a British prof in Japan

Hiroshima: Reflecting on the Horror of the Atomic Bombing in the Peace Park

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Burgess) — Sun, 25 Oct 2026 06:47:35 +0000

Japanese are very aware of seasonal change and have many words to describe these changes. One of these is the word kōyō (紅葉) which signifies the changing colour of the autumn leaves from early to mid-November. Kochia "burning" bushes - also known as "broom grass" - are a harbinger of kōyō and are currently in full bloom. Kochia (hōki-gusa=箒草) are a type of egg-shaped bush with fluffy red leaves that grow approximately 70 cm tall. If you visit Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki - famous for its blue Nemophila in spring - you can currently enjoy 40,000 kochias "painting the entire hillside with a fiery red": check out the pictures here for a taste of autumn in Japan! The colour gradation from September to November shown in the chart below is quite something.

Last month's blog introduced one of the three most scenic spots in Japan, Miyajima, located in Hiroshima Bay in the Seto Inland Sea. That made me realise that despite 264 posts over 8 years I still haven't covered Hiroshima itself, a city that no tourist, whether Japanese or non-Japanese, should miss. Indeed, the combined "Peaceful Hiroshima & Miyajima UNESCO 1-Day Bus Tour" was ranked by Tripadvisor as the second-best travel experience in the entire world with Hiroshima Peace Park firmly at the centre of that tour.

The Peace Memorial Museum (広島記念資料館) located in the Peace Park, about a 20 minute tram ride from Hiroshima Station, received record numbers of visitors in fiscal 2025, almost a million of which were international tourists (making up over 1/3 of total visitors). In summer, it gets so crowded that an online ticket system is used to reduce congestion. The world's first atomic bomb was dropped on August 6th 1945, with the epicentre just east of the Peace Park, and the museum exhibits about 500 items, including victims' belongings - such as a lunch box, a tricycle, tattered clothing, watches stopped at 8:15 AM, and school uniforms - as well as structural remains, like melted glass, human shadows etched in stone, and many pictures of the devastation from the time. The city estimates roughly 140,000 died within the first four to five months.

Personally, I find the park itself more conducive to reflection, particularly the Children's Peace Monument in the north. This is a monument dedicated to Sadako Sasaki - whose likeness stands atop the structure - and the thousands of children who died from the 1945 atomic bombing. As I have written previously, Sadako, who developed leukemia after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, folded more than 1000 paper cranes in a futile attempt to prolong her life. In Japan, the crane (tsuru) is a mystical creature that is said to live 1000 years; hence, if one makes 1000 folded paper cranes (senbazuru - "sen" meaning 1000 and "ba" the Japanese counter for birds) it is said to bring long life. When Obama visited the Peace Park in May 2016 he donated four paper cranes he had folded himself to the Peace Memorial Museum, a gesture that resonated deeply with the Japanese public. Today millions of colourful paper cranes folded by visiting Japanese school children and tourists surround the Children's Peace Monument, an extremely moving sight.

The other key landmark in the park is the A-Bomb (or genbaku) dome, a brick building that housed the national and municipal government offices. As it was located just 160 meters from the epicenter of the blast, it was mostly destroyed in the explosion, but amazingly was one of the few structures in the area to remain upright. In 1996 it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and today is a visible reminder and symbol of the atomic bombing. When I visited, a survivor was explaining in English and Japanese about their own experiences. The key message throughout, as the name of the park suggests, is peace: the inscription on the cenotaph in the centre of the park reads, "Let all the souls here rest in peace, for we shall not repeat the evil." With wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, the park serves as a necessary reminder of the folly of war.

Visiting the Peace Park can be quite draining both mentally and physically, so after finishing your visit, why not try Hiroshima's local delicacy okonomiyaki (お好み焼き), a kind of savoury pancake contaning a variety of ingredients cooked in front of you on a giant hot plate? While there are variations in Osaka and Tokyo, Hiroshima is widely seen as the birthplace of okonomiyaki and the city itself claims to have more okonomiyaki restaurants per capita than any other region in the country (try Okonomimura a "village" holding 25 counters each boasting its own unique style). Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is always built in layers rather than mixed together, with a thin crepe-like layer of batter topped with a mountain of cabbage, pork, and noodles of your choice, and finished with a fried egg and folded over. See here for a lovely description of the "culinary performance art" that is okonomiyaki, a food that was central to the reconstruction of the city after the horror that was the atomic bombing.

Miyajima and Itsukushima Shrine: One of the Three Most Scenic Spots in Japan

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Burgess) — Sun, 27 Sep 2026 07:28:16 +0000

A sure sign that autumn has come to Japan is the blooming of the Red Spider Lilies (higanbana) - you can read more about the name and superstitions surrounding the "flower of death" in this post. This summer was not the hottest on record but it has certainly been the wettest - and the rain shows no sign of abating. Typhoon Dujuan just passed us dropping record rainfall along the Pacific Coast while in mid-August parts of eastern Japan logged more than three times the rainfall typically seen across the entire month of August in a single 24-to-48-hour window, leading to level-5 emergency warnings and fatal landslides. As of now, Tokyo has experienced 34 consecutive days of rain, a new record - with yet another typhoon approaching! Britishprof even has mushrooms sprouting in his indoor plants! This site details some of the reasons Japan has faced record rainfall this summer, specifically high ocean temperatures connected to global warming.

Amidst the continuing rainy days the university term has begun in earnest and Britishprof is engaged in what the Japanese call "bicycle operations" (jitensha-sōgyō＝自転車操業) - furiously peddling just to stay afloat and keep up with the workload! Memories of travel earlier in the year keep me going, particularly an amazing trip to Miyajima (宮島), a sacred island in Japan's Seto Inland Sea famous for its giant "floating" vermillion torii gate. Miyajima is known as one of the three most scenic spots in Japan (Nihon sankei=日本三景), alongside Matsushima (松島) in Miyagi and Amanohashidate (天橋立) in Kyoto.

The best way to get to Miyajima is to take the JR Sanyo Line from Hiroshima Station to Miyajimaguchi Station, a 25 minute trip, and then walk straight to ferry pier for the 10-minute crossing (ferries run non-stop). For those with a little more money to spare there is also a high-speed boat which leaves, very conveniently, from the pier next to the Motoyasu Bridge at Peace Memorial Park. Either way, approaching the island by sea with its towering peaks and the massive vermilion torii gate built over the water (so people would not defile the sacred ground) is an unforgettable sight.

Miyajima can get terribly crowded during the daytime so I strongly recommend staying overnight - we stayed in a place called Iwaso, an historic, luxury hot spring ryokan located at the foot of Mount Misen inside Momijidani Park just minutes from Itsukushima Shrine. The expansive grounds of Itsukushima are interconnected by a 108-room corridor, encompassing various shrines, a noh (能) theatre stage, and music rooms amongst other structures. Miyajima is a different place in the evening once all the tourists have gone, quiet and peaceful, allowing one to really appreciate the beauty of the shrine and torii gate, now gorgeously lit up. Hearing the sound of the waves lapping against the shore as one stares out over the water at night is a truly soothing and unforgettable experience.

Taking the ropeway to the top of Mount Misen, you can enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of the Seto Inland Sea, surely one of the reasons why Miyajima earned its status as one of Japan’s Three Scenic Views. Note that the ropeway only takes you halfway up; after that, there is a 30-minute (1 km) walk to the summit. The mountain is sacred and has been a popular destination for religious pilgrims since it was visited in 806 by Kukai, a Japanese Buddhist monk, calligrapher, and poet who founded the Japanese branch of Vajrayana Buddhism. Be sure not to miss the eternal flame (消えずの火), the holy fire said to have been started by Kukai over 1,200 years ago and which was used to light the 'Flame of Peace' in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. If you'd like me to cover Hiroshima in the next blog post please let me know in the COMMENTS section!

Polka Dots and Pumpkins: The Incredible Work of Yayoi Kusama

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Burgess) — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 03:13:01 +0000

August in Japan is a month of searing heat, typhoons, memories of war, fireworks, ghost stories, and returning spirits: in a previous post I referred to it as the month of death. Regarding the latter, the holiday of Obon (お盆), which ran from August 13th to 16th this year, is a Buddhist festival dedicated to remembering, honouring, and welcoming back the spirits of one's ancestors. One of Japan's few guaranteed vacations, many Japanese return to their hometown (furusato =古里・故郷) during this period to visit and clean family graves and reunite with family. As described previously, one interesting custom is that of making vegetable animals with wooden chopsticks for legs and placing them on street corners: the aubergine/eggplant "oxen" (shōryōushi =精霊牛) pictured is said to (slowly) guide the spirits home.

One favourite summer getaway from Tokyo is Hakone, a mountainous area around a lake famous for its hot springs and eggs which turn black when boiled in the volcanic waters. BritishProf took the Odakyu Romance Car reserved-seat limited express service which takes around 90 minutes from Shinjuku. However, this time I decided to avoid both the boiling sulphur springs at Owakudani Valley (the old crater of Mt. Kami) - the ropeway can get very crowded - and also Lake Ashi and the tourist-packed walking trials and pirate galleon. Instead, I headed for the beautiful Hakone Open-Air Museum (箱根彫刻の森美術館) - in Japanese the Hakone Sculpture Forest Art Museum - to escape the crowds. My expectations were not particularly high but I found it quite delightful and thoroughly enjoyed the sprawling grounds which featured a unique blend of world-class art - lots of Henry Moore statues! - coupled with stunning mountain views and impeccably trimmed lawns. There is also an indoor gallery housing an extensive collection of Pablo Picasso's paintings, ceramics, and sculptures. However, the highlight for me was the temporary Yayoi Kusama exhibition housed on the 2nd floor of the cafeteria - all the more poignant since the world-famous artist had died just a few weeks ago, on August 14th, aged 97.

Kusama is famous as the artist who "filled the world with polka dots", though it was her Instagram friendly infinity mirror installations that saw her named the most popular artist in the world in 2014. She moved to the US in 1957 - she talks about arriving with a suitcase of drawings and some money hidden in her shoe - but moved back to Japan in 1973 and checked herself into a psychiatric ward in Tokyo in 1977 where she lived for the rest of her life. She did, however, continue to produce art, drawing on her hallucinations which had plagued her since she was young. In a country in which talking about mental health is still something of a taboo, she spoke openly about how her condition and neurodivergence informed her creativity. She also spoke eloquently about the importance of peace. For a pictorial overview of her life see the Guardian article here. For those of you in Tokyo, the five-floor Yayoi Kusama Museum is highly recommended.

Kusama is well-known for her pumpkin sculptures, apparently because they remind her of her childhood and provide a comforting, stable presence that helped her cope with her mental health struggles. The most famous of these are probably the yellow and red pumpkins on Naoshima Island in the Seto Inland Sea of Japan but Hakone's Open Air Museum also boasted a couple, a white pumpkin with red polka dots on the 2nd floor of the cafeteria and the famous "I am a Pumpkin" (われは南瓜) granite statue (2013) on permanent display outside. The plaque on the latter describes it as representing the artist's alter ego which continues to send a message of "Love Forever" to the future. One phrase which stuck with me after watching her interviews is when she says if it were not for art, she would have killed herself a long time ago. Having a reason to live (ikigai) and a personal philosophy to follow - in her case love, peace, and the unity of humanity - made me reflect on how treating others with kindness, having meaningful goals, and enjoying a passion for something can help us overcome suffering and drive us forward. What do you think? Let me know in the COMMENTS.

Braving the Summer Heat in Japan: Playing Pickleball at Tokyo Tower

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Burgess) — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 06:47:24 +0000

Attractions at Haneda Airport: Godzilla, Torii gate with Edo painting, and Tanabata Display

BritishProf has been on his travels, first to the UK, and more recently to Karuizawa, the mountain resort town famous for escaping the summer heat. For the UK, I flew from Haneda Airport, just south of central Tokyo, MUCH more convenient than Narita. Haneda has expanded and developed substantially in recent years, and was recently named the World's Best Domestic Airport and recognised for having the World's Best Accessible Facilities at the World Airport Awards. The new Terminal 1 North Satellite is set to open in September 2026 boasting Japan's first hybrid wood-steel terminal structure and promising to improve passenger flow and reduce bus gate usage for domestic operations. In short, if you're flying to or from Tokyo, domestic or international, Haneda is by far the best option: not to mention it also has interesting displays such as the world's largest indoor Godzilla monument, artworks (the picture features the 17th century Cooling Off or 納涼図屏風 by Kusumi Morikage), and seasonal events (such as the interactive Tanabata festival corner which encouraged travellers to write their hopes and dreams on colorful strips of paper called tanzaku).

Japan has certainly heated up considerably since I first flew out from Haneda, and despite temperatures in England reaching record highs, they are nothing in comparison to the consecutive 35 degree plus days and 80% humidity which has become the norm in Japanese summertime. The Cooling Off sketch mentioned above, featuring a family of three enjoying an evening breeze and gazing at the moon, makes one yearn for the end of summer, and the painting itself does indeed hint at the coming autumn with its rising full moon and the ripening gourds growing on the vines on the trells. For now, though there is nothing to do but brave the heat but one can at least enjoy some of the delightful summer blooms such as the water lily, properly known as the Indian/Sacred Lotus (Hasu in Japanese) , with its gorgeous pink flowers.

Keeping fit in the dog days of summer is tough, but for a light workout at an interesting venue why not try pickleball at Tokyo Tower? The white and red lattice communications tower was famously inspired by the Eiffel Tower: at 333 metres it is just 3 metres taller than its French rival! It was the tallest tower in Japan and one of Tokyo's main tourist attractions until the opening of the 634 metre Tokyo Skytree in 2012. Tokyo Tower's two observation decks remain popular though: the two-story 150 metre Main Deck (¥1500) and the smaller almost 250 metre Top Deck (¥3500). A final tourist attraction is the five-story base building known as FootTown which houses a number of restaurants, gift shops, and other attractions, including two pickleball courts at the top (RF). Pickleball is unique mix of tennis, badminton, and table tennis and is played with a solid paddle and a perforated plastic ball on a badminton-sized court with a lowered net. While first introduced to Japan only in 2014, it enjoyed a surge in popularity following a 2024 tournament held at Ariake Tennis Park; the Tokyo Tower Pickleball Court opened in July 2025 and in 2026 the two leading organisations in Japan merged to form one governing body, Pickleball Japan. It was my first time playing, but it was easy for beginners to pick up and not too strenuous. The only problem was the wind, with the ball - essentially a light plastic ball with holes - really being affected by the gusts. Maybe playing half way up Tokyo Tower was not a good idea after all! Any experience with interesting or unusual sports inside or outside Japan? Let us know in the COMMENTS!

Japan's Turn to the Right: The Sudden Rise of Anti-Foreigner Populism

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Burgess) — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 03:10:08 +0000

Temperatures remain in the mid-twenties here in Japan as the rainy season continues, in contrast to soaring temperatures in London and Paris. For the Japanese, rainy season means gorgeous blue, lilac, and pink hydrangeas (ajisai) blooming everywhere, hardly surprising given that they are a plant that needs a lot of water - hydrangea itself comes from the Greek for "water vessel" - and that thrives in the high humidity and wet soil: apparently, the abundant rainfall prevents them from wilting while intensifying the vividness of their colours. Hydrangea festivals are everywhere: see here for a round-up of ten stunning spots for hydrangea viewing around Tokyo.

Sanseito election ad (Yomiuri 2025)

The end of the rainy season roughly coincides with the end of the ordinary Diet (parliament) session, which will wind up on July 17 this year. Consequenty, the damp weather matches a period of intense late-session parliamentary manoeuvering, budget approvals, and negotiations over major legislation. Japanese politics has changed a lot since the upper house election last July, an election which marked the emergence of an anti-foreigner populism previously absent in Japanese politics. As I mentioned in my final blog post of last year, the rapid rise of Japan's far-right Sanseito Party marked a frightening xenophobic shift in tone in discussions on migration and "foreigners" in Japan. My paper discussing the reasons for the dramatic emergence of a party which many have likened to Reform UK and Germany's AfD is at last out, so at the risk of alienating casual readers I'm going to summarise the key reasons for this seismic shift in Japanese politics. For those masochistic enough to want to read in full the paper check HERE!

Post on X by Kamiya (@jinkamiya) 2025/09/20

Sanseito (参政党) - literally "political participation party" - was founded in 2020 by Sohei Kamiya and others but came to prominence when it secured 14 seats in the House of Councilors election in July 2025 running on a "Japanese First" slogan (shown in the election ad above). Their key stance was opposition to current policies of accepting "too many foreigners" (行き過ぎた外国人受け入れ政策に反対) - explained in the social media post right. The election marked the first time a clearly far-right party had secured more than 10% of the national vote. The question I wrestle with in my paper is why anti-foreigner populism - something previously consigned to fringe groups in Japan and relegated to the periphery - suddenly exploded into the mainstream and why the "foreigner problem" (外国人問題) has now become a significant political issue for voters.

My answer in a nutshell is not a right-wing political vacuum or economic hardship but a rapid increase in the visibility of "foreigners" - both residents and tourists - creating a threat perception in terms of the loss of their homogeneous identity. The COVID-19 pandemic laid the ground work in terms of upsetting the balance between intergroup contact (which tends to lead to a reduction in prejudice towards migrants) and perceived threat (which can foster anti-immigrant attitudes). And the arrival of "the age of populism" and the "first year of SNS elections" in 2024 - that is, an elite loss of control over the migrant narrative - created a fertile environment for Sanseito to exploit anxieties over rapidly growing numbers of "foreigners." In sum, a visible and rapid increase in "foreigners" has created a feeling that traditional Japanese identity is being challenged or threatened. The result has been a broad and unprecedented shift or change in tone, attitude, and policy towards foreigners, as evidenced by stricter regulations and hardening public opinion. For someone who has lived in Japan for forty years it is heart-breaking to witness the abrupt change of tone in a country in which I have always felt welcome and valued. Thoughts? Drop me a note in the COMMENTS.

Yokosuka City, Navy Curry, and the first Samurai from England

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Burgess) — Sun, 31 May 2026 07:57:30 +0000

The Golden Week holidays (April 29~May 6th) seem long gone though, like last year, my highlight was probably picking green tea and rolling the leaves myself to make tea leaves. Interestingly, the price of tea has skyrocketed in recent years due to the worldwide popularity of matcha, with exports more than doubling. May 2nd, the 88th day since the start of the spring lunar calendar, marked the official arrival of the season for newly harvested tea. However, since it started getting warm in mid-March, green tea harvesting began much earlier in many places. Now, the heat has suddenly ramped up with 1,000 people reportedly hospitalized with heatstroke in the week through May 17th and one elderly woman dying. In Hita City, Oita, temperatures reached 35℃ on May 18th, the earliest ever that the temperature in the city has surpassed the 35-degree mark. Britain too has seen similar crazy temperatures in May; the big difference though is that almost all Japanese households have air-conditioning while very few (15%?) of UK ones do.

One potential getaway during the dog days of summer is the Miura Peninsula where the coastal sea breezes make the heat much more bearable than inland. Recently, I stayed in a unique little commune-type town atop a hill overlooking Yokosuka (横須賀), a major port which was famously the landing site where Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in 1853, leading to the opening of Japan. Today, the city is most widely known as the 568-acre home of the largest overseas U.S. Naval installation in the world, which it shares with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). The city boasts a unique, international atmosphere but is probably most famous in Japan for its culinary staple, Navy Curry, which was adapted from the British Royal Navy in the 19th century. A recent article in the Guardian describes how it "conquered hearts" in Japan to become "a national obsession". Interestingly, the JMSDF now has a tradition of eating curry for lunch every Friday which reminded me of the British tradition of eating fish on a Friday (fish and chip shops apparently double their sales on a Friday!).

For those wanting to stay in the area and sample the food - not only curry but amazing sea food too - I recommend On Stay (bookable on airbnb.jp) located in an area called Tsukimidai (月見台=moon viewing terrace), a former municipal housing complex built in 1960 in the hills of Taura in Yokosuka City (B3 on the map). After the last tenants moved out in 2020 all 58 homes became vacant, but a community revitalization project involving the renovation of these buildings began in 2023, restoring the place into a charming new town with some 40 restaurants, cafes, studios, workshops and boutiques. Reborn as a “Nariwai Living Town” - in Japanese, nariwai means “livelihood” or “one’s way of life,” representing a lifestyle where living, working, and creating are seamlessly integrated - it has become a close community where homes double as small businesses, integrating daily life and work. Personally, I loved the vibe of the place and the unique, idiosyncratic individuals who came from all walks of life but had found their ibasho (居場所), a comfortable, welcoming community where everyone was accepted without judgment, far away from the rat race.

Finally, before I get too misty eyed about future retirement, let me recommend one historical spot to visit in Yokosuka. Many people are familiar with the story of William Adams who became the first Englishman to reach Japan in 1600, some two hundred and fifty years before Perry. Those who have seen or read Shogun will know him as John Blackthorne, the protagonist in James Clavell's novel who was directly inspired by the English navigator. His Japanese name, Miura Anjin ("The Pilot of Miura"=三浦按針), comes from the estate in Miura (present-day Yokosuka) he was given by the Shogun. Until recently, there was some dispute over where he was buried: Hirado, Nagasaki, not too far from where he originally ran ashore, or Tsukayama Park, Yokosuka, matching his final wishes to be laid to rest looking out over Edo Bay. The latter contains the Anjin-zuka (William Adams Monument), two memorial stone towers for him and his wife (pictured). However, in 2020, researchers from the University of Tokyo confirmed that bone fragments in an urn in Hirado belonged to William Adams making the Yokosuka site a cenotaph - a memorial monument containing no remains - rather than a grave. Nevertheless, it is still moving to visit the site where the first samurai from England spent most of his life. Have you read or seen Shogun? Feel free to add a COMMENT!

NOTE: The Yomiuri Japan News carried a special feature on the Tsukimidai Housing Complex (2026/06/24 page 16) - they must be reading my blog!

Getting Naked in Arima Onsen: One of Japan's Three Oldest and Three Greatest Hot Springs

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Burgess) — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 01:47:00 +0000

Spring has well and truly come and Japan is swimming in a cascade of colours from the Yaezakura late blooming cherry trees (fluffy, dense blooms) to bright pink, red, and white azaleas (tsutsuji), from the lilac and lavender wisteria (fuji) to hedgerows of Lady Bank's yellow roses (mokkō-bara). Breathtaking!

Regardless of the season, regular readers may know that one of BritishProf's favourite things about Japan is the bathing culture. Recently, I had the chance to visit Arima Hot Springs (=onsen) in Hyogo Prefecture which has the unique distinction of being BOTH one of Japan's three oldest baths (日本三古湯), together with Dōgo Onsen in Ehime and Nanki-Shirahama Onsen in Wakayama, AND one of Japan's three great hot springs (日本三名泉), alongside Kusatsu Onsen in Gunma and Gero Onsen in Gifu. This means that Arima Onsen is the only hot spring in Japan famous for both its high-quality medicinal properties, specifically its distinct mineral-rich "red/gold" (salt and iron-rich) and "silver" (carbonic/radium) waters, and its history, spanning over 1300 years and mentioned in the 8th century Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan). As an onsen fan I can't believe it's taken me almost 30 years to visit!

Though located in the mountains and boasting a very local, small-town atmosphere, Arima is easily accessible from Kobe (Shinkansen) Station or Sannomiya via a short 30-minute highway bus ride. After a dip in the onsen, it's lovely to don your yukata cotton kimono and stroll around the winding, narrow streets, packed with lots of beautiful buildings including a foot bath to soak your feet in (pictured) and stores selling the famous local treats. The most famous snacks are manju (饅頭), a traditional Japanese steamed bun with red bean paste filling, and senbei, a sweet, crispy cracker. Both boast a tansan variety which are made using the local carbonated spring water - highly recommended to nibble as you explore the town!

My favourite area was probably the temple neighbourhood (寺田町界隈), a quiet area situated on a hill to the north of the historic resort. Dotted with yusen shrines (shrines dedicated to hot springs), temples, and retro-style ryokan inns, I enjoyed the charming atmosphere, rather different from the bustle of the main hot spring district. Tosen Shrine (湯泉神社), at the top of a long flight of stairs overlooking the town, was particularly impressive - it came as no surprise to discover that it is famous as a spiritual power spot (video here). An interesting feature of the neighbourhood was the placing of Oni-gawara (鬼瓦) roof tiles bearing the face of a demon or gargoyle on street corners, acting as amulets to keep away evil spirits.

One final point of etiquette about public hot springs in Japan: it's taboo to wear any kind of clothing in the bath, including swimming costumes. This is of course traditional, but also for hygiene purposes: clothing can introduce fabric-borne dirt and bacteria (and onsen, unlike swimming pools, are never chlorinated). This can be particularly hard for British people. Compared to the Japanese - and even Northern Europeans - Brits tend to be "spectacularly bad at being naked": one survey found that 59% of British people - women significantly more than men - were either out-and-out uncomfortable naked, preferred not to say, or were unsure. Perhaps these fears are compounded by the uncertainty over whether public bathing is properly segregated. Before going to Arima, I reassured my British friends that traditional, mixed bathing (konyoku) is very rare today, thanks to shocked Western visitors and diplomats from the Meiji era who found the practice uncivilized, lewd, and un-Christian. Today, aside from a few "traditional" rural onsen, all public hot springs are strictly segregated. Imagine my surprise then, on entering the onsen at our Japanese inn in Arima (here) and discovering that there was only a low wall separating the men and women's baths, making it necessary to crouch down when leaving and entering to avoid being seen! Thoughts? Let us know in the COMMENTS!

Chanko Sumo Hotpot, Live Wrestling, and Public Humiliation

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Burgess) — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 07:51:00 +0000

Temperatures hit a high of 21℃ today which is perfect for hanami (花見) or cherry blossom viewing - picnics under the sakura trees! Tokyo is approaching full bloom right now (map here) with March 28th-April 4th given as the best viewing window, surprisingly earlier than Kyoto or even Fukuoka, which are further south. As I wrote in an earlier post, despite the image of sakura as being deeply symbolic for the Japanese, people attending hanami parties are usually more interested in eating and (especially!) drinking than admiring the blossoms. This is captured in the phrase hana yori dango - literally "(sweet) dumplings over flowers," carrying the general meaning that practical things are more important than aesthetics!

Thanks to S & N for the photo

Cherry blossom season brings hordes of tourists and some might have been lucky enough to catch the end of the Osaka Grand Sumo Tournament (honbasho=本場所), one of six held each year, which ended on March 22nd (pictured). But for those here for the sakura and still yearning to see some live sumo, but who cannot wait for the start of the next basho at Tokyo's Kokugikan (starting May 10th), there is another option: the newly opened Sumo Live Restaurant Hirakuza Ginza Tokyo (Hirakuza Ginza), a unique restaurant with a professional sumo-size dohyo ring where you can watch live sumo bouts featuring veteran wrestlers accompanied by English commentary while enjoying traditional kaiseki cuisine. There is also a sake bar which offers a selection of high-quality sake. See this article in the Yomiuri Japan News for a good overview.

The venue itself is impressive, with around 150 stepped seats arranged around three sides of the dohyo and a giant screen at the back. While the flashy sound, lighting, and visual effects were a little too gaudy for this Brit - perhaps more in keeping with the entertainment that that one sees at American sporting events - the audience of (almost all?) tourists seemed to be enjoying it. Personally though, I wanted them to tone it down a bit to reflect that sumo is not just a sport but a sacred, spiritual culture rooted in Japanese values such as respect, discipline, humility, and dignity. The show itself though was certainly entertaining, featuring a drum performance during the meal and then introducing sumo principles, exercises (such as the ceremonial leg raising and stomping known as shiko=四股), training, throwing techniques, and rules before some mock bouts.

The food, as mentioned above, was kaiseki (懐石), traditional Japanese cuisine featuring a number of courses that aims to balance the taste, texture, appearance, and colours of food using seasonal (shun=旬) ingredients. The hassun (八寸) for example, an appetizer to set the seasonal theme, featured an artistic assortment of three bite-sized delicacies (picture bottom) comprised of dried fruits with a creamy tofu and sesame puree (left), grilled millet gluten with sweet miso glaze and poppy seeds (centre), and spinach and chrysanthemum petals steeped in savoury dashi (right). The importance Japanese place on seasonal foods, even today when supermarkets sell foods from all over the world, stands out for me as a key difference between Japanese and British in terms of attitudes towards food. In contrast, the hot pot in the top right is a year round staple, a protein filled stew of fish, meat, and vegetables traditionally served to wrestlers to bulk them up known as chanko-nabe.

At the end of the show, there was a lottery for audience members who wanted to ascend to the dohyo, don a sumo fat suit, and try their hand at wrestling with one of the wrestlers. Much to the embarrassment of his companions, British Prof's named was pulled out of the hat! The video below shows British Prof's futile attempts to grab the leg of his opponent before being unceremoniously picked up and dumped outside the ring. Think I need to eat a bit more chanko stew and work on my throwing techniques! Feel free to comment upon my humiliation or share your own in the COMMENTS below.

Snow, Plum Trees, and the Tokyo Comedy Bar

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Burgess) — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 07:50:00 +0000

Much of Japan, including Tokyo, experienced heavy snowfall in early February, a rarity for the capital. This coincided with the general election held on February 8th undoubtedly affecting turnout (around 56%). But despite the snow, spring is definitely in the air, with plum blossoms coming out now - this article describes the Mito Plum Festival (水戸の梅まつり), running February 11th to March 22nd, at Kairakuen Gardens in Mito, Ibaraki, one of Japan’s three great gardens (日本三名園): the other two are Kenrokuen in Kanazawa and Korakuen in Okayama. The plum blossoms are a precursor to the cherry blossoms - first bloom is expected around March 18–24 here in Tokyo!

Tourists coming to see the cherry blossoms in Tokyo will no doubt visit Shibuya with its famous scramble crossing - said to be the busiest pedestrian intersection in the world, with up to 3,000 people crossing during a single green light cycle - as well as the well-known Hachiko statue. But there is actually another attraction very popular with tourists in Shibuya - the Tokyo Comedy Bar! Billed as the only English stand-up comedy club in Japan it offers shows in both English every night, plus some Japanese sessions, comedy classes, and even open mic (for those interested in Japanese comedy see the older blog post here). Anyway, Britishprof has always been intrigued by stand-up (my day job at times does not seem that different) so I headed over to see what all the fuss was about.

The Tokyo Comedy Bar is located just a stone's throw from Hachiko, taking up a tiny space on the 3rd floor of the Renga Building. Renga means "brick" in Japanese and since Japanese houses are not built from brick, renga conjures up a strong image of Europe - and especially the UK - for the Japanese. As point of fact, Japanese houses are primarily built from timber (wood), using a post-and-beam construction method designed to withstand earthquakes and manage high humidity. What this means is that the average lifespan of a house in Japan is relatively short, with many homes demolished after only 30 to 35 years. While traditional, older, or well-maintained homes can last longer, the market trend is to treat houses as disposable assets, with their value often depreciating to near zero within 20-30 years (longer for steel-concrete structures). This is very different from the UK, where brick houses last for hundreds of years and increase in value as they get older!

Inside, there are two small rooms, a tiny bar boasting a big selection of craft beers on tap and an adjoining stage, perhaps big enough for 20-30 customers. When I visited on Tuesday - tickets can be bought in advance for ¥3,000 - there was a stand-up comedy showcase from 7:30 to 9:00 featuring local stars plus one international visitor followed by an open-mic session where fifteen amateurs were each given 4 minutes to show off their skills. The first segment was definitely tourist heavy with a lot of visitors from various countries while for the second segment the amateurs seemed to be mostly locals who had brought a friend or two for moral support. My New Year's resolution was to give open mic a try - what do you think, loyal readers? Should Britishprof give it a go despite the potential humiliation? Or should I stick to my day job? Let me know in the COMMENTS!

Exam Fatigue and Malatang: Japan's Spicy Sichuan Noodle Boom

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Burgess) — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 07:18:00 +0000

January in Japan features the most important test for high school students hoping to get into university, a test used by all public and some private universities, known as the Common Test for University Admission (共通テスト). This year, 496,237 people applied for the exam, which was held simultaneously across the nation on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th, with 813 universities and other educational institutions planning to use the results in their admission processes. Saturday featured geography, history and civics; Japanese language; and foreign languages (including an English listening component) while the subjects tested on Sunday were information (a new subject introduced last year); the natural sciences; and maths. Any mishaps or problems are quickly picked up by the media, so those of us supervising the exams, like Britishprof, have to carefully wade through hundreds of pages of detailed instructions and videos, which cover every eventuality from earthquakes and cheating to projectile vomiting. Test questions and answers appear in major newspapers in full on Monday (pictured)!

After a weekend of mind-numbing invigilation, some comfort food was definitely in order so I went to try Japan's new food craze, malatang (麻辣湯＝マーラータン), a spicy but creamy Chinese street food dish that has taken Japan (and Korea) by storm. High school girls seem to be driving this craze - like many other trends in Japan - and when I went, I was the only guy in the place! A key reason for its popularity is the fun of customisation: you can choose how spicy you want it, what kind of broth to go for, toppings, and, most importantly, the kind of ingredients you want to include. I visited Tokyo Panda Maratan (東京パンダマーラーラン) in Tachikawa: let me walk you through the ordering steps below.

1. Take a bowl and tongs and line up (they will make sure you have a seat before starting). When you get to the front choose from a huge variety of ingredients such as meat, seafood, dumplings, vegetables, and tofu - the choice is overwhelming! I would personally recommend the quail eggs, boiled dumplings (gyōza), shrimp, lamb, crab balls, dried bean curd (yuba), and the various mushrooms (enoki, shiitake, and the white, gelatinous, frond-like mushroom known as snow fungus=白木耳). I also noticed they had spam (!) which seemed a bit out of place, despite the fact that it has become an integral part of Okinawan cuisine (here). Warning: take less than you think you want - they expand later in the broth!

2. After piling the ingredients into your bowl - don't take too much! - move over to the cashier who will weigh it. The price depends on the weight: Panda charged ¥400 for 100g (so my 307g cost ¥1228). A bonus is that if it weighs more than 250g they will add 80g of noodles of your choice in your bowl for free, as explained in the orange poster pictured. Once you've paid, the final step is to confirm broth type (usually the standard malatang) and spice level (from 0 for kids to 5 for those with a death-wish). Be careful, this is Sichuan spice and it hits hard so I would definitely recommend starting with level 1 - Britishprof likes spicy food but level one is plenty hot enough!

3. Finally, go back to your seat and wait while they prepare your malatang - they'll bring it to you once it's cooked in the broth, usually just 5 minutes. While you're waiting pick up chopsticks and a spoon, an apron to prevent splashing, and, most importantly, a glass of water. Once your bowl arrives, you can choose from a variety of toppings (pictured), such as garlic, sesame seeds, black vinegar, chopped spring onion, sugar, or chili oil (ラー油). Itadakimasu! If you have any thoughts on Japanese food or requests for covering a particular dish, let me know in the COMMENTS!

Looking Back, Looking Forward: Christmas and New Year in Japan

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Burgess) — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 07:04:00 +0000

End of year (nenmatsu) in Japan is an extremely busy time - so much so that BritishProf missed the regular November blog post. My apologies! At university, graduation thesis supervision is the biggest burden - but that is no excuse. Anyway, I'll try to catch up here, starting with the incredible changing colours of the autumn leaves in November, a phenomenon known as kōyō (紅葉) in Japanese. Other countries also admire the fall foliage but I often think that if a country has a specific word for a phenomenon it must be especially culturally significant. It certainly seems so in Japan, with organised tours to some of the most popular spots!

December brings with it Christmas illuminations, music, decorations, and promotions everywhere including the beautiful tree at the university and hot chocolate and churros for the students! As I've written before (here), in terms of food, Christmas in Japan means two things: chicken (not turkey!) and cakes. The former is chiefly due to a smart advertising campaign by Kentucky in the 1970s whose slogan was "Kentucky for Christmas" (クリスマスにはケンタッキー). As for cakes, Christmas cake is not the rich brandy-soaked fruit cake with marzipan and icing popular in the UK but a sponge cake usually with chocolate or strawberries. On Christmas Eve, the basement of department stores (depachika) - where the grocery section is found - is usually horribly busy with crowds jostling to secure the best cake before they sell. After that, Christmas ends abruptly: Christmas Day (25th) is a regular working day in Japan and all Christmas decorations magically disappear. The British concept of the 12 days of Christmas with Christmas ending on January 6th is distinctly odd for most Japanese!

How successful has the blog been this year? In actual fact, 2025 was the most successful year ever, with over 105,000 views and two broken records: the most views for a single month (September with 24,379) and the most views for a single day (October 23rd with 2,107).

Blog Views (2025)

To put this in perspective, since the blog started back in 2017 it has enjoyed a slow but steady climb - the all time total number of views is now over 426,000 - but as the graph below shows, the last two years have been something else. Thank-you!

All Time Blog Views (2017-2025)

If you want to look back, as is the tradition at this time of the year, you can see the Top 4 All Time Popular Posts listed on the page you are now reading!

Talking of looking back (furikaeru=振り返る in Japanese) the Japanese do that as much as anyone else, but they also enjoy "forget the year" (bōnenkai=忘年会) parties which tend to involve copious amounts of sake. There are many other unique end of year traditions. Unlike in the UK, where spring cleaning is the norm, in Japan the major house cleaning takes places now (ōsōji=大掃除). Japanese people don't send Christmas cards but instead send new year postcards known as nengajō (年賀状) which all arrive simultaneously on January 1st! Returning to one's - or if married one's husband's - home town for New Year is typical in Japan, though recent years have seen the rise of "separate homecoming" (separēto kisei=セパレート帰省) where husbands and wives return to their respective hometowns (thereby reducing the inevitable friction with the in-laws!). Japanese also love playing games at new year, particularly karuta playing cards - named after the Portuguese word for letter or card - which involves matching one half of a card, which is read out aloud, with its corresponding pair. And a visit to the local shrine or temple (hatsumōde=初詣) - either soon after midnight on the 1st, or over the following two days - to make their prayers and wishes is a new year staple.

Food wise, the traditional food eaten during the New Year's holidays from January 1st to 3rd is called osechi (おせち料理) and consists of various items which symbolise longevity and health, such as the "U" shaped shrimp which is said to resemble a bent old person's back. Mochi (餅) or sticky rice cakes are probably one of the most popular snacks - see here and here for past blogposts on eating and making your own! Finally, in terms of TV viewing, the Kōhaku Uta Gassen (紅白歌合戦) or "Red and White Song Contest" in which the top singers of the year split into teams of red (women) and white (men) and vie for the votes of audience and judges has been the traditional go-to show for New Year's Eve. Recently, though, young people have been shunning this for the many comedy shows and special manzai (stand-up) performances broadcast during the New Year's holiday to celebrate the tradition of "first laughter" - the precursor to this comedy bonanza is the prestigious M-1 Grand Prix Manzai competition final which was broadcast on December 21st this year.

Finally, in terms of memorable stories from 2025, these have to include the selection of Takaichi as Japan's first female prime-minister, the hottest summer on record, the stunning success of the Osaka-Kansai Expo which attracted over 25 million visitors, and the surging food (especially) rice prices. For me personally, though, the story which I cannot forget is the rapid rise of Japan's far-right Sanseito Party following the July House of Councillor's Election, something which marked a frightening xenophobic shift in tone in discussions on migration and "foreigners" in Japan. My paper discussing the reasons for the dramatic emergence of a party which many have likened to Reform UK and Germany's AfD should be out soon - expect a serious blog post at the start of 2026! In the meantime, let me wish all you loyal readers a very happy new year - or as the Japanese say, yoi otoshi o (良いお年を)! As always COMMENTS are most welcome.

An Autumn Potpourri: Pampas Grass, Pac-Man, Ed Sheeran, and the Yamanote Line's 100th Anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Burgess) — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 07:23:00 +0000

With falling temperatures, the red spider lilies (higan-bana) introduced last month have completely disappeared to be replaced with another natural seasonal signpost, Japanese pampas grass (susuki), otherwise called (Chinese) silver grass, zebra grass, or porcupine grass. In the calendar, susuki is most commonly associated with jyūgoya (十五夜) or the night of the full moon, that is the night of the 15th day of the 8th lunar month in the old calendar (equivalent to October in the modern calendar - October 6th this year). On this day, some people display susuki - said to bring a year's good health - together with dango (rice-dumplings) and engage in "moon watching" (tsuki-mi =月見), the celebration and honouring of the autumn full-moon which goes back centuries. See here for my previous post on moon-watching!

Autumn is connected with a host of relaxing indoor activities, epitomised by phrases such as dokusho no aki (読書の秋) meaning "Autumn is for reading" and shokuyoku no aki (食欲の秋), literally autumn, the season of good appetite! There is no expression for video games but these are also a popular autumn pastime. Interestingly, to coincide with Halloween, Google recently marked the 45th anniversary of Pac-Man with a playable game on its search engine. Pac-Man was invented by a Japanese, Toru Iwatani, a designer at Namco (now Bandai Namco Entertainment) and originally released in 1980. The story is that he was inspired by a pizza with a slice missing and aimed to create a non-violent video games that would appeal to a wider audience, including women who Iwatani's team apparently thought, in the best tradition of autumn in Japan, "liked to eat!"

The blog is always looking to make connections between Japan and the UK and here I'm going to make a leap and talk about Ed Sheeran, the hugely successful English singer-songwriter whose favourite restaurant is apparently The Araki, a nine-seater

sushi bar in London which offers an omakase chef's set menu at £310 (¥63,000). Omakase means to leave something up to someone else to decide (a very useful phrase to know!). But the connection doesn't end there: recently the Toei Oedo subway line (大江戸線) in Tokyo held a unique collaboration with Sheeran featuring themed subway cars, a stamp-rally, merchandise, and even a one day travel pass. The logo for the subway line is a magenta circle with an "E" inside which has been neatly transformed into "Ed" for the campaign! Magenta is also the colour of Sheeran's new album "Play."

While we're on the subject of subways, November 1st marks the 100th anniversary of Tokyo's fabled Yamanote line (山手線), the almost 35km circular train line that connects most of the key areas such as Ueno, Shinagawa, Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Ikebukuro (video here). To confuse non-Japanese (and Japanese too for that matter) the direction of travel is not "clockwise" or "anti-clockwise" but outer circle (sotomawari =外回り) and inner circle (uchimawari=内回り) - go figure! Each station has a unique jingle when the train doors are about to close - if the music is still playing you know you just about have enough time to leap on or off (listen to them all here)!

Following the opening of a new station - Takanawa Gateway Station (高輪ゲートウェイ駅) - in March 2020, the one-hour loop now comprises 30 stations, with 50 trains running three or four minutes during rush hour and carrying almost a million people each day. In comparison, the Circle Line in London consists of 36 stations and a "full loop" takes about 49 minutes, though it is no longer a true continuous loop. Figures for Circle Line only are not available, but the average daily ridership for the whole Tube network was 3.23 million for 2023/2024! See here for some of the anniversary merchandise on sale, including a commemorative bento, a Fukagawa rice ball (onigiri), and a limited-edition craft beer! British Prof doesn't drink, but I'd still like to raise a glass to the Yamanote which makes Tokyo travel so seamless and meeting up with friends so very easy. Kanpai! Anything piqued your interest this month? Do drop us a line in the COMMENTS!

Travelling on the Driverless Yurikamome Train: From Toyosu to Daiba over the Rainbow Bridge

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Burgess) — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 02:45:00 +0000

After the hottest summer on record, it finally looks as if autumn is here, and evidence of that are the red spider lilies, known as higan-bana (彼岸花), sprouting up everywhere. Indeed, the name of the flower itself - higan - comes from the fact that they bloom around autumn equinoctial week which is called aki no o higan (秋のお彼岸) in Japanese. The middle day of equinoctial week comes on the day of the autumn equinox known as shūbun no hi = 秋分の日 (a national holiday that fell on September 23rd this year). Higan refers to the Buddhist holiday celebrated in Japan during both the spring and autumn equinox. Buddhism is of course closely related to death in Japan - funerals are Buddhist and graveyards are found in temples - so it is no surprise that the lily is also known as the flower of death. This image is strengthened by its presence in graveyards and at funerals: being poisonous to small animals they used to be planted around graveyards in Japan's pre-cremation days to stop the dead bodies being eaten (today, of course, cremation is obligatory in Japan). But whatever the deathly connotations they have, they are a welcome sight after a scorchingly hot summer.

The cooler weather means more opportunities for getting out and about and I enjoyed visiting two popular spots in recent weeks, Toyosu, home to the biggest fish market in the world, and Odaiba, the popular entertainment and dating spot, both sited on an artificial reclaimed man-made island in Tokyo Bay. To get to both places you need to take the Yurikamome Line, an automated, elevated, driverless train which runs from Shimbashi, travelling over the marvellous Rainbow Bridge and offering great views from the large windows. Yurikamome actually means black-headed gull, a common sight in Tokyo Bay and also the official bird of the Tokyo metropolitan government!

Taking the Yurikamome Line - officially called the Tokyo Waterfront New Transit Waterfront Line - from Shimbashi, over the Rainbow Bridge, the first stop is Daiba (台場). While the station is called Daiba, this refers only to one district of the island; most people use Odaiba which refers to the entire Tokyo Waterfront Secondary City Center (東京臨海副都心). Despite having various restaurant and entertainment options, Odaiba itself is surprisingly quiet, though it seems to be trying hard to redefine itself as a romantic mecca for couples and is loaded with heart-themed photo opportunities and illuminations. Recent efforts to attract more visitors include plans for constructing one of the largest fountains in the world, a 2.6 billion yen (!) fountain to be completed by March 2026. Mysteriously, there is also a large Statue of Liberty here, 1/7th the size of the original!

Continuing on the Yurikamome Line from Odaiba, the final stop is Toyosu. Tsukiji, the famous fish market originally founded in 1935 had limited scope for growth due to its central position near Ginza, so the market moved to Toyosu in October 2018. Today, the new Toyosu Market is almost twice the size of Tsukiji, making it the biggest fish market in the world. Like Tsukiji, it is still possible to see the famous tuna auctions (free but you need to book early!) and to enjoy a breakfast of super fresh sushi or sashimi at one of the many restaurants which moved over from Tsukiji. One of my favourite snacks sold at the various street stalls is not actually fish but the delicious rolled egg (tamago-yaki); they say that you can tell a good sushi restaurant by the quality of the tamago-yaki! I recommend Marutake for an unbeatable dashi-taste that apparently has remained unchanged over its 100 years of history.

After eating your fill in Odaiba and Toyosu, my personal favourite thing to do is to get a hotel room with a view of the Rainbow Bridge which looks spectacular at night. Two recommendations are the Intercontinental Tokyo Bay and the (slightly cheaper) Grand Nikko Tokyo Daiba. Just be sure to book a room high up with a clear view of the bridge. Why not tell me in the COMMENTS the location of your favourite go-to place to unwind, rest, and treat yourself - in Tokyo or anywhere in Japan!

Doraemon and Dorayaki in Miyashita Park

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Burgess) — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 05:52:00 +0000

Since returning to the Japan from the UK at the end of July, two new all-time summer highs have been set, first on July 30th in Tamba, Hyogo (41.2°C) south of Tokyo quickly followed a few days later, on August 5th, by a record 41.8°C in Isesaki City, Gunma Prefecture, north of Tokyo. Since then, there have a record ten consecutive days of 35°C or higher here in Tokyo, what the Japanese call mōshobi (猛暑日). Moshōbi are typically accompanied by "tropical" nights where the temperature doesn't drop below 25°C - though, interestingly, outside Japan this is defined differently as 20°C! The high temperatures during the day are accompanied by the shrill buzzing of the cicadas - a constant natural symphony that marks the height of summer, like a warning alarm to stay indoors. The picture shows a cicada (right) who has just crawled out of its larval skin (nuke-gara in Japanese) leaving an amazingly complete exoskeleton behind (with a zipper-like slit running right across the back).

Poster protesting Nike buy out 2008

I did venture out into the heat of central Tokyo once - blog material has to be collected! - and visited Miyashita Park in central Tokyo. Miyashita Park (宮下公園) is one of the few green spaces in Shibuya. The park has a chequered history, being moved onto man-made land in 1964 at the time of the Olympics before being bought out and renamed by Nike in 2008, something which was controversial at the time due to charging fees and clearing of the homeless (here). In 2017 it closed for redevelopment before reopening in 2020 as a shopping complex with the park, cafe, hotel, and sports facilities on the roof - now all accessible for free. The sports facilities in particular are impressive with a climbing wall, skateboard park, futsal courts, and a beach volleyball arena.

One interesting landmark on the roof is a bronze statue of Doraemon labelled “Doraemon: Door to the Future” (ドラえもんみらいのとびら）with visitors invited to "walk through to follow their dreams to an exciting future." The four-meter tall monument, which features ten other characters in addition to seven gadgets including the famous Dokodemo (Anywhere) Door which allows you to travel wherever you like, was created to mark the 50th anniversary of the “Doraemon” manga series that started its run in 1970 (here). Doraemon, a male robotic cat from the future, is one of the most beloved characters in Japan - he was appointed the country's anime ambassador in 2008 - and the TV series has been broadcast in fifty-five countries (including India, the UK, and the US). Doraemon is the highest grossing movie franchise in Japan and, alongside Pokemon and One Piece, is a global franchise: over 300 million copies of the manga have been sold worldwide and some forty films have collectively grossed over $1.8 billion. The franchise is also said to generate over $500 million in annual global retail sales from merchandise and other products.

The localisation of the show - the way it underwent cultural adaptation to better fit with local audiences - was interesting: names were changed, gender stereotypes were tweaked (scenes of boys crying were cut in the US for example), and Japanese food was swapped with local equivalents (such as pizza and popcorn in the US). One food that was originally cut but made a return after a popular outcry was Doraemon's favorite dorayaki (どら焼き) - a traditional Japanese sweet of azuki red bean paste sandwiched between two small pancakes, sometimes with cream. It was given a variety of English names from "fudgy pudgy pie" in the early manga, to "yummy buns" and "dora-cakes/bean jam buns" in the TV series.

Doraemon holding a plate of dorayaki

For Japanese fans, however, changing the name of the eponymous dorayaki is sacrilegious since Doraemon's fondness for them forms a central part of many of the storylines and key scenes. Dorayaki themselves have been said to reflect the essence of Japanese culture in various ways: as a symbol of Japanese hospitality and gift-giving, an example of how Japan integrates ancient traditions with modern innovation, a reminder of one's first love, and a symbol of positive emotions like warmth, kindness, and affection (here). Fans can eat the traditional sweet snack, as well as various other character themed dishes, at Doraemon F's Kitchen (ドラえもん F'sキッチン) in the Miyashita Park shopping centre below the park itself. When I went there was quite a queue, particularly Asian tourists. There is in fact a Doraemon museum in Kawasaki called the Fujiko・F・Fujio Museum named after the author who lived there. Please let me know in the COMMENTS if you want me to visit - I'd be interested to know just popular the robot cat with no ears actually is outside of Japan!

Japan in the UK - and Liverpool Football Club in Tokyo!

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Burgess) — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 08:28:00 +0000

In the month of July, I was lucky enough to escape the Tokyo heat and travel to two much cooler destinations - the UK and to Belgium. In the UK, it was interesting to see the growing Japanese influence, especially in food: Itsu noodles (including ramen, katsu, and miso flavours), miniature sushi lunchboxes, and iced matcha are everywhere - and the restaurant chain Wagamama has become almost a national institution (even if no-one knows the word means "selfish" in Japanese!). But influence is not limited to food - the Ghibli classic My Neighbour Tottoro was being performed in the West End at the Gillian Lynne Theatre by none other than the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC)!

As for Belgium, I really enjoyed watching the Japan National Team play in the 6th IQA (International Quadball Association) World Cup in Tubize, competing against thirty other nations. As I have written before, Quadball is the real life manifestation of the fictional Harry Potter sport Quidditch and Japan has a thriving - and very diverse and inclusive - Quadball scene. The Japanese squad did incredibly well - coming 12th overall - and garnered widespread support, even from the French fans (they played the French twice, narrowly losing both times!). This article gives the final rankings plus lots of data analysis, reporting that, "Japan is now the most beloved team on the international quadball stage"!

British Prof (left) with some of the Japanese Quadball team's many admirers

Talking of sport, I got back to Japan in time to see my favourite Premier Football team Liverpool take on Yokohama Marinos in Tokyo. Baseball has long been the most popular spectator - and unofficial national - sport in Japan, but the popularity of football has skyrocketed since the establishment of the J-League in 1993. This site gives football as the third favourite sport in Japan (at 25.0%) narrowly behind sumo at 27.3% but in terms of TV viewing it is second. Interestingly, the men’s national team is known as the Samurai Blue, and the women’s national team is known as the Nadeshiko (撫子) after a Japanese flower, although the term Yamato Nadeshiko refers to the "ideal" Japanese woman, beautiful, virtuous, graceful, modest - and devoted to household duties! Another interesting fact, mentioned in a previous blogpost, is that the giant three-legged Shinto crow-god Yatagarasu (八咫烏) is the Japan Football Association's official emblem. In Japanese mythology, Yatagarasu guided Jimmu, the legendary first emperor of Japan to victory, so it was adopted as a symbol of victory for the emblem.

But on July 30th in Tokyo there weren't many three-legged crows on view - instead it was the Liver bird amid a sea of red shirts in Yokohama for the match between Yokohama F. Marinos and Liverpool (highlights here). It was held at the 72,000 capacity Nissan Stadium as part of the Meiji Yasuda J. League World Challenge 2025 (明治安田Jリーグワールドチャレンジ2025). Tickets were sold out, with the official attendance given as 67,032, setting a new record for the highest attendance ever at a J-League hosted match. As a Liverpool fan, it was spine tingling to see the whole stadium - including the Marinos fans - erupt into a rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone" (yuruneba in Japanese!). The song was adopted by a different J-League club, FC Tokyo, during the pandemic as a way to connect with fans when they couldn't attend matches in person: the Marinos fans actually sang a Japanese version of the Les Misérables song, "Do you hear the People Sing?" (民衆の歌) which was almost as moving.

The Liverpool players certainly seemed interested in Japanese culture: after arriving in Japan they enjoyed a morning of meditation at Eko Temple (回向院) in Ryogoku, Tokyo! But Liverpool's connection with Japan goes beyond the presence of Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan's national team, in its squad. Last year, Japan Airlines (JAL) became the club’s official airline partner. Moreover, at a press conference in Tokyo ahead of the game, the LFC Foundation announced a new partnership with The Nippon Foundation (日本財団) aimed at empowering young people. But the longest running collaboration is with Kodansha, one of Japan's largest publishing companies, which has been going since 2021. April saw a new ‘LFC × KODANSHA’ collection that combines football culture with Japan's manga art, featuring illustrations by Japanese artists depicting dramatic scenes and iconic moments from the club's history: check out some of the various hoodies, T-shirts, art prints, keychains, water bottles, and acrylic stands here. LFC and Kodansha even created unique calligraphy inspired shirts produced in collaboration with renowned calligrapher Riu Akizuki for the Yokohama match. Finally, there is a special exhibition running as I write entitled, "Where Impossible Happens" which is inspired by the match known as the miracle of Istanbul (the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final vs. AC Milan). This exhibition features a special original manga by Yasuda Tsuyoshi plus the opportunity to take the final penalty kick in the legendary final! The exhibition runs until August 3rd - check it out here. Football - or Quadball! - fans, feel free to leave a message in the COMMENTS.

Shin-Okubo: Tokyo's Vibrant Korea Town

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Burgess) — Sun, 29 Jun 2025 08:01:00 +0000

June 10th marked the official start of the rainy season in the Tokyo area, but as this article discusses, we've seen relatively little rain and instead some very hot days including the year’s first “extremely hot day” known in Japanese as a mōshobi (猛暑日), a day when the temperature reaches 35℃ or above. The high temperatures, accompanied by heatstroke alerts, in a month when the weather is usually pleasant bodes ill for the months of July and August. But at least the flowers are blooming when they should - as written previously, the rainy season always coincides with the flowering of beautiful hydrangeas (ajisai), particularly in blue and purple, as pictured above (either side of a brightly coloured lily).

Man made disasters, such as global warming, are one thing, but Japan also has more than its fair share of natural disasters. The March 2011 Tohoku Earthquake (3.11) was the strongest in Japan's recorded history and the 4th biggest worldwide. Tokyo itself is way overdue: the Great Kanto Earthquake was in 1923 and the chances of a big one hitting the capital in the next 30 years is said to be in the region of 80% with an estimated death toll of 300,000. One comic book has recently gone viral because it predicts the actual date of the next big one. In the 1999 manga, The Future I Saw (Watashi ga Mita Mirai), Ryo Tatsuki, gives July 5th as the date of the next mega quake. The fact that Tatsuki also correctly predicted the March 2011 disaster has caused a slew of cancellations, especially from Asian tourists. Completely coincidentally, my trip to the UK is booked for July 4th...

South Korean tourists are the 2nd largest group of foreign tourists in Japan and many do seem to be asking whether it is safe to travel (here). Japan has a complicated history with Korea, particularly following Japan's annexation of the country in 1910 and the ensuing period of colonial control. Even since the normalisation of diplomatic ties in 1965 - this year is the 60th anniversary - relations have been rocky, though in recent years feelings of affiniity between the two countries have definitely grown. In contrast to the population of Korean oldcomers - those who came or were forcibly brought to Japan in the pre-war period and were either unable to or chose not to go back after the end of the war - newcomer Koreans started to increase in the 1980s, with many, especially exchange students, settling in Shin-Okubo, Tokyo's Korean Town, just one train stop from Shinjuku. The South Korean drama boom starting in 2004 spurred interest in Shin-Okubo, and the second, third, and fourth waves (han'ryū=韓流), centering on K-pop and Korean film and Netflix dramas, only heightened interest in Korean pop culture and the popularity of "Little Seoul."

Today, Shin-Okubo is a remarkably vibrant place, a hub for South Korean culture, full of Korean street food, restaurants, (super)markets, convenience stores, cafes, bars/clubs, stores with K-pop merchandise, and Korean make-up and fashion shops - not to mention street performers. Just turn right when you exit the station but be prepared for a mass of humanity as you crawl along the street - it gets really crowded, especially at weekends. But those who associate Shin-Okubo with only Korean culture may be surprised to learn that the area also has large South-East and South Asian populations. In particular, the Nepalese community has been growing rapidly in recent years, so much so that the area is also sometimes referred to as "Little Nepal" (together with the area north of Asagaya). I visited the Nepalese restaurant Rato Mato which blew me away both with the quality of the food and the prices. So, which would you choose - Korean, Nepalese, or something else? Let us know in the COMMENTS!

Japanese Green Tea and the Global Matcha Boom: The Shift from Drinking to Eating

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Burgess) — Sat, 24 May 2025 03:38:00 +0000

The Golden Week holiday of early May now seems a long way off, but one of my best memories was picking tea leaves in a local tea field (ochabatake), making my own hand-rolled tea at home (temomicha), and enjoying shincha (新茶) brewed from the first or youngest leaves of the season (hatsu-zumi=初摘み). Shincha - literally "new tea" - is of unparalleled quality, bright green in colour with a sweeter taste than regular green tea, and characterised by a vibrant aroma and a hint of umami. As someone who drinks green tea every day - sometimes from vending machines but mostly in tea bag form - the taste of properly brewed shincha was something of a revelation; in Britain it would be the difference between a teabag in a paper cup (link) and a proper cuppa brewed in a pot. The pictures below show how to make the perfect cup of shincha: note the importance of letting the boiling water first cool to at least 80℃ before pouring over the leaves in the pot and also the short brewing time, just thirty seconds or so.

❶ Pour boiling water into cups or a special yuzamashi cooling pot ❷ Put a spoonful of tea leaves into the (unwarmed) pot ❸ Once the water temperature has dropped below 80℃ (70℃ for a sweeter cup) pour into the pot (kyūsu) ❹ Wait 30 seconds and enjoy!

While sencha (煎茶) - non-powdered green leaf tea - has traditionally been the mainstay harvest, recent years have seen a big shift to tencha (甜茶) - powdered green tea that is the raw material for matcha - thanks to the global matcha boom. According to the Japanese Association of Tea Production, tencha production almost tripled between 2008 and 2023. While sencha is grown without covering, tencha requires reduced sunlight so, as can be seen in the top left of the picture, tea fields need to be covered in black sheets as harvest time approaches.

Picking tea leaves at Sugimotoen. A special thank-you to Kumiko for letting me join on the fly!

The demand for matcha has been driven by a shift from drinking matcha - think of the creamy, slightly bitter umami drink made popular by the tea ceremony - to eating products made from it. The trigger for this was not a Japanese company but an American one: Haagen-Dazs' 1996 introduction of green tea ice cream - made, in a stroke of genius, just like shincha, from the first leaves of the season (初摘み茶葉) - was a massive hit. Today, as the visual here and picture below shows, there are matcha cookies, cakes, chocolate, gelato, jelly, pancakes, parfaits, and even chewing gum, not to mention the various new types of drinks such as lattes, cola, cocktails, and smoothies. Packed with antioxidants, the health benefits - especially in comparison with coffee - are pretty undeniable: I honestly can't remember the last time I caught a cold!

Which brings me back to my own tea-making experience at home. After picking the tea leaves, and enjoying a green tea and yōkan jelly break with the other pickers, the owner gave me a quick introduction to the factory and explained the process of tea production. Put simply the leaves are steamed, kneaded, and dried, removing all moisture and leaving the kind of tea leaves we are familiar with. As this video shows, the principle is the same even when making hand-rolled tea (temomicha) at home, so I headed back with my 130g of fresh leaves and gave it a go. After repeatedly steaming (in the microwave) and kneading, I eventually got something resembling tea leaves, but they were still a little moist - the factory dries them in 80℃ heat for 20-25 minutes - and as a result the aroma of the tea was on the weak side. Any thoughts on green tea and the matcha boom? Let me know in the COMMENTS below!

Play to Win: Japanese Traditional and Modern Games

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Burgess) — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 07:48:00 +0000

Even though it's only April, it already feels like summer in Japan, with temperatures pushing 30℃ here in Tokyo in the run up to the start of the traditional Golden Week holidays. There has even been talk of Japan's four distinct seasons disappearing under the threat of global warming; certainly, while summers have grown longer, spring and autumn seem to be over in the blink of an eye. For example, while wisteria usually blooms late April to early May, it's already been out for a while.

Recently, I've been exploring the gaming scene in Japan, with a visit to a board game cafe in Shinjuku (pictured above), an escape room game in Asakusa, and a game and hobby shop in Akihabara, the centre of Japanese geek (otaku) culture. The big two games historically are Go (igo in Japanese) which came over from China around the 7th century - modern variants include Gomoku, Renju, Reversi, and Othello - and shōgi (Japanese chess), a unique 16th century Japanese invention that allows captured pieces to be reused. The latter is the most played board game in Japan, with an estimated 20 million knowing the rules and ia also very visible in the media: Sota Fujii, who became a professional shōgi player when an junior high-school student, is a national icon, newspapers carry shōgi puzzles daily, and there is even a dedicated shōgi TV channel featuring live games!

An even older game is Sugoroku (双六), a 6th century creation similar to backgammon that morphed into a Snakes and Ladders type dice-based picture boardgame (e-sugoroku) popularly played at New Year. But probably the most interesting for non-Japanese players are the variants of karuta playing cards - from the Portuguese for letter or card - which involves matching one half of a card, which is read out aloud, with its corresponding pair. This can be highly competitive when played as a duel when players slap the matching card before their opponent - check out this video from the 64th All Japan Championships (第64回全日本選手権大会) held only a few days ago! Manga lovers may be reminded of Chihayafuru which played a big role in popularising competitive karuta. While the video shows Uta Garuta (hyaku-nin isshu=百人一首) featuring waka poems by 100 great poets, there is also a kid's version, with cards representing the 47 syllables of the hiragana alphabet. Great for learning Japanese!

But it is not all about tradition. Modern Japanese board games which have enjoyed critical acclaim overseas include the 2012 Love Letter, the classic 2014 Deep Sea Adventure, and the road building 2016 masterpiece Tokyo Highway. For a great overview of these three and traditional games as well see here. And for those in Japan, why not check out the gaming convention known as Game Market, which started in 2000 as a fan-run event and is now held in May and November at Makuhari Messe just outside of Tokyo? Another recommendation is the 4-day September Tokyo Game Show which, in contrast to the analogue focus of Game Market boasts mainly video game content, though it does include some board games as well as lots of cosplayers! In sum, the gaming market in Japan is booming, perhaps reflecting the fact that in Japan gaming is more than just entertainment - it’s a deeply ingrained social activity. What's your favourite game? Have you ever played a Japanese game? Let me know in the COMMENTS!

Bathing Culture in Japan: Public Baths, Hot Springs, and High-tech Tubs

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Burgess) — Sun, 30 Mar 2025 06:07:00 +0000

My 4th year students graduated last week - dressing up in the traditional hakama (here) to receive their graduation certificate from the president - though it was a bit of shock to wake up to a heavy snowfall! Indeed, the weather has been very strange recently, 26℃ on Friday and 13℃ on Saturday. Nevertheless, spring is in the air, with the cherry blossoms now at their peak, after officially starting to bloom on the 24th. While many people are content to sit in the park under the trees and enjoy a picnic (known as hanami), a great way to properly enjoy the sakura experience is to take an evening boat ride under the blossoms on either Chidorigafuchi Moat (here) or Meguro River (here).

The awareness of the Japanese towards the changing seasons and their appreciation of seasonal foods is one of the reasons I love Japan, but for me perhaps the biggest draw of all is the bathing culture - nothing beats a visit to a hot spring (onsen) or even the local public bath (sentō). Of course, it's not realistic to visit these places every day so a fine substitute is the household bath which enjoys a level of technology that puts the British bath to shame. Earlier this month we had our bathroom renovated so I thought this would be a good opportunity to promote the joys of domestic bathing! The picture above shows the process of removing the old bath and installing the new one. One interesting point is how the bath is typically cleaned before it is demolished to show respect for years of use (this is also done before disposing of old cars or even used needles (here)! Respect for objects that have served one well is a nice custom but that doesn't detract from the joy of a new high-tech bath. Note that the new bath is not only lower but lacks taps too. As the control panel below shows, the bath in Japan is filled automatically and the temperature, height of the water, and even the length of time the temperature is to be maintained can be set. The most recent models even allow baths to be controlled via smartphone app from outside the home, so you can come home to a steaming hot bath after a hard day's work!

During the four-day renovation, I made use of a local sentō just down the road, actually a super sentō named Terme Ogawa which unlike the simple local neighbourhood public bath comprises a large complex of multiple baths and saunas as well as restaurants, massage, and relaxation rooms (map below). Regarding the difference between public baths (sentō) and hot springs (onsen), the latter use natural spring water while the former use boiled tap water - subsidised under the Public Bathhouses Law - explaining why sentō are often distinguishable by their chimney. The distinction is not clear cut however, particularly in the Kanto region, where super sentō like the one I visited often also describe themselves as "natural hot springs" (天然温泉).

With the spread of private bathrooms from the 1970s, public baths plummeted in popularity and many went out of business. Data for Tokyo, for example, reveals 1968 as the peak, with 2687 sentō in the capital faling to only 444 in 2023. However, since around 2014, public baths have enjoyed something of a revival - in tandem with the sauna boom (sakatsu=サ活) - as a community spot or hub, especially among young people and foreign tourists. For example, last year, a new sentō tour named Sentorance Japan started with the aim of making sentō an "entrance" to Japanese culture: the tour includes a lecture on sentō etiquette in English followed by a bath. There are also a number of non-Japanese involved in preserving and restoring bathhouses such as Sam Holden and Stephanie Crohin. In terms of a specific recommendation, why not check out Denkiyū, a small sentō located in Kyojima, Sumida ward, which featured in the film Perfect Days? One thing you may notice in both public and private baths in Japan is a small stool which Japanese typically sit on while washing before getting into the bath. This is crucial - Japanese enjoy the bath for relaxation never for washing, and since they enter the bath clean usually reuse the same (clean) water for a few days before refilling. Certainly, British bathing seems primitive in contrast! Thoughts? Please write in the COMMENTS section.

Food Culture in Japan: Rising Prices, Buddhist Breakfasts, and Hospital Cuisine

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Burgess) — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 06:54:00 +0000

February in Japan has seen record snowfalls in the North though Tokyo has only experienced a few flurries. It's still very cold though so keeping the aircon on high and snuggling under the kotatsu - a low heated table covered with a quilt - is definitely the way to go. But while people everywhere are struggling with soaring energy bills, the Japanese have been particularly hard hit after being spoiled by a long period of deflation - starting in the late 1990s and continuing for some 15 years - followed by very low inflation (0.5%) until relatively recently. Coupled with the weak yen and higher import costs, the result has been more and more people struggling with daily living expenses - what the Japanese call seikatsuhi (生活費) - amid price increases (ne'age=値上げ) in everything from energy to food (recent video here). Rice in particular has skyrocketed, with the price of a 5kg bag almost doubling for some brands. Just how many people are having a hard time was brought home to me the other day when I passed the Tobu Supermarket in Nishikokubunji, Tokyo, and saw a long line of people queueing round the block during a special 98 yen (52p/66¢) "lifestyle support" (生活応援）campaign. Personally, BritishProf now avoids buying carrots, cabbage, broccoli, and lettuce because they've just become too expensive.

For those looking to save money on food, one approach is to have a big healthy breakfast and eat less or even nothing later - many Buddhists, for example, practice fasting from noon to sunrise the following day. The Buddhist belief that one shouldn't take a life means that many Buddhists follow a lacto-vegetarian diet - no eggs, meat, or fish - though some Buddhists do eat meat and other animal products, as long as the animals aren’t slaughtered specifically for them. If you want to sample some Buddhist cuisine of the latter, less strict, variety, I strongly recommend the 18-dish breakfast at Tsukiji Hongwanji Buddhist Temple in Tsukiji, Tokyo (reservations essential). While it does include duck, octopus, rolled egg (tamago-yaki), and salted salmon/pollack roe (ikura/mentaiko), for the most part this is vegetarian and includes rice porridge (okayu) and delicious miso soup. Unfortunately, even this breakfast has not been immune to the price rises: the once unlimited rice refills will no longer be free from March 2025 "due to the recent rise in the cost of rice and other ingredients."

As the Buddhist breakfast illustrates, Japanese cuisine typically consists of multiple small dishes creating a very balanced, varied, and nutritious meal. A friend of mine recently spent a week in hospital and given the terrible reputation of hospital food in the UK I was curious if the Japanese did a better job. As you might have guessed, the answer was a resounding "yes", with typically 4 to 5 healthy dishes cooked from scratch (if a little cold) accompanied with nutritional information. For example, the picture below shows an evening meal of rice, deep-fried cutlet with cheese, seaweed salad, thinly sliced stir-fried radish, and roasted green tea comprising a very low 584 kcal - and only 2.2g of salt. Even better, each meal costs only 490 yen (£2.59/$3.28) - a big plus in these days of sky-high food prices.

While the emphasis seems to be on more "traditional" Japanese food, reflecting the fact that patients tend to be older, meals did include bread, pasta, keema curry, and even a chocolate dessert for Valentine's Day! For more detailed pictures and descriptions of typical hospital fare check out the link here; there is also a fascinating Guardian article comparing hospital food - including Japan and the UK - from around the world. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on healthy eating, Japanese cuisine, and hospital food in the COMMENTS!

Visiting "Little Edo" for New Year: Buying a Daruma Doll and Eating Daifuku in Kawagoe

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Burgess) — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 03:59:00 +0000

A big akemashite omedetō (Happy New Year) to all readers at the start of 2025! While making new year's resolutions (新年の抱負=shin'nen no hōfu）is not as popular in Japan as in the West, a similar but rather unique cultural tradition centres around the daruma doll, a round, bright red, hollow paper-mâché figure representing the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma with a weighted bottom that enables it to bounce back when knocked down (like Weebles in the UK). This feature contributes to its popularity as a charm for good luck and encouragement, echoing the Japanese phrase nanakorobi yaoki (seven times down, eight times up) which signifies bouncing back from adversity and never giving up. When bought the eyes are usually blank (closed) and people fill in the left eye when making a wish or setting a goal and then fill in the other eye later when the wish is fulfilled or the goal is achieved - politicians typically do this at election time. Many temples hold new year markets selling these and I visited one of the biggest held at Kita-in temple (喜多院) - also known as Kawagoe Daishi (川越大師) - in Kawagoe City held every January 3rd.

Kawagoe City is located north of Tokyo, in Saitama Prefecture, and is often referred to as "Little Edo" - Edo is the old name for Tokyo - due to its many old buildings and retro Showa/Taisho atmosphere. Certainly wandering down the main street, surrounded by the ubiquitous food stalls encouraging you to snack as you walk, it would feel like stepping back in time, if it wasn't for the flood of foreign tourists (though to be fair, some do get into the spirit by utilising the many kimono hire stores). Walking along the main street I also spotted a daruma painting workshop in which participants can colour and draw the faces of daruma (the same shop has a delightful footbath cafe in the back which you should definitely check out). Other highlights include the Bell of Time (時の鐘=toki no kane), a bell tower which chimes four times a day and many buildings in the traditional kurazukuri (蔵造り) or warehouse style with walls finished with mud and plaster supposedly making them fireproof, damp-proof and even burglar-proof!

Street food is certainly a key point of the Kawagoe experience. Sweet potatoes (satsuma-imo=さつま芋) are probably the most famous of these and you can grab a bag of crisps, ice cream, or even sweet potato beer and coffee to sustain you as you battle the crowds. Sweet Shop Alley (Kashiya Yokocho=菓子屋横丁) is an area dedicated to traditional sweets and cakes and has a wonderful retro atmosphere. Another edible recommendation is daifuku (大福) - literally "big luck" - a type of Japanese sweet (wagashi) with mochi (chewy rice cake) wrapped around a sweet filling, typically anko (red bean paste) or fruit. Kawagoe has an amazing shop - prepare to queue - with paper thin mochi wrapped around a variety of high quality fruit such as strawberries, musk melon, mango, kiwi, orange and many more. The prices are astronomical - we paid ¥650 (over £3 or $4) for one strawberry - but the eating experience, where you use a fine thread to slice it in two and then savour, is probably worth the fee as a one-off cultural experience.

My daruma doll has one eye filled in, though since I wished for peace (a theme emphasised in the last post of 2024) I fear it may well be a while since I am able to draw in the right eye. In actual fact, the dolls are usually burned at the end of the year in a purification rite so it might remain with one eye closed (video here)! I could also have wished for a response to global warming though I might be waiting even longer to have that wish fulfilled - we still have not had any snow here in Tokyo, so no chance to build a yuki-daruma, the Japanese word for snowman (the Japanese snowman is typically two not three sections reflecting the shape of the daruma!). Finally, for those of you who have watched Squid Game, the Statues (Red Light Green Light) game is called Daruma-san ga Koronda (Mr Daruma Fell Down) in Japanese - go figure! If you have any wishes or goals for 2025, please let me know in the COMMENTS - I'll send a Japanese daruma doll to the best suggestion!

A World without Nuclear Weapons: The Nobel Peace Prize and Japan's Hibakusha

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Burgess) — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 04:09:00 +0000

November was a super busy month for British Prof and it was the first time in a while that a new post didn't drop. My apologies. But don't worry, normal service is resumed! Here in Japan, Christmas is much more low key than in the UK - Christmas Day is a normal working day and the ads are not as ubiquitous - but the Japanese still enjoy Christmas shopping, Christmas cakes, and Christmas markets, not to mention amazing illuminations (see previous posts here and here). On campus, the Christmas tree lights are now up following a countdown light-up ceremony (点灯式) which included free hot chocolate for students. A nice touch was a "What are you going to ask from Santa?" (サンタさんに何をお願いしますか）display: aside from job-hunting and study goals, a common request was peace (heiwa=平和).

Thousands of origami cranes at the museum entrance

Those watching the news closely might have noticed that the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony was held in Oslo on December 10th with Nihon Hidankyo (Japan Confederation of A- and H- Bomb Survivors Organisation) receiving the award. According to the Nobel Peace Prize website, Hidankyo was awarded this year's prize “for its efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons and for demonstrating through witness testimony that nuclear weapons must never be used again.” Hidankyo was formed in 1956 to promote the social and economic rights of hibakusha (被爆者), the survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Their motto is "no more hibakusha" and the Oslo speech featured a heartfelt plea to abolish nuclear weapons. The full speech given by 92-year-old Terumi Tanaka, co-chair of the group and Nagasaki survivor, can be read here. Eagle-eyed readers may have noticed the origami crane as the symbol of the group, harking back to the story of Sadako Sasaki who developed leukemia after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and folded more than 1000 cranes in a futile attempt to prolong her life.

Picture in the Daigo Fukuryu Maru Exhibition Hall of the Castle Bravo Hydrogen Bomb Test which generated a mushroom cloud 34,000 meters high. It was said to be 1000 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima (© US National Archives)

The trigger for the formation of Hidankyo were the nuclear weapon tests conducted at Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands, in the Northwestern Pacific by the United States in 1954, which 23 crew members of the Japanese tuna fishing vessel "Lucky Dragon No.5" ( Daigo Fukuryū Maru =第五福龍丸) were inadvertently caught up in. The return of the boat to Japan, the burns and acute radiation poisoning suffered by the crew (including one early death), and the ensuing "radioactive rain" which fell throughout Japan and the Pacific mobilised the Japanese and prompted the birth of Hidankyo. Unknown to many locals, Tokyo has an incredible museum hosting the actual wooden fishing boat and featuring an array of artifacts, art, and historical materials.

The boat itself was retired from service in 1967 and was abandoned in the garbage dump known as Yume no Shima, an artificial island built using waste landfill in Tokyo Bay. However, local citizens pushed the Metropolitan Government to preserve the boat and the exhibition hall was constructed in 1976. The boat is exhibited here "as an enduring symbol of protest against all nuclear weapons and testing." The museum is an incredible learning experience, with detailed bilingual information on the nuclear testing and aftermath, accompanied by huge maps, witness testimonies, artifacts (like the "Ashes of Death" pictured), and newspaper reports from the time. There is also information about the spread of the anti-nuclear movement in Japan and worldwide, including the Russel-Einstein Manifesto of 1955 and the first World Conference against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs in the same year.

Reading about the Russel-Einstein Manifesto reminded me of the presence of Einstein in the award-winning film Oppenheimer. In Japan, reactions were mixed with some praising the film's "anti-nuclear stance" and others, including an ex-mayor of Hiroshima, criticising leaving out scenes of the atomic bombing in Japan. It was not released here until eight months after its initial global release and some cinemas posted trigger warnings (Universal's official distributor in Japan Toho-Towa opted not to release it, partly explaining the delay). The film was certainly a tough and uncomfortable watch, especially the scenes outlining the reasons for targeting urban population centres rather than less populated areas: the justification of "sending a message" to the Soviet Union was difficult to swallow given the terrible loss of life. On that pensive note I wish all my readers - indeed all humanity - peace over Christmas and into the New Year and pray that the experience of the hibakusha will never again be repeated. If you do have any thoughts, hopes, or messages, please send a COMMENT to share with readers all over the world.

Celebrating Autumn: Moon Viewing, Tsukimi Burgers, and Rabbits Pounding Mochi

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Burgess) — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 08:01:00 +0000

Temperatures have finally started to fall in Japan, though having said that I am still yet to use the heater at home and the window remains open as I write this. The heat this year has indeed been unprecedented, with summer temperatures the joint hottest on record. Moreover, we are still waiting for Mount Fuji's first snowcap - which on average appears around October 2nd - making it the latest since records began 130 years ago. The snowcap is one seasonal marker in a country where people are acutely aware of nature and appreciate the changing of the seasons. Probably the clearest seasonal marker this time of year is the moon.

Full moon over Tsuda

In autumn, Japanese enjoy Tsukimi (月見), literally "moon-viewing", a celebration of the full moon (jyūgoya =十五夜) - also known as the harvest moon (chūshū no meigetsu=中秋の名月) - which traditionally falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month in the old calendar (September 17th this year - though the actual full moon fell on the 18th). As I have written before, various seasonal foods and decorations feature during the festivities. But while foods such as rice dumplings (dango), sweet potatoes (satsuma-imo), and chestnuts (kuri) traditionally feature, Tsukimi burgers have become something of a new tradition in recent years.

MacDonald's Tsukimi burger has been available as a limited autumn item since 1991. The story was that the McDonald's team developed a burger with an egg and intended to call it simply "bacon cheese and egg burger" but the president stepped in and insisted it be called the Tsukimi burger, much to the marketing teams' horror. However, the name struck a chord with consumers and today every burger shop in Japan - including KFC and Mos Burger - has their own variation, and even pizza and beef-bowl (gyūdon) chains have jumped on the bandwagon. This year's lineup, which is only available from September 4th to mid-October, can be seen here (short CM here). One new item on the menu this year is the Custard Pudding Flavour Tsukimi McShake with "golden hues to represent the moon" - which begs the question, what colour do the Japanese actually see the moon?

Whereas in the UK the moon is typically painted silver, blue, or white, in Japanese children's drawings the moon is often painted in yellow or orange, just like the egg yolk in the Tsukimi burger. The image of the moon as yellow or orange nicely illustrates how culture can have an influence on colour perception (previous blog discussion here). Admittedly the moon does tend to look orange or amber (just like the sun appears redder) when rising or setting, so maybe this has become the dominant image for the Japanese (and, yes, Japanese kids paint the sun red not yellow!).

To investigate more on how the moon is perceived in Japan, I visited The Museum of the Imperial Collections, Sannomaru Shozokan (皇居三の丸尚蔵館) in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo to check out their exhibition entitled Nature’s Splendor: Scenes of the Moon and Water (水の情景・月の風景), an exhibition "exploring the beauty of the natural world through the lens of two of its most admired subjects." Interestingly, the moon was coloured white in all the exhibits, which suggests the perception of it as yellow is either a modern invention or just for children. The highlight of the exhibition - also featured on the poster - is undoubtedly the set of three hanging scrolls called Snow, Moon, and Flowers (雪月花）depicting elegantly dressed Heian ladies admiring the most beautiful features of the season: snow in winter, the moon in autumn, and cherry blossoms in spring. The piece, completed in 1937 by Shoen Uemura, apparently took 21 years to complete.

As a final aside, eagle-eyed readers may have noticed rabbits featuring on the McDonald's Tsukimi milk shake; at the exhibition too, there was a vase, apparently created for Emperor Taisho's enthronement in 1915, featuring a circle representing the moon and a rabbit holding a pestle. Why? Well, rabbits are a common motif to symbolise the moon in Japan because when Japanese see the moon, they see two rabbits pounding rice-cakes (mochi)! Coincidentally, the word mochi-zuki (望月) means both full moon and also sounds like the phrase for pounding mochi, mochi-tsuki (餅つき), a Japanese tradition to greet the new year. For this reason, rabbits - which are considered creatures that ward off evil - and mochi feature a lot during Tsukimi season festivities. Can you make out the shapes of the rabbits when you look up at the moon? Let me know in the COMMENTS!

A Zazen Retreat in Japan: Paying Attention to the Here and Now

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Burgess) — Sat, 28 Sep 2024 09:19:00 +0000

After months of terribly hot weather - and constant AC, day AND night - it's finally started to cool down here. Temperatures were typically 10℃ higher or more than the yearly average making for a pretty unbearable summer. As much as I like Japan, I'm going to have to give serious thought to spending the summer back in the UK to escape the heat. Indeed, some of my retired ex-pat friends do just this, having the best of both worlds by avoiding the Japanese summer and also avoiding the long, dark, miserable UK winter (Japanese winter is pleasant - and sunny!). But that's one for the future - for now, I'm just enjoying the cooler temperatures and the signs of autumn, one of which are the gorgeous red spider lilies (higan-bana =彼岸花) which are popping up all over the place.

Last month's post focused on the film Perfect Days and as I wrote there, the film caused me to reflect on the idea of mindfulness, with its emphasis on slowing down, analogue over digital, simplifying life, paying attention to the here and now, taking in your surroundings one thought at a time, and the cultivation of curiosity, wonder, and awe. Thinking about it, mindfulness has much in common with zen, the Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism, originally from China, which emphasises the value of intuition through silent meditation - giving attention to only one thing - rather than enlightenment through ritual worship or the study of scriptures. The term zazen (座禅）literally means seated meditation - usually cross-legged, in the lotus position.

Here I'm going to introduce one zazen experience available for English speakers, a temple in the mountains of Saitama called Shokakuji (正覚寺). The Japanese web site promotes its overnight and one-day zazen experience, noting how the peaceful, natural environment provides a space for self-reflection in both body and mind through zazen, Buddhist talks by the priest, vegetarian cuisine, sutra copying - and even life counseling! The English website invites enquiries in English and also contains the schedule for the overnight programme (pictured). Here Shojin Ryori (精進料理) refers to a special kind of vegetarian cuisine derived from the dietary restrictions of Buddhist monks (no fish or meat).

As advertised, there are two zazen sessions which involve sitting cross-legged on a cushion, staring at a point in front of you while focusing on one's breathing for around 30 minutes. It seemed very long and - by the end - very uncomfortable (especially the legs) though there was no being hit by a bamboo stick if you move or slump like I heard happens in some other places. In the (very early) morning session, zazen is followed by a sermon where the priest talks about Buddhism and the key concepts, including live lessons. Meals are eaten in complete silence and are very simple, just plain rice, miso soup, and lightly seasoned vegetables. Finally, there is the copying by hand of (fairly long) Buddhist sutra known as shakyō (写経) - this is all in kanji so probably not for the Japanese beginner. Surprisingly, the 9pm lights out is not strictly enforced - after the priest goes to sleep, you're pretty much free to do as you like!

Interested? There are many places that offer foreigner-friendly retreats throughout Japan, some more expensive than others. There's a list of eight of the most interesting here; the Japanese National Tourist Organization (JNTO) site also has a good overview. For those of you who want more of a challenge, you could try the women-only five-day yamabushi mountain priest training at Mount Haguro in Yamagata which includes meditating under waterfalls! But wherever you are, mindfulness is something that could help simplify life and give you more space - check out the fantastic MSBR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) free online 8-week course here. Share your (simple) thoughts in the COMMENTS!

The Month of Death: Living Perfect Days in Japan in August

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Burgess) — Sat, 31 Aug 2024 07:10:00 +0000

August is a month of death in Japan both remembered and real. Real not only because of the searing temperatures that lead to heat stroke but also because of the typhoons that sweep through the archipelago this time of year. Earlier in the month, Typhoon Ampil (No. 7) passed along the east coast of Japan causing many train and plane cancellations and disrupting the Bon holiday's return travel rush. And as I write, Typhoon Shanshan is causing devastation down in Kyushu. On top of that, a magnitude 7 earthquake struck off Miyazaki Prefecture on August 8th, triggering the first ever official week-long "megaquake" advisory as fears grew that this was the precursor of the long-expected super quake in the Nankai Trough (南海トラフ). Amid these natural disasters, the man-made disasters of Hiroshima (August 6th) and Nagasaki (August 9th) were commemorated, followed by a solemn ceremony on August 15th marking 79 years since Emperor Hirohito announced Japan's surrender (known as Shūsen-kinenbi or "memorial day for the end of the war" =終戦記念日).

The traditional Obon (お盆）holiday itself is rooted in death. Running August 13th to 16th this year, it is one of the three major holidays in Japan. Whereas some Japanese take the opportunity to travel abroad, many travel back to their hometown (furusato =古里・故郷) to honour their ancestors who are said to return to their earthly homes for a brief visit during this period. To guide the spirits of these ancestors, one often sees lanterns hung in front of houses - the pictures show scenes from my local lantern festival (灯りまつり) - as well as cucumber "horses" (shōryōuma =精霊馬）and aubergine/eggplant "oxen" (shōryōushi =精霊牛). The former are said to guide the dead back quickly while the latter, being more slow-moving, take their time helping them return to the underworld (lanterns are also floated in rivers at the end of Obon for the same purpose).

In sum, August in Japan is a time to contemplate life and death. Here, I'm going to introduce a film I watched recently which made me think a lot about how and why we live: Perfect Days (パーフェクト・デイズ) directed by Wim Wenders and starring the famous Japanese actor Koji Yakusho (who won best actor at Cannes for his performance as Hirayama). Billed as "a work of fiction with the feel of a documentary," the movie follows the daily life of Hirayama who cleans public toilets in Shibuya, Tokyo. All the toilets featured in the movie are drawn from the 17 toilets created by famous architects, creators, and designers known collectively as the Tokyo Toilet Project. The Project unashamedly promotes toilets "as a symbol of Japan's world-renowned hospitality (omotenashi) culture" and the focus is very much on accessibility, comfort, and safety. For example, this is the thinking behind the two "transparent" toilets (which turn opaque when locked): the technology allows people to easily check cleanliness and whether anyone is inside, two of the things people tend to worry about when entering a public toilet. Check out this BBC video for a more detailed overview of the Tokyo Toilet Project and visit the sites in the film (not only toilets!) using the interactive map here.

L to R: Nabeshima Shoto Park toilets, (the transparent) Yoyogi Fukumachi Mini Park toilets, and Yoyogi Hachiman toilets

Getting back to the film, Hirayama leads a very simple life with a fixed daily routine that sees very little interaction with others. He is a humble man who carries out his job diligently and with dedication, taking pride in his work. Interestingly, surveys constantly show diligence (kinben=勤勉）as the trait Japanese see as most typical of their national character (graph here in Japanese - click on #1). There is so much to take from Hirayama: the importance of noticing things around you, the value of connecting with nature, the importance of appreciating the current moment, the merits of small things and daily rituals, and the peace brought by speaking less and reflecting more. There is a gentle optimism, a tranquility about Hirayama, his life, and his philosophy that kept reminding me of mindfulness, with its emphasis on slowing down, analogue over digital, simplifying life, paying attention to the here and now, taking in your surroundings one thought at a time, and the cultivation of curiosity, wonder, and awe.

Jaz walking in the komorebi

Interestingly, the film was originally slated to be called Komorebi (木漏れ日). At the end of the film - after the credits - this Japanese word is translated as "the shimmering of light and shadows that is created by leaves swaying in the wind which exists only once, at that moment." In the film, this concept comes into its own during Hirayama's lunch break, which he takes every day at Yoyogi Hachimangu (代々木八幡宮) Shrine, a hidden oasis of calm in the middle of Tokyo. Hirayama always has simple white bread convenience store sandwiches and milk for lunch and takes a single picture every day on his disposable camera, trying to capture the perfect komerebi amongst the towering trees. Check out the video below of me trying to capture Haruyama's experience - sandwiches and all! COMMENTS are, as always, most welcome - let me hear your take on the film (if you've seen it) or indeed on any of the themes raised in the post.