“Kumamon” — Kumamoto’s Popular Mascot

To appeal to visitors and other visitors, localities around Japan are finding a cute mascot indispensable. Among these, “Kumamon,” bear character from Kumamoto Prefecture in Kyushu, is enjoying a surge in popularity.

According to a survey by RJC Research, Kumamon jumped from 46th place in 2011 to 3rd place in 2012, putting it just behind Shiga Prefecture’s 1st-place “Hikonyan” and Nara Prefecture’s 2nd-place “Sento-kun” as the nation’s most popular. The name “Kumamon” is taken from Kumamoto’s local dialect and means a person who hails from Kumamoto Prefecture. (Kuma means “bear,” and in the local dialect, the suffix “-mon” is tacked on to a place name when referring to its natives.”)

投稿者:Ryoji 投稿日時:

Japan’s World Heritage Sites

Mt. Fuji and Kamakura Vying for World Heritage Status

Looking down hikers from the summit of Mt. Fuji
Symbol of Kamakura, Big Buddha statute at Kotoku-in Temple

Last year, Japan’s Mt. Fuji and the old military capital of Kamakura were proposed as possible candidates for UNESCO-designated World Heritage sites.

In the proposal letter, Mt. Fuji was described as encompassing 25 assets, including the Fujinomiya Asama shinto shrine, the Oshino Hakkai springs and others, emphasizing its value as an object of Japanese religious worship as well as a subject for various types of art, including woodblock prints. Kamakura offers 10 major resources, including the Great Buddha statue, the Enkaku-ji temple and others. With the town merged into the surrounding hills, it served as Japan’s military capital during the Kamakura era (1185-1333), and emphasizes its status as a place where the samurai (warrior) culture flourished.

The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) within UNESCO, undertook a survey of the two locations last summer, and around this coming May is expected to issue its recommendations to UNESCO’s committee on world heritage sites. Both Kamakura and Mt. Fuji are accessible by Tokyo in from one to two hours by bus or train. They have long attracted many visitors. Some residents of Kamakura have even been heard to object to world heritage status, saying, “We’ve already got more visitors than we can handle.” And regarding Mt. Fuji, one American was heard to remark, “It is already so famous worldwide. I can’t see any need for it to be registered as a world heritage site.”

List of World Heritage sites in Japan (current)

Buddhist Monuments in the Hōryū-ji Area
Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Ryukyu Kingdom
Himeji-jō
Hiraizumi
Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Atomic Dome)
Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto
Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara
Itsukushima Shinto Shrine
Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine and its Cultural Landscape
Ogasawara Islands
Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range
Shirakami-Sanchi
Shiretoko
Yakushima
Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama
Shrines and Temples of Nikkō

投稿者:Ryoji 投稿日時:

Local Flavors on Parade at Tokyo Festival

The “Furusato Matsuri Tokyo 2013” exhibition, bringing together festivals from throughout Japan and local delicacies, was held in the Tokyo Dome stadium in January. This year’s was the fifth of its kind. During the nine-day period, the show attracted some 400,000 visitors.

In addition to stage performances of the songs, dances and drum performances featured at various festivals from around Japan, the event also introduced more than 300 booths offering a dizzying assortment of local food treats. With plenty of desserts, plus locally brewed varieties of sake and beer being offered, no visitor went away hungry.

Tokyo Dome is normally utilized as a baseball stadium so it has bleacher seating for nearly 50,000 people, but in this case, it proved a good venue for eating as well. Likewise, by being able to attract so many visitors, the concessionaires found the event to be an excellent public relations opportunity. The cost of admission was 1,500 yen ($16), but tickets limited to weekdays and evenings only (after 4:00 pm) offered reduced prices of 1,200 ($13) and 1,000 yen ($11), respectively. Although located in the center of Tokyo, attending the event enabled visitors to take a full tour of the country, so it was particularly appealing to foreign visitors. It will be held again in January 2014.

Boxed lunches from Hokkaido featured such
mouth-watering delicacies as ikura (salmon
roe), uni (sea urchin roe) and kani (crab meat).
This Hokkaido-style dessert features Yubari
melons topped with frozen custard.
This boxed lunch from Miyagi Prefecture
features juicy slices of ox tongue atop a bed
of rice.
Yokote fried noodles from Akita Prefecture was
awarded the “B-kyu Gurume” grand prix, for
cheap and tasty food.
投稿者:Ryoji 投稿日時:

What is Kingyosukui?

Scooper For Goldfish Scooping

Goldfish scooping called “Kingyo-sukui” in Japanese is a traditional Japanese game in which a player scoops goldfish with a special scooper. “Kingyo” means goldfish and “sukui” means scooping. Japanese traditional festivals held at a shrine commonly have a stall for this activity. Both children and adults enjoy the game. The basic rule is that the player scoops goldfish from a small pool with a paper scooper called a “poi” and puts them into a bowl with the poi. This game requires care and speed
as the poi can tear easily. The game is over when the poi is completely broken or incapable of scooping properly. Even if one part of the poi is torn, the player can continue the game with the remaining part.
You can bring back home goldfish you could successfully scoop up. There is a nationwide tournament every year in Nara Prefecture and the person
who won the tournament in 2011 scooped up as many as 87 goldfish.

投稿者:Ryoji 投稿日時:

The History of Japanese Houses: The Evolution of Japanese Buildings and Architecture

The History of Japanese Houses: The Evolution of Japanese Buildings

The Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum, located in a western suburb of Tokyo, is a sprawling outdoor facility displaying buildings representative of the historical periods beginning from the Edo era in 1603 to the 19th century (Meiji Era), and 20th century (Taisho and Showa eras). Visitors are able to enter and view the buildings’ interiors, and obtain impressions about what life was like for the people who lived during those times.

Buildings of the Edo era (1603-1867)

This farmhouse was built in the late Edo era. Upon entering the doorway, the dirt flooring continues as-is for part of the room. The irori (open hearth) inside is where people sat to take meals, and as there was no ceiling but rather just the eaves of the roof, the rooms were rather dim even during the daytime. As people disdained luxuries in the Edo era, decorative alcoves and tiled roofs were severely regulated. The restrictions on social class were such that the homes of bushi (members of the ruling warrior class) were permitted have steps in their entranceways and decorative alcoves. These were also permitted in the homes of wealthy farmers.

Buildings of the Meiji era (1868-1912)

From the Meiji era homes began to shed their feudal limitations, and were built to reflect the affluence of their owner. This house, built in 1906, was the central section of the residence of Korekiyo Takahashi, a leading political figure from the Meiji era until his death in 1936, known for his flair in economics. The house boasts an intricate structure using hemlock spruce, and sliding glass doors — which were still expensive at the time — to separate the wooden passageways from the garden.

Buildings of the Taisho era (1912-1926)

The Meiji era, which preceded Taisho, was one in which Japan was greatly influenced by the West, including people’s homes. But initially Westernization was limited mainly to politicians and business magnates, and others in the upper economic classes. But with the Taisho era, more middle-class urban residents began adopting Westernized living styles, leading to the construction of dwellings combining Japanese and Western styles, which sprang up in suburban areas. While many featured tables and chairs, people still removed their shoes upon entry, and most preferred to maintain the practice of relaxing on tatami (rush mat) flooring.

This house, which adopts a semi-Westernized design, was built in 1925 as a private residence. The exterior is characterized by its steep hipped roof with tile roofing and eaves that jut out horizontally. The house was lived in and well cared for by its owner until 1996.

Buildings of the Showa era(1926-1989)

Bombing raids on cities during the Second World War resulted in the destruction of much urban housing and in the years immediately following the war, many low-quality, barrack-like homes were constructed. For practical reasons, kitchen and dining areas were combined, along with other innovations. In the prewar years, homes — whether farm houses or town houses — in many cases tended to be used for both working and living, but with the growth in salaried office workers after the war, it became more common for people to live apart from their work. You can see still many of them remain in Tokyo. So we take up a unique building here. This photo studio was built in 1937. Both the ceiling and wall of the northern façade on its second floor were made entire of glass, which was angled so as to ensure a consistent amount of light for photography. Such a design may be said typical of photo studios that were built in the days of primitive lighting equipment.

投稿者:Ryoji 投稿日時:
rotenburo

Where Is Japan’s Most Popular Onsen, Mineral Hot Springs?

1. Hakone (Kanagawa Prefecture)

2. Yufuin (Oita Prefecture)

3. Kusatsu (Gunma Prefecture)

4. Noboribetsu (Hokkaido)

5. Beppu (Oita Prefecture)

Source: Recruit Lifestyle

Japan boasts a wide variety of onsen (hot-springs resorts), ranging from large spa-type facilities with the latest modern equipment to traditional hot springs that offer rustic charm. These days it has become rare for people to make extended stays at hot-spring resorts for therapeutic purposes, but hot springs are still popular among people of all generations as a place to go and relax.

According to a nationwide survey of 8,721 people from their teens to their 70s conducted last year, hot springs areas subjects said they wished most to visit again were given as per the above list. One reason why more than one respondent out of three named the Hakone onsen may be due to the large number of voters residing in the Kanto region close to Tokyo. Notable was the high popularity of the Yufuin (2nd place) and Beppu (5th place) spas both of which are located in Oita Prefecture — about 1,000 kilometers from Tokyo. This popularity is underscored by Yufuin’s ranking first place in response to another survey question, “Of the places you have not yet visited, which mineral springs would you most like to try?” The biggest reasons given for chosing Yufuin were, “Because it’s famous” (with 74%), followed by “The town seems to have a nice atmosphere (45%) and “I’m interested in the therapeutic effects and quality of the mineral waters” (36%).

投稿者:Ryoji 投稿日時:

What is SHIMENAWA?

Shimenawa are sacred cords made of twisted strands of rice straw. They are believed to have the special power to ward off evil spirits or sickness. They are hung from torii (the entrance gates of shrines) or before the altars of Shinto shrines, and also around trees or rocks considered to be places of the divine. It is also common to find shimenawa over doorways of houses or on the front of cars at New Years.

Originally, it comes from the Chinese custom of placing wet twisted ropes around the dead after burying them in the ground for the purpose of cleansing the souls of the dead.

投稿者:Ryoji 投稿日時:

Old Things Demonstrate Their Worth: Ponyo’s Hometown

Old Things Demonstrate Their Worth: Ponyo’s Hometown

Tomonoura, a quiet port town in Hiroshima Prefecture, features various relics from the Edo Period, and is said to be the only port still remaining in Japan that boasts an old-style lighthouse, stepped pier, dock, wooden ship careenage, and customs house. Based on descriptions on maps in the 17th through 19th centuries, the town is preserved almost unchanged, making it a place without peer anywhere else in the country.

In addition to its appeal as a valuable tourist spot, it has also been used as a location for shooting film. Film director Hayao Miyazaki chose this location for the 2008 animated film “Ponyo,” and he stayed at one of the houses there for as long as two months during its  production. The town was also used to shoot “The Wolverine,” a Hollywood film slated for release this coming summer. Some of the port’s residents, annoyed by the chronic traffic congestion, wanted to construct a bridge to the coast. The court ruled in favor of the bridge’s opponents, who wanted to preserve the status quo. Perhaps it is another example of the current trend recognizing the worth of preserving old things over convenience.

投稿者:Ryoji 投稿日時:

Train Spotters’ Paradise in Tokyo

Train Spotters’ Paradise in Tokyo

Otaku is a Japanese term that refers to people with obsessive interests, particularly in (but not limited to) anime, manga, trains or Japanese video games. A person interested in a recreational capacity in rail transport is called “densha-otaku” or railfan. The Japanese word otaku has become as well known overseas as is “karaoke,” and Wikipedia carries explanations of the word in 35 languages. In Tokyo’s Akihabara district, considered ground zero of Japan’s otaku, the elevated tracks of Japan Railway’s Sobu Line passes through rows of buildings. As it is considered a good place from which to watch trains, a hotel along the route has opened up well-received railway rooms, from which paying guests can enjoy a view of the passing trains.

投稿者:Ryoji 投稿日時:

Japan’s Largest Capacity Stadium: 225,000

Japan’s Largest Capacity Stadium: 225,000

While horse racing in Japan has a strong image of gambling, it is also respected as an equestrian sport. When viewed from the category of sports, the Tokyo Race Track boasts a capacity of 225,000, many-fold larger than those of other sports. For example, the largest soccer stadium in Japan, Saitama Stadium 2002, has a capacity of 63,000 people — less than one third. Actually the horse track has never actually achieved a gate of over 200,000 people with the largest, for a race in 1990, reaching around 195,000 people.

If you don’t bet, you can enter and watch the races for just 200 yen ($2). Moreover you can experience riding a horse or see the horse racing museum free of charge.

投稿者:Ryoji 投稿日時: