuri be a once-in-a-lifetime experience? I have never thought that my ties with Kyoto would only last a summer.  

Japanese Wagashi: The Art of Five Senses

Wagashi made of white Azuki beans served at the tea ceremony which I
was invited to. The wagashi evokes the image of a fish swimming in a stream.

Two months ago, I was invited to a tea ceremony by a Japanese lady, N-san whom I met at my traditional Japanese dance class.  She brought me to Uji where her sister lives and after lunch, we set out for a popular tea room.

Uji is famous for the production and distribution of quality green tea, and the trip opened my eyes to another aspect of Japanese culture. During the tea ceremony, wagashi or traditional Japanese confection was served along with the tea. 

"Can you see that this is a stream?" asked N-san's sister, pointing to the wagashi that was served. She explained that Japanese wagashi often evokes images of nature and provides a sense of the season. 

I always thought that Japanese wagashi looks pretty but have never associated it to an art form. But the interaction with N-san and her sister that day piqued my interest and I read up a little on the internet on the history of Japanese wagashi.

When we savour a piece of wagashi, we may not have realised that the wagashi is made with the concept, the Art of the Five Senses in mind. Apart from the appearance of the wagashi, alot of thought also goes into creating a unique texture, taste and aroma which complement the context in which the wagashi is served. In addition, there is also the concept of sound that completes the whole concept of a wagashi. This refers to the name of the wagashi which is meant to evoke classic literature or images of the season.

Wagashi with poetic names in the window display of a restaurant at Kyoto Station. From left: The notes of water; Summer robe; Glory in the water.

Minazuki sold in supermarkets. 4 pieces for 420 Yen.

In the month of June, a common wagashi seen in supermarkets and confectionery is Minazuki (水無月). After I found out that the naming of wagashi evokes classic prose and poetry, I have been very curious about the name of Minazuki which in Chinese means "The water with no moon".  I thought it must have to do with the red beans blocking out the reflection of the moon in a triangular pond or something.  But what does the red beans signify?

After some research, I learnt that the name has nothing to do with the moon but more with the month.  As the character for "moon" and "month" is the same, I misunderstood one for the other. Minazuki  actually means the "Month of water".  In other words, June, the month in which the fields are irrigated. There is also another explanation which links it to the month of the rainy season but this second explanation is said to be erroneous. 

Minazuki is often eaten in June when summer begins. As it is made to look like a piece of ice, you supposedly feel cool after eating it. Apart from Minazuki, I also spotted a few other types of wagashi in the supermarkets. If you look at them, you will find the similarities with Minazuki, and generally many other types of wagashi of the season. They all have a translucent appearance which I believe is meant to bring about a sense of coolness.  

A variety of summer wagashi found in the supermarkets.

It takes some imagination to eat these wagashi and feel cool as a result I guess.  I tried Minazuki and it has no cooling effect on me. I still prefer ice-cream, or even better, ice kacang.

How I cope with summer

"The cicadas sing. On the green Sakura trees. And the blue sky smiles."

How positive and happy my haiku sounds! But everyday since summer has begun, it has been pretty painful for me trying to cope with the summer heat. 

The daytime temperature in Kyoto today was about 35 degree celsius. Again. 4 degree celsius higher than the temperature in Singapore today. Kyoto sits in a valley, surrounded by mountain ranges. That is why the winters are harsh and the summers difficult to bear.

My landlord always uses this analogy when talking about Kyoto's summer heat. Imagine a giant bowl that is heated up and you are in the middle of it. The heat really engulfs you. So I often find myself drenched in perspiration.

The Japan National Institute for Environment Studies has a webpage listing the number of heatstroke patients sent to the hospitals in different prefectures. Close to 300 cases were reported in Kyoto thus far.  One of my neighbours recently suffered a heatstroke too. So I try to be careful and ensure I stay hydrated.

In Japanese, there is a term called natsubate which means fatigue from the summer heat.  I think I have been showing symptoms of natsubate. It's the holidays but I really do not feel like going out much. And cooking has turned into an arduous process. When I planned 3 dishes, I would give up after 2 and then I would lose all appetite because of the heat.  Talking about cooking,  I removed some meat from the freezer for thawing one day and it turned bad quickly in the humidity. It was quite a shock to me and I had to throw it all away. What a waste.

To cope with the summer heat, an easy solution would be most definitely to switch on the air-conditioning. Everyday, when I open my windows, I hear the humming of the air-conditioners hard at work around the neighbourhood. It is very tempting indeed. But I refuse to pay 3000 Yen more for the electricity bills. Furthermore, I don't want to grow accustomed to the air-conditioning and then suffer withdrawal symptoms during the rolling blackouts. So how do I cope with the heat? 

Here are some of the strategies I have adopted and I hope they are good enough to last me through till the end of September!

1. Fans.

I can't do anything without them. Even when I am cycling, I will have with me one of the fans that I have been given by sales promoters.

In summer, fans are commonly distributed for free as publicity material.

 2. Soumen

Soumen is popular in summer.  I run the noodles under cold water after it has been boiled and dip it in the cold sauce, like how you eat cold soba. It's simple to prepare, no sweat at all.

3. New Zealand's Zespri Kiwis

I found out that mixing kiwis in yoghurt makes me happy so I have been indulging in kiwis pretty much these days.

The New Zealand kiwis are possibly the next cheapest fruit after Philippines' bananas in the supermarkets. A pack of 4 kiwi fruits costs around 200 Yen (SGD 3.20) in a sale.

4. Ice cream

I hardly eat ice cream in Singapore but here, I have no choice really. I need them to keep cool in my furnace of an apartment. I hope all the ice cream can help me regain some weight!

5. Cold showers at night

I have been taking cold showers late at night but much to my disappointment, the water is  almost always luke warm.

6. Ditching the bed for the floor

It is such an irony that I bought a bed during winter as sleeping on the floor on the futon was too cold for me. And now in summer, the floor is so much more inviting. My bed is underutilised these days.

I am probably going to get rheumatism and all sorts of aches from Strategy 5 and 6 but for now, they are critical in battling the summer heat.

7. Regular visits to the school library

It is good that the school is so near and I could pop by to enjoy the air-conditioned library as often as possible.  Even though it is the school vacation, the library is crowded with students with the same idea as me. 

It is not uncommon to see students napping in the library too. And I should mention that I have seen many students sleeping undisturbed for the longest time in the library. The librarians do not stop them so I believe this is an acceptable practice in Japan.

8. Write happy sounding haikus

I have so much time on my hands that I am spending alot more time writing.  Writing lifts my spirits and reminds me that I am here to enjoy myself, not to suffer the summer heat.

A couple of days ago, I went out to do my groceries in the evening and I saw a rainbow. "How can there be a rainbow when it has not rained at all?" My neighbour said when I told her about it.

Maybe it means the good times will come. Maybe. And yes, I will continue to write.