The two sides of Harajuku

Our last day in Japan was filled with tearful goodbyes. The friends that we had made on this journey were heading off to the airport and back to their respective homes in Canada and America. What better way to end off our tour than in peaceful reflection together in the city where we began?

A city’s serene oasis

The park that surrounds the shrine is made up of some 100,000 trees donated from regions across the country.

Meiji Shrine (Meiji Jingu) was built for the Emperor Meiji and the Empress Shoken in 1920, and it’s one of the most beautiful locations in all of Tokyo. A stone’s throw from the bustling Harajuku area and Yoyogi Park, sometimes what you need is a moment’s respite from city life.

Many of Japan’s customs emphasize a closeness between people and nature, as well as an appreciation of its beauty. Meiji Shrine is the embodiment of oneness with nature that many Japanese prize. Such a thing is actually quite rare. At the Sensoji Buddhist temple, the draw was the massive red lanterns adorning the gates and at Fushimi Inari Taisha it was the eye-catching vermilion torii.  They were a sight to behold, but the beauty of nature could be quite overshadowed by those other structures.

What distinguishes Meiji Shrine is how well its immense structures can coexist harmoniously with the natural landscape. Towering torii arches made with Taiwanese camphor at the entrance to the grounds instantly stand out, but at the same time their designs are simple and reflect the character of the tree that it was.

As you enter the grounds, the feeling you get is like traveling back in time. The sounds of the city melt away as you follow a wide path deeper into a tranquil forest of evergreen trees. Even the large barrels of sake on display don’t seem out of place here.

Sacred “husband and wife” camphor trees in front of the main shrine building. Couples can pray here for strong, happy relationships.

In the main shrine building, we got a chance to  receive blessings from a Shinto priest along with a whole room full of Japanese salary men — it was such a moment out of a J-drama. The priest chants a long string of prayers for people in attendance while shrine maidens perform a sacred dance ritual. It was a good note to end the official part of our trip on.

Monsters, Cafes, and Takeshita Shopping Street

After saying our farewells to the American party, we had some free time on our hands. Time to wander the streets of Tokyo. We were young and free in Harajuku, the center of Japanese youth culture and fashion! We went off to Takeshita Street, a famous street in Harajuku lined with fashion boutiques, cafes and restaurants. Here, we exhausted ourselves trying on beautiful Liz Lisa outfits and shopping around for hip jewelry.

And one can’t go to the land of themed cafe without visiting at least one! Butlers, cats, maids, hedgehogs, Square Enix lovers — there’s a cafe here for everyone here. At a friend’s recommendation, we ended up having lunch at the Kawaii Monster Cafe in Harajuku.

This cafe serves up eerily toxic food as well as some frightening live entertainment by dancers and mascots.

The admission fee for this particular cafe is 500 yen. Choose from one of several themed rooms in the cafe. Watch as monsters and dancers make their way around during performances! Order everyday food items such as chicken and waffles and BLT — with a monstrous twist — food colouring. I ordered a tapioca drink (very diluted) and an order of chicken and waffles, but the food was a tad overpriced for what we got.

At the end of the day, it’s obvious that you go to these places more for the novelty than anything else. My advice? Come here if you get bored of cat cafes, but beware. The food bill can be quite chill-inducing.

 

What To Do While In Shiga Prefecture

We encountered a variety of weather heading up towards Hakodateyama. (It’s a mountain in Takashima city known for its skiing.) We were headed for one of the minshuku, or a traditional Japanese style bed and breakfast.

On our way there, we passed by Lake Biwa, Japan’s largest freshwater lake. This area is notable for Shirahige Shrine and for the large vermilion torii which stands in the middle of the lake.

The lakeside in front of the Shirahige Jinja is a popular spot for photos.

Brrr… then it started getting colder and snow was coming down fast as we drove up the mountain. In the fifteen minutes it took for us to drive from Lake Biwa, the weather had turned from pleasantly cool and sunny to winter wonderland.

By the time we arrived at the minshuku, the surrounding fields and roads were coated in a layer of wet snow.

Overnight stay in Hakodateyama

Sunrise at Hakodateyama after a night of snow.

There is a stereotype that Japanese people are extremely hospitable, but there is some truth to that. I was pleasantly surprised by the warm welcome we received from our innkeeper, a motherly woman who we affectionately called Haru-san.

Haru-san prepared a scrumptious feast of sukiyaki for us, and I learned the best way to eat the beef was to dip it in raw egg and soy sauce. She was always bustling about, making sure the guests were comfortable and that we had enough food to go around. After we stuffed ourselves, Haru-san broke out the ink and brushes and we tried our hand at calligraphy.

Japanese style baths are quite different from the western version. In Japan, you clean yourself thoroughly before actually entering the tub so as not to dirty the bath water. A soak in a hot bath is legitimately one of the best feelings in the world.

Another great thing about Hakodateyama is that you can go out or you can relax in the baths or veg out on your futon by the heater. At night and early the next morning, my friends and I took lots of great shots of the gorgeous mountain landscape beside our inn.

Traditional Crafts at Kutsuki no mori

The next day, our entire group was in tears when it came time to leave the minshuku families, who we had bonded with over the last day. Seeing Haru-san waving goodbye with the other hosts, I couldn’t help getting a bit teary-eyed — it felt like I was saying goodbye to my own mother.

Alas, JICE had one last activity for us at in Kutsuki Forest, or kutsuki no mori — chopstick making. At first, I was worried because I had no experience with woodwork. The thought of using sharp tools was terrifying. Turns out I didn’t have to worry.

Wood cutter and wood molds used to shape the finished product.

The only tool we were using was going to be a wood cutter, which works a lot like a vegetable peeler. Chopsticks are made by shaving down two thin block of wood to produce blanks. After the chopstick blanks are prepared, sandpaper is used to smooth away any rough edges and a burn pen can be used to add a design.

Afterwards, the final step was to give the chopsticks an oil varnish and it was done! You have just made yourself a great pair of chopsticks.

 

 

 

I learn what it takes to draw manga

Of Kyoto’s two most prominent manga institutions, Kyoto Seika University is the first we went to explore, the second being the Kyoto International Manga Museum which opened in 2006. Interestingly, the museum came about as a collaboration between the city of Kyoto and Seika University.

On warmer days, it is common to see patrons reading in the museum’s courtyard.

The museum was conveniently located down the street from our hotel in Kyoto. We turned a corner, walked about a block and — voilà — there it was. Several stories high, the Kyoto manga museum collection boasts an impressive 50,000 volumes of manga, and includes foreign works — and that’s just in its stacks. We were told that there were over 250,000 volumes currently boxed up in the museum archives.

The building was the former Tatsuike Primary School. Portraits of old headmasters dating back to the late 1800s and student textbooks predating World War II are on display in one of the several exhibition rooms. The school auditorium has since been converted into a multipurpose room.

My favourite part of the museum are the exhibits you can’t find anywhere else. Fittingly appropriate for Kyoto, on the museum walls are hundreds of portraits of maiko, or apprentice geisha,  drawn by famous mangaka in their signature art style. Another noteworthy exhibit showcases casts of mangaka’s hands. Next to each cast was a plaque bearing the artist’s signature (and artwork).

From rough draft to finished manuscript

Sample from the museum manga workshop. Image source.

The manga museum organized a studio workshop to demonstrate the necessary techniques and tools for the production of a single page of manga. The demonstration assistant worked quickly with expert, precise strokes. The process seemed simple enough.

First, a blue pencil is used to mark where the black ink and motion lines will be placed in the sketch. Artists traditionally used blue pencils so that when they photocopied their manga manuscripts the blue colour would not show up in the copy.

Second, a paint brush pen is used for colouring the black parts of hair on the image. The ones we used had built in ink wells which reloaded the brush tip when squeezed. This one was a little harder to use in my opinion. For clean strokes, you definitely need a confident hand and lots of practice beforehand.

Lastly, a G-pen and ruler are used to create the familiar motion lines you see in manga panels.  I recommend making sure there is no excess ink before starting. My characters ended up with thick black smudges where there should have been lines. I definitely gained a new respect for manga artists and their army of assistants after this workshop. Seeing how much effort is actually put into each panel, it’s no small feat.

 

 

 

Bye mom, I’m off to manga university!

JICE participants get a guided tour around Seika’s campus.

Of the many awesome places we visited over the course of the week, Kyoto Seika University was one of the highlights of our Kyoto visit.

A legitimate post-secondary institution based in Kyoto’s Sakyo ward, you will find many international students –including Canadians — attending classes alongside Japanese students. There are faculties for learning the traditional Japanese arts like painting, ceramics, and printmaking. Then there’s the faculty of manga(!) that educates students in the art of cartoons, comics, manga production, gag manga, character design, and animation.

Interestingly, about 2000 out of the 3000 students are women. In addition to that, the school’s population is a diverse mix of international students and local students. The university’s president herself was a famous mangaka for Boy’s Love and science fiction comics.

Cool fact # 3: The forest grounds around Seika’s campus is home to deer, tanuki and peacocks — all of which double as models and inspiration for the art students.

Printmaking classroom and student work space.

JICE was awesome enough to organize a meet up with several Seika students and let us learn a bit about their interests and their work. None of us really knew how to speak Japanese — sob — and most of the Japanese students weren’t fluent in English. But through team effort, we somehow managed to communicate with each other using a mixture of both languages.

We met some really interesting students — one studying the humanities, another in design, and another, cartoon art. I was especially impressed by the amazingly gorgeous work of Ayuri-san, our table-mate.

We were given a guided campus tour afterwards to give us a taste of the impressive facilities and manga library resources. We got to see some of the student manga projects and prints and art store.

Food For Thought

What you can get for under 800 yen at Seika’s shokudo.

What is one of Japan’s best kept secrets? Their low meal prices, especially for university students — take note, UBC! In Tokyo and Kyoto, a decent sized ramen, curry on rice, Japanese breakfast set, and convenience store bento — Japanese 7-11 food puts North America to shame — can cost you around 500 – 800 yen ($6 – $9 CAD). At Seika, you could get a main dish of croquette curry or ramen with 4-5 side dishes for under 800 yen. At UBC food services, that gets you a mediocre chicken wrap.

At Seika, the shokudo, or cafeteria system, runs like a quick, well-oiled machine. Students line up drive-through style and choose from the large selection of side dishes. Prices are listed for each item on a paper card. For hot food, students order from large menu signs at a window, and food is ready in seconds. After that, they line up to pay at one of several cash register lanes.

My takeaway from this? North American students are seriously missing out on affordable, filling, AND delicious food!

 

The Cats We Saw That Day

Fushimi Inari Taisha

Purrr!    Sorry for the cheesy Anohana reference, but there was a surprising number of  shrine cats at the fox god shrine. These felines are accustomed to people  — most of the cats won’t mind if you try to pet them!

But cats are not all there are to see at Fushimi Inari. This Shinto shrine is well-known for its thousands of vermilion torii gates leading up a long and leisurely mountain trail to the summit of Mount Inari.

Path of vermilion torii at Fushimi Inari Taisha

Cleanliness and beauty are defining characteristics of Shinto shrines — and here it’s no exception. As with other shrines and temples, there is a temizuya (water ablution pavilion) for purifying one’s body before entering the temple.

Beginner’s Guide to Charms and Prayer Tablets

Omamori, or protective charms blessed by a priest, can be purchased here and they vary in design depending on which shrines or temples you visit. Cost is anywhere between 500 – 1000 yen ($6 – $12 CAD) depending on the size and design. A unique feature of this particular shrine is the fox shaped omamori and unique fox head ema, or prayer tablets.

Fushimi Inari visitors get creative with their ema.

Although there are many souvenir stores selling key chains lining both sides of the street outside the shrine, make sure to get the charms that have actually been blessed. Look for the stalls staffed by shrine attendants — they’re the people in white haori and red hakama!

 

“Inspiration unlocks the future”

Ghibli Museum, Mitaka-shi

Magical Moments at Ghibli

The provocative quote comes from Hayao Miyazaki’s directorial work, The Wind Rises released back in 2013. I thought the title of this post was fitting seeing as JICE was taking us to the Ghibli Museum — the Mecca of Japan’s animation industry.

There is so much I can say about the architecture. From the moment you enter the green gates, you are greeted by the whimsical and colourful exterior of the actual museum, which looks a bit like neon Neapolitan ice cream — speaking of which, I’ve heard that the ice cream from the Straw Hat café is amazing. You follow the queue into the lobby where you are genuinely greeted by friendly faces who hand you a small entry ticket made out of a portion of film reel.

On the main  floor of the museum, you will see exhibits which illustrate the methodical creation of Ghibli short films, from inspiration to  production and you will enter a theater for screening short films.   I caught the showing of Mizugumo Monmon (Water Spider Monmon). The extremely adorable protagonist is a water spider and it spends most of his day valiantly building a bubble nest to hide from predators.

A tight spiral staircase leads up to the rooftop garden. At the top of the stairs you’ll find a towering replica of the robot soldier from Castle in the Sky. One exhibition room recreates a Studio Ghibli art director’s studio. Mascot characters and film references are hidden around the museum like Easter eggs you have to hunt for.

The gift shop is where you purchase your Ghibli souvenirs, T-shirts, collectibles and movie-themed jewelry. If you want to find a souvenir that will give you the most bang for your buck, I suggest steering clear of the stuffed animals and clothing, which can be quite overpriced. The best find in the shop  were, for me, the colourful postcards.

I bought several postcards with beautiful depictions of iconic scenes from some Ghibli films (for about $2 CAD each).

But as an artist, my favourite part by far was undoubtedly the concept art exhibit. A cozy cottage-esque room was covered from top to bottom in pencil sketches of characters and settings, and detailed hand-done oil paintings of film backdrops.

The History of Japanese Animation

Major Motoko Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell (1995)

Diving into the theme of Japanese animation, we attended an afternoon lecture given by renowned  anime critic, Ryusuke Hikawa, about the rich history of animation in Japan.  As a TA for UBC’s manga and anime course, I was back in my element!

So what does it take to make a film stand out from the crowd? What is it that endears one film to thousands of fans around the world ?

From the era of Astro Boy to the present day, there were several noteworthy works that were major turning points in animation technology, and in storytelling genre. You might even recognize some of these iconic films — Ghost in the Shell (1995), Spirited Away (2001) and Your Name (2016).

 

Tokyo Crossover – East Meets West

If you’re looking for a place that takes the metropolitan allure of Tokyo and combines that with unique views — the Statue of Liberty? — then I highly recommend visiting AQUA CiTY Odaiba  located on the man-made island of Odaiba in Tokyo Bay.

Rainbow Bridge, Odaiba

On our first day in Tokyo, JICE brought us not for ramen, not for sukiyaki… but to an all-American buffet. (I later joked that maybe they thought we were home-sick.) From our seat by the window, we had a clear view of Japan’s Statue of Liberty below — a tribute to Japan’s ties with France — with Odaiba’s two level Rainbow Bridge and Tokyo Tower in the distance. Photographer’s take note: the mall also has an awesome walkway that’s perfect for glamorous profile pictures.

 

Let’s Hit the Road!

We were excited  to begin our journey, but a ferocious snowstorm in Toronto delayed the entire Canadian delegation’s arrival at Narita International Airport by more than three hours!

Thankfully, our destination was Japan, the land of the hot-and-cold drink vending machines. Desperately needed instant coffee (or milk tea) was readily available from vending machines at the airport — and in every alley and major building, and konbini (convenience stores) in Tokyo.

On our first day, we were woken up from our downtown Tokyo hotel beds at 7 AM,  ate our buffet breakfast and shuttled to an  important briefing on Japan’s international diplomacy with Hideki Yamaji of the North American Affairs Bureau of Japan.

What is Japan’s place in the world? As a student of Asian Studies, I was keen to hear some of Mr. Yamaji’s views regarding Japan’s foreign policy.

Mr. Yamaji emphasized that although Japan had an important role in international peace keeping operations, the facts suggested that the issue was not black and white.  “Realistic pacifists” were gaining more influence in government;   these are individuals who support using  military force, not negotiation,  to defend Japan’s sovereignty. We were surprised to learn there was such a large political will to re-militarize Japan  —  and  it was certainly a large concern for us.

As a Canadian and a stranger to the Cold-War fears that continue to plague some east Asian nations, the idea of a militarized Japan was in stark contrast to the peace-loving diplomatic image of Japan that many of us are familiar with.  We were learning that political opinion in Japan could be just as diverse as the people who live there.

Toranomon Hills

Inside the Toranomon Hills complex is a stylish coffee house, gift shop and life-size reproduction of the building’s mascot, Toranomon.

For lunch, JICE took us to Oto Oto , a posh washoku bar located in the Toranomon Hills complex. The impressive 52-storey skyscraper, built  for the 2020 Olympics, is located in Tokyo’s Toranomon (tiger gate) business district.

One of the best things about Japan is that you can get sizeable quality meals at an affordable price,  even at nicer establishments. The chicken karaage at Oto Oto was crispy and fresh, and it came with a generous helping of rice, miso soup and various side dishes. If you’re looking for an  eatery with upscale decor with a view and casual Japanese fare and a view that doesn’t cost more than 1000 yen (11.24 CAD),  I highly recommend checking this place out.

Chicken karaage lunch set from Oto Oto.

Sensoji Temple

After lunch, we paid a visit to Sensoji temple in Asakusa. Sensoji temple is the oldest Buddhist temple in Tokyo and is known and for its massive red gates and lanterns.

Sensoji temple with Jokoro in the foreground.

Japan is very big on the idea of purity and cleanliness. Rinsing your hands and mouth as you enter the temple grounds is a part of the misogi ritual, to cleanse one’s body and mind before standing before the deity. At Sensoji, we saw a large crowd of visitors standing before a large incense burner known as Jokoro and wafting the smoke over their heads, but it was not for the smell.

The Japanese have a belief that the smoke from the Jokoro has healing properties that can make you smarter and healthier. I don’t know if the smoke did anything for my brain, but the heat coming from the burner was pleasant and helped to warm my ice-cold fingers.

Temple goers try to draw a “Great Luck” omikuji.

We had some free time afterwards and wandered around. We got ice cream sandwiches from the adjacent Nakamise shopping street–because it’s never too cold for ice cream–prayed at the temple for luck and tried the our hand at paper fortune telling or omikuji. Our group was quite lucky–no one drew a Great Curse (大凶) and someone even managed to draw a Great Blessing (大吉)!

 

8 Days of Japan – Awesome!

I had to read the email from my JICE co-ordinator several times.

My professor of the Japanese pop culture course at UBC had asked me if I had any interest in a week-long all-expenses paid trip to Japan.   In a heartbeat, my application was in.  No way would  the process would be so simple.    But a month later, I clicked open the email and Kakehashi and here we were.  I was going to Japan!

What is Kakehashi?

2018 Kakehashi Pop Culture group at Fushimi Inari Taisha

The Kakehashi Project, launched in 2013, is a one-week youth exchange initiative for Canadian and American students organized by the Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE for short) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

Kakehashi translates to “bridge” in Japanese, connecting people on both sides of the water. The program’s purpose is to enhance international understanding of the nation’s unique culture, diverse society, history, politics and foreign policy, as well as to promote the “Japan brand” overseas to North American visitors.

The program consists of two streams. The Japanese Language stream is tailored to the interests of advanced Japanese language students. The JICE organizers took note of my very limited nihongo track record–two Basic Japanese courses that I had taken at university four years ago, and placed me in the Japanese Pop Culture stream.

Where Do We Go From Here?

Discounted figurines for sale at Book Off

The Pop Culture stream is tailored to introduce foreign youth to the inner workings of Japan’s popular culture and aesthetics. We experienced behind-the-scenes manga (Japanese comics) production from concept art to inking to publication.  We learned about the evolution of Japanese animation from black and white cartoons to Your Name (2016).

So what exactly did this mean? For me, it meant visiting sites with historical significance such as Sensoji shrine, Tokyo’s oldest temple. And Fushimi Inari Taisha, the head shrine of the kami Inari famous for its rows of picturesque red gates known as torii.

And of course, this wouldn’t be a pop-culture themed trip without paying a visit to the Kyoto International Manga Museum and of course, the Ghibli Museum–showcasing many beloved Studio Ghibli animated works (that you may have heard of), such as Kiki’s Delivery Service and Spirited Away– and Kyoto’s Seika University, a real school for manga and anime!

About thirty of us would be taking the Shinkansen back and forth between Tokyo and Kyoto, staying the night at a minshuku 民宿 (a traditional Japanese style bed-and-breakfast) in the mountains of Hakodateyama.

We shared our experiences with our hosts and through social media during the trip and we are expected to share our experiences for a three month period after our return from Japan. Our JICE’s hosts were the definition of hospitable, organizing the chauffeured buses, the bullet trains,  all our meals.  I’d say yes to doing it all over again…