Category: Culture

Culture

Hanta Michi: ハンタ道

ハンタ hanta: Okinawan word for “cliff”

道 michi: road or path

Hanta Michi is an old Ryukyu kingdom  road constructed around the Gusuku era (12th century). It runs from Shuri-jo to Katsuren-jo, passing through Kouchi-jo in Nishihara and Nakagusuku-jo in Nakagusuku Village. Several historical cultural properties remain along this path. It was lined with pine trees, cutting through hills and cliffs along the way.

Nowadays, the most accessible path of Hanta Michi is from the SanA on Rt 29 in Nakagusuku through to Nakagusuku-jo. Agai-tidabashi (bridge behind the SanA/Matsumoto Kiyoshi/Wafuutei) is the typical starting point. The trail ends at the border with Nakagusuku-jo– if you enter the premise you are supposed to pay the entrance fee at the end of the path marks the beginning of the castle ruins site. Another important thing to remember is that the gate to leave the castle site will be LOCKED if you are walking the trail during closed hours (one of my friends ran into trouble with this…), so if you plan on using the castle ruins as an exit, you must go when the premises is open for business.

The path runs from urban to rural farms to forested area, with sweeping views over Nakagusuku Bay. Occasionally the path is overgrown, depending on the season. A good tip to remember is to look for the white-ish coral stone in the road along the path in most areas. It is not too long of a “hike” (walk?) to do the whole thing, maybe 5 km or so one-way, within 2 hours if you walk with a regular pace with a few stops for pictures or a snack.

If you plan your day well, you can make sure to take a break or end at one of the restaurants along the path (near the SanA end, not Nakagusuku-jo end). I recommend either LOHAS garden or Hanta Baru, both have good food and gorgeous views overlooking Nakagusuku Bay.

Click the imgur link for images:

https://imgur.com/a/NBoGF

 

Sites along the Hanta Michi:

Agai-tidabashi Bridge 東太陽橋: Stunning views of Nakagusuku and the bay can be admired on sunny days. It is also a very popular spot to watch the first sunrise of the New Year and for full moon viewing.

161.8 Kouchi Jinchi 161.8高地陣地: Atop of the rocky mountain at an elevation of 160m in Kitauebaru area, the Japanese army built a high-ground position, known as 161.8 Kouchi Jinchi. A panoramic view, north to south, from Chatan town and Yomitan village to the Chinen peninsula is possible from this location.

Kishimakono-taki キシマコノ嶽: Okuma settlement began at the top of the mountain and people in the settlement still pray at this prayer ground today.

Arakaki Stone Bridge 新垣の石橋: This arched stone bridge is located over the stream near the fields of the Arakaki settlement. Similar types of stone bridges existed until just after WWII, however now there is only one remaining.

Prefectural Road Construction Monument 県道開削記念碑: This monument was built in commemoration of the opening of the Futenma-Yonabaru route (currently rt. 35) in October 1934.

Tunmaasu ツンマース: A pine tree is encircled by a low stonewall. Arakaki gusuku and Nakagusuku-jo are to the east and Ginowan is to the west.

Arakaki Gusuku 新垣グスク: The year for the construction of this castle is unknown, however, it is estimated to be early 14th century. Utaki (sacred place in Ryukyu culture) and shrine are seen inside the castle ruin grounds. These places are considered to be highly significant for the Arakaki settlement.

Uchibara-no-tun 内原の殿（ウチバラノトゥン）: Hall of worship in Arakaki gusuku where people pray for health, longevity and to give thanks for good harvests.

Perry’s Banner Rock (Taachii Ishi) ペリーの旗立岩: It is said that Commodore Perry and his expedition team placed the American flag on top of this rock with a gun salute to commemorate their conquest during their expedition in Okinawa.

Giisu-no-tera ギイスのテラ: Prayer ground located south west of Nakagusuku-jo. The ancestor of Masu Shimabukuro of Soeshi village is said to have enshrined the spirit stone and began the ritual here.

SanA near the starting point of the Hanta Michi: https://goo.gl/maps/BXbBdYVTUh32

Nakagusuku-jo (end point): https://goo.gl/maps/GWHKmPFzMPv

Map Link (Google Maps): here

Extra information on MapItOkinawa: http://www.mapitokinawa.com/search?q=hanta

Culture

Child’s 1st birthday, tanka-yu-eh: タンカーユーエー

Tanka （タンカー）: means 1-year-old’s birthday (Japanese: 1才の誕生日)

Yu-eh（ユーエー）: means celebration (Japanese:お祝い)

In Okinawa, some people celebrate a tradition called tanka-yu-eh タンカーユーエー, which has the meaning of a child’s first birthday. On this day, a ritual to predict child’s future is done! One of my student’s granddaughter recently celebrated her first birthday, so she shared this custom with me. Her granddaughter chose the abacus, so she will become good in business and very good at math.

A variety of things are placed before the child, such as an abacus, pen and ink, money, red rice, ruler and scissors (in the case of girls). Each item has a meaning, so whichever item the child chooses, is a prediction for their future.

book: scholar, good grades
abacus: good in business
brush and ink: become an official, government worker
money: become rich
red rice: will never go hungry
ruler/scissors: good at sewing

Some families will include other more “modern” items (like a ball for athlete, instrument for musician, etc) as well, or use a calculator instead of an abacus.

It is strictly for fun, and not so serious, just to hope for the happiness of the child’s healthy growth and a chance to gather family. This custom is similar to ones in Korea and elsewhere in Asia.

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Old-fashioned set for tanka-yu-eh
Culture, Restaurants

Bali Terrace: バリーテラス & Halloween Kimono Party

I first went to Bali Terrace in Urasoe for lunch awhile back. It is a sort of French/Italian kind of restaurant, and for lunch has set menu choices (entree such as pasta, chicken, fish, etc) with a semi-viking salad/drink bar (the cost is reasonable, maybe ~1300yen).

The interior is really interesting and comfortable; the view is quite amazing, as the restaurant is on the second floor of the building, perched atop a hill overlooking the ocean in the distance. They even take advantage of the view by having (indoor) tables that look directly out the windows, sort of like cushy sofa seating with plenty of pillows.

A second-hand kimono shop advertised a Halloween kimono dress-up event to be held here. So, since I knew the food would be decent, I decided to buy a ticket. Plus I could practice wearing kimono. I decided to go as “kitsune” (fox demon). I bought a cheap mask off amazon.jp, and coordinated some fall-woodsy colors with my brown kimono.

The ticket was for tabehoudai/nomihoudai (all you can eat and drink) party plan, so they brought out various foods throughout the night and filled drinks. This type of service is very popular for drinking parties in Japan, so you do not have to think about what to order, they just have various sets that they bring out throughout the night.

There were all sorts of nice foods served; pasta, gnocchi, pizza, salad, fried potatoes, deer carpaccio, sausages, cheeses… a nice place for this sort of event. Everyone had a lot of fun and chatted through the evening. All the kimonos were so cute, too.

address: 沖縄県浦添市仲間1-24-26 https://goo.gl/maps/suXHGbijaV22

A few lunch time pictures:

Culture

Wearing Kimono: 着付け

着付け kitsuke: wearing/putting on kimono. This is truly an art form! But if I can do it, anyone can. I have not taken formal lessons, although I suppose I should at some point… as you can see in pictures below I am not very good but hopefully I can practice and improve some of the key points to “good kimono technique.” There are some guides online in Japanese which are very good for a beginner like me; there are also some English resources, but it is hit or miss as to how useful they are (some had good information and instructions, but others were significantly less informative). If you are interested, I recommend checking out some youtube videos on kimono dressing, yukata dressing, and obi tying, as well as tips and tricks to look good, and even tons of hair/make-up to match. This post is not a comprehensive guide, just the initial impressions of a beginner to the kimono scene.

Yukata is quite a bit simpler to put on than kimono, so after a collecting all the fiddly bits needed to put on kimono properly, I was finally ready to begin practicing with the kimono I purchased at the bargain sale. I bought the various accessories online and at second hand stores. Okinawa is not exactly mainland Japan, so very few stores even sell the pieces needed for kimono dressing, and ones that do tend to be a bit expensive. The obi-age (decorative scarf) and obi-jime (decorative cord) I was able to purchase cheaply at second hand shops (OFF-HOUSE is excellent for finding cheap bits and pieces).

So, here is the final list of items that I used for my first attempt, which is pretty much the minimum you should have to try and wear kimono. Obviously, you could use some different items, or make some substitutions to cut down on cost. Or you could go all out and add-in some of the extras (hair pieces, decorative collar, etc) to look super fancy.

  • hadajuban 肌襦袢: this piece may not be necessary if you want to simple use a camisole and leggings of some sort. It is simply thing cotton one-piece to protect the kimono from sweat and such.
  • nagajuban 長襦袢: this piece is more necessary. It is also an undergarment, but it features long sleeves to line the kimono sleeves and a collar (you can attach a fancier one if you wish) that should be exposed. I have seen some pictures with people definitely not wearing one of these with kimono, and without the exposed collar lining it looks a bit silly/strange, so I recommend to have some version of this. I think the effect is much cleaner and nicer looking. Yukata do not need the collar (although you can if you want), but kimono just does not look right without it. Some people use like a hadajuban and just attach a separate collar piece (the collar itself is called haneri 半襟, there is something called “easy collar” 簡単半衿, kantan haneri)– this is economical and probably a lighter feel, so I may just try this sometime. Okinawa is fairly hot and humid, so during warmer months, this would feel more comfortable. **Note: I have 2 types of nagajuban: 1 is a summer type and very thin/meshy (great for Okinawa!) and the second is a solid polyester-type fabric for cooler weather (only necessary for winter here in Okinawa).
  • erishin 衿芯: collar stiffener put through the nagajuban. It gives the beautiful collar shape.
  • koshihimo 腰紐: fabric ties to secure undergarments and kimono. You can instead use an elastic waist belt (often sold as a pair with korin belt), though it is handy to have some of these for helping tie obi (you remove them in the end, it just helps you keep it secure while adjusting the obi).
  • korin belt コリンベルト: help stabilize the kimono collar area (secured around the body under the bust area.
  • tabi 足袋: split-toed socks.
  • datejime 伊達締め: used to secure the waist below the bust, where the obi will be tied.
  • magic belt マジックベルト: a type of datejime with velcro, can be used instead of, or with the regular datejime. Usually one is used over nagajuban.
  • obiita 帯板: stiff plate inserted between obi and kimono to maintain shape.
  • obimakura 帯枕: makura means “pillow,” it is used to give the obi a beautiful shape.
  • obiage 帯揚げ: decorative cloth, also used to secure obimakura and obi.
  • obijime 帯締め: braided decorative cord, also used to secure obi. *you can use a obidome 帯留め decorative piece with this too.
  • geta 下駄: wooden sandals worn with kimono and yukata. You could also wear zori 草履 sandals, which tend to look a little fancier.
  • And of course a kimono 着物 and obi 帯.

For these pictures I used a Nagoya obi 名古屋帯, which is pre-stitched to make tying the taiko musubi easier. I have another fukuro obi 袋帯 as well, which can be used for the taiko musubi or some other types of knots as well. For informal kimono, either of these are a good choice. There are many rules as to which knot should be made with which obi should be worn with which kimono for which occasion during which season… etc. Do not feel overwhelmed. Honestly, just choose some things that you like and complement your appearance; many people, especially young people, do not know all of the rules, or even care to. People will be happy to see you in kimono, so have fun and don’t worry too much about adhering to any strict rules.

For my first time dressing and wearing kimono, I unfortunately did not bother much with hair and makeup, or even accessories… I was just sort of happy I got everything looking close to decent. I need to adjust the taiko musubi with more height, but otherwise everything else seemed to work nicely. As far as matching season, rank, etc… well I looked at some charts, and it appears that perhaps I have done O.K. Yellow, Gold and Orange are autumnal colors, matched with a komon kimono 小紋着物 (patterned kimono, best for informal wear or everyday wear, but also okay for New Years! however not for graduations, weddings or ceremonial events). I used a Nagoya obi, which also matches for the same occasions as a komon kimono (but again, not appropriate for formal events). I picked up the Nagoya obi at a second hand store, I just loved the momiji/kaede (maple leaves) with the kiku (chrysanthemum) and the fans in the orangey fall colors. I thought it would be lovely with the yellow kimono and appropriate for the season. Next time I will try my dark green fukuro obi for a slightly different look.

Version 2

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finally put it together

Since this first time, I have added several things to my “collection” both purchased or handmade… various obi-dome (ornaments for the obi-jime), obi-jime (decorative cords), obi-age (cloth), kinchaku (Japanese-style bag) and basket, different colors of haneri (collar), kanzashi (hair ornaments, also can use with the obi) and obi-kazari, different color tabi (socks), and of course a few different kimono and obi. It gives you a chance to explore different styles for different occasions; the possibilities are endless.

Culture, Travel: Japan

Okinawa Omiyage: お土産

Omiyage お土産 are souvenirs. I posted about omiyage in general, but what should you bring back from Okinawa or send to friends back home? These are some of the things I have sent to friends or taken with me to give to the host when we stay at an AirBnB. Here are a few of the top omiyage that are distinctly Okinawan… (don’t get me wrong, the weird KitKat flavors are interesting, but not really unique to Okinawa).

Food:

chinsukou ちんすこう: small cookies/biscuits, made mostly of lard, flour, and sugar. Not recommended for vegetarians or Muslims, since it is usually pork lard. You can find various flavors such as brown sugar, salt, milk, sweet potato, and even sakuna.

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Okinawa brown sugar 黒糖 (pronounced kokutou): cubes/chunks of brown sugar are sold in bags (and sometimes as candies). Also many other omiyage items will be flavored with Okinawa brown sugar.

shikuwasa (fruit, juice, etc) シークワーサー or シークヮーサー: small limey citrus fruit. You can buy the juice concentrate, or snacks/candies made using the flavor.

beniimo tarts 紅いもタルト: these are super popular omiyage. It is a small tart with the Okinawan purple sweet potato flavor. They are very pretty. They even make some for dogs now!

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Okinawa soba 沖縄そば: packages of Okinawa soba.

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awamori 泡盛: the local liquor. You can buy small or regular size bottles.

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spam スパム: while not especially Okinawa exclusive, it is extremely popular here in Okinawa, and not many people on the mainland of Japan eat this. There are many types (similar to Hawaii, really), and some may be exclusive to Okinawa.

Non-food omiyage:

Shisa シーサー: these come in pairs, and are replicated like the larger ones you see all over Okinawa on buildings, houses, etc. These range in very cheap, to very expensive. You can buy them about anywhere, but for nicer ones check out the pottery districts in Tsuboya or Nanjo.

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bingata 紅型: beautiful Ryukyuan technique for dying fabric. You can buy all sorts of items made from this fabric: coin pouches, purses, scarves, shirts, kimono, hair-ties, or even framed pieces of the fabric.

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Ryukyu lacquerware: Ryukyu lacquerware has a unique style compared to other Asian countries.

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ujizome うーじ染め: a technique for weaving and dyeing fabric using sugarcane leaves (uji うーじ in Okinawa language, 染め zome is dying). Items are a beautiful green color.

umeshi うめーし: Okinawan chopsticks (hashi 箸). They may look plain at first, but have an interesting history.

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Culture

Bargain Kimono Sale: 着物

I wrote about summer yukata in another post, but recently, I went to a used/bargain kimono and yukata sale… which of course led me to pick out some items for very cheap. While there were some beautiful pieces (even pre-picked out sets) for higher prices, my budget for these types of things is not very high. That being said, I am happy with my purchases.

First, I found a pink rabbit hanhaba obi (with a silvery pattern on the opposite side)… super kawaii. So since it is a casual (half) obi, I decided to look for a yukata that would match it; I ended up with a discounted medium blue yukata with pink and purple sakura-looking flowers on it. While normally I would not choose a flower pattern, this one contrasts and complements the obi so well. I am excited for next festival season already! I will need to alternate between my cats yukata and my bunny/flower yukata set.

The second combination I found was an antique komon 小紋 kimono 着物, which is a semi-formal/informal kimono with a repeating pattern (less rules, more free patterns and variety), and an full-width obi that I thought went well with it. The kimono is yellow-gold with a pattern of colorful omamori (charms, amulet)  お守り; it is rather unique, and maybe a little kitschy, and definitely not your typically flowers or elegance. At first I though the design was pots, like for shoyu or sake (which sounds like an awesome design itself!) until I looked closer. The obi is a dark green with wisps of white and black color on it, so it gives a nice contrast to the bright colors on the kimono. It is not proper for full formal events, but rather better as a more casual piece, while still being acceptable for semi-formal events by dressing it up a bit. This is perfect since I cannot imagine any formal kimono events in my future! I have started to assemble the fiddly bits that I need to be able to wear the full kimono ensemble; just learning to tie this type of obi seems daunting in itself. I am even tempted to hire a kimono dresser at some point so I can get it put together properly! Yukata are quite simple, but kimono add layers upon layers of complication.

Some of the fiddly bits necessary for kimono dressing:

Being a bargain shopper meant going through a large number of fabrics and obi to find the right size (I am a medium height Western female, which means rather on the tall side compared to most Japanese females), quality (some had obvious defects hence the discount), price, and designs. After a good hour of perusing, I settled on these 2 sets after contemplating some other designs. Considering new kimono run to the equivalent of hundreds (or even thousands) of US dollars, paying 2000yen (~$20 USD) for an antique kimono in good condition made me happy. The other pieces were all cheaper (900yen each, except the bunny obi costing me 2200yen, the only item over budget).

In Okinawa, there are a few places you can find secondhand yukata and kimono, mainly “recycle” shops (リサイクル), such as Manga Souko and OFF-house (2 of the bigger chain recycle shops and well known to gaijin, though perhaps you could get lucky with a smaller unknown recycle shop). There are also a few secondhand and antique kimono specialty shops (such as Kimonobana, the shop that held the bargain event). Prices at recycle shops can be as low as 500-1000 yen, but often the quality will be very poor in this price range (unless you are very lucky!). Most prices seem to be a bit higher than this, and I have seen some very beautiful 30,000 yen (or more!) kimono in some of the secondhand shops, you can imagine what the orginal price must have been. Of the 2 larger chains, OFF-house seems to be a better value and selection than Manga Souko in my opinion. I have yet to explore all the secondhand kimono shops, but hopefully I can get around to it before the New Year. Overall, these are still a pretty decent deal compared to paying for new kimono, so if you are in Okinawa and interested in kimono and yukata options, definitely check out some of these places. And of course, keep your eyes out for used Kimono sale events that happen throughout the year.

Culture, Japanese foods, Travel: Japan

Matsuyama 松山, part 3: Festival 祭 & final day

Continuation from part 1 and part 2 of Matsuyama trip.

At the end of the first day, we were lucky enough that there was a Lantern and danjiri (shrine/temple cart) festival scheduled during our visit, held in the park at the foot of the castle. So of course, we go to check out these interesting mainland matsuri called 大神輿総練 Oomikoshisouneri!

灯りの祭典(ランタン祭り): Lantern festival 

だんじり danjiri: a cart made to represent a temple or shrine, it has 
wheels, but can also be lifted up on the shoulders.

神輿 mikoshi: palanquin carried on the shoulders used by shrines and 
temples during festivals.

I have way too many photos to post, but it was certainly a lively and exciting matsuri. First we ate some matsuri food and drank some beer, then watched the taiko performances.

They lit the lanterns (by hand, all candles!) that adorned the danjiri. Next they started with the all-female mikoshi, parading through the crowds. Then the enormous mikoshi/danjiri rolled out with enthusiatic men on each corner whistling, waving towels, and shouting, while several men were carrying the cart and occasionally lifting it high into the air. Once they had their turn, the smaller danjiri got to go all at once– the field was filled with carts jostling about, drumming, chanting, whistling…! It was a site to see, a great way to end the evening.

To view all of the images, here is an album: https://imgur.com/a/03dUy 

During our final full day in Matsuyama, it rained quite a bit, so there were less pictures. We still had a fairly eventful day, though.

First we explored a historic tea garden and a folkcrafts/textiles museum, both which happened to be open fairly early.

We then went to the day onsen near the hotel 伊予の湯治場 喜助の湯 (“Kisuke”), while not historical, pretty nice with lots of different types of baths. You had to purchase amenities separately which could add up if you do not bring your own.

Afterwards we headed towards the castle gardens, despite the rain. We paid the admission fee to look around the gardens, as well as the tea set. The garden does not always do tea ceremony, so we were fortunate that it was being held this time of year. We were brought out usuzumi youkan 羊羹 to eat and frothy, bright green matcha to drink.

Even though we indulged in a tea set, I was not finished yet… we ended up also walking downtown where I sought out various treats famous to this area, including ichiroku (1-6) tart and shoyu dango. Ichiroku tart is a lovely yuzu citrus castella wrapped around smooth bean paste; you can also buy chesunut and matcha flavors. I also bought Madonna dango (also Botchan themed), which has a really western dango taste: strawberry, vanilla, and cafe ole! It is really good, and I think it must be popular with women.

A gelato shop called SunnyMade also caught our eye, and well, yes… ! Of course we decided to split the “10 small scoops of your choice plate!” We were given a check sheet and decided which of the 18 available flavors to try (the 10 we chose were kabocha/pumpkin, iyokan marmalade, kinako/roasted soy bean, passionfruit, blueberry, strawberry, matcha, salt milk, pear, and another local citrus flavor). There was even a free toppings bar. It was delicious and I would recommend trying it, especially the local flavors!

We shopped for awhile under the covered arcade until dinner time. For dinner, we happened to find this “German” restaurant… well, it was German themed but not really so German at all. It was called Munchen ミュンヘン. We noticed a large number of people getting carry-out right away and wondered what it might be… turns out it was karaage, and this place is super popular spot to get karaage. We ordered some (Japanese) beer in king size mugs, karaage, German sausage plate, and fried gobou (burdock root). It was all actually really good, and not pricey at all. Overall my husband was very happy. Afterwards we crashed at the hotel with a few more beers from the conbini and watched the local news.

 

Culture, Japanese foods, Travel: Japan

Matsuyama 松山, part 2: Castle 成

Continuing from where I left off about Matsuyama, part 1…

After Dogo onsen area, we set out for lunch and walked a bit aimlessly until we settled on an okonomiyaki place, which turns out to be a lovely find. We split a kimchi yaki-ramen and a Hiroshima style okonomiyaki with some beer. The owner ojiisan and customers were a bit amused by the gaijin coming inside (this was not exactly on the main path, but rather tucked behind some sketchy neighborhoods), and then being able to order in Japanese. Quite good, really.

Next it was time for sake (nihonshu) sampling! There is a place where you can (for a price) sample sake from all over the prefecture. The price is per glass, so not really so much as sample, as just a small glass. To be quite honest, I felt completely overwhelmed by the menu… so I plucked up my courage and asked in Japanese if he (the worker) could recommend 4 different sakes from Ehime prefecture, since I really do not know enough about the subtle differences of sake to decide. Luckily, he understood my dilemma, and I got the feeling this was actually quite normal for Japanese to ask for his recommendations, so he chose 2 sweet and 2 dry for us. I was relieved, as I wanted to try some, but again… the menu had probably over 50 different choices with not much description that I could properly understand (other than the very basic types and alcohol percentages). I would definitely recommend visiting this shop if you find yourself in Ehime, and try some of the local alcohol.

It was still fairly early, so we decided to go ahead and visit the castle since there was rain in the forecast for the following day (and good thing we did!). To get to the castle, you can walk up a steep trail or for 1020 yen round trip + castle tower entrance fee (entrance by itself is 510 yen), you can take either a chair lift or a ropeway car. My husband wanted to take the chair lift since it would be more exciting. The chair lift is continuous, so there is essentially no wait time to get on (the seats are individual, so no riding in twosies), while the ropeway leaves every 10 minutes, and has room for probably a dozen or so people in the cabin. The chair lift has no restraints, you just sit in the chair and hold on… I felt a little nervous, but it was fun and the view wonderful. At the top, you still have to hike a bit up to the castle no matter which mode of transport you chose.

The castle and grounds were really nice; the views on top of the tower were quite good. The tower was pretty interesting, lots of historical information. You must remove you shoes to enter the castle tower, and you can opt to wear rubber slippers. The stairs inside are very steep and narrow, just as a fair warning in case this might pose a problem. I almost slipped a few times.

After the castle, of course I need another snack so my husband and I split an iyokan 伊予柑(type of local orange citrus) soft serve by the chair lift/ropeway (which is CHEAPER than the one by the castle, only a few meters away!). It was delicious! I highly recommend trying this if you visit in warmer weather.

At this point, we head back to the room clean up and get ready for the next exciting adventure: the festival! To be continued in Part 3!

Again, a very small sampling of photos, for more visit: https://imgur.com/a/03dUy

Culture, Japanese foods, Travel: Japan

Matsuyama 松山, part 1: Dogo Onsen 道後温泉

During the recent holiday weekend, we visited Matsuyama 松山 in Ehime Prefecture 愛媛県 on Shikoku 四国. While this may not be a “must-see” for most people taking a visit to Japan, it was certainly a lovely place… I am now wishing I had more time and could have seen more of Shikoku. Another trip maybe…

Matsuyama is known for 2 things: it is the setting of the famous Japanese novel “Botchan,” by Natsume Souseki, a tale of a head-strong Tokyoite named Botchan sent to the rural Matsuyama town on Shikoku Island to teach middle school math, set in the Meiji era. It was also recently turned into a J-drama movie starring one of the Arashi members, and is really entertaining! The second thing is the Dogo Onsen, not only famous due to Botchan, but also said to have been 1 of the onsen that inspired the backdrop for Ghibli’s Spirited Away animated film.

Anyway, on to the trip!

First thing to know, there is no train from the Matsuyama airport, you will need to take a bus downtown (which is actually a very short ride, 310 yen to the JR station, or 410 yen to the city station, I think it must have been less than half an hour). Exit the airport, and there will be a ticket machine to buy tickets, then just get on the bus. Easy. Depending on the number in your party, it is not unreasonable to simply take a taxi (fare ~2000yen when we took it on the return trip from our hotel to the airport!).

We got off at the JR station, but realized too late that the tram that goes to our hotel a) runs only 2x per hour, and b) actually runs in a loop which is somewhat reverse and inconvenient. Anyway, at the JR station you can buy 1 day or 2 day passes for the Iyotetsu trams (**PASMO and SUICA do not work… sigh). For a some extra fee, these can include more trains, the Botchan train ride, and Matsuyama castle entrance. For what it is worth… I do not think these passes are worth it, at least it ended up not be for us. The “city” is actually really walkable (or even bike-able), and the trams not so convenient. It turned out to be cheaper for us not to use the day passes, since we sort of enjoy walking most places anyway. Just something to think about.

Anyway, we end up walking to our hotel (next to the castle park area) from the station since it is not a very long walk anyway. We checked into the hotel, admired our “castle view,” which was a bit like, oh yeah, I can see a cute little castle at the top of that hill over there… and headed out to enjoy the evening views. We headed towards Okaido station shopping area, admired some food stuffs in the department store and surrounding shopping arcade. At sunset we took the ferris wheel on top of the department store. FYI: If you show your PASSPORT this is free! We did not do our research… and had to pay the fare. sigh. BRING YOUR PASSPORT for the free ride!  Well, it was a nice view, not spectacular but a cute way to wind down a day.

Afterwards, it was time to head towards Dogo Onsen 道後温泉, one of the onsen that is said to have inspired Spirited Away (Japanese title: 千と千尋の神隠し)! I came at night in order to get the night shots of the onsen all lit up and romantic (bathing would happen the next day). A warning: if you really, really want to bathe at Dogo onsen at night, just be aware it might be crowded… nighttime is the most popular time to visit (for very good reason, it is stunning!). We opted just for pictures at night (I dislike crowds overall). So we enjoyed the public foot bath, the strolling the small shops in the area, trying out the famous botchan dango, and taking pictures for the first evening. Really, Dogo Onsen is just fantastic at night; the atmosphere really is amazing, people wandering around in yukata with bath baskets, leisurely heading towards the bath… I was quite jealous now that we had not opted to stay in the immediate area (but the prices were literally 3x that of where we were staying… alas!). We also tried the Dogo Beer Brewery… it was okay… but honestly 600yen per beer was a bit much. The beer was so-so (I thought the Madonna beer was best), and if you were not eating a meal there, you could only do “take-out” which meant drinking the beer in a plastic cup in front of the building. So lessons learned: stay as close to Dogo Onsen as possible in one of the minor onsen hotels (assuming price is not unreasonable) and do not feel pressured into trying Dogo Beer, as it is not that great (not terrible, just, Asahi is better and cheaper).

The next day, we decide to hit up Dogo Onsen for the actual bath around 8ish after taking breakfast at our hotel. This so happened to be a PERFECT time for visiting… not too crowded so enjoying the bath was amazing! We arrived, took a shoe locker, and bought our tickets. Now, there are many levels of tickets, most are for a total of merely 1 hour in the bath… there is the basic, no frills, no nothing just entrance fee for just a few hundred yen. Then you can start looking at the Tama-no-yu bath with senbei (rice cracker)/tea snack on the second floor lounge for a bit more, and then the high rollers of Tama-no-yu bath plus private changing room and botchan dango/tea snack at a whopping 1500yen, but you get 80 minutes in the bath. Well, in coming here, I am going for the whole experience, so I insist to my husband we get the highest tier. Now, I will not kid around, knowing Japanese is a huge advantage here. I am unsure how you could get around here comfortable not knowing it. I am sure it is possible, but I imagine rather difficult.

So we get our tickets, and they direct us to the 3rd floor. On the 3rd floor, we are received by a mama-san, who gives us bath towels, yukata with the special crane design, and shows us to our private 2-person tatami changing room. She explains we have the room for 80 minutes, and can use both the second floor Tama-no-yu bath, as well as the public 1st floor bath. When we are finished and ready for tea, to ring the buzzer on the table. So we change quickly, admire the view from our third floor room, and head down towards bath areas. We are entranced by the beautiful interior of the whole complex, with winding halls, narrow stairs, beautiful rooms with small details, cheerful bathhouse workers… seriously, something out of a Ghibli film.

I enter the 2nd floor baths, and as it turns out, I am the only one using it at this time. It was wonderful, even if a bit simple. Even so, images of Botchan (a Japanese novel set in Matsuyama) and Spirited Away surround me. Perhaps I have a good imagination. After a good soak, I finish up, eager to scope out the rest of the complex, as well.

I looked around at the second tier lounge, just to see what I upgraded from. This floor was also quite lovely; while it was a mixed, open floor plan (changing rooms for the bath segregated), you could enjoy senbei and tea while wearing yukata with the basic design with a nice view from the balcony. I think a majority of visitors choose this option.

From here, I wandered down to the first floor public bath. It was larger and obviously more lively (less private), but that is also a good thing. I like variety. There are no amenities down here, so you need to bring your own towels, robes, soap, shampoo/conditioner (the more upper level bath comes with these), just remember if you choose this option!

Afterwards I went back to our 3rd floor room where my husband was waiting. We buzzed for tea, and moments later it arrived~ green tea and botchan dango. Botchan dango has 3 flavors: red bean, matcha, and local citrus (although very light citrus flavor). Finally our 80 minutes have passed and it is time to leave. My husband liked that we had a room together and he was not just changing with ojiisans, even if our baths were separate.

Before we headed down the stairs, the mama-san showed us the Botchan room. It is all in Japanese, but I could get the basic idea. On the second floor, we were then given a small tour of the imperial baths (where the emperor bathes on his visits). They explained that the 2nd floor mens bath is where the bodyguards bathed; my husband was amused and now brags he bathed where the imperial bodyguards bathe. Anyway, it is an interesting little area.

Feeling refreshed, we look for the next item on the itinerary; the onsen shrine and the Dogo Park area. These are not particularly spectacular, but enjoyable nonetheless. We get tickets for the Botchan train; it is so cute. We also watch the “gizmo” clock, as on the hour, it plays music and little Botchan characters come out and move around.

Here is a “sample” of pictures:

Click to continue to Part II!

Additional images from Matsuyama (not organized or labeled yet…): https://imgur.com/a/03dUy

 

 

 

Culture, Holidays

Okinawa Lion Dance: 獅子舞

獅子舞 shishimai is “Lion Dance.”

This obviously has roots in Chinese culture. The shishi dog-lions are similar to shisa dog guardians; they are meant to protect or ward from evil, and to bring prosperity. Okinawa lion-dogs have hairy bodies, unlike the mainland, and lacquered heads made from the wood of Diego trees. Each region is a bit different in style, as well as dancing.

Shishimai are popular during traditional celebratory events, such as the New Year and Harvest festival (豊年祭 hounen-matsuri, around juugoya). Ryukuan lion dance is bit different from the Chinese style; less acrobatic, and usually larger or bulkier. There is a “handler” that sort of leads them around as they perform.

This is a terrible picture… hopefully I can get some better ones this year. This is the style of shishi lion in my village; he has a green lacquer face and and brown dreads.

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Cooking, Culture, Holidays, Local Foods

8th Lunar month in Okinawa: ハチグヮチ (八月)

ハチグヮチ hachi-gwachi in Okinawan language (八月 hachigatsu in Japanese) means 8th month. This refers to the 8th month in the lunar calendar, so more around September time frame than August. Several days throughout the lunar year there are umachi ウマチー days (Okinawan for festival day, or matsuri まつり in Japanese), in which special traditional observances are held. The 7th and 8th lunar months are particularly busy, first with Obon and then with Autumn Equinox week.

Besides Juugoya, or juuguyaa in Okinawan (Tsukimi 月見 moon-viewing), on the 15th of the 8th lunar month, there are some other traditional days in the Ryukuan calendar.

On 8/8 (double numbers are always considered lucky), is the celebration of Okinawa longevity called Toukachi (tokachi, tookachi) トーカチ. This is similar to 米寿 beiju celebration (88th birthday year) on mainland Japan. Those who turned 88 in the current lunar new year are celebrated; these days, it is now a small family affair with traditional foods (pork of course, some fried foods, kelp knots, and such), a bamboo decoration called toukaki 斗掻 (とうかき) in Japanese and tokachi トーカチ in Okinawan (hence, the name of the day), and perhaps a ceremonial bingata kimono in the Ryukyuan style. The mall displayed the longevity celebration parade car.

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Another one of these special days is on 8/10, called Kashichi カチシー; this day is to pray for health offering to the buddhist altar (butsudan) and the family fire-god (Hinukan).

Kashichi カシチー is called 強飯 kowameshi in Japanese. Kashichi is glutinous rice mixed with red beans and is offered at the butsudan (altar) and the hinukan. See the recipe below.

A Shibasashi シバサシ (柴差し) is attached to the pillars of a house from the 9th to the 11th days of the 8th lunar month (most calendars mark it officially as the 10th); it is pampas grass (susuki ススキ) and mulberry branches bundled into an amulet, then placed at the four corners of the house and/or the gate (also the well, the barn, and any food storage buildings traditionally) in order to ward off evil, specifically majimun マジムン which are Okinawan ogres/demons/evil spirits. The amulet is made into a shape called サン san, like a sangwa サングァー.

Around this time are also 豊年祭 hounen-matsuri, or harvest festivals, in English. During these, you will see tug-of-war (Tsunahiki) and lion dances (shishimai), among other traditional songs and dance. Many of these will occur on the 15th day (same as juugoya), though in my surrounding neighborhoods they wait until the Friday or Saturday after juugoya.

Kowameshi (kashichi) 強飯 (カシチー) recipe: This is mochi rice (mixed with regular non-glutinous rice) with red beans. It translates to “strong rice” because made with mochi-gome もち米 (glutinous rice, which is a firmer mouth-feel). Traditionally, this type of rice was only used for special occasions.

Ingredients:

red beans (azuki beans), 1 1/4 cup
Glutinous rice (mochi rice), 260 g
Non-glutinous rice (such as koshihikari, or some other short grain rice), 75 g
salt, 1 teaspoon
leftover boiled water of red beans, ~360mL

Wash beans, put in pot over stove with 1.5 cups of water (add more water if needed). Once it is boiled and soft, strain in a colander, keeping the boiled water for later.
Wash the rice for 30 minutes before the cooking. I use a rice cooker.
In a pot, add boiled bean water , mix with salt, rice, and cooked red beans. Pretty simple to prepare. 

Culture

Autumn Equinox: 秋分

Shuubun 秋分 is the Autumn Equinox (likewise shunbun 春分 is Spring Equinox) and is a Public Holiday in Japan.

秋のお彼岸 aki-no-ohigan means the week of Autumn Equinox; only the actual day of Shuubun is a holiday, but some older traditions celebrate during the entire week (3 days before plus 3 days after). It is a time for “harvest festivals.” While in the rest of Japan it may be more typical to visit graves, in Okinawa it is usually just observed at home at the butsudan (buddhist altar) and the hinukan, but it is possible that you may still see a number of people out visiting and cleaning graves during this time.

Fuchagi, a type of Okinawa mochi, is a popular food and altar offering during this time.

Here in Okinawa, the weather may start to cool a bit, but for the most part the weather here is still fairly warm, compared with mainland Japan.

The SanA grocery store has been advertising for pre-orders of party platters for Shuubun 秋分の日 (秋彼岸 akihigan, or 秋のお彼岸 aki no ohigan, Autumn equinox week). There are various foods served during this time, pretty similar to what you see in other traditional Okinawa gatherings (pork, kamaboko, etc).

In mainland Japan, a traditional food is ohagi おはぎ, a glutinous rice ball covered in sweet red bean paste; some also have goma ごま (sesame seeds) or kinako きな粉 (toasted soy flour) coating them. They are meant to represent an bush clover (called “hagi” in Japanese, a symbol of Autumn) and are used as offerings to the ancestors (yes, another time of year to pay respects to ancestors, deceased family members).

Ohigan literally means “the other shore,” meaning the other side of the river which divides the living from the deceased in the afterlife according to Buddhist tradition.

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Culture, Local Foods

Hinukan, fire god: ヒヌカン (火の神)

ヒヌカン (also seen as ヒーヌカン) Hinukan is the Okinawan word, would be hinokami 火の神 Japanese. 火 is the kanji for “fire” and 神 is the kanji for “god.”

Traditional Ryukyuan cultural believed that a fire god lives in the cooking stove (hearth) of every house or kitchen, to protect a house and its family from evil spirits.

In traditional kitchens, a small altar is set up and maintained by the oldest woman in the household, sometimes on a shelf, a window sill or in a corner. This is a tradition which is dying out, but some still continue today (I was first told of this by an older woman I teach English conversation to, as she has one in her kitchen). The ceramic censer (incense burner) is put in the kitchen along with a plant, salt, water, awamori or sake, and rice in different containers.

It is the oldest woman’s duty to report the events of family life to the hinukan and pray for family happiness and good health. Everyday, the hinukan is given a glass of water in the morning and cleaned regularly. Also, on the 1st and 15th of every month according to the lunar calendar, there is a small ritual to give the hinukan awamori, rice, and burn incense in prayer. During the Spring and Autumn equinoctial week, some additional offerings are usually included. The SanA grocery store already has an advertisement out for pre-orders of party platters for Shuubun 秋分の日 (秋彼岸 akihigan, or 秋のお彼岸 aki no ohigan, Autumn equinox week).

The idea of a hinukan hearth god amuses me, and reminds me of Calcifer in Howl’s Moving Castle. Somehow it seems very cute.

Below is a picture of the set-up explanation that I saw at the SanA grocery store.

 

Culture, Experiences, Local Events, Local Foods

Small Town Tug-of-War in Okinawa

Every year in my neighborhood after Obon, near the village office a Tug-of-war 綱引き (tsunahiki) is held. The idea is similar to the larger Tug-of-Wars held in Naha, Itoman, and Yonabaru, except on an obviously much smaller scale. The name of the event in this town is called Marujina マールジナ.

The village starts makes the two ends of the rope, and sets up a small area with free shave ice and drinks (including beer). Around 6 pm, everyone starts to assemble, and eisa music plays on the loudspeakers (which no joke, are definitely left over sound equipment from the 60s, crackly speakers and all). We were lucky this year with no rain– the previous 2 years festivities were cut short due to rain.

We dressed in jinbei 甚平, although almost no one except the very small children dress up for this event, because I feel that I might as well enjoy it properly. So wearing my jinbei, I grabbed a tenugui (towel), uchiwa (fan), and a beer, and walked down the street to the event. Of course, being foreigners we stick out, and wearing jinbei even more so, but that’s okay, probably people see the effort to appreciate local culture/traditions and feel more comfortable talking us. Of course the minute we arrive, shave ice and drinks are thrust upon us (not that I minded). Kids were frolicking about, getting excited, while the adults were catching up on chatting. Throughout the festival we spoke to a few of our neighbors who are always a bit interested in the foreign couple living in this rural area (all of our neighbors are Japanese/Okinawan… the only few other foreigners in the village live a few neighborhoods down from us or up the hill by the university).

Around 6:30 the Gaaee ガーエー starts. Gaaee means something like “winner’s triumphant shout.” Basically it entails guys carry a large, heavy bamboo pole decorated with flags and flowers and other decorations, called hatagashira 旗頭. Hatagashira are an example of the traditional Okinawan culture. They are symbols created to represent a the success of a village. Supposedly, during the pole competition, the gods land on the top of the hatagashira and assist in the tugging of the rope during the tug-of-war. Some of the guys grabbed my husband and helped him try; my husband commented how incredibly top-heavy it is and that it definitely takes more skill than you might imagine.

In our village we have the adults gaaee, as well as a children’s gaaee. The children are given much smaller hatagashira, and are assisted by adults. The children’s symbols are a sunflower and a hibiscus. It is sort of cute, like they are in training for later when they are older.

Sometime around 7 or so, the rope was set up and the procession of uniting the two ends began. Once the ropes were close enough, fires were lit, the pin was inserted, and of course, the tugging began! After the first round, the gaaee started back up again for awhile until round 2 for the children. Many of the adults helped the children during their round (the rope is so heavy!). After this round, again, the gaaee finished off the ceremony. Some adults stuck around, as they were having karaoke in the community center, but since we had work in the morning (and plus no one wants to hear me sing) we headed off home.

It was a particularly exciting and energetic event this year, probably since it is the first time in awhile we had good weather for this event! Besides the pictures, there is a video link here of the Tug of War and here for a preview of Gaaee.

 

Culture, Local Foods

Summer Eisa on Miyagi-jima

宮城島 Miyagi-jima is a small island connected by bridge to the Okinawa main island via Henza-jima.

This year is the second annual summer eisa matsuri, called たかはなり島あしび Takahanari Shima Ashibi.

高離り島 (たかはなり島) refers to Miyagi-jima. あしび means “to play” in Okinawa language (coming from the Japanese, 遊ぶ asobu). So basically, the name of the festival is like “come play on Miyagi island!”

At 3 pm, eisa groups start to perform along the roads in 3 areas of the island. There is a main parking area at the old (abandoned) elementary school for the festival. FYI, this is NOT actually in google maps… so actually pay attention to the address given… unlike myself, who figured, I will just follow the signs, how hard can it be, it is a tiny island, right?? Well, luckily when you get close, the signs had a pouch with printed out maps, directions, locations, schedules and the whole bit, otherwise I would have stayed lost (despite this being a tiny island). Luckily, we were not the only lost souls, other Japanese/Okinawans were also getting these maps and looking confused. Anyway, it was easy once we figured the approximate location in the car navi system.

Anyway… so back to the street performances. These were simply along residential, narrow streets of the island, from 3-5pm. People emerged from houses and cars to watch and listen to the eisa performers. During this time, my husband (over 6 feet tall, a giant by Japanese standards) and myself (although of average US height, still towers over most Japanese women) decidedly stood out as the only foreigners in the small crowd. It was a bit hot, but at least there was some small breeze off the ocean making it a bit more tolerable. We arrived a bit late (nearly 4pm, due to the maps issue), which was probably a good thing considering the Okinawan heat. In spite of seeing many eisa performances since arriving nearly 3 years ago, I am still fairly fascinated by it and all of the variations you see around the island.

Around 5pm, the main stage area of the festival grounds was getting started, and tents with food, drinks, and local products encircled the field. This festival was unlike many of the other more “popular” summer matsuri, as here it was almost entirely LOCAL business and products! Wow, so nice– too often with the larger matsuri, big companies come in and sell food/drink (with bigger crowds, the mom&pop places have a hard time competing), and they are rather subpar. Today, it was different and amazing.

The famous ougon-imo (黄金芋, orange sweet potato similar to annou-imo and “American” orange sweet potatoes) from the neighboring island made an appearance, as well as many other small businesses. Ika (squid) caught from the surrounding waters and mozuku (seaweed special to Okinawa) was also prominent among food sellers. We had squid karaage (fried squid rings), beniimo dango (fried purple sweet potato mochi), baked ougon-imo, sata andagi (Okinawa doughnut) flavored with dragonfruit, ohagi (sweet sticky rice balls, these were flavored with ougon-imo), and chicken wrapped in fried shredded ougon-imo (um… picture like a chicken nugget but if instead of breading you replaced that with sweet potato hashbrowns). Everything we tried was delicious, my husband gave it his highest rating. He was initially a bit reluctant to be dragged to this small festival, as it was about a 45-minute car ride north of our house. I guess I drag him to a lot of summer matsuri…

As we were eating, the main stage shows played. There was eisa, local dancing, sanshin, chondora (eisa clowns), fan dance, and more. It was really quite nice, especially once the sun sunk down beneath the horizon and it cooled down a bit.

I guess it was a bit obvious the lack of foreign guests (besides us, 2 american guys with their Okinawan wives). We were approached by a writer for one of the travel websites, as she had noticed us watching the street eisa earlier. She spoke to me in Japanese, mixed with a little English, and I explained my situation in Okinawa, and how I had found out about this matsuri (online, from an event website in Japanese). She lamented the lack of English resources for finding these types of events, and I agreed, as I find these local events extremely interesting and a great chance to learn more about tradition and culture of the islands. She took our picture and gave me a card; she was a sweet person. Later she emailed a link to the article she wrote and our picture with caption was published on the travel website.

Evenings like this type of summer festival are special, and gives a chance to glimpse how life really is in Okinawa. At these events you can see the real Okinawa, not the tourist view.

 

Culture, Local Foods

Okinawa chopsticks: Umeshi 沖縄赤黄箸 「うめーし」

沖縄赤黄箸: 沖縄 is Okinawa, 赤 aka is “red,” 黄 ki is “yellow,” and 箸 hashi is chopsticks. So this means Okinawa red-yellow colored traditional chopsticks.

Chopsticks are know as hashi 箸 in Japanese, but in Okinawa they are called umeshi うめーし (you may also see the romanization as ume-shi or umeeshi due to the long “eh” sound). These chopsticks came to Okinawa during the Ryukyu Kingdom era, with origins from China. They are made from bamboo.

The red part of the umeshi is to represent the sun, and is painted in lacquer, used as a handgrip. It helps prevent them from slipping in your hand.

The yellow part of the umeshi is to represent the moon, and is dyed/colored by rubbing it with turmeric (known as ukon ウコン in Japanese, ucchin うっちん in Okinawan), which is traditionally believed have antibacterial or sterilizing properties. Though these days, companies just move to more commercial dyes or paints.

Some theory also says the red can represent passion, protective amulet/ward, or human blood, while the yellow represents the sun.

These umeshi are still found in local restaurants and shokudo, but are becoming less common as people move towards the disposable hashi. I recently received 2 pairs as a gift; my initial thought was a bit, hmm, odd choice in hashi (sort of plain, no fancy pattern like you often see with Japanese hashi) but then I realized the tradition and culture behind these umeshi and was very grateful to receive such a kind gesture and gift with special meaning. Now I admit these have become my favorite pair.

Apparently, if you go back a long time ago, umeshi were originally called “nmeshi” んめーし. The 御 is pronounced ん “n”, and combined with 箸 pronounced めーし “meshi” makes んめーし “nmeshi.” But these days it is known better as umeshi.

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Culture, Local Foods

Fuchagi: フチャギ (more Okinawa mochi!)

フチャギ (or ふちゃぎ) fuchagi is a special Okinawa mochi; it is rice cake covered in azuki beans (小豆). This is a little different than muuchii. As I mentioned in other posts, beans are believed to ward off evil or demons. One of the main times of year to eat fuchagi is during Mid-Autumn Festival, around Autumn equinox and Tsukimi moon-viewing (occurs on the 15th of the 8th lunar month). They are also put on the altar and hinukan as an offering to give thanks for the current good harvest and to pray for future good harvests.

I was told the story behind the origin of fuchagi thanks to one of my older students. It is a kind of ghost story, really, but it has a happy ending.

Story of the origins of Fuchagi:

One day a man was kidnapped by a demon called a Majimun マジムン (a type of Ryukuan devil/monster) and entrapped in the tomb of an Aji 按司 (a type Ryukuan samurai, or feudal lord, high ranking person), located in a deserted area. He could not move and he could carely speak; only his hand could fit through a small opening to the outside of the tomb. He would cry for help in a husky voice, “Help me, help me…” but he received no replies.

After a few days, one night 2 men were walking near the tomb to take shelter from the rain. Suddenly, they noticed a hand emerge from the hole! They were terrified as they saw the human hand coming from the tomb, but they heard a husky voice pleading for help. The prisoner in the tomb told them his name and the village he was from, so the 2 men rescued him from the tomb, then bringing him back to his village via horseback.

However, 49 days had already passed since the man’s disappearance, so his family and the village held a funeral (one of the traditional number of days to hold a type of Buddhist funeral service), even without a body. Everyone was so surprised to see him approach as they were holding his funeral, but shed tears of joy at his return. The plain mochi used in the funeral was changed to celebratory mochi by adding beans to the surface (beans are used in celebrations and for warding off evil). Everyone ate the mochi covered in beans, and from then forward, fuchagi mochi is eaten to protect against evil every August 15th according to the lunar calendar.

Don’t live in Okinawa but want to make it at home? Here is the recipe at the bottom of this blog post (just scroll down); you can find all the ingredients pretty easily, but depending on where you live you may need to find an Asian market if these are not common in your regular grocery stores.

 

 

Culture

Summer Postcards: かもめ〜る

The Japan Post has a special Summer Postcard system (similar to New Years Cards). It is called kamome-ru (“kamo mail”). It is sort of a play on words, since kamome かもめ means “seagull,” and me-ru メール means “mail.” So the impression is like seagull mail.

On the bottom, lottery numbers are printed, the time period of sending these postcards started in June and will end August 26th. The winning numbers will be announced September 6th.

Yesterday I received some kamo-mail from one of my older students. Such a kind thought. She writes in Japanese very carefully and clearly so I can read it it easily. I will be sure to check the lottery numbers when they are announced… !

Culture, Japanese foods, Local Foods

Rice coupons: おこめ券

おこめ券: okomeken. This means rice coupon or ticket. お “o” is the honorable prefix, 米/こめ kome is rice, and 券 ken is ticket / coupon / certificate.

I was fortunate enough to receive such a gift around Christmas and the New year. At first, I thought, “what???!” It seemed a bit strange. There is a national program set up where you can basically buy gift certificates for 1 kg of rice for people. You can use these tickets at pretty much any grocery store. I think it costs about 500円 to purchase these. But then you can give these out during holidays or special occasions. It is actually sort of convenient, and a nice gift in that you can choose your own rice, if you have a preference. Also, there is no expiration date!

In addition, many other places will accept these rice certificates; for my husband, one of these places is Joyfull restaurant. Instead of 1 kg rice, it can be used as 〜440円 discount on the bill. I had to read some blogs in Japanese to figure out the logistics of using it, and discovered some places will also redeem these, so I gave some to my husband so he could  eat cheaply. Not enough English blogs talk about using these okome-ken…

If you live in Okinawa, here are some places that will redeem rice tickets in addition to the grocery stores (grocery stores will have marked which rice can use okomeken, and when in doubt just ask): Makeman (home improvement store), Wafu-tei (restaurant), HottoMotto (bento store), Joyfull (restaurant), and some gas stations!

If you should want to purchase rice tickets (to give to other people), go to the service counter of a department store, and many of them will sell these.

This one is shamefully a bit crumpled from being in my husbands wallet. I should have kept the pictures from when it was brand new and perfectly smooth.

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Culture

Ishigantou: 石敢當

石敢當 Ishigantou (or ishiganto) are another common feature in Okinawan neighborhoods. They are stone tablets, talismans to ward off evil spirits: 石 ishi means “rock,”敢 gan means “a challenge,” and 當 tou means “to strike/hit.” You will see them on every intersection; they keep bad spirits from entering homes near intersections and weaken their power (because evil spirits can only go in straight lines, they cannot turn).

It is a tradition that came from China a long time ago, and is prevalent all over the islands. Walking around just my neighborhood it is possible to see dozens. Some are handmade, some are plain, and some even have fancy designs; you can purchase many types at the DIY home center (like Cainz, Makeman, Sakamoto, etc). Just like shisa, this is another traditional way to protect the home.

There is even one on our laboratory door at university.

 

 

Culture, Travel: Japan

Learning Hiragana & Katakana

Hiragana ひらがな: traditional phonetic alphabet, typically used for original Japanese words.

Katakana カタカナ: phonetic alphabet used for foreign words, although occasionally used for Japanese words.

For anyone living in Okinawa, or even just visiting for awhile, I think it really opens up the possibilities if you learn the basic alphabets. It enables you to read more menus and signs, even with limited vocabulary. Menus with western food (such as Italian, American, French, etc) will use a lot of katakana (because the dishes are foreign!) and by simply sounding them out, you will likely figure out the meaning.

How does one go about doing this? Well, memorization and practice. There are even some phone apps, like Dr Moku, to help you. I also find the cute (and cheap!) little books and posters in the Daiso/100円 stores are great tools; even though they are for Japanese children, they are fun and a great way to simply practice.

Honestly, I am surprised to learn of people living here and not giving it a go to learn the alphabets and some basic Japanese. Relying on places to have English menus or translations in stores limits you. Worse yet, those who rely solely on their phone translators… while the technology is improving, there ares still some issues with “lost in translation,” especially when it comes to handwritten signs or stylized scripts. Plus, you can gain some small respect from the local population for attempting to learn (you will often hear things like nihongo ojouzu desu ne! you speak Japanese well!). By learning the basics, a whole new Okinawa opens up to you.

 

 

Culture, Japanese foods

Karaoke: カラオケ

Karaoke カラオケ is a popular activity in Japan, and there are karaoke boxes all over. In Okinawa, there are several places try this beloved activity.

Karaoke in Japan is different than in the US… you do not sing in front of a crowd of strangers. You (and your party) are assigned a room, so you are singing with just your friends, coworkers… or by yourself!

Hitori-karaoke 一人カラオケ is 1-person karaoke. Maybe this sounds weird to you, but it is incredibly relaxing and a great way to get rid of stress. You can sing as loud and as long as you want, without caring who is around. Plus, you get to pick all the songs. I have done this quite a few times before, and I enjoy much more than I thought I would. I know some people who go to hitori-karaoke just to practice for the real thing!

When you rent a karaoke room, it is usually by the hour and size of the room. Usually places have special pricing plans. For instance it is always cheaper in the mornings and on weekdays, but you if you want to sing  a lot, they have all night deals, too. Often times you can get unlimited soft drinks bar with some of these deals. Some places even have fancier sound system upgrades.

Once you settle on your room, you will be given microphones and touchscreen tablets (most places this is multilingual now) to control the video screens and choose songs. You might be seriously surprised at the enormous selection of foreign songs… just use the search function to find artists, songs, genres. There will also be food/drink menus in the room, and a telephone to call the desk for ordering food. Sometimes as a foreigner it is a bit intimidating to use the phone to call in orders, but I usually do not have too much trouble with this.

Some places to try karaoke in Okinawa are:

  • Utamaru 歌丸
  • Tomato とまと
  • Big Echo
  • Croquette Club コロッケクラブ
  • Maneki neko まねきねこ

These are chains with a few locations, but there are several more smaller places, too many to list!

 

Culture

Yukata: 浴衣

Yukata 浴衣 are the light summer robes, and much different than heavy, layered kimono 着物. Many people, men and women, wear yukata or jinbei 甚平 to the summer festivals (matsuri 祭り). You can also wear yukata to beer gardens, parties, or pretty much any casual outdoor “event” during the warmer months. Many people also wear them when staying in onsen towns.

In the Ryukyu kingdom, yukata would actually have much different designs than you see today at the summer matsuri. Today, most yukata in Okinawa are influenced by Japanese designs rather than traditional designs.

I have both a yukata and a jinbei. Jinbei are shorts and a robe top, very comfortable and light. Mine has a design of Hello Kitty x OnePiece. Very adult, indeed. Jinbei are sort of like pajamas and pretty comfortable. Perhaps it is seen as a bit childish or tomboyish for a female to wear jinbei, but it is so easy and comfy. I think they actually look pretty cute.

Yukata are actually fairly easy to put on, with a little practice. My yukata has a green checkered and cat print on it, and the obi 帯 is green on one side and pink on the other. It is very cute. But the obi is not the pre-tied obi like you see in many stores these days– I must tie it myself. I am considered getting one of those fluffy “ribbon” obi that seem to be trendy lately; they look very easy to tie, just a simple bow. Although I must say, I did a pretty good job of tying the bunko-musubi (butterfly knot) for this recent matsuri I attended. I have fan that sort of matches it, that I bought at the 100円 store, and a pair of geta 下駄 (wooden slippers), though many people in Okinawa just wear island slippers. I have a kinchaku (drawstring bag) as well, but it does not match, as it is one that was used as gift-wrapping for a gift I received. I have some flower hair clips from Hawai’i and I bought a set of flower clips at the 100円 store as well. There are all sorts of little bits and bobs you can buy to accessorize a yukata, if you feel so inclined (hair clips, pins, rope ties, handbags, etc). There are special ties and clips and underthings you can get as well to help secure the pieces. These can really add up in price fast though…

The basic pieces you need for a yukata:

  • the yukata itself
  • tanktop or thin shirt, shorts to wear underneath (you can also purchase Japanese-style underclothes called hadajuban 肌襦袢)
  • obi 帯, specifically hanhaba obi 半幅帯 of any style/color
  • 2 pieces of sash to secure yukata before tying obi, called koshi-himo 腰ひも **I actually use a korin-belt コーリンベルト which has clips so it is a bit fancier but more expensive.

The “extras”:

  • fan! Folded is called sensu 扇子, round is called uchiwa 団扇 (うちわ)
  • wooden sandals, called geta 下駄 **in Okinawa is probably more common to see just rubber slippers (you could also pair tabi socks 足袋 with this, but usually yukata is without)
  • handbag, kinchaku (drawstring bag) 巾着 with kago (basket) 籠 (かご)
  • a fancy cord to tie over obi, called obi-jime 帯締め, with an obi-dome 帯留め (ornament threaded over the obi-jime)
  • decorative accessory for obi, called obi-kazari 帯飾り
  • hair ornaments, called kanzashi 簪 (かんざし)
  • a stiff belt to go underneath the obi and keep shape, called datejime 伊達締め

There are many places in Okinawa during summer and pre-summer months to find yukata. You can buy second-hand and save some money, or you can buy new. Second hand stores such as Manga Souko and Off-House (part of the Book-Off group) usually have a decent variety. Buying new, you can go to SanA, Aeon, Honeys, or UNIQLO for cheaper ones, or specialty yukata/kimono stores for more expensive ones. You can also find many on Amazon.jp! There are so many patterns and colors, it is so hard to choose. I really enjoy seeing all the colorful and beautiful yukata and jinbei when I go to the summer matsuri.

**Note on sizing: Most women’s yukata are just sold as “free size,” and are usually for women of 153-170 cm in height, depending on the maker. Others may be sold as small, medium, large, extra-large, or tall size (the difference is in the length height-wise of the yukata, and the length of the sleeves covering your arm). I am ~168-169 cm, so on the taller end of this. Free size yukata fit me decently enough, though the tall size is a little nicer looking! Most tall sizes will fit someone up to 175cm tall. Any taller and you may need to make a custom order!

 

 

Culture, Travel: Japan

Manhole Covers in Japan: マンホールの蓋

マンホールの蓋: manhoru no futa, means “manhole cover.”

If you travel Japan, you will notice many beautiful and artistic designs on manhole covers. Just about every town and city has its own design. Be sure to take the time and look for them.

Below is the one from my town, Nakagusuku. It has a classical Ryukuan poem about the town on it, as well as a full moon, a hibiscus, and ocean waves:

「とよむ中城　吉の浦のお月　みかけ照りわたて さびやねさみ」

In Okinawan the pronunciation would be: トゥユムナカグスィク　ユシヌウラヌウツィキ　ミカギティリワタティ　サビヤネサミ, fairly from the different than standard Japanese reading.

The poem describes peacefully viewing the beautiful and peaceful moon from the castle towards (what is now) Yoshinoura Park, and there seems to be no worries about accidents or sorrow; this area was the place where Lord Gosamaru held moon-viewing feasts (tsukimi 月見) during the Gusuku era.

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Here are a few others located in various places of Okinawa and Japan; I can’t upload all my pictures, but maybe one day I will put them in an imgur album:

Culture, Experiences, Local Events

Tug of War: 大綱引き

綱引き Tsunahiki means tug-of-war.

You may also see the kanji written as 大綱曳 or 大綱挽 for the Great Tug-of-War events here in Okinawa. It became a tradition for every village in Okinawa to hold these tug-of-war events at the end of summer, beginning of autumn. In the lunar calendar, it is traditional to hold tug-of-war in the 6th or 8th month, although that is not always the case today. Originally it started as a way to pray to keep away the insects from damaging the crops, for rain, and for a good harvest.

Enormous ropes woven from straw are created for each team. Preceding the event are processions on each side with large banners on decorated poles (called hatagashira 旗頭), people in colorful costumes, and eisa dance/music or chanting, known as gaaee ガーエー, meaning something like “winner’s triumphant shout.” Basically it entails guys carry a large, heavy bamboo pole decorated with flags and flowers and other decorations, called hatagashira 旗頭. Hatagashira are an example of the traditional Okinawan culture. They are symbols created to represent a the success of a village. Supposedly, during the pole competition, the gods land on the top of the hatagashira and assist in the tugging of the rope during the tug-of-war.

To start the event, each team (divided into “East” and “West”) will bring their ropes together and a “pin” is inserted to keep the two looped ends together. Then the tugging will begin, with cheers and shouts on each end, the leaders of each team encouraging their side. After the time is up, they will determine who pulled the furthest and declare a side the winner. Afterwards, it is good luck to take pieces of the rope home with you and turn them into decorative charms to protect the household. You see a lot of people bringing their own scissors or pocket knives to cut of pieces as soon as the tug of war ends. Officially, only authorized people are supposed to have knives for rope-cutting, but… I don’t that stops most people.

There is the largest event in Naha every year, the Sunday before Sports Day (a national holiday in October). I went once and found this one to be really too crowded; now I much prefer the tsunahiki in Yonabaru town, usually occuring before Obon at the very end of July or beginning of August. It is still a large event, but less tourists and more locals. There is also a large event in Itoman every year on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, a day known as Juugoya/Tsukimi (again mostly locals, not so many tourists). There are even several small tsunahiki events, one is held in my village every year (related post here). It is still a rather large rope but not nearly the size of the larger events. These events are great fun, so if you are in Okinawa be sure to participate in one of them!

Images from Yonabaru 2015:

More images, from Yonabaru 2016: https://imgur.com/a/RI5zO

Culture, Holidays, Japanese foods, Local Foods

Summer Gift-giving: 御中元

御中元 ochuugen is the custom of summer gift giving. In my local stores, there is a huge display with aisles of summer gifts. You may also see the something like 夏のギフト (natsu no gifuto summer gift) or even サマーギフト (summer gift spelled in katakana).

This gift-giving season typically corresponds to Obon. In Okinawa, it is traditionally observed when visits to the family home are made during Obon (customarily the second day), but it is okay before or after. Especially in the workplace where you will probably not see them during actual Obon. In Okinawa, it is tradition to deliver the gift in person, rather than use a mail delivery service, though you will see many people in the grocery store filling out the mail delivery forms to send gifts to family in the outer islands or the mainland.

For me, the most interesting part is the types of gifts on display in stores. Popular items are summer fruits (mango in Okinawa), rice, coffee, pork, unagi (eel), jelly sweets, and other goodies. But there are also gift sets such as laundry soap, beer, spam, cans of tunafish… sometimes I find them quite odd, as far as gifts, but it seems so practical that I actually sort of appreciate it. Usually gifts are about 2000 yen to 5000 yen; stores make a lot of money during this time period. It is also typical to ship gifts to family members who live far away… during this time I see many people filling at shipping forms at the store counters for summer gifts.

During this time, I have seen a bunch of ads on tv about sending summer gift. The Hormel one sort of makes me laugh a bit, sending a gift pack of SPAM. The family in the ad seems so happy to be receiving cans of spam and making goya chanpuru.

Culture, Local Drinks

Non-alcohol Beer in Japan

0.00% alcohol beer is actually more common here than you would imagine. I feel like in the US, this was a bit unheard of. But here in Okinawa, Japan it is rather common.

So what is the point you ask? Well, drinking culture is rather heavily entrenched in the Japanese social environment. Sometimes you need a break in between drinks, or maybe you have to get up early the next day, perhaps you are the DD, or maybe you are just a real lightweight– whatever the case, there is an alternative that allows you to feel included in the party, but not suffer from excess drinking. This alternative is alcohol-free beer. Usually, you hear people just drink soda or juice as the alternative; but that would be no fun, and plus, all your coworkers/boss or social club members would know you are not actually drinking, and this can put a damper on things (remember I mentioned drinking is heavily entrenched in building social connections?).

Anyway, alcohol-free/zero alcohol/non-alcohol beer actually is not so bad; the taste is not quite as refreshing and good as real beer, but it is a decent substitute for when you cannot or should not drink actual alcohol. And the good part is, many are actually calorie-free, so sometimes it is nice just for that. Pretty much every beer label here makes at least one if not multiple alcohol-free beers. Just look for the 酒0.00% which is marked clearly on the label. But be careful– some beers are marked 0/zero or free for things other than alcohol, so make sure to look for some keywords or you will pick up the wrong one:

ノンアルコール: non-alcohol

酒 0%: alcohol 0%

アルコールフリー: alcohol-free

I often go for the Orion Clear-Free with the blue label, although the regular Asahi dry zero is pretty decent, too.

At every social event, BBQ, and bar/izakaya I always see the alcohol-free options. You will see plenty of people picking up a case at the grocery store, too. Recently, I danced in a luau; before the show many of the members of my group were drinking alcohol-free beer, to set the mood but not be affected by alcohol! Non-alcohol beer is not just for prudes, tee-totalers, religious folk, etc; it is really for everybody.

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My preference.

Some other types of non-alcohol beer, all easily found in grocery stores and conbini in Okinawa:

Culture, Travel: Japan

Shuri weaving: 首里織

Shuri-ori 首里織 is a type of Ryukuan textile woven on a loom. One of the most common patterns is Shuri Hana Ori (hana means “flower”), and there is a simple flower pattern that appears in the fabric. Another pattern is Shuri Roton Ori, which has raised vertical treads.

You can try your hand at shuri-ori (and other Ryukuan crafts) at the Traditional Handicrafts Center in Naha, near Kokusai-dori.  My husband and I made our own coasters awhile ago, and it was a lot of fun. There are several other types of traditional crafts you can try here as well.

I have also received a few gifts of small shuri-ori items; the size of table mats and coasters. The patterns and colors are simple, yet quite nice, and really look elegant. If you just want to purchase, not weave your own, there are several shops around Shuri and Naha.

Culture, Folklore, Holidays, Local Events

Tanabata, “Star Festival”: 七夕

七夕 Tanabata is known as the “star festival” in Japan.

In Okinawa, it is observed during the lunar calendar (like many other holidays…) instead of the solar calendar (more typical in mainland Japan). It occurs on July 7th in many parts of mainland Japan, and the 7th day of the 7th lunar month in Okinawa, usually around August, just before Obon begins. It is the precursor to Obon; mostly it is the day to clean the ancestors’ grave, put flowers, beverages and incense in front of the grave to guide the ancestors’ spirits to come to one’s house. It is a time to ask ancestors to come visit during Obon season; it is believed that the ancestors protect their descendants in the real world, so it is important to take of them in their afterlife.

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In present day, Tanabata in Japan is typically celebrated as a school event; students decorate bamboo branches with ornaments and hang strips of colorful paper with their wishes written on them, called tanzaku 短冊. Ornaments made of origami paper are made into shapes such as windsock, stars, lanterns and nets. They all have a meaning; for instance, the net-shaped paper represents a river. Several retail stores and community centers will put up Tanabata trees with decorations, and leave blank slips of paper for you to write your wishes on to hang on the tree.

The story of Tanabata, based on a Chinese legend of the “weaver star” (known as Vega in English) and the “cowherd star” (Altair): There once was a young woman named Orihime (Vega), who was good at weaving cloth and worked very hard to the please her father. But, as she worked very hard she became afraid that she would never fall in love and marry. Her father, Tentei (Sky King), who was a god, arranged for her to meet a hard working cattleman Hikoboshi (Altair) who lived across Amanogawa River 天の川 (literally, heavenly river, the Milky way) on the eastern side, while Orihime and her father lived on the western side.
The two fell instantly in love and married, but subsequently she forgot about weaving and he let his cattle wander all over on both sides; this made Tentei angry. He ordered the two to separate and each to live on a separate side of the river. His daughter wept and pleaded, however, so Tentei relented a little, and allowed the two to meet once a year, on the night of the seventh day of the seventh month.

So, if you look up into the evening sky on July 7 and it is clear, you can see the two stars reunited. But if it is rainy or cloudy, know that they will try to meet again next year. Some children will even make teru teru bozu てるてる坊主 to wish for good weather such that the lovers will meet again!

In Okinawa, the Tanabata story is usually a little different, and actually refers to the Celestial Maiden Legend (Hagoromo), which is believed to have occurred at Mori-no-kawa in Ginowan. The Ginowan summer matsuri is themed around the celestial maiden legend; even the city mascot is the celestial maiden! So, to conclude, Japanese tanabata is celebrated quite differently from Okinawa tanabata. While you may see a few wishing trees up at department stores or community centers and cute tanabata-themed packaged snacks, there really is not much public tanabata celebration in Okinawa like there is in mainland Japan. One day I hope to make the Sendai Tanabata festival held August 6-8 (not quite using the lunar calendar, but close…).

Typically in Okinawa, the only 2 places with “events” around July 7th Tanabata are Okinawa city 1st street shopping arcade in Koza, and the Itoman Peace Memorial Park.

 

Interested in more? Read Tanabata 七夕 & Somen そうめん

 

Culture, Folklore

Ryukuan Legend of the Celestial Maiden

森 mori: woods

川 kawa: river/water spring/well

There are many locations in Japan and even Korea where the “celestial maiden” (or also known as “heavenly maiden”) myth takes place; one such place happens to be in Ginowan 宜野湾, Okinawa at Mori-no-kawa 森の川 (also written as: 森川). Tennyo 天女 mean “heavenly maiden” in Japanese. Tennyo-chan also happens to be the city mascot for Ginowan, so you see her image quite a bit in the area.

**In Ryukyuan language 森の川 is actually pronounced “Mui-nu-kaa” ムイヌカー. Though I have honestly never heard anyone call it that, I have only heard the Japanese pronunciation.

Mori-no-kawa Spring is surrounded by a small forested park, with a few monuments explaining the heavenly maiden legend. The spring (known as a ヒージャーガー hiijaagaa in Okinawa language) is considered somewhat of a sacred place where people would gather water for cooking, drinking, laundry, etc; often in Okinawa you will see small altars here. Sacred spots are called utaki 御嶽 in Ryukyuan language, and are oftentimes located at a water spring, mountain, woods, cave, or other natural geologic feature.

In Mori-no-kawa park, you will see a stone wall with a gate leading to the woods– do not try to enter this area, it is an utaki! It is considered sacred, and only priestesses are usually allowed in there. Oddly, it is also right next to the border with Futenma military base, which actually protects it from potential land developers who would mow it over for a luxury resort, high-rise apartment, or golf course. The wall and gate kind of reminds me of a “secret garden” entrance, sort of mystical and such, with all the thick forest behind it.

I have heard rumors that Mori-no-kawa is both a “power spot” and a “haunted spot.” Perhaps I will post the ghost stories of this location sometime. Either way, it is indeed has the air of a spiritual place.

The Legend of Hagoromo (羽衣 hagoromo: celestial robe): A long time ago a farmer (in other stories he is a woodcutter) named Ufuya Okuma was on his way home when stopped by the Mori-no-kawa (spring); to his amazement he saw a beautiful woman, a celestial being, bathing in the water. Not too far away was her celestial robe (called “hagoromo”) hanging on a tree branch. The farmer decided to take her heavenly garment and hide it. When the celestial maiden discovered her robe had mysteriously vanished she was upset since she could not return to the heavens without it. Ufuya returned and came to the “rescue” of the distressed woman, clothed her, and took her into his house, basically tricking her. Since she could not return home to the heavens, she became the farmer’s wife and later gave birth to two children, a boy and a girl. Legend says that one day the maiden heard her little daughter singing a lullaby, “Don’t cry baby. Toubins-hanin’s (angel’s wings) are hidden in the storehouse under the millet. Don’t cry baby.” The maiden rushed to the storehouse and there she found her hidden celestial robe. She immediately left to return to the heavens, never to return again.

What became of her daughter is not really certain, but legend is that the son grew up and became a great king, King Satto, a once great king of the Chuzan region, the central area of the Ryukyu Kingdom during the 14th Century. This is the Ryukuan legend of the celestial robe.

Every year in Ginowan, during the summer, is the Hagoromo matsuri, in part celebrating the legend, but also the culture of the town.

address: 1 Chome-20-6 Mashiki, Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture 901-2224
https://goo.gl/maps/aSURx8ii8dG2