tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45929011943531856642024-03-14T04:54:52.070+09:00TenguLife: The curious guide to JapanTenguLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01197650040902190447noreply@blogger.comBlogger596125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4592901194353185664.post-68852128018064444302024-03-06T13:53:00.001+09:002024-03-06T13:53:50.444+09:00Life in Tokyo - Sometimes it can get a little hectic<p style="text-align: justify;">There was an old saying about life in Tokyo, "never try to do more than three things in a day". Going to work and having several meetings still counts as one before you say it... But sometimes things just all happen at the same time in the same place and, of course, it's the moment you catch flu (very mild in case you were wondering. I had Swine Flu many years ago and that was seriously not fun, this time I'll live, that time was touch and go) and the cold, dry blue skies of winter change to a bone chilling rain and that's when it happens.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">So an old friend flew in last night from Australia (on a business tour from Europe). I haven't seen him since before pandemic (Japan's doors were firmly shut both during and months post the apocalypse). However his three days was shortened to eighteen hours, there or there abouts. So 11.00pm saw me in a taxi to his hotel in a race against the closing of the bar, made it just in time. Four drinks ordered and we made it to around 1.00am with help of some very kind bar staff who didn't complain at all that the lights were out and the place was very firmly shut.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">So we'll catch up again this evening for an hour before he heads to the airport, my photoshoot I've deferred from today (under the "three things" rule). I'll meet him at a bar he doesn't know, in a part of town he doesn't know and then catch up with another friend before we head to a concert (Wilco, if you were wondering) and my first friend heads to Narita but has to find his car first. At the same time I'm helping my son work through apartment applications and getting myself up to speed on tonight's show whilst also joining a conference for a school where I help out. But as Ben Johnson once said, "mom, nobody died". </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The Queen concert two weeks ago was pretty awesome though...</p>TenguLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01197650040902190447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4592901194353185664.post-17179760205619008512024-02-07T16:37:00.002+09:002024-02-07T16:37:45.285+09:00The Snows of Tokyo<p style="text-align: justify;">So it snowed in Tokyo this week. It doesn't happen too often as we're protected by the Pacific warmth to the East and the mountains of central Japan to the West absorbing the worst Siberian wether can throw at us. It was a few years ago the last time we saw something and this time was mild, a few centimeters at most in central town. But that never stops wombat drivers going on their daily journey as if it were a dry, sunny day. So watch out when you're walking, most drivers this side of the Alps, simply aren't used to it.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I have a small place in the mountains of central Japan close the ski resort area of Karuizawa where there is ample snow to be had. Last year I took the shinkansen from Tokyo and, at the station, switched to a taxi. Who kindly abandoned me (and my shopping) about 200m from my besso. Next arrived the comedy of errors as I slipped and slid up what is normally a two minute walk. About ten snow angels later (which included the shape of shoppings bags, I made it to the top.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Without my pride it has to be said. Friends were arriving that evening so I got to work on preparing an evening BBQ (I have a gas burner so at minus a lot C it can still light), glad they hadn't seen my pitiful demonstration strolling the slope flat on my back. However, of course, I'd left the evidence of the angels behind. And, of course, they found them all and I was the butt of all jokes for the entire weekend but then it go. Until this week, when they all remembered in the snows of Tokyo and enthusiastically reminded me once again. Still, I like snow. Not sure about some of my friends though... </p>TenguLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01197650040902190447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4592901194353185664.post-4565464527599321422024-01-25T15:00:00.002+09:002024-01-25T15:00:40.783+09:00I can vote! Well, not in Japan, but at least finally in the UK...In 1982 I was too young to vote, you had to be eighteen in the UK. In 1987 I happened to be out of the country so missed that one too. By 1992 I was in Japan and we'd never heard of a postal vote (nor had any ability to sign up for it in the first place). By the time of the Brexit referendum I'd been overseas for more than fifteen years and so was disenfranchised under UK law. And although I've paid all my taxes in Japan (and we're talking a lot) the chances of me ever receiving the right to vote here could be compared to the survival opportunities of a gnat in a rather large volcano (and yes, I know I've used the polite version of the saying).<div><br /></div><div>Until today. The UK rescinded the fifteen year overseas limitation recently and I've just signed up to join the electoral role. I know it's just one vote, which won't make a difference in any shape or form, but it's the principle for me. I can vote!! Might get it wrong but I can actually vote... Too bad I missed the referendum but there is a little bit of schadenfreude coming into play. Am hearing less and less about "it's all about freedom", but too late guys, past history. But I can vote now! Europe is not going to let the Costa Del Sol back in any time soon by the way. </div><div><br /></div><div>Now the next issue is a vote in Japan. I know I could change my nationality and have the right to do so, but it would also be a much longer queue at Haneda Airport. And I'm kind of proud of being British (for all out faults) and don't really want to go down that route. Maybe one day Japan will change to allow those who've been here a while, followed the laws (paid taxes as mentioned) but to be honest, the noise you can hear in the background is, proverbially, a certain hot place freezing over. Baby steps, but I can actually vote. And that is worth something as a first corner on the course. </div>TenguLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01197650040902190447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4592901194353185664.post-17506655670291283342023-11-24T17:06:00.004+09:002024-01-06T12:45:55.878+09:00The last ten years...<p style="text-align: justify;">A few days ago I posted a simple "10". The reference was to the tenth birthday of TenguLife, not long until she's a teenager... With over 600 articles out there it's been a real kick when people come to me and say "I didn't know that". My audience went from 90% overseas to 60% international as many in Japan started to tune in for the information they'd missed and enjoyed reading. So what has changed in the last ten years? (And I'm going to deliberately avoid the negatives of the world today before you ask)</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Japanese social media went the way of MySpace and Toshiba the way of the Dodo (with Sony being a shadow of its glory days). Springsteen hasn't toured here in that time so there's an entire generation that's missed out but we live in hope. We didn't have "Baby Shark" back then (and if you're a new parent, just don't, you'll really regret playing it to the young ones, try listening to the "ABC" song in a car for three hours to Niigata...). And U2 are still going strong proving in 2019 that Japan has changed as the audience engaged with a passion (something they couldn't persuade them to do in 1994 when I saw them last). Oh, and we had no Ads on FaceBook!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">We had a little pandemic but Japan led the world in not complaining and getting on about it, putting on a mask without a fuss and staying quietly at home when asked and not mandated (though the vaccination ball was somewhat dropped but soon caught up). We also had an Olympics where pretty much everyone (I'm exaggerating but you get the point) broke quarantine, athletes, officials and Presidents alike. It's been an up and down decade, I wonder what the next one will bring...</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi31yacAmuBQLRRlnRYtZpnUbgRPH2B6ZIomftT_h1Rq4wv9pdI_wpPg-gsxjLTOBSYQ3S7ie24XIKOAZf_W4tIkTQVkpuDep__DNOCgH8nYwui6h1qkfedDsL6HI9PmWQhceEo9IYuyW8g-I-c28E5kxzyBQ7yl_FMww8PLAsqTzSX4ZfiCmigjyaSUCkw" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1974" data-original-width="3103" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi31yacAmuBQLRRlnRYtZpnUbgRPH2B6ZIomftT_h1Rq4wv9pdI_wpPg-gsxjLTOBSYQ3S7ie24XIKOAZf_W4tIkTQVkpuDep__DNOCgH8nYwui6h1qkfedDsL6HI9PmWQhceEo9IYuyW8g-I-c28E5kxzyBQ7yl_FMww8PLAsqTzSX4ZfiCmigjyaSUCkw=w400-h255" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">U2, Saitama Arena 2019. Japan showed it had changed.</td></tr></tbody></table><span> <span> <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span></span></span><br /></p><p><br /></p>TenguLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01197650040902190447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4592901194353185664.post-2302225162333325082023-11-15T23:56:00.001+09:002023-11-15T23:56:32.760+09:00Ten<p> Who would have guessed it</p>TenguLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01197650040902190447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4592901194353185664.post-64318007543364982622023-04-17T14:09:00.003+09:002023-04-17T14:09:58.324+09:00Haneda and a Dog's Breakfast<p style="text-align: justify;">So the doors have (almost) opened again. To arrive in the country you still need something akin to infinite patience as the on-line pre-registration is a little less than unreliable, the vaccine certificate wasn't accepted and the App has been discontinued and changed, re-installed and discontinued again. Still, the several hundred staff laid-on to assist were super polite (though I cannot imagine how) and helped me through as I arrived back on Terra Yamato after a fourteen plus hour flight from the UK.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This is all due to change though in the coming weeks as quarantine restrictions become (um) restricted. Finally! Since spring of 2020 I'd been a COVID Refugee. If I'd left Japan it was unclear whether I could return until late last year (October 13 I believe) and the portcullis was raised a little and daylight shone through the bars of the gate. And then the UK went on strike. Don't get me wrong, this time I'm kind of siding with the strikers. I think they have a solid case to make unlike in my younger days. But it couldn't travel the UK.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Anyway, the tourists are here and enjoying Japan (a fine pass-time). I met a couple in their late twenties who were essentially touring their was from Australia to the UK, I met another three coming to see a cinema bar they'd heard about and a further older couple who want to know where to find souvenirs to take home (and they loved my dog). It's interesting that, at the moment, the tourists seem to be people who genuinely want to be here. And it's nice to meet them. Been quite a while but I'm happy to see them. But it has to be said, after three years to figure it out, Haneda remains a complete dog's breakfast... </p>TenguLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01197650040902190447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4592901194353185664.post-58766940103309109842023-02-17T15:17:00.007+09:002023-02-18T10:33:11.711+09:00A day in the life<p style="text-align: justify;">Sitting in a lunchtime restaurant I'm watching two older ladies, roughly late sixties, giggling and drinking their beers from the bottle. Not very Japanese but clearly old friends. Above them there's the painting of three bikini clad girls with a bottle of Baileys in the corner. In front of me a guy is trying to convince his girlfriend he does love her and to the right, the same but he's clearly lost the argument.</p><p>Behind, a group of ladies, one of whom sounds a little like a Macaw, somewhat drowning out the others. Everything in Japanese, which is ok if you know the subject but you lose it quickly as they flip subjects between themselves. The staff know me well and quickly come to my aid when asked. My friend has to leave but I sit and pick up email that my friend's mother has passed away and another is having boyfriend problems. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Home is not too far away so walking seems like a good idea. One guy had clearly lost the girlfriend discussion but the other still has hope. In the elevator no one looks at each other but the reflection of shoes in the doors is always an interesting place to observe. Bright light straight in my eyes as I stroll down the road where a carer is encouraging and old man to keep trying and walk with his frame and I pass the hole in the road where my wife broke her leg a few year ago. Arriving at the door, the Uber delivered McDonald's is waiting for my son (which I collect and bring in). Five minute rest. And now I'm taking my dog for a walk. Welcome to Tokyo. Have a great day. It's cold.</p>TenguLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01197650040902190447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4592901194353185664.post-91043389892858902732022-05-05T12:53:00.001+09:002022-05-05T12:53:23.213+09:00The Perceptions of a Geisha<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqGbm_blSsBXwNZF1GRLGwoJCwdO_gBEG8yjzQ-3graKStgHJxrR5qbmsCoS2sxCdMjckdIurvB2R4ywzK4xVeoLlOXGf83Gt192WqN_adtnYhsF84Gk14uk6P_JCNuPL70Q-s1j53h5NjMMh_1w8VQL3j4fm9bEeTuCA1Pv86hXde0mQHNks6mVcBGg/s1379/98184c10ab3be30a0ffdb41c966bf93e.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1379" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqGbm_blSsBXwNZF1GRLGwoJCwdO_gBEG8yjzQ-3graKStgHJxrR5qbmsCoS2sxCdMjckdIurvB2R4ywzK4xVeoLlOXGf83Gt192WqN_adtnYhsF84Gk14uk6P_JCNuPL70Q-s1j53h5NjMMh_1w8VQL3j4fm9bEeTuCA1Pv86hXde0mQHNks6mVcBGg/s320/98184c10ab3be30a0ffdb41c966bf93e.png" width="232" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">The perceptions of the countries of the world are always interesting to encounter. The British food is solely fish and chips, all Americans carry guns, New Zealand is full of hobbits and all Spaniards dance The Flamenco. Etc. Obviously the stereotypes not only differ by country under review but also by the country of those enjoying the review. For example my French friends have rarely mentioned the British penchant for seafood but apparently I do (full disclosure: I'm British) eat roast beef. All day, everyday.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">And in return, every Frenchman rides around on bicycles in a black and white striped t-shirt with a string of garlic around his neck. In my humble British opinion of course. And this leads me to my point, stereotypes are just that, an uneducated viewpoint, more often than not, far from reality. And that's as true of Japan as any other country (and if you do ever meet me, please don't mention "fish and chips" thinking you're being original, you're really, really not). So Stereotypes are founded more in ignorance than intelligence and in there lies the rub, they limit our perceptive abilities.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">So recently I was in a conversation regarding Geisha. In the West, "Geisha" is, obviously, a pseudonym for "hooker", which genuinely couldn't be further from the truth. Geisha were / are (yes there are still Geisha today, try the backstreets of Kagurazaka in Tokyo) highly trained entertainers in arts of such as Shamisen, poetry or dance. End of story if you were hoping to get lucky when Japan re-opens its doors. True, through the nature of their work they would meet the rich and famous and a relationship may develop. And, when you think about it, that's no different from the origins and foundation stones of any relationship. Even if you happen to be a "Lion Tamer"... </p>TenguLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01197650040902190447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4592901194353185664.post-39172484920153492492022-03-02T15:37:00.001+09:002022-03-02T15:40:04.653+09:00The Olympics of Kano Jigoro<p style="text-align: justify;">On a sunny 4th of August, the Japanese athlete, Naoto Tajima, leapt 7.74m into the history books of the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Triple jumper by speciality, he was more than a half decent long jumper too. He came third that day and stood on the pantheon taking his place and laurels into history. Standing next to Jesse Owens who was on his way to winning four gold medals (and somewhat poking a stick in the eve of a certain dictator) (oh, and wearing very early Adidas running shoes) outlines his achievements.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">However, this story is about the Japanese delegation which had been lobbying hard for a number of years to host the 1940 Olympics, a petition which subsequently was successful. The head of the Japanese Olympic Committee, Kano Jigoro went as far as to say that if Japan was not awarded the games, then the Olympic Committee had "got it wrong". And he would organize another games, bigger and better.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This was to be Japan's final showing in the Olympics until 1952 in Helsinki, the invitation letter to London 1948 presumably lost in the post. Kano Jigoro's vision for 1940 didn't come to pass as no one had mentioned the coming invasion of China and Japan, subsequently, being shown the host nations door, however he did go down in a little bit of history. Between Jesse Owens and Naoto Tajima, you can make him out in the background, not looking very happy. But probably better than the host on that day.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjT1mZFhR9jfH5kRdtm0XS24XySLUvtIo3FVyJkv63ToA6WNoRpr22kuCRzoUp9lkOvK0yiu4uamHxmOSxffSBtoheHfEd6Ggz9SorK60Z_Glbe6dimjJRQVKDYkzQVto0jhrbXlLp_2s2tnLlr3FyFZqnijCRp7BX9qZq-I3BfUWNlUYS-AqWrPcSXpA=s1024" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="1024" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjT1mZFhR9jfH5kRdtm0XS24XySLUvtIo3FVyJkv63ToA6WNoRpr22kuCRzoUp9lkOvK0yiu4uamHxmOSxffSBtoheHfEd6Ggz9SorK60Z_Glbe6dimjJRQVKDYkzQVto0jhrbXlLp_2s2tnLlr3FyFZqnijCRp7BX9qZq-I3BfUWNlUYS-AqWrPcSXpA=w400-h295" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><br /></p>TenguLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01197650040902190447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4592901194353185664.post-77643228485291746352022-02-10T15:48:00.003+09:002022-02-10T15:56:16.265+09:00Standing in the rain at Hachiko<p style="text-align: justify;">No one under the age of twenty five has known the world without the internet. And before I receive a blizzard of comments bellow, that doesn't necessarily mean "have used the internet" however it is so pervasive in our lives the influence is genuinely global. School students today receive more information in twenty four hours than my grandparents received in a lifetime. And they think that's normal. It'll be interesting to see how their brains evolve, and evolution is not slow. But I digress.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">When I met my "to be" future wife in Tokyo, there were no mobile phones or any way to message and contact each other outside leaving a message on an answering machine ("Hachiko, hachiji") and pray the message got through. And the queue outside the phone booths at 8.00 o'clock on a Friday night was not something to be trifled with. As everyone else had the same problem looking for 10yen coins. And, of course, you had to carry your English/Japanese dictionary with you when your date did appear. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Silver Bell was the place in Osaka and Hachiko in Shibuya. Almonds was the go to location in Roppongi to meet but we didn't have mobile phones then. And we waited oh, so much and so often. And then the Keitai bought us time. You'd test out a flip phone by how satisfying the clunk was as you snapped it closed. A little like pressing the ejection button on a cassette player. Which no one under the age of twenty five knows anything about either.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbK2ux0TxS5fdZEuuHVtkaIwGjeNVw8IXtd_zOG3a3zENMYNxfnen0MmDxIPHp2rtzhZ0NPEFtllA19BpBKLg6oqO9Hzw5QqkQBO8RRFzqb9QZWwtXK-kdCn0V9-hDi4mftL9HKeuwN_LLXhw4prge7KF1MAtqypd9atBz-NBLhCoX8rlxhm0AVrROVA=s3427" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2072" data-original-width="3427" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbK2ux0TxS5fdZEuuHVtkaIwGjeNVw8IXtd_zOG3a3zENMYNxfnen0MmDxIPHp2rtzhZ0NPEFtllA19BpBKLg6oqO9Hzw5QqkQBO8RRFzqb9QZWwtXK-kdCn0V9-hDi4mftL9HKeuwN_LLXhw4prge7KF1MAtqypd9atBz-NBLhCoX8rlxhm0AVrROVA=w400-h241" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>TenguLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01197650040902190447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4592901194353185664.post-67498380881530957122022-01-27T10:16:00.008+09:002022-01-27T10:32:10.148+09:00That Soylent Green Moment<p style="text-align: justify;">One of the pleasures of living in Japan as a non-Japanese passport carrier is to be able to use the "Re-Entry Permit" line inbound at the airport. Usually both people ahead in the queue are processed and through in a matter of minutes whereas the (and you'll notice I qualified the passport point with "living in Japan") non-residents and also Japanese passport holders are privileged to enjoy the pleasure of an awful long time in their respective queues with a strong dependence on inbound flight schedules. That is of course provided you have your visa in order...</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Although many don't realize the point, when you arrive, if you don't have a visa, you're actually being granted a ninety day (which allows for business meeting etc to boot) tourist visa. From most countries. Some need pre-issued visas but that's not what today is about. Living here requires a valid visa, and these arise in multiple flavors, whether one, three, seven years etc. But they all have one thing in common. They all need to be renewed before you become a fugitive from the his Imperial Majesty's pleasure.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">And so came my day yesterday. The Tokyo main visa center is in one of the most inaccessible places there is, in amongst the labyrinthian roads and islands of downtown Shinagawa. On-line, the staff receive a generally bad wrap (rap?) which, to be honest, is unfair. They're nice and helpful, though a smattering of English would be a plus. But within thirty minutes I was processed and on my way out. This is a ritual I go through every seven years and each time I meet someone I know. It struck me yesterday, though, there was no one who appeared to be over sixty years old. Which means one of two things. Older people return tend to their home country in general, or that the door, marked "Soylent Green", has something else behind it...</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhOjXbDVO-AMRXS2YTS240zNlQMCGLfUBNLTdb3U1JPu6HWrZK74iqu4AQE4kGlOhSLqNKRD1TeZDo8ZOXC4QSPicR7jgMr38juWmZIFwtW0XRnEWdkQL-OeoOvAZY3o5YJh5CP1Da6Sfu3nkd7IEp71uoSuyKpLoBR9p4Gy54rGWZ2rethgrGi-Xxjsg=s916" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="687" data-original-width="916" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhOjXbDVO-AMRXS2YTS240zNlQMCGLfUBNLTdb3U1JPu6HWrZK74iqu4AQE4kGlOhSLqNKRD1TeZDo8ZOXC4QSPicR7jgMr38juWmZIFwtW0XRnEWdkQL-OeoOvAZY3o5YJh5CP1Da6Sfu3nkd7IEp71uoSuyKpLoBR9p4Gy54rGWZ2rethgrGi-Xxjsg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>TenguLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01197650040902190447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4592901194353185664.post-53664141670878432052022-01-21T15:04:00.003+09:002022-01-21T15:06:41.966+09:00So Exactly When Is It In Japan?<p style="text-align: justify;">I have an interesting dilemma, though if push ever came to shove, I'm fairly sure the local constabulary probably wouldn't agree with me. The issue is, my driving license, a document that is managed under the Japanese system of defining year by the reign of the Emperor, expires in Heisei 35 as clearly displayed in bold writing on the front. Except today is Reiwa 4, and there never will be a Heisei 35 following the well earned retirement of Emperor Akihito in 2019. And in there, lies the rub. After the ascension of the new Emperor, the prior counting system ceased to continue.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Government related documents tend to (but not always do) apply the Japanese Calendar. To know when to renew my license I have to convert the Heisei date to the Western Calendar, find the year (2023) and then convert back (Reiwa 5) (must remember to renew my license next year...). And sometimes they mix them. Having just completed my annual house insurance I needed to complete the date in two separate sections, one in Japanese format and one in Western. And I'm sure I'll receive said form returned with a correction.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The system commenced in 1868, technically Meiji 1, with the adoption of the new constitution and scant regard for the confusion to follow (my Japanese friends become just as confused if you were wondering). Taisho was next in 1912, though this is the one that seems to be the least remembered. The Showa period commenced in 1926 bringing in the long reign of Emperor Hirohito (the only person to receive "The Stranger Order of the Knight of the Garter" from the Queen, twice, as it got rescinded in 1941 for, ahem, obvious reasons, and then re-awarded in 1971; which apparently made him happy). Rounding things out saw the Heisei Era from 1989 which bings us to today with Reiwa from 2019 (which was both Heisei 31 and simultaneously Reiwa 1). And don't ask, it's really never going to change.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi75oHZ3cDoeNXmJxNvq6gjG_hZgt_Y3SYJ4fvq4DBYbhDkkv8XMR6VnE__YH7X7BNkdkcAADgzsCpJv1w8o_sWoRFczRoP4VM4Da-cTvXIMF320y_-ueoKS0-KA7d-QL71TQdj79LgAKdNNsVLy4mmtG32GeqcviXJn-r-4nFFrF8rnP5IxoHORpJ9PA=s1503" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1503" data-original-width="1503" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi75oHZ3cDoeNXmJxNvq6gjG_hZgt_Y3SYJ4fvq4DBYbhDkkv8XMR6VnE__YH7X7BNkdkcAADgzsCpJv1w8o_sWoRFczRoP4VM4Da-cTvXIMF320y_-ueoKS0-KA7d-QL71TQdj79LgAKdNNsVLy4mmtG32GeqcviXJn-r-4nFFrF8rnP5IxoHORpJ9PA=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p>TenguLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01197650040902190447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4592901194353185664.post-49752272591510038632021-12-21T12:49:00.000+09:002021-12-21T12:49:32.469+09:00A Pina Colada at Trader Vics<p style="text-align: justify;">Some people have interesting traditions. In something of a different era, I once called a friend on the last Friday before Christmas. People were out of town and truth be told I was somewhat bored so calling around those still in situ. One friend answered thinking it was his girlfriend (let's not get into what he actually said when he found out it was me...) and we decided to catch up. He had something with him I'd never seen before, and it held a lot of music. The iPod had been launched to the world some two months prior and so I've always been able to date that last Friday to his shiny white headphone attachment.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">And hence a traditions was born. On the last Friday before Christmas each year I host a small lunch for a few friends who don't necessarily know each other but I think they'll enjoy meeting new friends. And I also somewhat define what actually is the "Last Friday". Given the habit of many to leave Japan toward the year end for their homeward journey I've decided I'm allowed to opt for alternative dates to enjoy their company, though these days there are the obvious restrictions of airborne bugs and lack of airplanes.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">And so on Friday 17th a few friends met up. We were all vaxed and asked the staff not to approach the table but allow beverages to reside on a side counter where we could select the range ourselves to avoid them having to expose themselves to any potential risks (total count in Japan that day, 56). They didn't do this of course as service is their pride. For which we are extremely grateful. One day we are going to be back to abnormal times, but I'd still like to thank the staff of Trader Vics for kindly welcoming us again. See you next year. With a Pina Colada. And yes, you have to figure that one out...</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiVoU01q4mIZhj8rYK2Z6bIKrp_OCneemJot7_tnkPSmK8BFMLnjvfFnAMp_JCFmRYPSL_mp2_TQrOepDO0RR3Qkwe-C7TD4lYW921Cc4aOsYWNWuNJ5cDvyI09rhJlPuJyjxwu-8NhK8fwI0TzuKgaKtHZQ21M08GLn0xhOEIUzgiMnwt1_aphpzVUmA=s656" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="656" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiVoU01q4mIZhj8rYK2Z6bIKrp_OCneemJot7_tnkPSmK8BFMLnjvfFnAMp_JCFmRYPSL_mp2_TQrOepDO0RR3Qkwe-C7TD4lYW921Cc4aOsYWNWuNJ5cDvyI09rhJlPuJyjxwu-8NhK8fwI0TzuKgaKtHZQ21M08GLn0xhOEIUzgiMnwt1_aphpzVUmA=w390-h400" width="390" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>TenguLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01197650040902190447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4592901194353185664.post-53115003003435346792021-12-14T13:33:00.006+09:002022-02-03T04:23:15.663+09:00A Namamugi Incident<p style="text-align: justify;">More years ago than I care to remember I walked "The Kiso Way" from Magome to Tsumago in Nagano-ken, one of the few remaining sections of the Tokaido, the Edo Period stone highway connecting Tokyo and Kyoto. At least I thought I did. Researching this article I've found I'd strolled the Nakasendo, the other road from Tokyo to Kyoto. Which somewhat negates the flow of this article that last weekend I walked the other end of the Tokaido, but this time I'm sure. I had a historian with me. And he had a map.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Setting off from <a href="http://www.tengulife.com/2015/05/the-moving-story-of-hachiko-and-maybe.html" target="_blank">Hachiko</a> in central Tokyo at 6.00AM beating the noise and heat of day (admittedly in December so we somewhat embraced the chill of the morning) with a purpose in mind. I enjoy a good walk and my destination was the Gaijin Botchi (Foreigners' Cemetery) on the bluff overlooking Yokohama, some thirty-five kilometers to the south. I had a detour in mind this time, I'd known of the <a href="http://www.tengulife.com/2015/04/when-britain-went-to-war-with-japan.html" target="_blank">Namamugi Incident</a> when an Englishman took on the 700 strong retinue of a homeward bound Daimyo with a somewhat predictable outcome. But at least they put up a plaque to him and erected a small (and quite quaint) memorial right next to the Spring Valley Brewery (interestingly founded next to our destination for the day).</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Strolling in the morning light we passed through Magome again, this one a suburb of Tokyo (no offense to the residents but, don't go there) and caught up with the third of our party. And then age and sore hips started to take their hold and a detour via a morning cafe where wine and painkillers would be gratefully quaffed became something of a necessity (en-route to which we came across a rusted Nissan Skyline shooting break carrying a tax disk that showed it hadn't been driven in over thirty years, about the same time I was walking through the peace and beauty of the first Magome. And strangely a sign on the side announcing "For Public Use Only"). </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Sustenance received and we moved on. To the train station from where we advanced to Namamugi of said incident only to find the wall and the plaque had succumbed to a wrecking crew less than a week before and the memorial had been relocated (but this one we found). We did find a red footprint and decided this must be the spot of the epic battle and so declared the first objective of the day duly successfully achieved and boarded our train bound for the <a href="http://www.tengulife.com/2014/12/an-alternative-new-years-day.html" target="_blank">Gaijin Botchi</a>, a few stops beyond Yokohama Station.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Climbing the steep rise to upper plateaux of the Bluff (actually, there's an escalator concealed inside the hill) we reached the destination of our eventful day. To find it locked. But what a beautiful day, December and people were picnicking on the lawns with a bridal pair thanking their lucky stars for the photo-op. So we crossed from the view of Fuji to the other side of the hilltop and took in the view of Yokohama Bay, thinking of those days before escalators had been invented. And then we went home. By train. No reason to be silly about it.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRWMibNFKHTVNp8PhZ301wUjKM8BcjTzMWLUD8JzcLn24KDN1gX_BI7jJ29zZvbWHl37QyykLmG3UnQ00uwHhtpJU_apA_k8TDlw0ajzhUVHMBTFobu4qva2n1krhtoWvp3R1FkybQAcTEZipS30PQbr8ZhEGesLz1-TiFEhbnxaO_doBpm4mirt_xag=s838" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="629" data-original-width="838" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRWMibNFKHTVNp8PhZ301wUjKM8BcjTzMWLUD8JzcLn24KDN1gX_BI7jJ29zZvbWHl37QyykLmG3UnQ00uwHhtpJU_apA_k8TDlw0ajzhUVHMBTFobu4qva2n1krhtoWvp3R1FkybQAcTEZipS30PQbr8ZhEGesLz1-TiFEhbnxaO_doBpm4mirt_xag=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thanks go to Rory and Marty!</div>TenguLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01197650040902190447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4592901194353185664.post-42289262120692699332021-12-07T11:15:00.002+09:002021-12-07T11:16:05.671+09:00A Horse to Hokkaido<p style="text-align: justify;">In 1878 the (yet to be) empire of Japan had not only opened to foreigners for the first time in nearly 300 years but had been through a civil war, embraced a new (actually its first) constitution placing the Emperor (Mikado) at the center of both political and religious helms but also relocated said foreigners from Shimoda (where they could count the ships supplying supplies to Tokyo) to the sleepy port town of Yokohama (where they could be seen but not heard). And then Isabella Bird arrived.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Leaving England to find balmier climes for health reasons (and not enjoying Australia too much) she arrived in Yokohama to start a quite remarkable journey. The limited foreign residence ensured she quickly had the opportunity to embrace international society in Japan including the interesting (and, one day to be, ambassador) Ernest Satow (who had arguably, accidentally, set of the civil war mentioned above by noting that foreign powers needed a central government for negotiations rather than a loose affiliation of warring factions). Her purpose was to ride a horse to Hakodate. A distance of some 800km to the north on the (extremely remote at that time) island of Hokkaido.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">She hired a guide, stayed with local people, was viewed as a exhibit to be seen, met and dined with Ainu, experienced a typhoon whilst returning home and all of this by the age of 47. Almost exactly 100 years later an Englishman by the name of Alan Booth reversed the journey walking from Cape Soya in Northern Hokkaido to Cape Sata, the very southern most point of Kyushu. And much of their tales ring with resemblance. The kindness of people, the beauty of the country, the isolation (and the revenge of the fish). And this weekend I'm planning to take a walk from Hachiko in central Tokyo to the Gaijin Botchi in Yokohama. It'll be interesting to see how much of the journey remains.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzZ1nlaZFNXRZ5xMdLAC7bMyD_CGyGLrrrZsbrGzVCaKpNByUeCM78qCQ9GetfyEjboPBA94BI6Vdy4j34c7tjjytQLL_eGocsf2Mkv9bwQNO8AzG4t_y8Sgd65QgcYKtHsMWx_k0d8ipJ/s1080/th_5-04.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="1080" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzZ1nlaZFNXRZ5xMdLAC7bMyD_CGyGLrrrZsbrGzVCaKpNByUeCM78qCQ9GetfyEjboPBA94BI6Vdy4j34c7tjjytQLL_eGocsf2Mkv9bwQNO8AzG4t_y8Sgd65QgcYKtHsMWx_k0d8ipJ/w400-h204/th_5-04.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>TenguLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01197650040902190447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4592901194353185664.post-64724684178689729792021-11-19T12:43:00.003+09:002021-11-19T12:50:19.525+09:0089.7 - The most important number in an earthquake<p style="text-align: justify;">At 5.46 on a cold January morning in 1995, as the first Shinkansen prepared itself for the journey west from Osaka, a 6.9M earthquake struck some twenty kilometers south of the city of Kobe. There was no tsunami however, as the temblors rushed through the city they reflected off the mountains that encircle the prefecture to the north. And caused an interference pattern that flattened the metropolis in under twenty seconds. Over 6,000 lost their lives that day.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Famously, the elevated highway, snaking along the coast, wavered and then collapsed. Cars were crushed and an overnight bus hung, front wheels in free air, becoming the global image of the catastrophe. Fires ripped through the carnage, especially in the old, wooden, quarters of the city. They would continue through the night as rescue was catastrophically delayed. And, in the days before the internet, with the power grid razed, the only information came via battery powered radio. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Many learnings came from that day one being to stop the government restricting the roll out of the now ubiquitous mobile phone (they were just mobile then, no smarts...) and another was to grant licenses across the country to new, English speaking, radio stations. The new broadcasters contractually bound their bi-lingual teams to live within walking distance of their studio to ensure service could continue if possible. And, if we're ever hit by the big one in Tokyo, one of those can be found at 89.7 in glorious FM stereo.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQ6z8wQr4XUAFT3YZ_evouRQfFX4WemDyzdKRROPgAD5NQKIgFqFf_HbU81LtmB9vcnhxwu1TBjyspA_wpfI-md6ftsuc8vNNmNDnuN91kQt-_OZDkAR4Tt75nuyo_OvW1F-yMYLZsjTx/s1280/1440ec34-2b79-11e9-8864-9e8ab15a22ca_image_hires_163306-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQ6z8wQr4XUAFT3YZ_evouRQfFX4WemDyzdKRROPgAD5NQKIgFqFf_HbU81LtmB9vcnhxwu1TBjyspA_wpfI-md6ftsuc8vNNmNDnuN91kQt-_OZDkAR4Tt75nuyo_OvW1F-yMYLZsjTx/w400-h225/1440ec34-2b79-11e9-8864-9e8ab15a22ca_image_hires_163306-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p>TenguLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01197650040902190447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4592901194353185664.post-39239854294862375552021-11-11T17:36:00.005+09:002021-11-11T17:47:06.719+09:00Welcome to our Shinkansen<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span><span><br />Thirty years ago today I landed at Narita, an hour north (<span style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5);">wish)</span> of Tokyo, no visa but an assignment for two years in Japan and England had just lost the Rugby World Cup to Australia. I'd wondered what I would think of myself as a young twenty-five year old if I turned down the opportunity and so here I was, lost. In those years I</span></span><span>’ve seen a few changes, little kids don’t run up and touch me, running off laughing that they’d touched a foreigner anymore.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span>A kind gentleman with a complete absence of English guided me f</span><span>rom Tokyo Tower to the Shiba Park Hotel and turned back with a wave. We have mobile phones now and it doesn</span><span>’t cost $4 a minute to call England any more, if you need to contact someone, the fallback is to call, then it was a message on a cassette on an answ</span><span>er machine they wouldn</span><span>’t receive until they got home. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There was no social networking, you met people the old-fashioned way by saying hello, which gladly you can still do today. People were kind to me and that is still true as well. In 1993 I met and marrie</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">d the lady who still sits beside me today. Street signs are in English (!) as are Shinkansen announcements (and not just the recordings, though I did love the lady's voice back then, </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">“</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">welcome to our Shinkansen</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">”</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">). I could fly Virgin to London and be invited to sit in the cockpit for landing into Heathrow though those days are long gone now. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I no longer have to sit, typing in code that had been faxed to me, to hook my computer up to the internet to watch Mozilla scroll up in front of me with a modem beeping away in the background (I wonder what happened to Global Village). We</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">’ve had some significant earthquakes although I still find myself explaining the difference between the Japanese and international scales however, bar the once, I haven’t had to shovel mud from someone’s home again. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’ve lost m</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">any friends, some to distance and some to circumstance. There was a different pandemic back then, but we figured it out, hopefully we</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">’ll do so again. I hadn’t even thought about my son but now I sit in awe listening to his guitar. It’s been a good thirty ye</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">ars. I</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">’ve been lucky. And, just about now, the plane landed</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #444444; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuIoey3-nOB072s03Z7D9P_xrAGIrjpJgd80RAN5GKswq7rPAwNVJEczK896rpW0l4UPJpuqfDlvz4mLdu6vKBHqpZ3fxqHc4QhEKzyEZeKWJJglbed-qrRPDqVPU5Hn38pdpQspGPaHKq/s1365/lost_samurai_by_ckgoksoy_d9qws3l-pre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="1365" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuIoey3-nOB072s03Z7D9P_xrAGIrjpJgd80RAN5GKswq7rPAwNVJEczK896rpW0l4UPJpuqfDlvz4mLdu6vKBHqpZ3fxqHc4QhEKzyEZeKWJJglbed-qrRPDqVPU5Hn38pdpQspGPaHKq/w400-h171/lost_samurai_by_ckgoksoy_d9qws3l-pre.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>TenguLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01197650040902190447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4592901194353185664.post-74055005554690217692021-08-30T14:25:00.002+09:002021-10-21T00:33:55.313+09:00Atago Shrine - a Horse and Hanami Story<p style="text-align: justify;">In Tokyo proper, ie the one with a mere 13 million people (as opposed to Greater Tokyo with its 30 million), there are precisely 2,782 temples (they're tax exempt so yes, there is a known number) providing the services of your local, friendly, neighborhood monks performing a number of historical <a href="http://www.tengulife.com/2014/09/time-very-japanese-concept.html" target="_blank">duties</a>. And if you visit all the nearly 3,000, remember to take your <a href="http://www.tengulife.com/2014/11/japan-if-you-do-nothing-else-on-your.html" target="_blank">temple book</a> as evidence of your achievements! One, in the center of the Shitamachi district of Tokyo (literally "Downtown") was, in days gone by, situated, at 26m above sea level, upon the summit of the highest ground around, Atago Hill. That is before the elevator was created.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Atago Jinja boasts multiple shrines to various deity though on the whole with a theme of success and good fortune in various aspects of future life. There is, as well, a pond with some of the meanest looking koi I've ever seen as they climb over each other for the food distributed by the tourists. It is also the location of the 86, near vertical (slightly steeper than El Capitan if you see what I mean), "Steps to Success", a flight of stone stairs that led from the street to the summit. And, to woo the good favor of Shogun Iieyesu, were ridden by a samurai, who gained a blossom branch and fame and fortune. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The illustrations show the intrepid knight riding directly up the stairs, though physics would suggest it must have been sideways or he would have fallen rather inelegantly back to the foot of the stairs. History records the samurai declared he had achieved his life's desire. Strangely however, it doesn't seem to have made a record of what precisely was going through the horses mind as it precariously tiptoed those 45 minutes all the way down again...</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfAqpg1Q94zIf4NNkTukzq8meZZvvC8wN-FHZChpQ0GWCXqwgb60hjqRUF2GHh7b1tN2S-1KIEUXShgq9KN-OGDNYursiT8qjH0yrfmQZiPs_spoB160D3bZL8p0nIuH5E0kmwgxyBm2YL/s300/images.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfAqpg1Q94zIf4NNkTukzq8meZZvvC8wN-FHZChpQ0GWCXqwgb60hjqRUF2GHh7b1tN2S-1KIEUXShgq9KN-OGDNYursiT8qjH0yrfmQZiPs_spoB160D3bZL8p0nIuH5E0kmwgxyBm2YL/w400-h224/images.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p>TenguLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01197650040902190447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4592901194353185664.post-13946743548945511752021-07-22T11:37:00.004+09:002021-07-29T10:51:34.117+09:00Tokyo - An Olympic Finishing Line?<p style="text-align: justify;">In 2012, London hosted what can only really be appreciated as a successful Olympics. Yes, I know that's a little tricky to define but let's take it based on a straw pole of the popular vote, the man on the top of the Clapham omnibus was more positive than negative toward the extravaganza. Not sure that can be said in Tokyo of Mrs Watanabe on the Sangenjaya chin chin densha in the midst of a pandemical lockdown. When Ben Johnson was caught cheating he said to his mother in a hotel in Seoul, "mum, no one died". Let's hope Thomas Bach can say the same, come August 24th...</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The rings of steel have been in place for the last week or so, to control crowds around the sporting venues, except there aren't any crowds, just empty stadia with canned laughter and annoyed locals who have the inconvenience of long walks in the summer heat to find a way into their apartment when the roads are blocked and locked. Blue Impulse, the aerobatic display team, have rehearsed writing the insignia in the sky, which may or may not come off depending on the weather (side note, the time for rehearsal was not released so as to avoid crowds, no one seemed to consider that for an aerial display, you just look up). And vaccinations have reached an astonishing 15% or so of the population, 85% below the official declarations just a few months earlier.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Japan was first awarded the Olympics in 1940 only to see this one fizzle out after a small invasion of China. '64 was a coming out party and the infrastructure lasted until recent years so let's say that was also a positive. Macron is here to pick up the baton for Paris but the "Olympic Bubble" has popped, teams are abandoning the "Village" and Brisbane has been awarded 2032 after being the sole candidate to contest the bid. So the question has to be raised, if no one is into it anymore, has the Olympics run its course? I cannot recognize the athlete highly enough, their hard work, dedication and sacrifice is unquestionably of heroic proportions. But as an institution, is it time to weave a cocoon and aim for a butterfly reboot one day in a land far, far away? Mrs Watanabe would probably think so...</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijlhEEHUlJ4aEwQr1j4GrUBm-vNxved7OQdW6fpmzlgZflUxxpdqrYpQrahyLaCfu_nXT0By0GBMwjBPgDXWTWmeyYSwrmhge8Y-hl-f11zxYBjsZgeII2JF6BYCiEqpJtzIaYKzGP-gpm/s300/Unknown.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijlhEEHUlJ4aEwQr1j4GrUBm-vNxved7OQdW6fpmzlgZflUxxpdqrYpQrahyLaCfu_nXT0By0GBMwjBPgDXWTWmeyYSwrmhge8Y-hl-f11zxYBjsZgeII2JF6BYCiEqpJtzIaYKzGP-gpm/w400-h224/Unknown.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p><br /></p>TenguLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01197650040902190447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4592901194353185664.post-845898221202630802021-04-14T16:38:00.004+09:002021-04-14T16:49:00.975+09:00An Olympic Game of Chicken<p style="text-align: justify;">100 days to go. In 100 days there will be a subdued opening ceremony, no international fans (no discussion about International corporate attendance I've seen to date). Long term residents isolated overseas will watch as some 11,000 athletes (without counting Para-Olympic competitors), coaches, trainers, support staff and (as yet unconfirmed) families of competitors, are waived through the airports of Tokyo. And they won't be too happy to put it mildly.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The country will also watch these visitors from overseas and we're down to 24% support for the entire event as of today. Although the mask culture has been long established and shaking hands the exception, on the ground it is generally seen as a super-spreader event. The one big difference from last year being vaccinations. Except the government has been caught somewhat, flat-footed. Where as Bhutan has managed to inoculate nearly the entire mountain Kingdom, UK is well into it's own program with millions already having had the jab and America, the stumbling giant, has finally woken up and is now running an impressive rearguard action, Japan remains below 100,000 arms with jab wounds. Total, not daily.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The government is now discussing how commensurately complex the logistics are to inoculate a population of 127m. It isn't like they've had over a year to plan for this. One good step forward, yesterday the laws requiring new drugs to be tested on Japanese subjects prior to release (the Pill took over two decades (funnily enough, Viagra required mere months) for approval) were finally suspended. What's good enough for 200 million and counting, can now be applied here too. But the IOC and JOC are playing a tactical game of chicken. It's difficult to know whom will blink first and call it all off. Or maybe it'll be the competing countries who pull the proverbial plug first. The irony being that that would be following the lead of North Korea which pulled out recently due to COVID concerns.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">For now however, "Let the Games Begin!". At least until the fat chicken sings...</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrXPeHypA_5-_BJgqKQ488LduutFEIgxc4YOu8JjQ_Lb5HNqCOBt60LuUvevvEaOyvL9clQpHhTVOdKv0QN4uBDRl3amxDIau2Va7d9DF_ERHg7u6HDuHR8JIU_TmLaxeQCc1lMP_WB5Mi/s750/vlcsnap-2013-11-07-11h01m21s202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="750" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrXPeHypA_5-_BJgqKQ488LduutFEIgxc4YOu8JjQ_Lb5HNqCOBt60LuUvevvEaOyvL9clQpHhTVOdKv0QN4uBDRl3amxDIau2Va7d9DF_ERHg7u6HDuHR8JIU_TmLaxeQCc1lMP_WB5Mi/w400-h225/vlcsnap-2013-11-07-11h01m21s202.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>TenguLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01197650040902190447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4592901194353185664.post-43470428022676843562021-02-17T16:13:00.001+09:002021-02-17T17:09:20.456+09:00Welcome back...<p style="text-align: justify;">So, a little over a year ago I decided to "park" TenguLife after six years of rambling, though with the plan to be revived at a later date. What had been fun (and interesting for me) to write, was becoming more of an obligation than a hobby. And then we had a pandemic. Japan's constitution doesn't provide for an "actual" lockdown, but the government asked, and the people cooperated. Masks are not obligatory, but everyone wears them. You can sit on a bench, but you're going to be lonely. And my hands have had more alcohol than my mouth in the last year.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Anyway, back to the point. I've enjoyed my year off. Six hundred articles seemed a fairly good place to put the wheel clamps on but now, a year (or so) later, it's time to take the dust covers off, change the oil, and check if the engine still turns over. And, of course, take the wheel clamps off, goes without saying... Let's get vaccinated and have a hanami party where we can sit and be close enough to walk, talk and laugh again. Welcome back. I've missed you. Hello 2021! A little late, but happy to meet you.</p>TenguLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01197650040902190447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4592901194353185664.post-30349724869963465132020-01-16T09:32:00.000+09:002020-06-11T08:10:50.592+09:00Blindfold - A 'Coming of Age Day' Tale<div style="text-align: justify;">
This one was a little hard to write. There is a beauty to the <span id="goog_246621832"></span><a href="http://www.tengulife.com/2015/01/grab-your-camera-kimono-are-out-in.html" target="_blank">second</a> <span id="goog_469679550"></span>Monday<span id="goog_469679551"></span> of January each year in Japan; it represents the single moment the youth of a nation celebrate their twentieth birthday together; it's the day they Come of Age. From now on (admittedly in theory only) they can drink, sign a contract (and be prosecuted) uninhibited. The women wear beautiful furisode (the ornate, long sleeved kimono worn, traditionally, prior to marrying) and the "guys" opt for a simple black business suit (though, it has to be said, they look a little less comfortable in their new attire than the young woman in theirs). </div>
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Centered around the local community halls across the country, Shibuya Line Cube (which, although recently redeveloped, happens to be the venue for U2's first concert in Japan in 1983 (and you thought you weren't going to learn something this time around)) is a few minutes walk from the main train station, one of the busiest in the world . The day is a wonderful sight to see with the beauty and grace of the young women assembled, for this, their special day; and the young men with their "swagger and poise" laughing with their friends prior to the hall doors opening. This time though, I saw something new to me.</div>
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As I stood with crowds, enjoying watching as the new young adults arrived, an unassuming taxi pulled up. A mother stepped from the front passenger seat and walked around to the open rear door, and a grey guide cane emerged from inside. And then a young man, in a light checked suit, the pants an inch short of reaching his white sneakers, and necktie not quite straight, gently emerged. The impression was of someone who had chosen his own outfit and prepared at home for today's ceremony quite deliberately by himself. For me, the most awe-inspiringly beautiful sight of those few moments was the look of slightly understated hidden pride of the young, blind man's parents as he steadily joined his peers amongst the melee and celebrated <i>his</i> "Coming of Age Day".</div>
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TenguLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01197650040902190447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4592901194353185664.post-27990035022897084002019-12-06T15:22:00.000+09:002019-12-08T12:17:08.849+09:00U2 and a Metamorphosis of Japan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I witnessed something special last night and, for this, it's worth emerging from self-imposed hibernation (though winter is coming (sorry, just had to do that) and as for daylight, there may only be a brief encounter (I am on fire!)). So what happened. Well, it all started around 5.30AM when my friends daughter fell ill (hopefully she'll be up and running in no time) and, as a result, I inherited a ticket to see U2 at Saitama Super Arena, some forty-five minutes from central Tokyo (which is actually less time than it takes to arrive at the Tokyo Dome which is curiously within a healthy walking distance). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW6VB5ifrNr7JEQ_OWp3ALukCZVERLzvzT_XGOdlOP9GstUmVSZWS9BpI1sF-1DQVwrf14g1dGJH2IrIQbDg8ejR6Kde3sMTlajHLtO7juCFci_mZx5pYy20gGMGQuW4CX5Ujk3kWniIo2/s1600/IMG_1572.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1204" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW6VB5ifrNr7JEQ_OWp3ALukCZVERLzvzT_XGOdlOP9GstUmVSZWS9BpI1sF-1DQVwrf14g1dGJH2IrIQbDg8ejR6Kde3sMTlajHLtO7juCFci_mZx5pYy20gGMGQuW4CX5Ujk3kWniIo2/s320/IMG_1572.jpeg" width="240" /></a>Twenty-five years have elapsed since I last saw U2 in Japan (actually, at said Tokyo Dome) and, having heard from everyone (and his dog) in those days, that they were the best live band in the world (and remembering this was pre-LiveAid when they became global superstars in a single twenty minute set) I was somewhat deflated as the show lasted a little shy of what seemed like and hour and a half and the band walked off during a video of Lou Reed singing "Satellite of Love" never to be seen again. No encore or "good night". Twenty-five years later and some two and a half hours later, the memory of 1994 had been erased by one of the greatest live shows on earth. </div>
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But that isn't the reason I've arisen from my winter slumber. The reason is the audience. In 1994 Bono couldn't connect with the crowd. Each time he'd reach out there would be a distinct turning of heads to the person adjacent and whispering of "<i>nani?</i>" colloquially translated as "<i>what's he talking about?</i>" And then, in part, cometh the internet, Instagram, Social Media, Line and etc. Flash forward to December 2019 and not only were the band on fire, but so was the stadium. And it wasn't just the smartphone lights and the non-stop deafening audible backing track, it was the reaction and response to a great frontman, drummer, sonic engineer (if you haven't yet, watch "It Might Get Loud") and bassist, leading them on. Every single person reacted and responded. And that didn't happen in 1994. Last night I saw how far Japan has changed in the span of twenty-five years. And wow, has it changed.</div>
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TenguLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01197650040902190447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4592901194353185664.post-62388331127799936622019-07-02T14:29:00.000+09:002019-07-02T14:30:01.115+09:00Let's not say goodbye, just bon appetitClassic words from "Only Fools and Horses". After 600+ articles (of which ~30 remain unpublished as I didn't really feel they were complete), it's time (the Walrus said) to take a break. I hope I've brought some insight and some enjoyment about life in Japan to these pages. And I hope I've peeked (peaked?) your interest.<br />
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TenguLife out. For now...TenguLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01197650040902190447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4592901194353185664.post-46996053731185409692019-04-06T11:22:00.002+09:002021-10-25T17:19:33.474+09:00Back in the day, thirty years from now...<div style="text-align: justify;">
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In Japan, generally speaking (very generally...) there are three groups of expats. There's a large group under two to three years on the ground as their companies have rotated them in and soon will rotate them back out again. And then there's the group over ten years here, these have pretty much made the decision to stay a significant element of their lives, though they may not have come to terms with this as yet. And then there's the pipeline between the two; those who haven't realized permanent residency is quietly creeping up on them.</div>
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If we had postcards and fax machines back then, I wonder what it'll be like thirty years from now...<br />
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<br />TenguLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01197650040902190447noreply@blogger.com6