Tokyo POP, Yasukuni Shrine and more Cherry Blossoms

Shifting gears for a moment.

I went to Harajuku, Takeshita Street to have a look at the rebellious youngsters of Tokyo. Crowded and noisy, it was a fun place to kill a couple of hours when we ended our meetings early on Friday afternoon.

There's laws in many areas of Tokyo against smoking on the street. Many would believe this a victory for the anti smoking lobby and I suppose to some extent it is.

You CAN however smoke in enclosed areas in bars, restaurants and even McDonalds!

As a result of the strengthening Yen, my "Big Mac meal economic index" puts Japan on the pricey end of the scale:

650 Yen = circa $6US

Korea was quite a bit cheaper:

3500 Won = $2.60

Seoul is experiencing a mini tourism boon as Japanese shoppers flock to the Korean capital to take advantage of the weakness of the Won. Apparently there are deals to be had on cosmetics and designer labels.

Japan by contrast is expensive.

The taxi meter starts at $7.

A beer typically costs between $8-12.

Continental breakfast at the Hilton is $27

A coffee is $ 9.

Yikes.

Costs translate into long commutes for most people. As a result many have perfected the art of the subway catnap. I've seen weary salary men sleeping on their feet, hanging on the strap eyes half closed with a slight weaving shifting of weight from arm to foot to foot. Its quite impressive to watch.

As I mentioned on my last post I visited the Yasukuni Shrine in the Chiyoda area of Tokyo. It's a Shinto shrine dedicated to the Kami (spirits) of soldiers who have died in wars waged in the Emperor's name. Its "Registry of Divinities" lists over 2 million interred on the site, a little over 1000 of which were convicted of war crimes in World war II.

Fourteen of the 1000 are particularly nasty fellows responsible for some of the Japanese army's worst excesses.

The museum attached to the complex has been accused of propagating a revisionist view of history and has drawn howls of protest from South Korea and China.

Visits to the Shrine by cabinet ministers and the former Japanese prime minister infuriates many.

At first glance. to me it felt like any of the countless temples I've visited over the years.

What was jarring was the pamphlet handed out at the entrance.

The March installment of the "Messages of the Month" (a series of last letters from members of the Imperial army), reads as follows:

We hope that many worshippers will come to know the elevated thoughts of the noble souls who gave up their lives for the country that they loved. The last messages that they composed are displayed on the Jinja display.

In Body and Soul I feel As Clear as the Cloudless Sky

Father and Mother,

As I said in my earlier letter I have nothing to regret. I received Mother's letter through Hojo. Everything is going well for me. I am really a lucky person.

Father, please enjoy increasingly good health and live a long life.

Your twenty-seven years of upbringing will now truly be given concrete expression by Yoshio. As I leave our homeland there is only joy in my heart for being able to take part in the decisive battle.

The tide of the war will indeed determine the rise or fall of our Empire.

I leave for the front. I will attack and attack and seize the position.....

In body and soul I truly feel as clear as the cloudless sky.

If you receive word that I have died in battle, greatly rejoice for me.

Well then, I leave for the front. I hope you keep yourselves well.

Yoshio

Father and Mother

Yoshio Teramura Mikoto

Captain, Japanese Army

Killed in Action on March 27, 1945 in the Clark Mountains, Luzon, Philippines

Born in Seribashi-machi, Hikone-shi Shiga Prefecture

Age 28

It felt like a glorification of militarism rather than remembrance.At the entrance people who had taken part in a fortune telling ritual, can if they were unlucky, leave behind the " bad fortunes" by tying them to lines just outside the main gates.

To me the letter belonged in the same place.

I guess I'm more used to places like this serving as a reminder of the evils of war rather than a celebration of militarism.

The Japanese people I know don't exhibit anything like the sentiments of the Shrine.

The people I saw worshipping appeared well over 60.

My colleague with me that day, registered shock at the slogan on the t shirt on the guy below, the gist of which had something to do with the inherent divinity of the Japanese race. The politcs in play are complicated and the complexities of Japan's place in a 21st century Asia is full of sensitivities beyond my ability to explain.

My point here is not to condem, but to document something I didn't expect to come across. Many western countries have similar issues and I think its important to reflect on that before casting the first stone. As well as the blooming of the Cherry trees, spring heralds the graduation of many college students who celebrate by gathering in parks dressed in traditional gear.

As I said on the last post, I was about a week early for the cherry blossom's full glory, but there were still plenty of early displays to give me a sense of what it must be like.

The Japanese name for cherry trees is Sakura. It's a much beloved symbol of the new year (using the fiscal calender) and many offices spend at least one afternoon sitting under the trees in a nearby park eating and drinking together. One of the first duties of a new joiner to an office is to go out early in the morning to secure a prime spot for colleagues to gather later.

Competition for the best places is fierce. That's it for today.

I'm in Beijing and will be here until Thursday.

I hope all reading this are happy and healthy.

Stay well

T

Tokyo Cherry Blossoms

Ok there I am pasty faced and very,very tired.
Check it out in B&W.

Better?

No?

Ya I get it.

Get a real life Terry.

The cherry blossoms are a week away from being on high beams in Tokyo.....I never get here at the right time.

I have been busy.

Not busy as you desk bound folks feel the pain.

I mean kick ass time zone madness busy.

No matter.

I saw some nice stuff today.

And some not so nice stuff.

I was around the corner from the Yaskuni Shrine and with 30 minutes or so to kill I went there.

I'm sure you have a vague recollection of it from newscasts gone by and rioting Chinese people as a result.

Check out the link.

I was pretty smacked in the head by the subtle and not so subtle reminders of an Imperial Japan and all the crazies that accompany both.

The saving grace is the visible shock of my 30 something Japanese colleague.

He was embarrassed by it all.

A decent enough guy.

We live in a world where history is rewritten to suit the here and now by people who figure it will serve their purposes and are permitted to do so by folks who figure it has no impact.

Low key fascism is scarier than the in your face variety.

Evil made palatable.

I am brought back to the memory of looking at the grave of a 16 year old from Saskatoon beheaded by a Japanese Captain in Hong Kong at the commonwealth cemetery there and it all doesn't seem so benign......

Very dramatic Terry...........................

That's it for today.

Check back and see more T

Tokyo smoking and Jazz

Am I tired?
Oh ya.
You should see the pic in colour. When it popped up on the screen I had an "Oh Jeeze " moment.
B&W is bad enough I think you'll agree.
Back to smoking in Japan.
It seems that it's not as accepted as it thought. Sure you can smoke in Wendy's and any coffee shop you care too, but not apparently on the street.
I first came across the sign below in a smoking room in Osaka airport a couple of years ago.
I saw it again yesterday.
Hard to read from this picture, but have a look.
Odd.Buildings like the one below are scattered all over Japan.
They're "Love Hotels"
No not places where desperate salary men meet up with hookers (maybe that happens too), but neutral ground for couples to get amorous.
Property prices being what they are in Japan, many people live with their parents well into their 30's. These places provide a private spot for a "liaison" for everyday folks still leaching off mom and dad.
Having your cake and eating it Finally a bit of Japanese Jazz courtesy of the bar on the 70th floor of the Royal Yokohama Park Hotel.Quite cool to come across a trio of 60 something Japanese hipsters.
To my untutored ear they were pretty good.
Before the Jazz I had sushi with my Japanese team.
I'm back in Hong Kong for a couple of days and then off to Beijing on Tuesday.
I'm going to start the "Big Mac Meal" economic index again in these times of economic meltdown...quite appropriate don't you think?
Tokyo: 650 Yen- $6.84
Pricey.
Over and out.
T