Attention to Detail

You know what’s nice about living in Japan? People pay attention to details here. To details that make your life easier. A lot of times, you look at a small thing and realize, that people have actually thought about what they’re doing.

Hook and ring to fix the door

There are many examples in daily life.
Do you like doors slamming shut in a draft? No one does, I suppose. Here, all doors come equipped with a little hook and ring so you can fix them open if you want them open. (Mind you, this has not been developed in thousands of years of history. Here, the traditional thing are sliding doors, which do not slam shut in the first place.)

Keeping Japanese Research on Track

New governments mean changes of the status quo. Even if the last government assured you of X, the new one might tell you tomorrow, “not X”.
Japan has been under a new government since September of this year. And as is the case for so many governments all around the world, it is now contemplating severe funding cuts for – yes, you guessed it: fundamental research.
Because fundamental research is useless, right? No direct applications, right? No one will see in a country’s overall economic and technological performance that they saved a bunch of money on science, right?
Wrong! Maybe you don’t see it today or tomorrow. But you will see it, trust me. Do I really have to say things like laser technology (you probably own a CD or DVD player, right?), GPS, etc.? Because the laser is an outcome of quantum mechanics no one dreamed of when quantum mechanics was founded, and GPS technology actually needs Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity for its precise calculations of location. Any country who fails to attract brain and to invest into fundamental research will end up missing out on some future development that we can’t foresee now.

Himeji Castle

The next stop of our last trip was the town of Himeji, located in the Kansai area. Its main (and almost only) touristic feature majestically towers over everything: Himeji Castle (姫路城), the single most famous castle in all of Japan. Built in the 14th century and expanded at the beginning of the 17th century, it is considered Japan’s most beautiful surviving feudal castle and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Floating Torii of Miyajima

Number 2 (the first being Matsushima Bay) of the Nihon Sankei, the three most scenic sights of Japan, can be crossed off from our list: we visited the floating torii of the holy island of Miyajima. Miyajima (its real name is Itsukushima) is one of the many islands that speck the Inland Sea between the Southern end of Japan’s main island Honshu and Shikoku. Miyajima is located in front of Hiroshima, a 30 min train ride from the main station takes you to the ferry stop. The ferry is surprisingly big and the ride takes 10 minutes.

A Day on the Bay

Rainbow Bridge and Central Tokyo as seen from Daiba

Another of those striking clear November days, another visit to the Hama Rikyu Garden (浜離宮恩賜庭園). A short walk away from Shimbashi station and directly bordering Tokyo Bay, it is a garden of urban contrasts. The skyline of the ultra-modern Shiodome district forms the backdrop for the well-groomed Japanese trees, and the traditional tea house in the tidal pond. The tea house can be reached via a wooden zig-zag bridge. From there, one can look out over the pond and the bay, sniffing the sea breeze, drinking matcha and enjoying a sweet. It even sports a dry landscape type Zen garden. I guess the Shogun Tokugawa did not quite envision this type of borrowed scenery….

Shirasagi no Mai

On November 3rd, Culture Day, the Dance of the White Herons, shirasagi no mai (白鷺の舞) takes place. This year, it was on one of these steel blue Tokyo autumn days with crystal air that bring views of Fuji-san.

Terrace Update IX

The climate in late autumn is fantastic here. In the afternoons, we still have around 20 degrees Celsius. While in other countries, trees are already defoliated, most trees are still green here. It seems that the geraniums went out of service for this year, and also the morning glories are closing down. But the Zinnias, Cosmos and Snapdragons are still going strong, providing cheerful colors. They have been blooming since May!

The Jidai Matsuri

Edo Period court lady

During our stay in Kyoto, on Oct. 22 to be precise, the Jidai Matsuri (時代祭り) or Festival of the Ages took place. It counts as one of the three biggest festivals of Kyoto.
On Oct. 22nd, Emperor Kammu decided, more than 1200 years ago, to move the capital to Kyoto. The Jidai Matsuri centers around the Heian Shrine where Emperor Kammu is enshrined. The festival is a celebration of Kyoto’s people through the ages. Its main event, a big parade, displays historical costumes and important people of Kyoto’s history.
The parade starts at noon at the Imperial Palace and arrives several hours later at the Heian Shrine. Unlike Western parades, it involves hardly any music at all, and no marching, either. The pace is very leisurely with frequent stops during which the impatient horses carrying the important warriors have to be led in circles by their attendants.

Warrior under Oda Nabunaga - Oda Nobunaga - Yabusame archer - Yamana-shi

Things Japanese IX – Suikinkutsu

On a visit to the Eikando temple complex in Kyoto, I came across something amazing: the suikinkutsu (水琴窟), a sound ornament for Japanese gardens. The concept of a sound ornament I find wonderful and striking, and somehow very Japanese. Suikinkutsu means, literally translated, water koto cave, where the koto is a musical instrument, the Japanese zither.

The secret life of the trees

Today, a casual look out of the (3rd floor) window of our Kyoto apartment revealed several men of monkey-like abilities roughly at my eye level.