i woke up and made it out into daylight around 9am. i grabbed a few rice balls and stopped in an internet cafe to get my bearings and have some coffee. i got through to Nari and planned to meet him by his office around 2pm to get the keys to his place so i could go home and shower and change. in the meantime, i went to Ueno-koen, a large park in tokyo that has a huge selection of museums. i chose the Japan National Museum, and toured its permanent collection which contained many buddhist art (statues mostly), japanese dress, laquerware, samurai armor, swords and scrolls. some really beautiful works of art, and a few gave me more ideas for the new planned tattoo (it's nearing time and i think i've about concluded on the design. wait and see folks). the museum took me a few hours and took a winding walk through the park to see a few temples and a huge pond filled with lotus blossoms (the lotus is a buddhist symbol as the flower grows up from the muck at the bottom of ponds and swamps, and given its stunning beauty, is a symbol of purity). at this point, i was completely done with sightseeing and kind of over taking pictures, so i don't have much documentation from this part of the day.
after a great chinese food lunch (some kind of noddle soup, i don't know, i pointed to it on the menu), i went to Roppongi to amass some Takashi Murakami merchandise - very happy with my purchases. then to see nari for coffee, where i got to catch up a bit and see him for the last time (it was his bday and he had plans to go out to a super nice dinner and spend a night at a hotel/spa to pamper himself - those being outside my interests and monetary capacity, i thanked him and told him we would see each other again soon). despite not seeing nari later, he let me use his place to shower and change and wash and relax, which i did, in spades.
my mother has a good friend here, named Yumiko, who i had contacted when i first got to japan to see if she had some time to meet and chat. we both found that time on tuesday night to do just that. i changed into some of my japanese clothes, and looking quite dapper i headed to tama-plaza where yumiko picked me up, took me to see her home, and then we went out for korean bbq. over grilled tongue, sirloin, ribs, veggies and edamame, we talked about my impressions of japan. she teaches japanese, so throughout she kept dropping new words for me. i am a fairly quick learner with language, and i actually feel decent now about being able to use simple expressions and words here - at least, enough for greetings, exclamations, thank yous, and ordering food and beer. yumiko told me i'm a very interesting person to talk to - i guess that's about right, i had quite a holiday here and there's so much to tell and talk about. she also tried to assuage my concerns about offending all the japanese by the various customs and rules that i might break. for example, japanese are wary of tattoos and tanktops are disrespectful to be worn into restaurants and certainly temples. but, i told yumiko, on hot days when i'm hiking, i would be dying if i weren't in a tanktop, so often i end up going into a restaurant or a temple both in a sleeveless shirt and showing my tattoo. she said that as long as i was conscious of my faux-paus that it was ok. i said that i was happy to be forgiven by her, but to others, who don't know my inner turmoil (somehow stand the heat and offend people, or, sweat myself silly in order to save face) might not have the same opinion. she said she often feels the same in america, e.g., where it is impolite to slurp noodles or drink soup directly from the bowl, and that when she inadvertently does something like that, she feels like the odd one out in the room. that led into conversations about how i felt humbled to be the only white person in a room, and given my height, a very noticeable one at that.
hours later, i said my goodbyes and went back to gaytown to meet carlos miller for a drink! carlos and i met in nyc a year and a half ago. he is a dancer and now is part of a troupe called Trocadero, and has been on tour in japan for 2 months. our paths finally crossed, so after dealing with yet more delayed trains and rain and getting a little lost, i met him at Dragon. also, fun for us, nahik was at the bar (not working, and drunk as a skunk). i was really happy to walk into that bar and have the bartender i had met one night, three weeks earlier, run up to me and give me a hug, AND remember my name. great feeling. i talked with him while waiting for carlos, and then the three of us chatted it up. nahik and carlos are both dancers. we have all lived, or do live, in new york. we all love japan. easy getting along there. i think carlos will head back there tonight, as nahik mentioned he is bartending and, i think, has a little thing for carlos.
saying our goodbyes, carlos and i went over to advocates for a few drinks. nothing too much happening there, we went over to arty farty. the bar wasn't quite happening, but the music was alright and a few people were dancing. we ran into ed, one of the guys from the ny symphony group i had met in osaka. carlos, being a dancer and drag queen, quickly owned that dance floor. we requested songs, drank and danced until the bar closed three hours later. way fun - super way fun. we met this cute japanese, Tetsu, 22, from okinawa, now living in tokyo working for the summer at a clothes store called Soho, who was a dancing fool and had all these moves straight from michael jackson (the hand movements, the side-to-side head bob). terrifically cute. and he was major energizer bunny - did not stop for hours. carlos was fun to watch, jumping on stage to "drag" perform "get me bodied." a blast a blat a blast.
when the bar closed, we weren't quite done. carlos and i invited ed and tetsu to come along. ed was easy, but tetsu wanted to rest until the subways started so he could go home. i told him it was my last night in tokyo, and apparently that worked because he came along with us for another drink at advocates where we chatted about sex and the city (how ridiculous it is that carrie can afford her apartment and clothes and shoes writing a sex column in a tabloid, and how miranda has any time at all, being a partner in a law firm), comics and mormons (trying to explain to tetsu what a mormon is was fun - i saw my biases coming through pretty quick, but i owe nothing to the mormons, so if one more japanese thinks they are a bunch of backwards, over-birthing crazies, well, the better for me). all the bars being closed, we all bought beer from the corner store and went to carlos's hotel (on tour, he stays in hotels, and on this bout in tokyo, he was in his own room at the hilton). more fun times. the music was far more relaxed, but we were drinking, laughing, snapping pictures and having a gay old time until about 7am when we all just kind of passed out. a ridiculously fun way to spend my final night in tokyo. ed is a charming man and tetsu is just the cutest thing around and carlos, well, fantastic to reconnect. haven't seen him in awhile, and maybe it's the want to actually speak english to another gaijin, but my connections with old friends here have been amazing. i couldn't have scripted a better night (well, maybe one thing, but we are too drunk to find ourselves in carnal positions. besides, i have that to look foward to when i get home, becuase there is a sexy boyfriend at home for me ;) ).
i woke up at 10 and quietly said my goodbyes to carlos and made my way out for some breakfast and to nari's. and here i sit, finishing my final blog and thinking "man! this is one of the best three weeks of my life, and i am so thankful for everything that has come my way. i am lucky indeed. i love japan very much and have adored everyone i've had the pleasure to meet. i will miss the country, its food and its people, though i am beginning to look forward to being back in new york. i hope these memories and lessons stay with my always and i hope i return soon."
all my best, and until i'm back in the states, ja mata ne.
(oh! i just got a little choked up!)
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Nara to Tokyo in a Day
monday i returned to sightseeing, for the last time. (to be fair, at this point i am both tired of sightseeing and a little tired of blogging, but i am going to make the final push to get it done. if i am good about it, i can embed photos from my trip into the blog entries and have a good journal for posterity, memories and reflection). i got an early train from osaka to nara and stashed my pack in a locker at the train station.
nara was, years ago (8th century), the capital of japan and today houses numerous UNESCO-protected landmarks and sights. of note for me is Taijo-ji, a zen temple complex with the largest wooden building in the world, which was constructed around the largest Buddha statue in japan (for those of you paying attention, i had seeing the second largest in kamakura). when i got to the train station, i went to the visitor information center to get a map and the woman at the desk said i looked like a student, and for students they offer free walking tours led by japanese university student guides. i wasn't going to argue with a free walking tour, so i got paired with a japanese girl named Yuki Kobayashi, age 22, majoring in british literature(!), living in nara, planning to go to work for a travel company upon graduation. given her major, her english was fantastic. the tour guide thing is something she volunteers for once a week during the summer. i had a really good time with her - it is a very nice thing to be able to converse freely and easily with japanese and not have to use slowed-down, broken english for comprehension.
on another obscenely hot japanese summer day, we headed out, armed with fans, towels and water, for nara-koen, a sprawling park that contains most of nara's sights. the park is also filled with free-roaming deer. so cute - little baby deer! i saw more than a few children try to feed one deer with these biscuits that are sold on the corners, and then get swarmed by all the other deer who want in. it must be scary for the child to be surrounded by these strange animals on all sides, but it was side-splittingly funny for me. yuki told me that once she had spent a few hours drawing in the park, and a deer came and ate it. sad, but funny.
wrapping the sights into a close-knit narrative, we saw the second largest 5-story pagoda in japan (the first, toji-ji is in kyoto, and beats nara's by only a few centimeters). we saw taijo-ji (the building had to be constructed around the buddha, it's so immense. honestly, that temple was worth the visit in and of itself. the building is near miraculous and the statues inside and stunning works of art. i constantly marvel at the combined delicacy and fortitude of japanese architecture). we saw another few temples at the top of a hill that overlooked all of nara and the mountains beyond (one had a thousand-year-old tree (!!) that because it had been there when the temple was constructed, the temple was built around the tree in order to preserve it. amazing). we saw some shrines (karagawa-jinja, e.g.) where i learned some more about shinto (shinto worships nature and at the altars at many shrines there are no statues, but rather mirrors so that the supplicant sees herself, the torii and nature upon approaching the altar. brilliantly beautiful philosophy. did i mention how much a love the fact that the mono-theistic god of the western fold is almost completely absent here - portuguese first brought catholic and jesuit missionaries in the 16th century, and various shoguns either permitted them to proselytize or alternately, to be banished. the meiji emperor expelled many of the christian priests and, i believe, near decreed that japan make a return to shinto and buddhism. there is still christianity in japan, but it's scarce. it's just nice to see a society that isn't bound by the propaganda that binds mine).
nara was, years ago (8th century), the capital of japan and today houses numerous UNESCO-protected landmarks and sights. of note for me is Taijo-ji, a zen temple complex with the largest wooden building in the world, which was constructed around the largest Buddha statue in japan (for those of you paying attention, i had seeing the second largest in kamakura). when i got to the train station, i went to the visitor information center to get a map and the woman at the desk said i looked like a student, and for students they offer free walking tours led by japanese university student guides. i wasn't going to argue with a free walking tour, so i got paired with a japanese girl named Yuki Kobayashi, age 22, majoring in british literature(!), living in nara, planning to go to work for a travel company upon graduation. given her major, her english was fantastic. the tour guide thing is something she volunteers for once a week during the summer. i had a really good time with her - it is a very nice thing to be able to converse freely and easily with japanese and not have to use slowed-down, broken english for comprehension.
on another obscenely hot japanese summer day, we headed out, armed with fans, towels and water, for nara-koen, a sprawling park that contains most of nara's sights. the park is also filled with free-roaming deer. so cute - little baby deer! i saw more than a few children try to feed one deer with these biscuits that are sold on the corners, and then get swarmed by all the other deer who want in. it must be scary for the child to be surrounded by these strange animals on all sides, but it was side-splittingly funny for me. yuki told me that once she had spent a few hours drawing in the park, and a deer came and ate it. sad, but funny.
wrapping the sights into a close-knit narrative, we saw the second largest 5-story pagoda in japan (the first, toji-ji is in kyoto, and beats nara's by only a few centimeters). we saw taijo-ji (the building had to be constructed around the buddha, it's so immense. honestly, that temple was worth the visit in and of itself. the building is near miraculous and the statues inside and stunning works of art. i constantly marvel at the combined delicacy and fortitude of japanese architecture). we saw another few temples at the top of a hill that overlooked all of nara and the mountains beyond (one had a thousand-year-old tree (!!) that because it had been there when the temple was constructed, the temple was built around the tree in order to preserve it. amazing). we saw some shrines (karagawa-jinja, e.g.) where i learned some more about shinto (shinto worships nature and at the altars at many shrines there are no statues, but rather mirrors so that the supplicant sees herself, the torii and nature upon approaching the altar. brilliantly beautiful philosophy. did i mention how much a love the fact that the mono-theistic god of the western fold is almost completely absent here - portuguese first brought catholic and jesuit missionaries in the 16th century, and various shoguns either permitted them to proselytize or alternately, to be banished. the meiji emperor expelled many of the christian priests and, i believe, near decreed that japan make a return to shinto and buddhism. there is still christianity in japan, but it's scarce. it's just nice to see a society that isn't bound by the propaganda that binds mine).
as yuki and i were walking, i came across a pair of prescription glasses on the street, near a train station. they were rather strong - i tried them on and could barely walk straight. i decided to try and find a lost and found. we first went to the station's information booth, but the lady there directed us to the police station nearby. this, after thanking me profusely for my kindness. at the police station, the attendant did not speak english, so yuki translated for me and we left the glasses there with instructions as to where we found them. that woman as well was just bowled over that someone would go through all this trouble to turn in a pair of lost glasses. first, it wasn't very much trouble - maybe 15 minutes of my time. second, they were heavy prescription (probably reading glasses) and someone is really going to miss them. third, this is to make up for all the other social protocols i have broken while in japan; leave some of them with a lasting impression of a kind american.
finally, after many an hour of walking and talking, yuki and i parted ways and she headed back home and i got some food and had a brief stint clothes shopping (work! got a way cute shirt/tie/vest combo). i did a little more shopping in the area, but it had begun to rain so i decided it was a good time to move along with the train traveling. i had an hour trip back to osaka station, and then from there, i needed to transfer to the shinkansen bound for tokyo, which would take an hour. at osaka station, there were storms, and many trains were delayed. ok, seriously, japanese subways and trains are generally efficient, but when they aren't, this gaijin can get a bit stressed - the platforms keep crowding with more and more people (all of whom appear incredibly patient and calm, the precise opposite of a scene in union square when a train at rush hour is delayed), announcements for the delayed train are all in japanese, when the train does arrive, people are getting shoved into the cars (literally!). it's a mad scene, man. i won't miss that. but, count it up for another crazy experience i have had in japan.
hours later, tired and feeling more than a bit dirty (sweat and rain... mmm) i got to tokyo. it was nearly 9pm, so i decided simply to put my bag in a locker and go out to the gayborhood and sleep at the internet cafe or sauna. i made it back to shinjuku-ni-chome and went to Dragon, the first gay bar i went to in japan. wait, backtrack two minutes for dinner - i went to what is called a shabu-shabu (?) which is a small restaurant with a bar, where at each seat is a hot plate, and you order raw meat and veggies that are put in a wok, and you stir fry it in front of you and eat it up with a plate of miso soup, rice, egg and kim chee. did i mention i love japanese food? my friendly bartender Nahik was not at dragon, but i chatted with another who i remembered (though his name still eludes me). i hung out there for a few drinks and then an aussie named Martin who has been in japan for about seven years came and chatted me up. we talked about my travels, about japanese culture, about australia and about living in japan. but after awhile, martin started bitching about things he doesn't like in japan and kinda just being a debbie downer. not wanting to have my happy cloud rained on, i said my goodbyes and moved on to advocates. things were a little more happening there, and i met another australian (tim?) who was quite nice and a few locals who were fun casual conversation. finally the exhaustion of my traveling caught up with me and i excused myself to the sauna to sleep.
one more day to go...
finally, after many an hour of walking and talking, yuki and i parted ways and she headed back home and i got some food and had a brief stint clothes shopping (work! got a way cute shirt/tie/vest combo). i did a little more shopping in the area, but it had begun to rain so i decided it was a good time to move along with the train traveling. i had an hour trip back to osaka station, and then from there, i needed to transfer to the shinkansen bound for tokyo, which would take an hour. at osaka station, there were storms, and many trains were delayed. ok, seriously, japanese subways and trains are generally efficient, but when they aren't, this gaijin can get a bit stressed - the platforms keep crowding with more and more people (all of whom appear incredibly patient and calm, the precise opposite of a scene in union square when a train at rush hour is delayed), announcements for the delayed train are all in japanese, when the train does arrive, people are getting shoved into the cars (literally!). it's a mad scene, man. i won't miss that. but, count it up for another crazy experience i have had in japan.
hours later, tired and feeling more than a bit dirty (sweat and rain... mmm) i got to tokyo. it was nearly 9pm, so i decided simply to put my bag in a locker and go out to the gayborhood and sleep at the internet cafe or sauna. i made it back to shinjuku-ni-chome and went to Dragon, the first gay bar i went to in japan. wait, backtrack two minutes for dinner - i went to what is called a shabu-shabu (?) which is a small restaurant with a bar, where at each seat is a hot plate, and you order raw meat and veggies that are put in a wok, and you stir fry it in front of you and eat it up with a plate of miso soup, rice, egg and kim chee. did i mention i love japanese food? my friendly bartender Nahik was not at dragon, but i chatted with another who i remembered (though his name still eludes me). i hung out there for a few drinks and then an aussie named Martin who has been in japan for about seven years came and chatted me up. we talked about my travels, about japanese culture, about australia and about living in japan. but after awhile, martin started bitching about things he doesn't like in japan and kinda just being a debbie downer. not wanting to have my happy cloud rained on, i said my goodbyes and moved on to advocates. things were a little more happening there, and i met another australian (tim?) who was quite nice and a few locals who were fun casual conversation. finally the exhaustion of my traveling caught up with me and i excused myself to the sauna to sleep.
one more day to go...
Final Osaka Time
woke up in fukuoka around 8am and had myself a small breakfast of toast and eggs, and then went to the train station to pick up my bags. i had thought about walking around town, but my energy was sapped and all i wanted was to not have to travel - so, i called up cindy (who had already headed back to beppu) and got my train back to osaka. on the way i alternated between sleeping and reading Shogun.
this time in osaka, i had a hostel reserved, and a few train stops from JR Osaka, i walked into J-Hoppers. a nice,. quaint hostel. nicer than some ive stayed in while traveling europe, but nowhere near as nice as K7S Kyoto (probably the best hostel ive ever stayed in. that, or the hostel joel and i stayed in while in lima). i did some laundry, checked some email and took care of some showering. once again, i found myself lacking any motivation to sightsee or do anything. i thought about going to a museum or to Osaka Castle, but i just couldn't gather the energy. so, instead, i took a little nap and then headed over to the gay area, where i took a few hours at a video game arcade, playing who knows what, but having a blast watching others play. the video games in japan are miles ahead of the states - there is some fantasy type action game where the play is controlled by playing cards placed, and moved about, on a large lcd screen. it's intense, man. for dinner, i went to a conveyor belt sushi shop - 25 people seated around the sushi chefs, and dividing the two is a conveyor belt circling the bar stuffed with plates of sushi, sashimi and nigri. each plate ran 130 yen - i had 11. quite good - beats the heck out of the conveyor belt shop in midtown. this fish was fresh. i watched it being cut and rolled before my eyes. fun experience.
following dinner, i went back to physique. did i find my favorite local osakan gay bar? hideki was there, and i also met another bartender (off duty) named taka (he is 38 but looks 25, and did university in wisconsin). that makes three bartenders i know at physique - hideki, taka and brendan (the guy from the other night mans the bar on saturday night). i also spent time chatting with a way cute guy named Kai (?) who works for a cable company and doesn't much like his job. he lamented how much he'd like to visit the states, but doesn't have the money. him, hidek, taka and i talked movies, pop culture, the japanese language and boys. we talked about the value of individual versus collective identity (values of american versus japanese culture). i wondered if the collective nature of japanese culture is beginning to change with today's youth generation. i would think it's hard to predict until they actually get older, but there seems to be more youth staking their own ground and being different from the generation before them. kai was a very shy boy, and totally blushed when i told him how cute he is. very charming to see. we closed down the bar at 1am and i said my goodbyes, got a goodnight kiss from kai, and went to sleep. taxi home followed by some snack food from the corner store (rice ball and cold noodles).
this time in osaka, i had a hostel reserved, and a few train stops from JR Osaka, i walked into J-Hoppers. a nice,. quaint hostel. nicer than some ive stayed in while traveling europe, but nowhere near as nice as K7S Kyoto (probably the best hostel ive ever stayed in. that, or the hostel joel and i stayed in while in lima). i did some laundry, checked some email and took care of some showering. once again, i found myself lacking any motivation to sightsee or do anything. i thought about going to a museum or to Osaka Castle, but i just couldn't gather the energy. so, instead, i took a little nap and then headed over to the gay area, where i took a few hours at a video game arcade, playing who knows what, but having a blast watching others play. the video games in japan are miles ahead of the states - there is some fantasy type action game where the play is controlled by playing cards placed, and moved about, on a large lcd screen. it's intense, man. for dinner, i went to a conveyor belt sushi shop - 25 people seated around the sushi chefs, and dividing the two is a conveyor belt circling the bar stuffed with plates of sushi, sashimi and nigri. each plate ran 130 yen - i had 11. quite good - beats the heck out of the conveyor belt shop in midtown. this fish was fresh. i watched it being cut and rolled before my eyes. fun experience.
following dinner, i went back to physique. did i find my favorite local osakan gay bar? hideki was there, and i also met another bartender (off duty) named taka (he is 38 but looks 25, and did university in wisconsin). that makes three bartenders i know at physique - hideki, taka and brendan (the guy from the other night mans the bar on saturday night). i also spent time chatting with a way cute guy named Kai (?) who works for a cable company and doesn't much like his job. he lamented how much he'd like to visit the states, but doesn't have the money. him, hidek, taka and i talked movies, pop culture, the japanese language and boys. we talked about the value of individual versus collective identity (values of american versus japanese culture). i wondered if the collective nature of japanese culture is beginning to change with today's youth generation. i would think it's hard to predict until they actually get older, but there seems to be more youth staking their own ground and being different from the generation before them. kai was a very shy boy, and totally blushed when i told him how cute he is. very charming to see. we closed down the bar at 1am and i said my goodbyes, got a goodnight kiss from kai, and went to sleep. taxi home followed by some snack food from the corner store (rice ball and cold noodles).
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Beach Day (and Night)
saturday i headed to fukuoka, a large japanese port city on the island of kyushu. it is known for ramen and late night partying. i headed down to visit cindy. of course, i overslept from the late night before, but yet somehow made it from my capsule to the train to fukuoka in 35 minutes. i am one quick lad when i need to be. and, let me just say, bless japan's train system - so many trains, so easy, and the bullet trains are fast! a shinkansen could get from new york to DC in an hour and change. we're talking speeds up to 250 mph! so comfortable, so fast, so wonderful. makes traveling easy.
i got to fukuoka station around noon, met cindy and together we grabbed some food from the supermarket and went to the beach. the beach in fukuoa actually reminded me a little of california - relaxed vibe, surfers, long stretch of beach, blue waters, and the buildings were strakly non-japanese and reminded me, in a less bourgeoisie way, of huntington beach. we went around the sand and down the pier to sit with cindy's friends, mike and arena (bf/gf - mike is in undergrad at cindy's university). mike is from vancouver but has lived in fukuoka for three years. arena is japanese, but is an avid traveler, having spent the most time in south africa. they were both very warm and friendly, and combining them, cindy, sushi, sun, breezes and warm, ocean water made a heavenly mix for a perfect day. honestly, that beach time may be one of my favorite days - unexpected, lovely, relaxing. gosh!
and cindy is just fucking awesome. first, i love that i haven't seen her in ten years (and only recently began emailing again), but that our conversations and interactions were easy and flowing, as if we'd been friends for years. that is a sign of a good person. cindy has grown and flourished - a beautiful, accomplished, worldly, traveled, happy person. after some time at michigan state, cindy moved to DC and interned for two years in the us senate - first for spencer abraham and then for daniel moynihan. then, deciding politics wasn't for her (at least the us senate) she moved out to fukuoka to begin study in rural development, where she is currently getting her phd. she has lived in japan and taiwan. she has traveled all through southeast asia - indonesia, east timor, china, thailand, korea - not to mention european countries. her knowledge of these countries is in depth and intelligent - much shaped from locals. she was in taiwan during the big elections a few years ago. she visited the DMZ in korea. she has been to conferences all over the world. she trained as a boxer. she bartended for three years at the biggest club in fukuoka (the happy cock). i could listen to her stories for hours - i am so happy for her, and so happy to have seen her again. she has climbed the list of good people i know in my life.
after some time on the pier, and then on the beach itself, watching a slew of japanese bands (one did a decent cover of "all along the watchtower," another butchered "american idiot") we headed to an internet cafe to relax and shower. then off to happy cock.
the club is not very big, but it was packed. first, all the floors were covered with sand, and beach tables and chairs were set up. everyone is in shorts and tanktops, or shirtless, with sandals. being a straight club (i think i was the only homo), i was both feeling a little out of place, and, rather turned on by the amount of shirtless japanese and blacks in the bar. (aaron! you can't touch!). the music was a mix of good hiphop remixes and bad reggaeton - half liked and half not so much. cindy was bartending, and she was working it! that bar was crowded, and cindy was all over the place, pouring drinks, entertaining the crowd, having fun. so fun to see her in her element. i paid 3500 yen for all i could drink - i think i well used that value to my advantage. after 2.5 hours, the club had gotten way to crowded, hot and hetero for me. if i am going to be crushed with people, sweating profusely and in a mob of drunk, dancing people - they better be gay men. hetero clubs are fine, but i need friends who aren't bartending there - i met some good people through cindy (she is well liked. a guy named greg chatted me up for a good while, saying "any friend of cindy is a friend of mine") - but it just got too much for me. so i went back to the internet cafe, watched some cartoons and went to bed.
i had a blast in fukuoka - seeing cindy, the beach, the club, the ramen on the street! ah! i'm very happy i rearranged to get down there. i just wish i had some more time to see the city, and more of kyushu. but honestly, i think i am beginning to tire. constantly on the move, not speaking the language, a transient traveler leaving people i meet in one city to go to another where i know no one, sleeping in hotels, hostel dorm rooms and internet cafes, on trains, sweltering heat - i can thrive like this, but i may be close to my time for now. if i were to keep going, i would need a nice week off - beaches and air conditioning. so while i love japan - and i am definitely considering giving my new job a two year try, and if i don't think it's for me, then just move to japan - i am ready to go home soon. i am excited to see Nara on monday and excited to have some more tokyo time, but getting home on wednesday will be nice. i am very excited for what's waiting for me. (hint: my two favorite males).
i got to fukuoka station around noon, met cindy and together we grabbed some food from the supermarket and went to the beach. the beach in fukuoa actually reminded me a little of california - relaxed vibe, surfers, long stretch of beach, blue waters, and the buildings were strakly non-japanese and reminded me, in a less bourgeoisie way, of huntington beach. we went around the sand and down the pier to sit with cindy's friends, mike and arena (bf/gf - mike is in undergrad at cindy's university). mike is from vancouver but has lived in fukuoka for three years. arena is japanese, but is an avid traveler, having spent the most time in south africa. they were both very warm and friendly, and combining them, cindy, sushi, sun, breezes and warm, ocean water made a heavenly mix for a perfect day. honestly, that beach time may be one of my favorite days - unexpected, lovely, relaxing. gosh!
and cindy is just fucking awesome. first, i love that i haven't seen her in ten years (and only recently began emailing again), but that our conversations and interactions were easy and flowing, as if we'd been friends for years. that is a sign of a good person. cindy has grown and flourished - a beautiful, accomplished, worldly, traveled, happy person. after some time at michigan state, cindy moved to DC and interned for two years in the us senate - first for spencer abraham and then for daniel moynihan. then, deciding politics wasn't for her (at least the us senate) she moved out to fukuoka to begin study in rural development, where she is currently getting her phd. she has lived in japan and taiwan. she has traveled all through southeast asia - indonesia, east timor, china, thailand, korea - not to mention european countries. her knowledge of these countries is in depth and intelligent - much shaped from locals. she was in taiwan during the big elections a few years ago. she visited the DMZ in korea. she has been to conferences all over the world. she trained as a boxer. she bartended for three years at the biggest club in fukuoka (the happy cock). i could listen to her stories for hours - i am so happy for her, and so happy to have seen her again. she has climbed the list of good people i know in my life.
after some time on the pier, and then on the beach itself, watching a slew of japanese bands (one did a decent cover of "all along the watchtower," another butchered "american idiot") we headed to an internet cafe to relax and shower. then off to happy cock.
the club is not very big, but it was packed. first, all the floors were covered with sand, and beach tables and chairs were set up. everyone is in shorts and tanktops, or shirtless, with sandals. being a straight club (i think i was the only homo), i was both feeling a little out of place, and, rather turned on by the amount of shirtless japanese and blacks in the bar. (aaron! you can't touch!). the music was a mix of good hiphop remixes and bad reggaeton - half liked and half not so much. cindy was bartending, and she was working it! that bar was crowded, and cindy was all over the place, pouring drinks, entertaining the crowd, having fun. so fun to see her in her element. i paid 3500 yen for all i could drink - i think i well used that value to my advantage. after 2.5 hours, the club had gotten way to crowded, hot and hetero for me. if i am going to be crushed with people, sweating profusely and in a mob of drunk, dancing people - they better be gay men. hetero clubs are fine, but i need friends who aren't bartending there - i met some good people through cindy (she is well liked. a guy named greg chatted me up for a good while, saying "any friend of cindy is a friend of mine") - but it just got too much for me. so i went back to the internet cafe, watched some cartoons and went to bed.
i had a blast in fukuoka - seeing cindy, the beach, the club, the ramen on the street! ah! i'm very happy i rearranged to get down there. i just wish i had some more time to see the city, and more of kyushu. but honestly, i think i am beginning to tire. constantly on the move, not speaking the language, a transient traveler leaving people i meet in one city to go to another where i know no one, sleeping in hotels, hostel dorm rooms and internet cafes, on trains, sweltering heat - i can thrive like this, but i may be close to my time for now. if i were to keep going, i would need a nice week off - beaches and air conditioning. so while i love japan - and i am definitely considering giving my new job a two year try, and if i don't think it's for me, then just move to japan - i am ready to go home soon. i am excited to see Nara on monday and excited to have some more tokyo time, but getting home on wednesday will be nice. i am very excited for what's waiting for me. (hint: my two favorite males).
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Osaka Nights, Part 2
i woke up the next morning with a complete feeling of lethargy. constant travel caught up with me, and i found myself without the urge to do anything - walk, talk, sightsee. all i wanted was to eat, read, sleep and watch movies. i did this all with reckless abandon. breakfast consisted of toast stuffed with egg and ham, some salad and coffee, over some reading of James Clavell's "Shogun," my newest read. the narrative is engrossing and vast, and like my murakami book, a timely piece of reading.
i passed the afternoon at a comic cafe streaming superhero cartoons on the internet - watched Ultimate Avengers 1&2, and then rewatched the final episode of Lost season 4. a great way to avoid the sun on a hot day and to recover some lost energy cells. seriously, these internet cafes are amazing. 3$/hour to have a private cubicle, with closed door, a reclining chair, a playstation/tv/computer, free drinks (nonalcoholic) and access to a shower/bathroom and all the comics you can read. i would love this in nyc. ultimate avengers was so-so - i don't need to see any more. after killing enough of the sunshine and heat, i showered up and headed to tennanbashi bridge to watch the Tenjin Matsuri festival boat parade and fireworks.
Tenjin Matsuri is one of the three biggest japanese summer festivals. i am unsure what aspect of culture it celebrates, but it brought up THOUSANDS of people swarming the bridges and streets, many with kimono or yukata on. the banks of the river were lined with carnival games and street food (oh my word - okonomiyaki on a stick, yakitori, ramen... good gracious!). there was an incredibly friendly and festive vibe in the air as boat floats mde their way down the river, captained by japanese in full traditional garb, banging drums, singing, dancing... another view through a new lens into a foriegn culture. just standing on the bridge and people watching was fascinating. following the boat parade, as the sun set gloriously over the city skyline, fireworks began to light up the sky. what the fireworks lacked in intricacy (new york's 4th of july explosions were better) it made up for in intensity - over an hour of stacatto blasts lining the sky with whites, blues, reds, yellows and greens. the festival, like Gion Matsuri in kyoto, rocked. later on, a guy i would meet named Sean told me he has grown tired of the festivals. i can see that, after a few times they all look the same. but, for a new-to-japan gaijin, i savored every little bit and not only saw the festivity and beauty, but again had time to ponder the differences in life when a country has such an old culture. american festivals are not nearly as unified, don't have nearly the amount of enthusiasm (ok, maybe gay pride) and are certainly not marked by as much child participation as here. so refreshing and wonderful to see. (oh, and being tall finally helped - there wasn't a crowd i couldn't see over).
making my way out of the festival, drenched in sweat, milling about with too many people to fathom, in a part of the city i didn't know, led to me becoming lost. for over an hour at least i wandered, drinking beer (yeah, you can drink on the street) until i came across a subway station that i used to get me back - i had overshot my own station by at least a mile. but no worries, a night view of the city filled with festival-goers made up for my sore feet and sweaty brow.
i gave myself yet another shower and headed back to physique, where i ended up spending my night until the bar closed at 4am. i chatted with hideki again, and met a canadian named Sam (from new brunswick, now living outside of Kobe), an aussie now living in osaka named Brendan, a japanese named Yutaka, in a pink michigan t-shirt (how's that for a conversation starter) and a japanese gay guy and his fag hag. i must have talked to brendan for hours - he moved to osaka eight years ago, never having been to japan, but knowing he wanted to leave small town australia. brave move that has paid off; he loves japan and loves osaka. he is living with his partner of seven years (living together for four). talk of our own relationships - me gushing a little about joel - led brendan to begin to tell me all of his relationship's problems, from his sex life to open relationships to individuality to petty fighting and on and on. they are way in love but brendan feels he needs a break - not necessarily forever, but for a time. that came up after i mentioned that joel and i had broken up and while we were apart we were able to get everything on the table without a fear of consequences. hindsight is 20/20, so its easy to say that the breakup may have saved our relationship, but i tempered that from brendan - i can't as well put myself into that situation, especially when they have lived together for four years. finally, i was able to move the conversation to calmer waters and listened to him talk about life in japan, nightlife/gaylife and his future work ambitions. he'd be someone i would be friends with if i moved to japan.
then, the japanese gay guy (shideki?) and his fag hag invited me over to drink with them. i knew early on from body language that shideki was a timid guy who thought i was quite cute. unfortunately, he was drinking too much too fast and was rather out of it, so i spent much of my time talking with the girl about tattoos, us/japan culture, gaydar and music. finally, when she went to bathroom, shideki tried to make out with me, which may have been welcomed except he was so drunk that the whole process was a little awkward. i was happy when the girl came back to take him home. at this point, the clock had reached 4am and it was time for bed - tomorrow to fukuoka to see cindy.
Tenjin Matsuri is one of the three biggest japanese summer festivals. i am unsure what aspect of culture it celebrates, but it brought up THOUSANDS of people swarming the bridges and streets, many with kimono or yukata on. the banks of the river were lined with carnival games and street food (oh my word - okonomiyaki on a stick, yakitori, ramen... good gracious!). there was an incredibly friendly and festive vibe in the air as boat floats mde their way down the river, captained by japanese in full traditional garb, banging drums, singing, dancing... another view through a new lens into a foriegn culture. just standing on the bridge and people watching was fascinating. following the boat parade, as the sun set gloriously over the city skyline, fireworks began to light up the sky. what the fireworks lacked in intricacy (new york's 4th of july explosions were better) it made up for in intensity - over an hour of stacatto blasts lining the sky with whites, blues, reds, yellows and greens. the festival, like Gion Matsuri in kyoto, rocked. later on, a guy i would meet named Sean told me he has grown tired of the festivals. i can see that, after a few times they all look the same. but, for a new-to-japan gaijin, i savored every little bit and not only saw the festivity and beauty, but again had time to ponder the differences in life when a country has such an old culture. american festivals are not nearly as unified, don't have nearly the amount of enthusiasm (ok, maybe gay pride) and are certainly not marked by as much child participation as here. so refreshing and wonderful to see. (oh, and being tall finally helped - there wasn't a crowd i couldn't see over).
making my way out of the festival, drenched in sweat, milling about with too many people to fathom, in a part of the city i didn't know, led to me becoming lost. for over an hour at least i wandered, drinking beer (yeah, you can drink on the street) until i came across a subway station that i used to get me back - i had overshot my own station by at least a mile. but no worries, a night view of the city filled with festival-goers made up for my sore feet and sweaty brow.
i gave myself yet another shower and headed back to physique, where i ended up spending my night until the bar closed at 4am. i chatted with hideki again, and met a canadian named Sam (from new brunswick, now living outside of Kobe), an aussie now living in osaka named Brendan, a japanese named Yutaka, in a pink michigan t-shirt (how's that for a conversation starter) and a japanese gay guy and his fag hag. i must have talked to brendan for hours - he moved to osaka eight years ago, never having been to japan, but knowing he wanted to leave small town australia. brave move that has paid off; he loves japan and loves osaka. he is living with his partner of seven years (living together for four). talk of our own relationships - me gushing a little about joel - led brendan to begin to tell me all of his relationship's problems, from his sex life to open relationships to individuality to petty fighting and on and on. they are way in love but brendan feels he needs a break - not necessarily forever, but for a time. that came up after i mentioned that joel and i had broken up and while we were apart we were able to get everything on the table without a fear of consequences. hindsight is 20/20, so its easy to say that the breakup may have saved our relationship, but i tempered that from brendan - i can't as well put myself into that situation, especially when they have lived together for four years. finally, i was able to move the conversation to calmer waters and listened to him talk about life in japan, nightlife/gaylife and his future work ambitions. he'd be someone i would be friends with if i moved to japan.
then, the japanese gay guy (shideki?) and his fag hag invited me over to drink with them. i knew early on from body language that shideki was a timid guy who thought i was quite cute. unfortunately, he was drinking too much too fast and was rather out of it, so i spent much of my time talking with the girl about tattoos, us/japan culture, gaydar and music. finally, when she went to bathroom, shideki tried to make out with me, which may have been welcomed except he was so drunk that the whole process was a little awkward. i was happy when the girl came back to take him home. at this point, the clock had reached 4am and it was time for bed - tomorrow to fukuoka to see cindy.
Another Round of "Japan is a lot different than the States"!
japan has virtually no crime. if you ask people about it, there are three examples you might hear: mob violence (though rarer now), drunk people in certain areas starting fights with the wrong people - usually the drunk foreigners, and domestic violence. but there is virtually no theft or violent crime (not saying domestic violence isn't violent, but you get it). much of this comes from culture and the economy - i think that violent crime in the states stems from many factors, but the two that lead and that are very tied together is the class struggle/underclass and child-rearing. i don't think that everyone out there is a bad parent, but i think good parenting goes a long way. some parents aren't bad by choice, but that the environment in which children grow up isn't always conducive to good growth (factors in and out of the home, often related to economics). in japan, there isn't the class differentials as in the states, there isn't really an underclass (at least that i've seen or heard of), and family culture and respect goes a long way. there are so many little customs and rituals that everyone follows (cindy told me that it's very difficult for a gaijin to learn all the customs, and that japanese just expect that gaijin won't know them - i'm sure when i'm in restaurants, i am doing something wrong, and, tattoos are offensive here - so that as a gaijin, there are two choices - go for broke and try to learn everything, or, just accept that you're a gaijin, be respectful, and hope that no one else looks down at you - cindy suggested some elitism towards foreigners stemming from their lack of knowledge of public etiquette and custom).
as an example i noticed early on, japanese don't jaywalk. ever. there can be no cars in sight to the horizon, and japanese won't cross on a "don't walk." the first few times i crossed the street, i went when there was room, as i and others are apt to do in nyc. then i realized i was the only one doing so, and sure that all the japanese on the street corner were saying to themselves "there goes a gaijin." i don't jaywalk here now.
as an example i noticed early on, japanese don't jaywalk. ever. there can be no cars in sight to the horizon, and japanese won't cross on a "don't walk." the first few times i crossed the street, i went when there was room, as i and others are apt to do in nyc. then i realized i was the only one doing so, and sure that all the japanese on the street corner were saying to themselves "there goes a gaijin." i don't jaywalk here now.
Osaka Nights Part 1
shoot - i am getting behind again. so from hiroshima, i went to osaka, a big and cosmopolitan city near kyoto. the train ride was uneventful, and pushing through intense heat in osaka, i made it the mere half mile to the capsule hotel. working out well in my favor, the capsule was very affordable and included access to the lounge, bathrooms, showers, sauna and public bath/pool. fantastic. just next door was an internet comic cafe. the street, higashi-dori, is a covered arcade filled with restaurants, bars, video game dens and shopping. and, the gay bars were just around the corner.
after checking in and doing a little internet work, i grabbed some lunch nearby (some nice tempura udon) and decided to take a small walking tour of the downtown area. i am getting really good at the subways, and the two stops to the mineta area (mineta means south in japanese - i stayed in the kita (north) area), and took no time at all. i, of course being lucky not to have had a single day of rain on my trip so far, emerged into the full glaring sun. the walk was nice - much of mineta is bars and shopping, same old from any other big city - but i was quite hot. i needed more than a few stops into a coffee shop just to cool off. not feeling the shopping bug, i just took in the city while listening to my headphones (grateful dead again. i had suggested joel listen to "eyes of the world" from the "so many roads" boxset to cheer up, so i took a listen myself, oh how nice). osaka is very clean and very new looking. the side streets have many of the same trendy boutiques and shops as harajuku in tokyo or sanjo dori in kyoto - lots of the same fashions on the street. but people watching and new city viewing is always fun.
after 3-4 hours, i was hot, sweaty and tired. back at the capsule, i gave myself a nice long soak in the onsen, took a little swim and sat as long as i could in the sauna - both the sauna and baths are unreasonably hot; i don't understand how the japanese can tolerate them for so long. i will say one thing about the heat, the longer you can take it, the better you feel - i was loose, clean and relaxed. if you conclude that if i went to lay down, i would fall asleep, you are right. i had myself a nice hour long nap in the capsule. afterwards, i watched some sumo and straight porn on the tv. an odd thing about japanese porn is that all the genitals are blurred/pixelated out. it's like looking through a scrambled television signal, while everything else is clear. cultural differences (as cindy put it, "japanese have so many social protocols, but no morality" - i can see much truth to this statement - very ritualized and rigid ways of acting and customs, but oh, behind those closed doors...).
following dinner at a nearby restaurant marked with a big pig statute in front (everything pork - i opted for gyoza and katsu-don), i went nearby to physique pride osaka, a local gay bar. the bartender, hideki, has been working there for 5 years. he's a very warm person, speaks english very well, and runs a really nice bar. it:s a 7 seat long bar, with some tables behind, a few videoscreens of music videos, and pop remixes on the stereo. i met an older guy named graham, from london (though living in england) and a guy my age named Sam (born in jordan to a jordanian and filipino - great mix on him). japanese gay bars, i have seen, are generally quite small establishments, and the nice thing to come from that is the cozy atmosphere - people get to know one another. at every bar, the bartenders engage everyone in conversation, all the time. so it is a choice to be left alone, rather than in many american bars, a choice to go strike up a conversation. it certainly makes a bar more welcoming, and indeed, easier for a gaijin.
after a few hours, the restlessness of wanting to see more of osaka hit me. i grabbed some snack food from a local convenience store (obsessed with the rice balls!) and went around the corner to Bacchus. the bartender there, Chano, is a very outgoing guy who doesn't pull any punches. he had me talking about my relationships (past and current), sexual likes and dislikes, american politics, thoughts about japanese culture and gay rights. we talked for a long while about being out to your family, and how that differs from japan to the states. i commented that one of my biggest observations is that in japan, the culture has existed for thousands of years, and while religion is present, it isn't central to behavior - culture is. rituals and social norms seem to guide japanese society. however, in the states, where the country is young and heterogeneous, there isn't a backdrop of culture to use to establish a national identity. while i think that heterogeneity is a strength of america's, it also leads people to base their cultural norms and practices into religion - the constant. christianity and judaism have both been present for thousands of years, and thus, there is much to tap into. however, religion also breeds hatred - of other religions, of women. and other races and of homosexuals. i am not blaming religion itself for all of it, but religion has been used as justifications for these hatreds. japanese culture doesn't have that hatred, it just has a resistance to the different and the new. gays are hated as abominations and sinners and pansies - they are seen as something different from the norm. difference leads to perhaps from degree of public shunning, but japanese these days aren't into hate. when i suggested this to chano as a reason why it should even be easier in japan to come out to one's family, he said that the difference factor leads to shaming, dishonor and loss of respect. for example, japanese culture is very focused on bloodlines and heredity, so it's perhaps worse to have no grandchildren than to adopt (which a gay couple might do). i said that perhaps the young generation, when they grow up, can begin to change these norms that foster repression of individuality. we had a good "kampai" to that one.
i then took a walk to a nearby bar called Cafe J's, but it was crazy empty, so i headed back to physique. i talked some more with hideki, and met three guys from nyc. they are all members of some new york symphonic group and were touring japan for four weeks. nice guys, all live in washington heights, and i gave them my email in case there was any way for them to get me a ticket to their tokyo show, as i will be there at the time. however much i was enjoying their company, which was a good amount, by the time 3am rolled around, i needed to rest. saying my goodbyes once again, i grabbed some takoyaki (octopus fritters) from the internet cafe and hit the sack.
after checking in and doing a little internet work, i grabbed some lunch nearby (some nice tempura udon) and decided to take a small walking tour of the downtown area. i am getting really good at the subways, and the two stops to the mineta area (mineta means south in japanese - i stayed in the kita (north) area), and took no time at all. i, of course being lucky not to have had a single day of rain on my trip so far, emerged into the full glaring sun. the walk was nice - much of mineta is bars and shopping, same old from any other big city - but i was quite hot. i needed more than a few stops into a coffee shop just to cool off. not feeling the shopping bug, i just took in the city while listening to my headphones (grateful dead again. i had suggested joel listen to "eyes of the world" from the "so many roads" boxset to cheer up, so i took a listen myself, oh how nice). osaka is very clean and very new looking. the side streets have many of the same trendy boutiques and shops as harajuku in tokyo or sanjo dori in kyoto - lots of the same fashions on the street. but people watching and new city viewing is always fun.
after 3-4 hours, i was hot, sweaty and tired. back at the capsule, i gave myself a nice long soak in the onsen, took a little swim and sat as long as i could in the sauna - both the sauna and baths are unreasonably hot; i don't understand how the japanese can tolerate them for so long. i will say one thing about the heat, the longer you can take it, the better you feel - i was loose, clean and relaxed. if you conclude that if i went to lay down, i would fall asleep, you are right. i had myself a nice hour long nap in the capsule. afterwards, i watched some sumo and straight porn on the tv. an odd thing about japanese porn is that all the genitals are blurred/pixelated out. it's like looking through a scrambled television signal, while everything else is clear. cultural differences (as cindy put it, "japanese have so many social protocols, but no morality" - i can see much truth to this statement - very ritualized and rigid ways of acting and customs, but oh, behind those closed doors...).
following dinner at a nearby restaurant marked with a big pig statute in front (everything pork - i opted for gyoza and katsu-don), i went nearby to physique pride osaka, a local gay bar. the bartender, hideki, has been working there for 5 years. he's a very warm person, speaks english very well, and runs a really nice bar. it:s a 7 seat long bar, with some tables behind, a few videoscreens of music videos, and pop remixes on the stereo. i met an older guy named graham, from london (though living in england) and a guy my age named Sam (born in jordan to a jordanian and filipino - great mix on him). japanese gay bars, i have seen, are generally quite small establishments, and the nice thing to come from that is the cozy atmosphere - people get to know one another. at every bar, the bartenders engage everyone in conversation, all the time. so it is a choice to be left alone, rather than in many american bars, a choice to go strike up a conversation. it certainly makes a bar more welcoming, and indeed, easier for a gaijin.
after a few hours, the restlessness of wanting to see more of osaka hit me. i grabbed some snack food from a local convenience store (obsessed with the rice balls!) and went around the corner to Bacchus. the bartender there, Chano, is a very outgoing guy who doesn't pull any punches. he had me talking about my relationships (past and current), sexual likes and dislikes, american politics, thoughts about japanese culture and gay rights. we talked for a long while about being out to your family, and how that differs from japan to the states. i commented that one of my biggest observations is that in japan, the culture has existed for thousands of years, and while religion is present, it isn't central to behavior - culture is. rituals and social norms seem to guide japanese society. however, in the states, where the country is young and heterogeneous, there isn't a backdrop of culture to use to establish a national identity. while i think that heterogeneity is a strength of america's, it also leads people to base their cultural norms and practices into religion - the constant. christianity and judaism have both been present for thousands of years, and thus, there is much to tap into. however, religion also breeds hatred - of other religions, of women. and other races and of homosexuals. i am not blaming religion itself for all of it, but religion has been used as justifications for these hatreds. japanese culture doesn't have that hatred, it just has a resistance to the different and the new. gays are hated as abominations and sinners and pansies - they are seen as something different from the norm. difference leads to perhaps from degree of public shunning, but japanese these days aren't into hate. when i suggested this to chano as a reason why it should even be easier in japan to come out to one's family, he said that the difference factor leads to shaming, dishonor and loss of respect. for example, japanese culture is very focused on bloodlines and heredity, so it's perhaps worse to have no grandchildren than to adopt (which a gay couple might do). i said that perhaps the young generation, when they grow up, can begin to change these norms that foster repression of individuality. we had a good "kampai" to that one.
i then took a walk to a nearby bar called Cafe J's, but it was crazy empty, so i headed back to physique. i talked some more with hideki, and met three guys from nyc. they are all members of some new york symphonic group and were touring japan for four weeks. nice guys, all live in washington heights, and i gave them my email in case there was any way for them to get me a ticket to their tokyo show, as i will be there at the time. however much i was enjoying their company, which was a good amount, by the time 3am rolled around, i needed to rest. saying my goodbyes once again, i grabbed some takoyaki (octopus fritters) from the internet cafe and hit the sack.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Lining Up
i just wanted to post that sometimes things just work out. so, at first i cancelled my reservations in osaka for tonight and tomorrow, thinking i would go down to beppu to see cindy straight away. then, i reconsidered, deciding i would go to osaka for the tenjin matsuri fest, and its gay extravaganza counterpart, and then on saturday go to fukuoka to see cindy. by the time i made that second decision, the hostel i had cancelled my reservations with was already full. here's where it gets good.
the hostel i was going to stay at was about 15 minutes walk southeast of JR Osaka station. i, instead, took the cheap and easy route and booked two nights with a capsule hotel. so, not only do i get, for cheap, a bed, sauna, bath, shower, breakfast, and a yukata (which i plan to take home), it turns out that my hotel is right in the middle of the gay district! and, only 5 minutes from the JR Osaka station. things could not have worked out better.
and then, as more of the cosmic forces align, i come back from a day of walking downtown osaka and am a little bit disoriented as i leave the subway station, so i step into a nearby cafe. i figure i'll have some tea and a scone while looking at my map. who should i run into there, but Koen, the dutch fellow from hiroshima! he was just heading to do laundry and stopped in for a snack. this cafe is not centrally located to anything, and is in a really odd corner of the subway station. and osaka is big! i was more than a little taken aback. we chatted for awhile, as he is off to china tomorrow. i forgot to get our picture taken, but perhaps one day we will meet again.
the hostel i was going to stay at was about 15 minutes walk southeast of JR Osaka station. i, instead, took the cheap and easy route and booked two nights with a capsule hotel. so, not only do i get, for cheap, a bed, sauna, bath, shower, breakfast, and a yukata (which i plan to take home), it turns out that my hotel is right in the middle of the gay district! and, only 5 minutes from the JR Osaka station. things could not have worked out better.
and then, as more of the cosmic forces align, i come back from a day of walking downtown osaka and am a little bit disoriented as i leave the subway station, so i step into a nearby cafe. i figure i'll have some tea and a scone while looking at my map. who should i run into there, but Koen, the dutch fellow from hiroshima! he was just heading to do laundry and stopped in for a snack. this cafe is not centrally located to anything, and is in a really odd corner of the subway station. and osaka is big! i was more than a little taken aback. we chatted for awhile, as he is off to china tomorrow. i forgot to get our picture taken, but perhaps one day we will meet again.
Hiroshima - Parts 1&2
i will just put all of hiroshima into one post.
after i got back from the peace museum and had a nice shower, i went for dinner at a japanese bbq where i grilled beef and veggies at an open fire spit at my table. washed down with a few cold Kirins, it made for some fantastic eating.
at the hostel, while blogging, i began talking to a dutch fellow named Koen, who has been traveling for 13 months - australia, southeast asia, russia and many others. he is in japan for two weeks. i figured he had to be an interesting person to chat it up with, so i suggested we go get drunk. taking me up on my offer, koen and i went to central city and ended up at an irish pub called Mary Malone's for a few shots of Jameson's and several draft beers. the conversations ranged from places we've traveled, to american politics, to varying countries' customs and rituals, to religion, to family life, and many more. when two people sit and drink for three hours, much gets said. overall a really great night. we topped it all off with late night "diner" food of octopus fritters and beef skewers wrapped around asparagus.
waking in the morning with a slight hangover, i went to the corner store and bought eggs and bacon for a delicious breakfast scramble (the hostel has a great kitchen). my belly full and coffee in my system, i took the train and ferry to the island of Miyajima, in the Inland Sea. it is known mostly for the famous O Torii - a large torii built in the water that gates to a huge temple. the views from the ferry were only the tip of the iceberg.
on the island, i decided (against better judgment, as i was wearing flip flops) to go hiking. first of all, the island is filled with free-roaming deer. so cute - i pet one of them for a good ten minutes, and it loved it! then, i hiked a mile or so up a small road and through a small park to a cable car system that took me to the top of one of the peaks. exiting the cars, we were surrounded not only by an amazing panoramic view of the island and the inland sea, but also deer and monkeys! though not as cute as the monkeys joel and i played with in peru, i enjoyed watching them scurry about.
from that summit, i hiked another kilometer down and up to the top of Mt Misen, 535m above sea level, and a good 150m higher than the cable car summit. the views kept getting better. i have been lucky every single day with the weather - clear, blue skies and sun sun sun. though, admittedly, i was already soaked through my shirt in sweat, the breezes at the top of misen were pure joy. after some contemplative time gazing into the deep blue waters, the tree covered hills, and the mountains across the sea, i took a hike down misen. along the way, i met an older japanese man (50?) from near hiroshima, who during the summer hikes the mountain paths in miyajima 3-4 times a month. together, we crested another summit and i got some choice photos at the peaks.
the hike down the mountain was long (2 hours) and, given my flip flops, rather arduous. most of the hike was in the forest, so i didn't see too much, but all the same, it felt good to be moving about outside and seeing things that most other people don't see. anyway, burning calories is always good, and my calves and ass are all the better for it.
coming to the base, in Ohtomo park, i came across even more deer! then, the best part. i came around to the other side of the O-Torii from where the ferry let us off (having gone around the island via the mountain range). the water in which it sits is rather shallow, and one can wade out to it. walking through deliciously warm waters up to mid shin, i got some really great shots of what is known as one of the top three views in japan. following, i didn't have much urge to actually tour the shrine, so i took some photos of it and the nearby five-story pagoda and went for some tempura udon. i also snacked on a local favorite - little sponge cakes shaped like leaves, filled with either chocolate, cream or bean paste. delicious.
at this point, i was drenched in sweat again and felt rather grimy, so i headed back to the hostel. on the way, i finished Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. great book, though i think i still like Kafka on the Shore more. I am excited to read even more murakami - he is an excellent author.
at the hostel, i got in contact with a highschool friend, Cindy Lynn Wachowski. i had thought, for some reason, she was living in thailand. but no! she is in beppu, just 2 hours away. we connected on the phone, and i have altered my travel plans. i am headed to osaka tomorrow and friday for tenjin matsuri and crazy gay nightlife, but on saturday, headed to fukuoka to hit the beach with cindy and then headed to her club, the happy cock (where she used to bartend), for an all night party. i am quite excited; of all the friends from highschool, and i haven't seen her in ten years, she's someone i recall quite fondly, and someone with whom i had a ton of fun. i love when a plan comes together.
tonight, i am off to have some hiroshima specialty food - okinamiyaki, a meat and veggie filled japanese pancake. then i will explore the gayer side of town. this is the trip that keeps on giving. all my love :)
after i got back from the peace museum and had a nice shower, i went for dinner at a japanese bbq where i grilled beef and veggies at an open fire spit at my table. washed down with a few cold Kirins, it made for some fantastic eating.
at the hostel, while blogging, i began talking to a dutch fellow named Koen, who has been traveling for 13 months - australia, southeast asia, russia and many others. he is in japan for two weeks. i figured he had to be an interesting person to chat it up with, so i suggested we go get drunk. taking me up on my offer, koen and i went to central city and ended up at an irish pub called Mary Malone's for a few shots of Jameson's and several draft beers. the conversations ranged from places we've traveled, to american politics, to varying countries' customs and rituals, to religion, to family life, and many more. when two people sit and drink for three hours, much gets said. overall a really great night. we topped it all off with late night "diner" food of octopus fritters and beef skewers wrapped around asparagus.
waking in the morning with a slight hangover, i went to the corner store and bought eggs and bacon for a delicious breakfast scramble (the hostel has a great kitchen). my belly full and coffee in my system, i took the train and ferry to the island of Miyajima, in the Inland Sea. it is known mostly for the famous O Torii - a large torii built in the water that gates to a huge temple. the views from the ferry were only the tip of the iceberg.
on the island, i decided (against better judgment, as i was wearing flip flops) to go hiking. first of all, the island is filled with free-roaming deer. so cute - i pet one of them for a good ten minutes, and it loved it! then, i hiked a mile or so up a small road and through a small park to a cable car system that took me to the top of one of the peaks. exiting the cars, we were surrounded not only by an amazing panoramic view of the island and the inland sea, but also deer and monkeys! though not as cute as the monkeys joel and i played with in peru, i enjoyed watching them scurry about.
from that summit, i hiked another kilometer down and up to the top of Mt Misen, 535m above sea level, and a good 150m higher than the cable car summit. the views kept getting better. i have been lucky every single day with the weather - clear, blue skies and sun sun sun. though, admittedly, i was already soaked through my shirt in sweat, the breezes at the top of misen were pure joy. after some contemplative time gazing into the deep blue waters, the tree covered hills, and the mountains across the sea, i took a hike down misen. along the way, i met an older japanese man (50?) from near hiroshima, who during the summer hikes the mountain paths in miyajima 3-4 times a month. together, we crested another summit and i got some choice photos at the peaks.
the hike down the mountain was long (2 hours) and, given my flip flops, rather arduous. most of the hike was in the forest, so i didn't see too much, but all the same, it felt good to be moving about outside and seeing things that most other people don't see. anyway, burning calories is always good, and my calves and ass are all the better for it.
coming to the base, in Ohtomo park, i came across even more deer! then, the best part. i came around to the other side of the O-Torii from where the ferry let us off (having gone around the island via the mountain range). the water in which it sits is rather shallow, and one can wade out to it. walking through deliciously warm waters up to mid shin, i got some really great shots of what is known as one of the top three views in japan. following, i didn't have much urge to actually tour the shrine, so i took some photos of it and the nearby five-story pagoda and went for some tempura udon. i also snacked on a local favorite - little sponge cakes shaped like leaves, filled with either chocolate, cream or bean paste. delicious.
at this point, i was drenched in sweat again and felt rather grimy, so i headed back to the hostel. on the way, i finished Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. great book, though i think i still like Kafka on the Shore more. I am excited to read even more murakami - he is an excellent author.
at the hostel, i got in contact with a highschool friend, Cindy Lynn Wachowski. i had thought, for some reason, she was living in thailand. but no! she is in beppu, just 2 hours away. we connected on the phone, and i have altered my travel plans. i am headed to osaka tomorrow and friday for tenjin matsuri and crazy gay nightlife, but on saturday, headed to fukuoka to hit the beach with cindy and then headed to her club, the happy cock (where she used to bartend), for an all night party. i am quite excited; of all the friends from highschool, and i haven't seen her in ten years, she's someone i recall quite fondly, and someone with whom i had a ton of fun. i love when a plan comes together.
tonight, i am off to have some hiroshima specialty food - okinamiyaki, a meat and veggie filled japanese pancake. then i will explore the gayer side of town. this is the trip that keeps on giving. all my love :)
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Teachings of Buddha
"The Ways of Practice"
(9) There are four unlimited states of mind that the seeker of enlightenment should cherish. They are compassion, tenderness, gladness and equanimity. One can remove greed by cherishing compassion; one can remove anger by cherishing tenderness; one can remove suffering by cherishing gladness; and, one can remove the habit of discrimination of enemies and friends by cherishing an equitable mind.
(13) If one keeps his eyes open, he will see the teaching everywhere.
"The Meaning of a True Friend": one who always sticks closely to the right way; one who worries secretly about his friend's welfare; one who consoles his friend in misfortune; one who always offers a helping hand; one who knows to keep secrets; and, one who always gives good advice.
(9) There are four unlimited states of mind that the seeker of enlightenment should cherish. They are compassion, tenderness, gladness and equanimity. One can remove greed by cherishing compassion; one can remove anger by cherishing tenderness; one can remove suffering by cherishing gladness; and, one can remove the habit of discrimination of enemies and friends by cherishing an equitable mind.
(13) If one keeps his eyes open, he will see the teaching everywhere.
"The Meaning of a True Friend": one who always sticks closely to the right way; one who worries secretly about his friend's welfare; one who consoles his friend in misfortune; one who always offers a helping hand; one who knows to keep secrets; and, one who always gives good advice.
Peace: What's in a Word?
"there are no good wars, and there is no bad peace"
these words echoed with me throughout the hiroshima peace memorial museum. set in what is now called peace park, the museum documents hiroshima in history, its use in the wars leading up to WW2, the dropping of the bomb, and the lives of victims following.
70000 lives in one day on 8:15, august 6, 1945. 70000 more by year end.
the war waged by japan was not going well by 1942 - america had begun to move the fight to the mainland from the pacific waters. by 1945, the allied powers knew that germany was going to fall. they had finished the bomb, but were unsure of using it (the physicists begged roosevelt not to use the bomb, as it could leave to incalculable death and demonstrate perhaps by reverse engineering its form to others, leading to an unforeseen arms race. hmm...). japan had yet to surrender. the soviets had not yet declared war on japan, but at the urging of the US and britain, stalin said that three months after the german surrender, he would declare war.
however, this frightened the US and britain - if the soviets entered the war and helped gain a japanese surrender, the soviets may broker a deal more amenable to their liking and come out with a greater post-war position. the US decided to use the bomb against japan. reasons included obtaining a surrender without soviet help, and, in demonstrating to the public that the 2 billion dollars and 120000-persons used in its development was not a waste. in april 1945, the US and britain issued the Potsdam Declaration to the japanese emperor. it demanded a surrender but did not offer to maintain the emperor:s power, a sticking point for the japanese. it also did not make a single mention of the bomb. documents show that truman and the military were urged by others to mention the bomb - by doing so surrender might be obtained without its use. reasons against? to be able to at least use the bomb, and to test its capability. indeed, one the qualifications for picking a bombing target was a city that had not been destroyed by air raids, so that the true nature of its power could be seen. hiroshima was chosen for that reason, for being away from a large body of water (that with a misfire could consume the explosion) and for not having american POWs.
the bomb dropped. the city decimated. burn victims with their skin hanging and dripping liek wax from their bodies. unable to to even drink water lest they die )internal organs so irradiated). black rain fell. even after the acute symptoms subsided, radiation caused cancer, birth deformities and other ills for years even until today.
there is a story of a girl named Sakuda who survived the blast without apparent injury. 10 years later, she came down with a severe form of leukemia that the doctors couldn't treat. getting worse and worse, she had heard that if you fold 1,000 paper cranes, you will be granted one wish. so, from her hospital bed, she folded over 1,000 paper cranes. it didn't work and she passed away. her story became widely known, and people from all over the world sent paper cranes to hirohsima in her remembrance. there is a children's memorial for her now in peace park (i can't recall the children death toll, but i do remember that on the day of the bomb, 2000 to 6500 children were made orphans).
crying through this exhibit, angered at the senseless destruction of innocent life and by today's unwillingness to abolish weapons (or even declare being a nuclear power, so as to avoid the comprehensive test ban treaty!), saddened by the personal stories presented, i was struck with something profound. peace park sits at the hypocenter of the bomb - where buildings and life were immediately burned into eternity. japan has a sullied history, especially in this century (sino-japanese wars, nanking, ww2), but hiroshima at least has put all of that front and center and said "yes, we know what was done. but now we can truly see the harm in war and the pure destructiveness of the nuclear age. it is a time for world peace."
and so, from the ashes, comes a monument the world that not only we do not forget, but that we also know that it is our goal to prevent the bomb's recurrence by destroying our weapons and making peace. Peace Park.
after a bit, all i could think of was the world trade center. on 9/11, america suffered a blow of callous violence; one that did not care at all for the value of human life. however, we have squandered the chance to make that an example to the world. and though there are many reasons why that is true, one that came into my mind is that instead of a public monument to peace and harmony and democracy, it is to be the world's tallest office building, called the Freedom Tower. freedom? from tyranny, or, of the world markets? the capitalist presence in what should have been a powerful moment in history strikes such a strong distinction against what i am seeing here.
bless you, hiroshima, and i am so terribly sorry for what happened here, words cannot express. i am moved to tears by your words, and i share with you your hope for world peace.
these words echoed with me throughout the hiroshima peace memorial museum. set in what is now called peace park, the museum documents hiroshima in history, its use in the wars leading up to WW2, the dropping of the bomb, and the lives of victims following.
70000 lives in one day on 8:15, august 6, 1945. 70000 more by year end.
the war waged by japan was not going well by 1942 - america had begun to move the fight to the mainland from the pacific waters. by 1945, the allied powers knew that germany was going to fall. they had finished the bomb, but were unsure of using it (the physicists begged roosevelt not to use the bomb, as it could leave to incalculable death and demonstrate perhaps by reverse engineering its form to others, leading to an unforeseen arms race. hmm...). japan had yet to surrender. the soviets had not yet declared war on japan, but at the urging of the US and britain, stalin said that three months after the german surrender, he would declare war.
however, this frightened the US and britain - if the soviets entered the war and helped gain a japanese surrender, the soviets may broker a deal more amenable to their liking and come out with a greater post-war position. the US decided to use the bomb against japan. reasons included obtaining a surrender without soviet help, and, in demonstrating to the public that the 2 billion dollars and 120000-persons used in its development was not a waste. in april 1945, the US and britain issued the Potsdam Declaration to the japanese emperor. it demanded a surrender but did not offer to maintain the emperor:s power, a sticking point for the japanese. it also did not make a single mention of the bomb. documents show that truman and the military were urged by others to mention the bomb - by doing so surrender might be obtained without its use. reasons against? to be able to at least use the bomb, and to test its capability. indeed, one the qualifications for picking a bombing target was a city that had not been destroyed by air raids, so that the true nature of its power could be seen. hiroshima was chosen for that reason, for being away from a large body of water (that with a misfire could consume the explosion) and for not having american POWs.
the bomb dropped. the city decimated. burn victims with their skin hanging and dripping liek wax from their bodies. unable to to even drink water lest they die )internal organs so irradiated). black rain fell. even after the acute symptoms subsided, radiation caused cancer, birth deformities and other ills for years even until today.
there is a story of a girl named Sakuda who survived the blast without apparent injury. 10 years later, she came down with a severe form of leukemia that the doctors couldn't treat. getting worse and worse, she had heard that if you fold 1,000 paper cranes, you will be granted one wish. so, from her hospital bed, she folded over 1,000 paper cranes. it didn't work and she passed away. her story became widely known, and people from all over the world sent paper cranes to hirohsima in her remembrance. there is a children's memorial for her now in peace park (i can't recall the children death toll, but i do remember that on the day of the bomb, 2000 to 6500 children were made orphans).
crying through this exhibit, angered at the senseless destruction of innocent life and by today's unwillingness to abolish weapons (or even declare being a nuclear power, so as to avoid the comprehensive test ban treaty!), saddened by the personal stories presented, i was struck with something profound. peace park sits at the hypocenter of the bomb - where buildings and life were immediately burned into eternity. japan has a sullied history, especially in this century (sino-japanese wars, nanking, ww2), but hiroshima at least has put all of that front and center and said "yes, we know what was done. but now we can truly see the harm in war and the pure destructiveness of the nuclear age. it is a time for world peace."
and so, from the ashes, comes a monument the world that not only we do not forget, but that we also know that it is our goal to prevent the bomb's recurrence by destroying our weapons and making peace. Peace Park.
after a bit, all i could think of was the world trade center. on 9/11, america suffered a blow of callous violence; one that did not care at all for the value of human life. however, we have squandered the chance to make that an example to the world. and though there are many reasons why that is true, one that came into my mind is that instead of a public monument to peace and harmony and democracy, it is to be the world's tallest office building, called the Freedom Tower. freedom? from tyranny, or, of the world markets? the capitalist presence in what should have been a powerful moment in history strikes such a strong distinction against what i am seeing here.
bless you, hiroshima, and i am so terribly sorry for what happened here, words cannot express. i am moved to tears by your words, and i share with you your hope for world peace.
In the Hills, Lotus Position
well, not lotus position - nor even half lotus. sitting like that for a long time hurts! it customary for japanese from a young age to sit cross legged, often in half lotus, but for a lanky american without such practice, such a feat is difficult at best.
why am i offering this exposition? because i just got to hiroshima after 2 days at a zen center in the small mountain town of Umahori, near Kyoto. the temple, hosen-ji, has operated as a zen temple for over 300 years. in the past 10 years, it has begun to operate as a zen meditation (zazen) training center. i tried it out.
i am sure i will more on this topic in the future - i have much to digest - but at present there isn't a huge amount i want to express. so let me begin with the easiest: descriptions, people and immediate thoughts.
the town of umahori is quite small and sits in a valley a few mountains over from kyoto. hosenji sits on a hillside facing west, with great views and even better sunsets. there is the main house - with a kitchen, lounge, dining room and temple room. then there are bathroom facilities and lodging. near the temple are farms that are run and tended for by the monks and students (every day is work for 3 hours - mine was watering and weeding the vegetable garden and raking leaves in the parking lot. there was also daily cleaning - mine was scrubbing the showers and toilets). the beds were bunk beds with futons that provided decent padding - though the rooms got rather hot at night (did i mention that japan is hot in the summer?). there is also a zen garden/pond behind the main house, filled with frogs and carp.
master roshi kokugon is a pleasant short, plump japanese man. he can get cross when you move during meditation, but otherwise, a charming man. i was the only american in the group - when i was there, there were 10 other students, 9 japanese (ages ranging from 10-40) and a tall belgian named Guan. Guan lives and works in japan (teaching english) and stays at hosenji to study a few months a year. Ban is a 27 year from hiroshima who is studying doctoral chemical physics. Somia is a 35 year old woman from outside tokyo - i don't know what she does, but she spoke excellent english and we talked for a long time about life in nyc and japan. she told me to read some books from Mishima (?), a japanese author in the 50s, apprently quite like by the gay community. for the most part, everybody talked in japanese, unless they were speaking to me (guan is fluent). when they did, occasionally guan or ban would offer me short translations. an interesting, sometimes frustrating, situation, but i get by. i am good at adapting and i have noticed that i am picking up more japanese all the time.
the day is wake up at 520am. then taichi for 20 min, followed by an hour of zazen. zazen is fucking hard! two sets of 30 minutes of sitting on a cushion, legs crossed, back straight, no moving. the idea is to remove all thoughts and focus on your breathing - in and out. i could do that at first, but after 10 minutes the pain starts (especially when i tried half lotus!). i got better as time went on, but man, not all peace and tranquility - rather, pain and perseverance. then breakfast, daily cleaning, and daily work. the middle of the day is free time, which i spent copying passages out of buddha's teachings (i will put some up here when i have my notebook around), and reading. after dinner, more zazen (1.5 hours), chanting, and lights out at 10.
breakfast and dinner are ritualized - you sit kneeling, butt on feet (ouch!) and there is a very precise ritual to setting your bowls out, passing food, cleaning the bowls. i rather liked parts of it, and the food was all vegetarian greatness, but again, the pain in my feet grew to be quite excruciating. that is the idea, they tell me.
anyway, i know i will come up with more reflections, but here are the things i have learned+
1. zen buddhism has no godhead. buddha is thanked repeatedly, but it is out of graciousness and respect, not worship (i love the respect element of japanese culture. it is very welcoming, humble and kind).
2. i have so many thoughts in my head. my first zazen i could not "turn off the tv." i had random thoughts, songs, pictures, etc. i almost looked forward to the pain to bring my focus to better precision. when i wasn't hurting, i got better at focusing on breath. i would count each one, and focus on my posture being straight so that the breath would go straight down. i began to envision in my mind that when i breathed in, an umbrella would open up, as if buoyed by winds, and on exhale, it would return.
3. i have bad posture. i spent so much focus at zazen and meals just keeping my back upright. compared to japanese at least, i have bad posture and low leg flexibiliity. i am not fidgity, like some of the youth there, but i had trouble not moving - both becuase i would need to shift to fight pain, or, to correct my posture. master kokugon did not like it when i moved - "please.a.stop.moving!" and since he said it in english, everyone knew who he was talking to.
4. zen buddhism may not be for me. i love much of what buddha teaches, but i am not interested in giving up intoxicants, worldly pleasures and late nights out. i can lead my own good life regardless. i also don't think i can maintain such forms of meditation. however, while it did not lead me to any state of higher consciousness, i see its benefit in focus and in clearing the mind. perhaps i shall continue practice - start working on flexibility now!
i am sure there is more to record, but for now, i'm spent. and hungry.
next post on the atomic bomb memorial in hiroshima.
why am i offering this exposition? because i just got to hiroshima after 2 days at a zen center in the small mountain town of Umahori, near Kyoto. the temple, hosen-ji, has operated as a zen temple for over 300 years. in the past 10 years, it has begun to operate as a zen meditation (zazen) training center. i tried it out.
i am sure i will more on this topic in the future - i have much to digest - but at present there isn't a huge amount i want to express. so let me begin with the easiest: descriptions, people and immediate thoughts.
the town of umahori is quite small and sits in a valley a few mountains over from kyoto. hosenji sits on a hillside facing west, with great views and even better sunsets. there is the main house - with a kitchen, lounge, dining room and temple room. then there are bathroom facilities and lodging. near the temple are farms that are run and tended for by the monks and students (every day is work for 3 hours - mine was watering and weeding the vegetable garden and raking leaves in the parking lot. there was also daily cleaning - mine was scrubbing the showers and toilets). the beds were bunk beds with futons that provided decent padding - though the rooms got rather hot at night (did i mention that japan is hot in the summer?). there is also a zen garden/pond behind the main house, filled with frogs and carp.
master roshi kokugon is a pleasant short, plump japanese man. he can get cross when you move during meditation, but otherwise, a charming man. i was the only american in the group - when i was there, there were 10 other students, 9 japanese (ages ranging from 10-40) and a tall belgian named Guan. Guan lives and works in japan (teaching english) and stays at hosenji to study a few months a year. Ban is a 27 year from hiroshima who is studying doctoral chemical physics. Somia is a 35 year old woman from outside tokyo - i don't know what she does, but she spoke excellent english and we talked for a long time about life in nyc and japan. she told me to read some books from Mishima (?), a japanese author in the 50s, apprently quite like by the gay community. for the most part, everybody talked in japanese, unless they were speaking to me (guan is fluent). when they did, occasionally guan or ban would offer me short translations. an interesting, sometimes frustrating, situation, but i get by. i am good at adapting and i have noticed that i am picking up more japanese all the time.
the day is wake up at 520am. then taichi for 20 min, followed by an hour of zazen. zazen is fucking hard! two sets of 30 minutes of sitting on a cushion, legs crossed, back straight, no moving. the idea is to remove all thoughts and focus on your breathing - in and out. i could do that at first, but after 10 minutes the pain starts (especially when i tried half lotus!). i got better as time went on, but man, not all peace and tranquility - rather, pain and perseverance. then breakfast, daily cleaning, and daily work. the middle of the day is free time, which i spent copying passages out of buddha's teachings (i will put some up here when i have my notebook around), and reading. after dinner, more zazen (1.5 hours), chanting, and lights out at 10.
breakfast and dinner are ritualized - you sit kneeling, butt on feet (ouch!) and there is a very precise ritual to setting your bowls out, passing food, cleaning the bowls. i rather liked parts of it, and the food was all vegetarian greatness, but again, the pain in my feet grew to be quite excruciating. that is the idea, they tell me.
anyway, i know i will come up with more reflections, but here are the things i have learned+
1. zen buddhism has no godhead. buddha is thanked repeatedly, but it is out of graciousness and respect, not worship (i love the respect element of japanese culture. it is very welcoming, humble and kind).
2. i have so many thoughts in my head. my first zazen i could not "turn off the tv." i had random thoughts, songs, pictures, etc. i almost looked forward to the pain to bring my focus to better precision. when i wasn't hurting, i got better at focusing on breath. i would count each one, and focus on my posture being straight so that the breath would go straight down. i began to envision in my mind that when i breathed in, an umbrella would open up, as if buoyed by winds, and on exhale, it would return.
3. i have bad posture. i spent so much focus at zazen and meals just keeping my back upright. compared to japanese at least, i have bad posture and low leg flexibiliity. i am not fidgity, like some of the youth there, but i had trouble not moving - both becuase i would need to shift to fight pain, or, to correct my posture. master kokugon did not like it when i moved - "please.a.stop.moving!" and since he said it in english, everyone knew who he was talking to.
4. zen buddhism may not be for me. i love much of what buddha teaches, but i am not interested in giving up intoxicants, worldly pleasures and late nights out. i can lead my own good life regardless. i also don't think i can maintain such forms of meditation. however, while it did not lead me to any state of higher consciousness, i see its benefit in focus and in clearing the mind. perhaps i shall continue practice - start working on flexibility now!
i am sure there is more to record, but for now, i'm spent. and hungry.
next post on the atomic bomb memorial in hiroshima.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Kyoto Part 3 (or, Zen and the Art of Emotional Resonance)
today, i think, was the best day i have had yet in japan. every moment neared perfection and i attained a state of peace that can barely be expressed (and one that offers a brilliant prelude to the upcoming three days at a Zen temple).
i woke up more than a bit groggy from the night before, and after grabbing some snacks from the local convenience store, i was train-bound for Kibune. Kibune and Kurama are two small towns about thirty minutes north of Kyoto by train, nestled in adjoining mountain valleys. one way between the two is train or car, another is walking the road connecting the two, and the third is hiking between the two over Mt Kurama. aaron, the intrepid traveler, chose option three.
walking to kibune from the train station took about twenty minutes of hiking along a small country road that wound through forests along a river with many man-made waterfalls. very serene and very green. i also saw the biggest spiderwebs and spiders ever - these things traversed water canals, and fifty feet away, i could see the spider with unaided vision! kibune itself sits along the river, with many a resturant on decks overlooking the water. i found a grassy knoll, and had a picnic of sushi rolls, rice balls and dried nuts. from there, i hiked a short way to kibune-jinja, the shinto shrine. the stairs leading up were lined on either side by bright saffron lanternposts, and the shrine itself painted a similar color. the trees were all adorned with brightly-colored prayer papers, creating a kaleidoscopic image before the shrine itself. i did the traditional prayer before the shrine (bow twice, clap twice, prayer, bow again) and headed back down the hill.
on the other side of the road is the hike up mt kurama, leading through various other smaller shrines and temples. as i was entering the path (which began with a 500m climb up steep stairs that had me panting in humid summer heat), a young-looking zen student or pilgrim came down the mountain and when we met eyes, gave me a very knowing smile, exuding this sense of calm as if to say that he knew something really special. as i hiked up the mountain, i was surrounded by amazingly tall trees, only letting rays of sunlight in between their trunks and leaves. i welcomed the cool shade as the hike was only a little more strenuous than i had expected. along the way to the summit, i passed two small zen temples - simpler constructions of white-painted wood or stone. set in beautiful wooded locales, i imagined this was one of the larger benefits of the hike. i spent some time simply strolling the grounds, peeking out at the valleys around through the trees.
after another water break, i continued the hike. already near the top at 1200m, the path began to flatten and meander downward. a few hundred meters along this path, and the forest opened up to a sweeping vista of the valleys and mountains below. i could see miles and miles out in front on this stunningly-clear day, and the green leaves of the trees mixed in the large amounts of red maples caused me to stop dead in my tracks. i headed toward a deck over the cliff to just savor the moment. stunning beauty along the lines of which i have never seen. but this was only the beginning.
i hadn't yet turned around to see what was on the open space behind me, as the views of the valleys from the top of mt kurama were so breathtaking. when i did, i beheld Kurama-Ji, a huge zen temple with several adjoining buildings in its complex. the grounds were a wide open flat space of raked stoned and paths, studded with bright saffron lanternposts and statues. the shrine itself glowed against the mountain backdrop. i had my picture taken by a friendly old chinese couple, the man of which spoke english and told me he was very impressed that i was traveling alone through a country where i didn't speak the language. he was all smiles and kept offering repeatedly to take more pictures - kindness and generosity know no cultural barriers.
i took a walk through the shrine itself, paying my respects to a huge gold-cast buddha on an ornate altar. i watched as a temple docent painted japanese calligraphy with a brush onto the blank pages of books brought by pilgrims. staring at these sweeping characters flourishing across the page, i found myself on the one hand, feeling a sense of regret not speaking or reading japanese, and two, stunned with a sense of beauty of everything around me - the mountain, the valleys, the trees, the temple, the grounds, japanese language, japanese characters, japanese clothing. this sense of awe welled up inside me until i felt myself trembling. i quickly went outside for fresh air and leaned up against the balcony overlooking the valley. the trembling turned into an almost gentle crying, the root cause of which i couldn't quite figure out. in retrospect, my best guess is that i'd come across something so beautiful, so pure, so unadorned and so real that it shook me to my core to such a degree that i had to find an emotional outlet. i could barely move.
i waited until some of the trembling subsided and began to walk down the mountain. i began in the peaceful silence of the woods around me, and then added music to the mix (widespread panic, "hatfield" and "pleas" from live in the classic city). the swelling joy of the music mixed with already tender emotional state brought me walking down the mountain on a cloud of air. i felt truly lucky to see what i had seen and to have been able to experience such an emotional moment. the entire walk down the mountain, passing several other shrines and waterfalls, was a cathartic comedown for me, bringing my sense of calm back to a manageable place by the time i reached Kurama below. however, the wonder does not cease.
from the base of Mt Kurama on the Kurama side, there is an osen (hot spring) a mere 10 minute hike away. i headed up there, disrobed, washed and slid into an open air pool of naturally-flowing hot water, overlooking the mountains and valleys i had just hiked. a fantastic way to experience such a view. it is a wonderful feeling to be in a steaming hot bath while the sun beats down from above - i got to relax/soak and tan at the same time (and, given the state of undress at all japanese baths, no tan lines!). it is actually quite liberating and calming to shed any degrees of modesty and stroll without clothing. i alternated my time between the outdoor bath and the indoor cold water bath, raising and lowering my body temperature and feeling all traces of tiredness and soreness flee from the body. i stayed until i felt myself becoming lightheaded, so i cleaned, dressed and headed back to the train.
i took a quick nap on the ride back to town, and then, after a cool iced Starbucks sitting out over the river, i did some shopping (cmon, the japanese know how to dress). i found some fantastic items, as well as gifts for friends at home, before finally making my way back to hostel for a needed shower and change.
by the time i cleaned, Yuko was back tending bar. i had a nice talk with her about kyoto, and then about joel. we talked about moving in with a significant other, and i said that while my feelings are a mix of excitement and nervousness, the former far outweighs the latter. she liked how my face lighted up whenever i mentioned joel's name (hear that, honey?). soon, some friends from the other night (chris and mark from australia, and valerie from montreal) came into the bar and we spent another few hours drinking beers and talking about life in our varying countries. around 11, we all walked to the downtown center where i parted company back to the gay bar.
once again, i had a great night at Azure. Tanjai was tending bar again, and joined tonight by Ling (fashion student born and raised in kyoto) and antoher tall japanese from okinawa (who i often couldn't take my eyes off of). i sat next to Shogo, from tokyo now living in kyoto doing urban planning work, with whom i spoke for a few hours about life in japan, life in the states, life in foriegn countruies (he spent two years in paris), music and politics. shogo likes the smaller towns and countryside, and has loved spending time in okinawa, alaska, hawaii and the west indies.
at one point, i asked shogo his impressions about america. he said that he, and many of his friends, see two americas - nyc/l.a. and everything else. he admires the internationalism of
nyc and l.a. and think that those cities have much to offer the world. but then, there is the "small town" america which, he feels, represents the america that tends to involve itself in world affairs. an america that thinks it is always right and that only looks at things from an american perspective without considering the world views of other countries in the world (hey! yeah! remember that post i did a few days ago?). he also doesn't like that americans expect that everyone else in the world speak english - from diplomats and leaders who don't even speak a single foreign language, to tourists and travelers who come to other countries without any ability to speak the native tongue. i felt a little bad, and after graciously thanking him for his willingness to talk to me in english, i asked what he felt about me. luckily, i am saved, knowing both spanish and hebrew, and stating that (truthfully), if i am to come back to japan, i will have studied the language and know how to converse.
time passed quickly again, and before i knew it, i was yawning and my clock read 3am. so with a flurry of goodbyes, i made my way back to the hostel to rest up for my zen retreat. yes, for the next 3 days i will be at a zen temple studying meditation, so i will likely not be posting. there is free time in the afternoons, and there may be an internet cafe in the nearby town, but i am unsure about posting. i may use this time to take a needed break from daily typing. either way, i am very excited and hopeful for the coming days.
i woke up more than a bit groggy from the night before, and after grabbing some snacks from the local convenience store, i was train-bound for Kibune. Kibune and Kurama are two small towns about thirty minutes north of Kyoto by train, nestled in adjoining mountain valleys. one way between the two is train or car, another is walking the road connecting the two, and the third is hiking between the two over Mt Kurama. aaron, the intrepid traveler, chose option three.
walking to kibune from the train station took about twenty minutes of hiking along a small country road that wound through forests along a river with many man-made waterfalls. very serene and very green. i also saw the biggest spiderwebs and spiders ever - these things traversed water canals, and fifty feet away, i could see the spider with unaided vision! kibune itself sits along the river, with many a resturant on decks overlooking the water. i found a grassy knoll, and had a picnic of sushi rolls, rice balls and dried nuts. from there, i hiked a short way to kibune-jinja, the shinto shrine. the stairs leading up were lined on either side by bright saffron lanternposts, and the shrine itself painted a similar color. the trees were all adorned with brightly-colored prayer papers, creating a kaleidoscopic image before the shrine itself. i did the traditional prayer before the shrine (bow twice, clap twice, prayer, bow again) and headed back down the hill.
on the other side of the road is the hike up mt kurama, leading through various other smaller shrines and temples. as i was entering the path (which began with a 500m climb up steep stairs that had me panting in humid summer heat), a young-looking zen student or pilgrim came down the mountain and when we met eyes, gave me a very knowing smile, exuding this sense of calm as if to say that he knew something really special. as i hiked up the mountain, i was surrounded by amazingly tall trees, only letting rays of sunlight in between their trunks and leaves. i welcomed the cool shade as the hike was only a little more strenuous than i had expected. along the way to the summit, i passed two small zen temples - simpler constructions of white-painted wood or stone. set in beautiful wooded locales, i imagined this was one of the larger benefits of the hike. i spent some time simply strolling the grounds, peeking out at the valleys around through the trees.
after another water break, i continued the hike. already near the top at 1200m, the path began to flatten and meander downward. a few hundred meters along this path, and the forest opened up to a sweeping vista of the valleys and mountains below. i could see miles and miles out in front on this stunningly-clear day, and the green leaves of the trees mixed in the large amounts of red maples caused me to stop dead in my tracks. i headed toward a deck over the cliff to just savor the moment. stunning beauty along the lines of which i have never seen. but this was only the beginning.
i hadn't yet turned around to see what was on the open space behind me, as the views of the valleys from the top of mt kurama were so breathtaking. when i did, i beheld Kurama-Ji, a huge zen temple with several adjoining buildings in its complex. the grounds were a wide open flat space of raked stoned and paths, studded with bright saffron lanternposts and statues. the shrine itself glowed against the mountain backdrop. i had my picture taken by a friendly old chinese couple, the man of which spoke english and told me he was very impressed that i was traveling alone through a country where i didn't speak the language. he was all smiles and kept offering repeatedly to take more pictures - kindness and generosity know no cultural barriers.
i took a walk through the shrine itself, paying my respects to a huge gold-cast buddha on an ornate altar. i watched as a temple docent painted japanese calligraphy with a brush onto the blank pages of books brought by pilgrims. staring at these sweeping characters flourishing across the page, i found myself on the one hand, feeling a sense of regret not speaking or reading japanese, and two, stunned with a sense of beauty of everything around me - the mountain, the valleys, the trees, the temple, the grounds, japanese language, japanese characters, japanese clothing. this sense of awe welled up inside me until i felt myself trembling. i quickly went outside for fresh air and leaned up against the balcony overlooking the valley. the trembling turned into an almost gentle crying, the root cause of which i couldn't quite figure out. in retrospect, my best guess is that i'd come across something so beautiful, so pure, so unadorned and so real that it shook me to my core to such a degree that i had to find an emotional outlet. i could barely move.
i waited until some of the trembling subsided and began to walk down the mountain. i began in the peaceful silence of the woods around me, and then added music to the mix (widespread panic, "hatfield" and "pleas" from live in the classic city). the swelling joy of the music mixed with already tender emotional state brought me walking down the mountain on a cloud of air. i felt truly lucky to see what i had seen and to have been able to experience such an emotional moment. the entire walk down the mountain, passing several other shrines and waterfalls, was a cathartic comedown for me, bringing my sense of calm back to a manageable place by the time i reached Kurama below. however, the wonder does not cease.
from the base of Mt Kurama on the Kurama side, there is an osen (hot spring) a mere 10 minute hike away. i headed up there, disrobed, washed and slid into an open air pool of naturally-flowing hot water, overlooking the mountains and valleys i had just hiked. a fantastic way to experience such a view. it is a wonderful feeling to be in a steaming hot bath while the sun beats down from above - i got to relax/soak and tan at the same time (and, given the state of undress at all japanese baths, no tan lines!). it is actually quite liberating and calming to shed any degrees of modesty and stroll without clothing. i alternated my time between the outdoor bath and the indoor cold water bath, raising and lowering my body temperature and feeling all traces of tiredness and soreness flee from the body. i stayed until i felt myself becoming lightheaded, so i cleaned, dressed and headed back to the train.
i took a quick nap on the ride back to town, and then, after a cool iced Starbucks sitting out over the river, i did some shopping (cmon, the japanese know how to dress). i found some fantastic items, as well as gifts for friends at home, before finally making my way back to hostel for a needed shower and change.
by the time i cleaned, Yuko was back tending bar. i had a nice talk with her about kyoto, and then about joel. we talked about moving in with a significant other, and i said that while my feelings are a mix of excitement and nervousness, the former far outweighs the latter. she liked how my face lighted up whenever i mentioned joel's name (hear that, honey?). soon, some friends from the other night (chris and mark from australia, and valerie from montreal) came into the bar and we spent another few hours drinking beers and talking about life in our varying countries. around 11, we all walked to the downtown center where i parted company back to the gay bar.
once again, i had a great night at Azure. Tanjai was tending bar again, and joined tonight by Ling (fashion student born and raised in kyoto) and antoher tall japanese from okinawa (who i often couldn't take my eyes off of). i sat next to Shogo, from tokyo now living in kyoto doing urban planning work, with whom i spoke for a few hours about life in japan, life in the states, life in foriegn countruies (he spent two years in paris), music and politics. shogo likes the smaller towns and countryside, and has loved spending time in okinawa, alaska, hawaii and the west indies.
at one point, i asked shogo his impressions about america. he said that he, and many of his friends, see two americas - nyc/l.a. and everything else. he admires the internationalism of
nyc and l.a. and think that those cities have much to offer the world. but then, there is the "small town" america which, he feels, represents the america that tends to involve itself in world affairs. an america that thinks it is always right and that only looks at things from an american perspective without considering the world views of other countries in the world (hey! yeah! remember that post i did a few days ago?). he also doesn't like that americans expect that everyone else in the world speak english - from diplomats and leaders who don't even speak a single foreign language, to tourists and travelers who come to other countries without any ability to speak the native tongue. i felt a little bad, and after graciously thanking him for his willingness to talk to me in english, i asked what he felt about me. luckily, i am saved, knowing both spanish and hebrew, and stating that (truthfully), if i am to come back to japan, i will have studied the language and know how to converse.
time passed quickly again, and before i knew it, i was yawning and my clock read 3am. so with a flurry of goodbyes, i made my way back to the hostel to rest up for my zen retreat. yes, for the next 3 days i will be at a zen temple studying meditation, so i will likely not be posting. there is free time in the afternoons, and there may be an internet cafe in the nearby town, but i am unsure about posting. i may use this time to take a needed break from daily typing. either way, i am very excited and hopeful for the coming days.
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