Hakodate - Goryoukaku and the Night View

Hello everyone! Once again, it's been a long time since my last update, and I apologize. Things have been busy for me here in Japan. In October, I started a new job and moved to Aomori City and since then, I've been a bit hard pressed to find the time to update.

But today I've got an update about a trip I took in late March!

I finally made my way up to Hokkaido Prefecture, to a city called Hakodate. This means I've been to 3 of the 4 largest, main islands of Japan and have reached both the northern and southern areas, which only leaves Shikoku as my last remaining main island.

Hakodate (函館市)

Hakodate is a port city on the southern edge of the Hokkaido prefecture that was founded in 1454. Because it is a port city, it is famous for fresh seafood and has a morning market where fishermen can sell their daily catches. It is one of the prefecture's main cities and is the capital city of the islands sub-prefecture called Oshima. It is the 3rd biggest city after Sapporo and Asahikawa.

In 1779, the Tokugawa Shogunate took direct control over this city, which allowed it to flourish and develop rapidly. This included setting up trade operations and opening the norther Etorofu sea route. 

Hakodate was actually the first city whose port was opened to foreign trade in 1854 and was once the most important port in Northern Japan. At that time, a fleet of U.S. ships surveyed the city and in 1858 the Treaty of Amity and Commerce was signed, which allowed for the Hakodate Foreign Settlement to come into existence. Later, a mariner in the fleet died and became the first U.S. citizen to be buried in Japan. The Hakodate cemetery for foreigners was created at that time.

This settlement is also why Hakodate has many western style buildings, such as old brick warehouses and Christian Orthodox churches.

Goryoukaku (五稜郭）

The word 'Goryoukaku' (五稜郭) literally means 'five-point fort' and it is the well-known western influenced star-shaped fort as well as the main fortress of the short-lived Republic of Ezo. It was designed in 1855 by Takeda Ayasaburo and Frenchman, Jules Brunet. It was completed in 1866, just two short years before the collapse of the Tokugawa Shogunate. The five-point star shape allowed for a greater number of gun emplacements on its walls.

Nowadays, it is a park with Goryoukaku Observation Tower hovering above it at 107 meters (). Inside the tower, there are multiple levels from which you can view the park, as well as a small cafe and a souvenir shop. 

Not only can you observe the beautiful star shape of the fort from the tower, but you can also walk around the park grounds and visit the magistrate's office. It is a restored Edo-era building with historical exhibits and traditional architecture.  

To the left you can see a picture I took from the observation tower. It's difficult to get a picture of the entire things due to how huge it is! But it was so cool to see from so high up.

To the right is an image I found online just to show you the sheer size and shape of the fort. As I said, this is not my picture, but it does a good job showing how impressive it is.

Also, because the Goryoukaku played a big role in the Shinsengumi (新選組), or the New Selected Brigade (a special police force created to protect the Shogunate and his representatives), they sell a lot of Shinsengumi themed items. This includes playing cards, key chains, t-shirts, and even soft serve! The soft serve is a really beautiful bright blue color and tastes like Ramune (ラムネ), which is kind of a lemon-lime/creme soda flavored soda that was created in 1884. It was delicious and refreshing, since the day I visited was thankfully beautiful and quite warm!

Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse District （金森赤レンガ倉庫）

This is an area of Hakodate near the more westernized portion of the city. It is a commercial complex made up of four facilities, which were built originally in 1887 and renovated in 1909 after the Hakodate fire partially destroyed the original buildings. 

These four warehouses are full of 50 shops and while I didn't spend a lot of time here, I thought the warehouses were really cool.

Night View (夜景)

Another popular attraction in Hakodate is the night view from Mount Hakodate. The mountain stands at 334 meters () above the city. The peak is accessible by hiking, bike, or a convenient cable car that runs every 10-15 minutes. 

At sunset, the changing colors of the sky create a beautiful backdrop to the city. The colors meld from blue to red/orange/pink, to the deep dark blue-black of the night sky.

You can see from my picture here just how beautiful the setting sun is. Hakodate is a peninsula, with the mountain sitting near the very furthest tip of it. The ocean almost cradles the city and reflects the light as it sets.

As it gets darker, the streets of Hakodate begin to light up, peaking around 6:30 or 7pm. You can see Goryoukaku Tower from the mountain as well and that, along with city lights, shine brightly. 

The lights can be compared to stars shining in the night sky or a glittering jewelry box, it's truly amazing!

After enjoying the view, you can go to the gift shop inside the observation point and buy many different types of souvenirs. Food, keychains, and even goods for Hakodate's copyrighted version of Hatsune Miku called Snow Miku who, while cute, is no match for my hometown of Hirosaki's version, Sakura Miku. 👀

Conclusion

So it took me about 2 and a half years to finally get to Hakodate/Hokkaido even though it's actually quite close (45 minutes by bullet train, 4 hours by ferry) and I'm very happy I went. Hakodate was beautiful and, with its convenient location, I can see myself visiting again someday. 

Overall, it was awesome to relearn some Japanese history and reacquaint myself with it, specifically the Shinsengumi which I've been interested in for a long time. The night view was beautiful, and I would love to visit again to see some more of the things I wasn't able to see.

Sendai: Pageant of Starlight (仙台の光のページェント)

Hello again, everyone! 久しぶりですね！Long time no see!

Sorry for the unacceptably long lull in posting but due to Covid and the newer Delta variant, I haven't been able to do much traveling to post about. But that's all about to change. I'm going to be updating you all on some things I've done over the last few months that I haven't been able to post about until now. So let's just get right into it!

Sendai (仙台)

Back in January, I took a simple two-day trip to Sendai in Miyagi prefecture for the Pageant of Starlight (光のページェント・Hikari no Pagentto).

This festival started in 1986 and takes place every year on Jozenjidori Street in early January. 

Sendai uses this festival as a way to battle the bitter cold and darkness of winter with the illuminated brilliance of over 600,000 lights in over 160 zelkova trees. 

This transforms Sendai, which is known as the "City of Sacred Forests" into a city of starlight. The Japanese people like to say that you can enjoy the illusion of walking amongst countless stars here.

On the first night of the festival, a "Starlight Symphony" is held and the Sendai Philharmonic orchestra holds charity concerts.

Another beautiful feature of this festival is called the "Starlight Wink". It takes place at 6pm, 7pm, and 8pm every night. This is when the street illuminations are turned off, plunging the street into darkness for about one minute, before they flicker back on, returning to their shimmering brilliance. It's supposed to imitate the flickering and shimmering of real stars.

The location of the tunnel of lights is perfect since it is located just a 20 minute walk from the main station and is surrounded by many restaurants, shops, and hotels. Many stalls are set up to sell warm sake, beer, wine, churros, pizza, crepes (like the one below) and many other delicious and hot foods. There are also special tents set up with heaters inside so you can warm up if you get too cold. 

There is also an ice rink nearby where you can rent skates for 800 yen (approx. $8), which I thought was a nice wintery addition. My favorite ice skater, Yuzuru Hanyu, was born in Sendai and it was really cool to think about how many times he may have skated at that very rink and festival as he grew up and began skating!

Finally, among the 600,000 LED lights, all shimmering and flickering in soft oranges, yellows, and whites, there is a single pink light. Locals believe that if you are able to find this single pink light among the thousands, it will bring you luck and happiness in the new year. I wasn't able to find it but I hope to someday!

History

While the Sendai Pageant of Starlight is beautiful and dream-like, the history of it isn't very shiny at all. 

In 1945, after the Sendai air raid during WWII, wide areas of Sendai were burned to the ground. The city went from being known as the "City of Sacred Forests" to the "Sendai Desert". 

After reconstruction began on the city, they began developing new buildings and wider streets to modernize it. During this time, "spike tires" were being used on the construction equipment. This created a lot of dust and flying debris during the winter, creating a dirty and desert-like appearance. In 1985, the regulation of "spike tires" started to help control this dust and dirt and, shortly after, the Sendai citizens started to organize better ways to help clean up their beloved city. 

They began to decorate the zelkova trees on Jozenjidori street to help illuminate the city and create a livelier and more beautiful scene for the cold, dark winter nights.

Thus the Pageant of Starlight began.

I think it's fascinating to learn about not only the modern version of these festivals, but the history behind them and how they began. Oftentimes, the most beautiful and cherished traditions came from the ashes or a less fortunate event.

Hopefully you enjoyed learning a bit about one of Japan's most famous winter illumination festivals!

Until next time!

Osaka: Kuroshitsuji Musical (大阪：黒ミュー)

(Note: This post is saying it was posted in August when it was actually posted in December. I'm not sure why but it won't let me change the publish date. I went to Osaka in April, drafted this in August, and posted it in December. Apologies for any confusion!) 

Hello again! I hope you all enjoyed my last post about Sendai's Pageant of Starlight!

Today's update isn't a festival but it is about another trip I took back in early April. So let's just get right into it!

Osaka (大阪)

Day One

Unlike my trip to Sendai, I was here for a little bit longer. I took a four day trip down south to Osaka, which is one of Japan's more well-known cities to people outside of the country. On my first day there, I checked into my hotel, which was amazingly cheap while simultaneously amazingly outfitted and close to my main reason for the trip!

That night, I set out and navigated the subways to see the well-known "Running Man", or the "Glico Man" as he is known in Japan.

Unfortunately, his lights were under construction and inspection until June of this year, so I wasn't able to see him lit up in all his glory. T~T But it was still striking to sit there as the sky grew darker and the billboards around him lit up and animated.

That night, I enjoyed Taco Bell for the first time in almost 2 years from the second floor of a building with a great view of all of these glimmering billboards. Not very cultural of me but when you haven't had a favorite restaurant in that long and you're given the opportunity, you take it!

There were also some pretty cool manhole covers in Osaka featuring the castle.

Day Two

On the second day, I went to the main attraction of my entire trip. Just like with the Prince of Tennis Musical (Tenimyu) I saw my first year here, I had always watched the Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler) Musicals (Kuromyu). I watched every stage version of it for about 8 years online and had always hoped I'd be able to see it live.

And I made that dream come true, too!

Unfortunately, also just like with Tenimyu, they had just changed the cast from the one I had loved for years to a new cast T~T But the upside was that many of these actors had been in Tenimyu when I'd seen it. I really like a couple of these actors so it was really nice to see them again in different roles and compare their performances and interpretations of different characters! 

The stage had a very eerie and mysterious vibe to it, which matched the manga and anime aesthetics very well. This stage play was based off the "Secret of the Public School" arc of the manga. It was very well done and brought tears to my eyes during the dramatic performance of one of the more gruesome scenes from the manga. 

There were a lot of goods to buy here as well. I didn't end up with as much as I did when I went to Tenimyu but the quality of what I did get was great! I ended up with some clear files with the actors on them and this thick booklet with information on the characters and actors. The oil-slick like appearance of the title is really beautiful.

Day Three

On the third day of my trip, I once again braved the subways to visit the famous Osaka castle. 

While I'm very used to having an ancient Japanese castle around (Hirosaki Castle, which I love dearly!), Osaka was even more beautiful and awe-inspiring due to its sheer size and ornaments. 

Now, Hirosaki Castle boasts the title of one of Japan's most beautiful and northernmost castles. It has 3 tiers and sits in a 429,000 square foot park surrounded by moats. It is 14.4 meters tall (approx. 47 feet).

Osaka Castle, on the other hand, has 5 tiers with 8 interior floors and sits on a 645,834 square foot park. The moats around this park would engulf the ones around Hirosaki Park and the castle itself stands at an impressive 58 meters (approx. 109 feet)!

So you can imagine how impressive this castle is in comparison.

The castle grounds house 13 buildings, including the castle itself, a tea house, a shrine, several turrets, and the gates among other things.

The inside of the castle has been renovated into a museum, too! As a whole, the castle museum houses approximately 10,000 historical pieces/materials. Every floor has displays ranging from information about Toyotmoi Hideyoshi (the samurai warlord who had the castle built in 1583), armor and weapons, folding screens that illustrate battles and wars, beautiful old furnishings and lacquered pieces, portraits and letters from Hideyoshi himself, and communications from other warlords. 

The top (8th) floor is an observatory. You can step outside onto the encaged veranda and look out for miles at Osaka. 

You can also get a closer look at some of the ornaments, such as the golden Shachihoko. Shachihoko are animals of Japanese legend with the head of a tiger and the body of a fish. It was believed that they could make it rain or spit water from their mouths in the event of a fire, so many (flammable) castles have them as ornaments.

Also at the top of the castle are preserved gold paintings/inlays. These are original and have been carefully restored. Glass has been put up to protect them from the elements and tourists curious hands.

Finally, as mentioned above, there is also a shrine on the castle grounds. You are able to get a Goshuin stamp here if you have a Goshuinchou (Stamp book). It always feels nice to add another stamp to the book!

My fourth day consisted mostly of the trip home, which took one flight and a bus ride from the airport back to Hirosaki station. I relaxed after returning and set up my little omiage (souvenirs) to remember my trip.

I hope you enjoyed hearing about my Osaka adventure and that you found some of the history interesting!

Until next time!

Japanese High School Entrance Exams

みんな、久しぶりです！Hello everyone, long time no see! I know that it's been an unacceptably long time since my last update but boy do I have a doozy of an update for you today. Unfortunately, coronavirus has put a damper on any travel plans so there hasn't been much to write about. However, it's that time of year again! That's right. Graduation! Since graduation from middle school into high school is a majorly important process for Japanese students, I wanted to write about exactly how difficult it can be. Japanese students face a lot more of a hardship in regards to their education/education processes than American students. 

Generally, in America you just go to whichever high school your family enrolls you in. There are exceptions of course but we can make generalizations and say that it's more of the norm. In Japan, it's completely different. Students have to study much harder, much earlier to be able to set their path towards their futures. Below you'll find some information to help you understand what they and the schools go through. This is especially helpful for any current or incoming ALTs that may not speak Japanese very well or don't really know what to expect during their first year in a JHS.

Japanese High Schools

Types of Schools

In Japan, since the exam day for all public high schools is the same, students graduating from JHS can only pick one public high school and as many private schools as they'd like from the school district of their choosing. They then take these schools examinations. All high schools in a school district are ranked according to their success in sending graduates to prestigious colleges. 

High schools in Japan can be separated into one of the following categories:

• Elite academic - public or private
• Usually only the top scoring students of every JHS can get into these high schools. These schools tend to send their graduates to the top universities in the country.
• These schools are ranked higher than technical, commercial, or agricultural schools.
• Non-elite academic - public or private
• These schools still prepare their graduates for universities or junior/specialization colleges. They are not ranked as highly as the elite schools.
• This is what America would consider a "main-stream" high school.
• Vocational
• These schools offer courses in commerce, technical subjects, agriculture, home sciences, nursing, and fishery. Approximately 60% of these high school students enter full-time employment after graduating.
• Correspondence
• These schools usually have a very low percentage (less than 2% I believe) of students attending them because they are mainly here to offer education to students that missed out on high school for various reasons.
• Evening school
• In the past, these schools offered classes to students that were ambitious but too poor to afford high school (Yes, they pay for high school. More on that later!) so that they could work during the day.
• Now, however, these schools are usually attended by little-motivated students in the lowest percentiles of the Japanese education system.

School in Japan is daunting, in my personal opinion, for the fact that JHS students (12-15 years old) must decide which high school to attend based on their school grades and test scores. If they are unable to get into a good high school (or the one they want), they won't be able to attend higher ranking universities. They also won't be able to have as many job opportunities available to them, since employers rely heavily on education credentials as main criteria for recruitment. 

This school system really is based on a "tournament mobility theory", which means that only the "early winners" get better chances in the next stage of selection (or life). 

Public vs Private High Schools

One of the main differences between public and private schools are the cost. Usually, public high school in Japan costs about 120,000 yen (~$1200) per year. Private schools can cost upwards of 300,000 yen ($2800) per year. This isn't including any additional costs such as their uniforms or anything relating to club activities. Some students even continue their 塾 (Juku - cram school) in high school as well, which is another additional cost. 

There are exceptions however. For example, one of my girls is one of the highest ranking JHS softball players in the Prefecture. Her school of choice offered her free tuition to attend and play softball for them. 

While public schools are basically an 3 year extension of the 3 years of JHS, some elite private schools offer JHS/HS combination 6-year college prep curriculums. This  means that if the school a student wants to go to is one of these 6-years, there are less spots available for the high school track since affiliated JHS students move directly into that school. Private high schools may even have the benefit of being "escalator" schools, which means their students may automatically go on to private universities, like the prestigious Keio University. 

Admission to High School

Admission to high schools in Japan are based on entrance exam scores, grades, and face-to-face interviews.  

Early on in the students' 3rd and final year of JHS, students, their parents, and their teachers (usually homeroom teacher) sit down and do placement counseling. This means they try to match each student with the perfect high school based on which school's criteria they meet. Homeroom teachers move with the students all 3 years of JHS, so they know them very well. They can talk about the student's interests, future dreams, and the parents' preferences and present the odds of passing the exams based upon the student's grades and mock exam scores.

It may be a bit discouraging because some students may find out that their odds of passing their first choice high school's exam aren't very high and they may have to go for their second or even third choice. Unfortunately, this means that students aren't sorted out to high schools based on their future life plan, but by academic achievement.

The Entrance Exams

There are multiple different types of entrance exams.

Regular Entrance Exams

• Regular entrance exams for private schools usually test students on 3 subejcts: English, Math, and Japanese. These are called 三教科 (Sankyouka - 3 subject) for this reason.
• Regular entrance exams for public schools usually test students on 5 subjects and are called 五教科 (Gokyouka - 5 subjects): English, Math, Japanese, Science, and Social Studies.

After that, there are even more subcategories.

• 単願推薦 (Tangan Suisen - Single)
• This is the exam for the student's first choice school. It is possible to do this exam for 1 private and 1 public school.
• To apply for this test, students need a certain number of "points" from their 3rd year report cards. For example, if a school requires 38 points min. and a student does well and gets 5 points for each of their 9 subjects, they will have a total of 45 points. This means they could apply for that school's test.
• A teacher will have to recommend them to the school. This is discussed during the parent-teacher-student meetings.
• This is possibly the hardest type of exam. If a student does pas, they must pay entrance fees immediately and they HAVE to attend that high school. It is basically an agreement when applying for this type of test and if the student is accepted but declines, it will give the JHS a bad name and that high school may possibly not accept any students from that JHS for several years.
• 併願推薦 (Heigan Suisen)
• This type of test is like a student's safety net. The school will hold an opening for the student should they pass the exam while they test for their top choice.
• This is like a regular entrance exam but you can postpone paying entrance fees until after other exam results have been provided.
• スポーツ (Supootsu - Sports)
• This is a specialty test. Students that are outstanding atheletes (or with some other outstanding talent) are scouted by high schools. This is what happened to the softball player previously mentioned.
• I believe schools will only scout top players if their scores also align well enough with their desired scores.

Students spend the entirety of their 3rd year studying for these exams. They study for hours after school as well and many students go to 塾 (Juku - Cram school). Many of my students have made time lapse videos of their studying and you can watch as the clock makes its rounds. Often up to 5.5-6 hours of studying. They work very hard and are often very tired because of it.

A Tentative Schedule

In their late 2nd year or early 3rd year of JHS, students may have the option of doing what's called Takienjyugyo. This is where students can try out a class at their prospective high schools. This counts towards extra points on your entrance exam if you choose to take that school's exam! They can also attend a 説明会 (setsumeikai), which is where students have the opportunity to have the schools explain their entrance procedures. 

October/November of their 3rd year (their 3rd year begins in April): Students will narrow down their high school choices.

December: Students will receive their final grades for the 2nd semester. Their GPA will determine which schools they can attempt. 

January: Students will do their 願書 (Gansho), which is the written/paper application for their chosen schools.

February: Entrance exams for public (公立 - Koritsu) and private (市立 - Shiritsu) schools.

Late February/Early March: Students will receive their exam results and will know if they got into their chosen school. Usually students come to the teacher's room and announce passing/getting into the school and thank the teachers of their grade level for helping them along the way.

Mid-March: Graduation

April: Entering high school

Conclusion

My students graduated on March 11th. It was bittersweet and I cried but I was so proud to see my kids moving on and passing their entrance exams. They're going to do amazing things! I got some letters from some of the kids and a teary hug from one of my favorite students. I wore my hakama and kimono so it was overall a wonderful experience! It was my second Japanese graduation but it felt more special because I had fostered a different/better relationship with these graduating students and I fully experienced it as a 3rd year teacher. 

Overall, Japan really puts a lot of emphasis on graduation, especially from middle to high school. I hope you found this as interesting as I do! The differences between Japanese and American culture continue to astound me. Congratulations to all the middle school graduates and  hope you have a wonderful time in high school! 

お卒業おめでとうございます！

Yukata Party!

Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well and thriving despite everything going on in the world right now. I am very sorry it has taken me so long to post another update but hopefully I will make up for it with another post soon!

Today I am going to talk about a yukata party I went to the first weekend in August! (I know, I'm very behind schedule!) When I ordered my kimono a few months back, I had been attending classes to practice wearing kimono. I.E. Putting it on properly, tying my obi in different ways, wearing hakama, etc.

When I ordered my yukata, I signed up for a membership card at the shop. Doing this gave me access to a lot of nice additions I otherwise wouldn't have. For example, it gave me a discount on my first order (the yukata and everything I bought with it), I get discounted kimono cleanings, and I get to attend the kimono parties the shop holds throughout the year!

Recently, I took a friend back to the shop to help her order a yukata as well. The staff at this shop (Suzunoki -すずのき) are amazingly friendly and helpful and they were all very excited to be able to help another foreigner pick out and wear kimono. If there is one thing you should know about Japanese people, it is that they are the kindest people you will ever meet and they love when foreigners wear kimono/yukata. Just be sure that you are doing it properly and respectfully. While we were there,the staff reminded me that there was a yukata party on August 1st and they extended the invitation to my friend as well since she was returning to America on the 6th.

Getting Ready

The staff at the shop held my friend's yukata after it was finished until we went to get ready for the party. They helped us to get ready since it was her first time wearing yukata. The staff and kimono teachers that were helping members dress were exceedingly efficient and wonderful. The woman dressing me took such care in thinking of the perfect obi style for me and I could tell she was excited to share this part of her culture with me. She kept commenting on how my legs and arms were longer than the average Japanese woman's and she found it to be a nice challenge to make sure everything was perfect. 

The first thing she did was look closely at my obi. It is double sided with two different colors and patterns so she was deciding which side she would use. In the end, she chose to do a color-change style with the deep pink/purple being the main color. I was very happy that she did it without my asking her because color-change is my favorite style! 

She wrapped it around me tightly and I felt her tugging and pulling on it behind me. I was thinking about how many times these women have done this for others while she worked because they were so quick and efficient and it was tied in tighter than I could ever do for myself! Since I was distracted though, I was a bit surprised when she suddenly pulled out rubber bands! Never once had my teacher shown me any obi styles with rubber bands and since I couldn't see what she was doing, I was very curious. It took her a few minutes and when my friend Anna (a staff member) came back into the room, I could see her face light up. She told me that the design was so beautiful and that I was going to love it.

Finally, I was able to turn around and take a look in the mirror and my jaw dropped. This talented woman had tied my obi as a rose! It was amazing and so cute! 

I bowed and thanked her profusely and it was just so sweet because she bowed and took my hand in both of hers, thanking me for letting her dress me. Truly, the Japanese people are such warm-hearted people.

Ashley was waiting for me outside the room, dressed in her very own yukata for the first time and looking wonderful! I have added a picture of her (with her permission of course) so you can see her beautiful coordination as well!

The Party

After we were all dressed, we rode together with my friend Anna to a hotel venue that was close to the shop. We met my friend Maya and her husband there and took our seats. The room was amazing with a high ceiling and this amazing chandelier piece lighting the venue. 

The food was delicious as well. There were many courses: salad, sushi, a tiny pickled vegetable/pilaf cup, a salmon patte, chicken, grilled tuna, soba, and a wonderfully perfect pineapple sorbet with a baked merangue for dessert. Plus all the drinks we could handle! We were definitely fully by the time we left! Here's a small glimpse!

Near the end of the courses, the staff announced that it was time to start the games! This year's game? Get all the toilet paper off the roll before the others. Of course, they wanted to get their foreign friends involved so Ashley and myself were pulled on stage for the second round (which my friend Maya won! She's a very lucky person and wins these things often.) After our defeat, we went back to our seats and watched Maya and the first round winner go head to head. She lost by just a couple of seconds!

Before the end of the party, we took a group photo, Ashley and I at the top and right in the center! (Sorry for the quality. I only got printed versions of the photo and didn't have a chance to scan it.)

Overall, it was a wonderful experience with many wonderful people. Anna told me recently that, after the party, they received calls from some of the older store members saying how happy they were to see foreigners wearing traditional Japanese clothes and taking part in parties with them while doing our best to interact! I look forward to many more kimono parties before I leave!

Yukata (浴衣) - History and How-to

Hello again everyone! I apologize for the lack of posting the last few months but it has been a bit difficult to get out and try new things with Coronavirus. Today though, I come to you with a very exciting post (for me at least!) about Japanese Yukata.

Just over a month ago, I ordered a custom yukata from a local shop. During this process, I was able to choose my fabric and they took my measurements to make sure it would fit me perfectly. It took just over a month for them to complete it and I was able to wear it for the first time at my kimono class yesterday!

Before I show you the pictures of me wearing it though, I thought it might be kind of cool to tell you all about the history of the yukata and what you will need to wear one of your own!

Yukata

A yukata is a casual kimono that is worn only in summer. It is usually made of cotton or synthetic fabrics and it is unlined so that it is as cool as possible in the summer heat. Nowadays, you usually only see yukata being worn for summer festivals (祭り- Matsuri) but sometimes people like to get together and have yukata parties or go out to eat in them.

Yukata are made with straight seams and wide sleeves and women's yukata have slits under the arms to allow for the obi to be tied tightly without ripping the fabric.

Traditionally, yukata were mostly made with indigo-dyed cotton. But today they come in a wide variety of colors and designs to suit every person's tastes. 

The general rule with yukata is that younger women wear bright, vibrant colors and bold patterns while older women wear darker, more mature colors with duller patterns. Men and boys, in general, tend to wear dark colors and solid patterns. The left side of the yukata is wrapped over the right side (BE CAREFUL! Wearing ANY kimono left over right is a no-go! That is how they dress bodies for funerals.) 

How-to

To start wearing yukata, you will need a few items. For those that aren't familiar with wearing kimono, they don't realize exactly how much is required even when wearing this "simpler" kimono. Below are the items you will need to wear your kimono!

Above is what is called a Juban (襦袢). It is an undergarment for kimono. For yukata, like above, they are made with breathable, cooler material and usually only come to midthigh. 

There are 3 koshihimo (腰紐) and an obi-ita (帯板). Koshi means "wasit" and himo means "cord" so these koshihimo are used to tie around the waist and hold the kimono in the proper position before you put on the obi. The obi-ita goes beneath the obi to keep it flat and smooth. Mine does not have a band but you can buy itas that have a ban attached so you can put them on first instead of trying to slip it under after the obi is on.

Finally, there is the Eri-shin (襟章). This is for the collar of your yukata. If you like your colloar to be stiffer and straighter, there is a small hole on the inside of the yukata collar for you to slide one of these inside to help with that!

These are all the pieces you will need to HELP you wear the kimono but it is definitely not all you will/can wear!

The Yukata

Here you can see a picture of my yukata~ It is folded properly but you can still see the dandelion (蒲公英 - Tanpopo) pattern very clearly! You will obviously need a yukata in order to wear one. They can be a bit pricey but they are definitely worth it and they really are one of the cheapest kimono you can buy. So if you're not sure if kimono are something you absolutely want to wear a lot, I'd recommend a yukata first to practice your techniques and comfort.

Next you will need an obi. An obi is a traditional sash for kimono. Women's obis can be up to 12 inches (30cm) wide and 13 feet (4 meters) long. Mine, pictured above, is a hanhaba obi (半幅帯), or a half-width obi, which just means that it is only about 6 inches (15cm) wide. It is, however, 13 feet long. Depending on the obi and the person, you should wrap your obi around yourself 2 to 3 times before tying. These obi are usually used only for yukata, but if you have one with an elegant enough pattern, you could use it for more formal kimono. Mine is also a double patterned obi so I can wear it with either color/pattern on the outside. As you'll see in later pictures, you can also do color change in your obi tying with these kinds!

Next are geta (下駄) and tabi (足袋). Geta are a form of traditional footwear that resemble clogs or flip-flops. They are a kind of sandal with an elevated wooden base held onto the foot with a fabric thong. 

Tabi are traditional Japanese socks dating back to the 15th century. They are toe-divided so you can wear them easily with geta or zori (other Japanese traditional footwear). 

These are optional so if you don't have them or want to buy them (Geta can be expensive!), you'll have to wear regular shoes or sandals with your yukata. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that! But if you want the full Japanese aesthetic, they're very light-weight and easy to wear. Actually, since geta are worn with the informal yukata, you don't actually need to wear the tabi at all if you don't want to. That way, your feet will stay nice and cool in the summer heat! 

Above you can see my geta and tabi as well as a picture of how it looks on from the side. I wear my tabi with my geta for comfort (I hate my feet! lol) but I will probably forego them at summer festivals to keep cool.

 Another optional item is an obi-jime (帯締め) and an obi-dome (帯留め). An obi-jime is a thin rope that can be used as decoration for the obi as well as further helping you to secure your obi. The obi-dome is an ornamental piece that can be slid onto the obi-jime (i.e. the glass bead on mine above) for further decoration. You can find these in many colors, styles, and patterns.

My Yukata

Below are pictures of me wearing my yukata and accessories. My collar is a bit too open and I need to practice tying the obi but for my first try, I think it wasn't so bad! As you can see on my obi, when I tied it, I flipped my double-pattern obi so that it changed colors at an angle in the front and gave me the two-colored ribbon in the back. This is what I mentioned earlier when I introduced the obi. It is a bit hard ot see but you can also see my obi-jime and obi-dome wrapped around my obi. Everything must be center when you wear kimono so the ornamental part of it should be in the center, lined up with your nose.

I hope that you all found this post interesting and that maybe, you too, will find the beauty in traditional Japanese clothing! If I have time over the next couple of weeks, I will try to take pictures of the full dressing process to further help you understand how to use these items together. Maybe you will even be inspired to try your hand at wearing a yukata or kimono! Until next time, friends!

弘前市梟カフェ (Hirosaki Owl Cafe!)

Hello again everybody! Sorry for another delayed update! This actually should have been up weeks ago and I have no excuse aside from laziness. For those of you that know me, you'll know that birds have been and continue to be some of my absolute favorite animals. I find them fascinating, beautiful, and they're extremely intelligent! If you do know me, you may have already seen these photos on social media. However, I wanted to make a blog post about my time at Hirosaki's local Owl Cafe and go a little more in depth regarding how it all worked. So, for my sake and the sake of others that may some day find this blog, please bear with me!

Arriving

When we arrived at the owl cafe, we were greeted by a very polite woman. She asked us if Japanese was alright but the shop also had laminated English instructions as well for foreigners and tourists, which I thought was a very nice touch. The cost of the owl cafe was ￥1500, which is equivalent to about $13.50 currently, and this buys you an hour of unlimited self-serve soft drinks and owl pets! Food and other drinks were also available but were an extra charge. Even then, from what I saw they were never more than ￥500 or so, so they were pretty affordable.
You are greeted when you walk in by these two cuties!

The Owls

There were roughly 20 owls in this cafe and they are all rescues from what I've been told. Looking at a few of them, you could definitely see that they would have trouble flying and hunting in the wild due to wing/feather issues or, blindness, or, for one, a small and deformed beak. So I am a bit more willing to believe that they are truely rescues.


The cafe's Instagram (fukuroucafe.hirosaki) also shows that the owls are taken outside and to events as well so they aren't always cooped up inside! The handler in the cafe knew everything about each owl, from how much they weighed to what types of pets they like best, which was really sweet. She did a really good job of putting us at ease because, as much as I love owls, it was a bit intimidating at first trying to pet them. She showed us the proper techniques and made us much more comfortable. She was also regularly going around and cleaning up after the owls as they made messes.


The owls were not in cages but they were tethered to their respective spots by generous lengths of soft cord. There was plenty of space between them where they could have the option of cuddling up with each other or spreading out and stretching their wings. The signs by each of them told you what type of owl they were in Japanese and English, as well as their names (like the American Owl named Jenny-chan)! Some even had little messages like "You can pet this one's feet!" or the helpful but concerning "Do not pet unless holding" (only one owl had this message so I assumed he was just a grumpy boy).


They  had a Great Horned Owl, a Great Grey Owl, Snowy Owls, Spectacled Owls (which I relate to, as they look perpetually concerned), Northern Spotted Owls, Rufous-legged Owls, Tawny Owls, Pygmy Owls, and Barn Owls. The two suspicious looking owls in the second picture are usually a lot more fluffy but they were trying to be intimidating towards the mean old delivery man that day!

Petting and Holding the Owls

After paying your ￥1500, you have unlimited access to owl pets and holds! I didn't hold that many owls since I was kind of distracted and, generally, in overall awe. But I did hold 3 of these beautiful babies!


The Great Horned Owl, Ruby, was the first. You can see me holding her in the picture below. She really liked having her forehead and beak rubbed and was a very gentle girl. Ruby is about 3 and a half years old and she is actually blind! It was amazing what she could sense though because she would feel what direction your hand was coming from and turn towards it before you even touched her! She is the biggest owl in the cafe and was just beautiful to look at.

The next owl I held was Afuro, a Great Grey Owl. He was slightly smaller than Ruby, even if it is hard to tell in the pictures. They said he loved to look outside so he had a nice window seat where he could stare outside to his heart's content. He was actually the first thing we saw when we walked in! He could perch on your shoulder and was also very calm and gentle. I think his expression was my favorite because those wide (small) eyes in that big face just killed me!

The third and final owl we had the chance to hold was this little guy. His name is Hatsu and he is a screech owl weighing in at less than 1 pound!

Miscellaneous

Aside from the various owls, the cafe also has a hedgehog you can play with/pet and French Bulldogs that come into the cafe as well. The dogs had puppies within the last few months and we were able to pet and play with one for a few minutes, too! They were all very sweet animals and I think it is a good way to socialize the puppies, especially since I believe they would be up for adoption when they are old enough. They were obviously returned to mom and dad within a few minutes but it was still nice seeing such a cute, wobbly-legged baby! Especially since I really miss my own fur babies back in America.

Overall Impressions

Usually, any type of animal cafe has a stigma behind it regarding their treatment of the animals. It isn't usually beneficial to the animals to be kept confined to a small cafe for the duration of their lives. This cafe however, does seem to be more on the up and up. The owls are rescues, so it is nice knowing they will be living their lives being taken care of instead of being unable to survive in the wild. It was still a bit sad thinking of how tey probably still wanted to be out flying and hunting but I would say this type of cafe, or this cafe in particular, is probably better than others you hear of. Overall, I think I would go back again to give these babies some more of my love!