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Sunday, April 13, 2008
The Battle Of Kawanakajima 2008
As I stated last year around this same time, my determination carried me to this past weekend's spectacular reenactment of the Battle of Kawanakajima. However, this time around, the big difference was the ground on which I was standing. I decided to trade in my civilian clothes for Japanese Samurai battle armor and gather 9 more people to join me in doing the same.
Our day started early at 630am in order to make a 1.5 hour train ride down to Yamanashi. Once we arrived, we wasted little time in getting oriented with our costumes and schedule throughout the day. This is an annual event that a lot of people came out for, so it was pretty exciting to be at the center of attention for the day.
One great surprise came when a couple of people saw our flag and came over to introduce themselves, they were actual descendants of the people we were representing in the reenactment. Not to mention, I noticed some people after the show who were extremely appreciative/grateful for the efforts exerted by all of the participants that day. I felt like I had taken part in something very important to at least a few people, so that was a rewarding feeling.
Last year, there were around 800 people who took part in this event, and it seemed as if that number was about the same this year. The best part of the show came when everyone got to charge at each other and fight amid a large mass of people. I "killed" a good number of the "enemy", but I think I met my demise on the second charge, haha.
So, I realized that my watch had stopped working a few days ago, and I got concerned. I mean, usually he's full of energy and he doesn't miss a beat, but trouble inexplicably arose! Knowing that I didn't have the time(pun intended), I rushed him to the nearest watch store I could find. As I ran into the room, I told the first watch doctor behind the counter that I needed "HELP!". In no time at all, I had a team of experts on the job, ready to perform an emergency operation! I knew this was going to be a test of my nerves, and it showed, as I incessantly paced back and forth in the waiting room. All I could do is think of the times we had been together; the good, the bad, and the crazy. He was my best bud, my compatriot in battle. I could always count on him to let me know when it was time to make a mad dash for that train or any other urgent matter. "How could I ever replace such a valuable friend?", I frighteningly wondered. Finally, the watch doctor shouted my number, "JuuIchi Ban...blah blah blah!". It was time for the moment of truth. Would I be reminded of this horrible day each time I looked down at the farmer's tan left by my deceased friend, or would this watch clinic perform the miracle I was so direly hoping for? Well my friends, Christmas came early for yours truly and the operation was a complete success! My little buddy was given a new ticker, and he was up and running like the cool springtime San Diego wind. I gleefully laughed with joy and gave the staff a hardy thumbs up of approval. God bless the watch doctors!
*OK people, on a serious note* This watch store gave me the most bizarre feeling of being at a medical clinic, I mean, they were even named the "Watch Clinic"! haha. I thought this place was truly hilarious, and the staff totally looked like doctors. I guess Japanese people really love cosplay! haha, funny stuff ^_^.
As sure as the sun rises in the East, people in Japan will continue to fall asleep or pass out in the most amazing places! Too much alcohol and too much overtime, the devil be thy name!!! haha. Here are some new and funny pics that were either taken from other sites or personally snapped for the ongoing collection.
On my last attempt at an excursion from the city, I met an untimely snowstorm that closed down all the roads and forced our tour bus back to the depths of Tokyo. Fortunately, we had just the opposite this time.
A warm and sunny day welcomed our group to the first part of the trip, which involved hotspring-bathing monkeys in the snow. They were really tame and fun to watch, you just have to make sure that youre not carrying any food, and you dont have anything that the monkeys could reach out and steal from you. Theyre not shy at all around people and will walk right next to you with no hesitation. I always made sure not to look them in their eyes or smile at them, since they could get easily agitated by a stare or show of teeth. There were a lot of those little furballs playing around, so the last thing I needed was to get attacked by a gang of them, and no doubt have it recorded by some other nearby tourist, who later puts it up on youtube. Yeah, no gracias!
After I had my fun with my outgoing little photo subjects, I headed over to Matsumoto Castle with the rest of the group.
I actually didnt go inside because there wasnt really much to be seen, or so I was told by the people coming out. For me, the real sights were around the perimeter of the castle, where the beauty and simplicity of the foreground combined with a bright elliptical display of the sun through the clouds was irresistible! I spent all my time shooting around the castle at different locations and I think I walked away with some pretty magnificent shots.
Every week, Im always trying to stay on top of the event scene here, and resources like foreigner mags and newspapers in English are indispensable resources. This week, I was lucky enough to take notice of 2 really thought-provoking exhibitions that peered into the lives of complete strangers. Both dealt with the darker reality of life that most people probably dont see, and most people dont likely want to think about. However, since both involved art media to convey this information, I thought it might give me some ideas to pursue in the future with photograpy, video and so on.
My first visit took me to the SYD(Support Your Dreams) Hall in the city of Sendagaya. This organization travels to the Philippines in August annually to reach out to communities of locals that reside in garbage dump slums. Families, which span many generations, have been living in conditions such as these for many decades, as I was lead to understand. The photographs at this exhibition were taken over several years of work with this community, while building an international relationship between both groups involved. Today's event was an example of those years of labor and accomplishment. I was able to sit and talk with 2 members of the SYD foundation, Chieko and Haruka, who were involved with this specific project and graciously gave me more insight. The following is a summary of what was discussed.
The most shocking bit of information came when Chieko told me that these people were there by choice and not through any involuntary causes. As a financially struggling community, this garbage dump provided a means of income which these locals utilized daily by collecting clothes, plastic bottles, or whatever they could to sell for money. On average, they could bring home roughly $2 a day for their efforts, and this is how they basically survived from day to day. The government in the Philippines has stated they would close down these facilities in order to remove this situation, but the community has decided that it would just relocate to another dump, even if it meant routinely walking for 2 hours each day to the next site. After speaking with Chieko, I had a chance to meet with Haruka, a volunteer with SYD, who has traveled there multiple times and also spent one night with a family inside this garbage dump.
I was especially interested in hearing from someone who had gone a step further and experienced what it was like to live this life. So, I politely introduced myself and proceeded to ask her about the experience. Haruka mentioned that the family she stayed with was composed of 9 people: a mother and child, her six sisters, and one brother. They all lived in a space that was approximately 7'x12'. Unbelievable. A touching part of her experience came when the family offered Haruka the 1 mattress they had. As she explained this to me, she recalled feeling extremely guilty about taking the bed, but eventually accepted so as to not offend anyone. Even though these people had so little, they still remained kind to complete strangers. That is a very admirable quality, and in my opinion, is unfortunately decreasing with each successive generation in first world nations. Though Haruka may have felt guilty by the special treatment she received that night, the cheerful energy that radiated from the children in the slum gave her a reason to smile. Although this positivity was comforting, it also delivered a sense of confusion to her and many other volunteers.
The Japanese that traveled to this specific area of the Philippines didnt expect to see smiling people, so they were dumbfounded when the children of these garbage slums told them that they were actually happy. For the children, they had everything that was important to them in their lives: family, friends, and a passion for life. The volunteers reside in a country that is economically sound and can provide for its people, yet they themselves didnt feel so cheerful about their own lives. So, this became a very important underlying part of the exhibition for the SYD organization: the children's smiles. They hoped that everyone who visited the gallery this day would be able to see that through this hardship and rough exterior, there was a zest for life, a feeling of warmth, and it was expressed in the simplest of ways. Through a basic, but powerful gesture. A smile.
I am moved by the effort this organization makes in order to reach out to people who are seemingly forgotten about in society, and I think they are doing something that holds a lot of positive substance that will hopefully carry over to others. Unfortunately, it seems like a never-ending cycle for this poor community which lacks economic support, opportunity, and education; however, the kids seem to really look forward to each August when the volunteers make their way back to the community. Best wishes to all of you.
Later that day, I hopped on a train and made my way over to the city of Shiodome. Another exhibition that caught my attention was being held in the Shiodome Italia area, a really great place that is surrounded by beautiful European architecture. Multiple exhibits that dealt with digital art were taking place, but my main focus was very low-tech, yet profound. This project used something as simple as a notebook, but touched individuals worldwide and was given the name "Colors".
The main purpose of "Colors" was to empower people from all walks of life by giving them a chance to speak, a chance to be heard, and let people from around the world share in their thoughts, stories, and facets of life through the use of a basic notebook. These notebooks were mailed to countries all over the world and ultimately made their way into the hands of the intended. Prisoners, teenagers, homeless people, students, AIDS victims, artists, cross dressers, the list goes on. Literally, thousands of notebooks were sent out as a clean slate, and each week the organizers continually receive the fruits of each individual's labor in amazing creativity and expression. Pages upon pages are decorated with daily materials, writings, sketches and so on that summarize that particular person's character or what they feel important to share at that moment. It was a very captivating presentation where about 100 of the notebooks they had received were hung from the ceiling and gave readers an environment to walk through and learn about strangers who were half way around the globe, in a different time, in a different culture. Hours could easily be spent sifting through the pages, without a doubt.
I really liked this idea; I just wish they would develop it further and present it in a way where more people could experience it and still feel the same authenticity. Although it's common sense to realize that people are people no matter where you go, people still like to make divisions among themselves with all the labels they involuntarily carry around. I have experienced that several times while in my own country and while abroad. However, through this project, a concrete realization of similarity through tangible representations of emotion and thinking can be felt, due partly to the fact that the exterior self is transformed into the uniformity of a rectangular piece of stationery. There is no reason to discriminate, we're just offered a chance to explore and learn. This gives me some ideas...
For all the non whites who have ever felt like they were alienated from their own country, now is the time to show your support for change. Even if he doesnt live up to his hype, at least he will provide a glowing symbol of accomplishment, intellect, high moral values, and leadership to all the groups who have struggled for their independence and equality in America.
Furthermore, when the face of America becomes a few shades darker with its leadership, then it has to change the way people of color are seen through domestic and international mass media. Generally speaking, white America has enjoyed a lot of admiration through their charismatic and ideal imagery through movies, tv, magazines etc. So, it's appropriate for the other side of the coin to get flipped and the stigma of having dark skin fades with more positive and ubiquitous examples.
I think that kind of motivation and inspiration will go a long ways with future generations as they read about it in history books. America is the melting pot after all, right? Time to show it in our leadership and make the playing field more even.
Japan's got an aging population, and its been reported that by the year 2025, one out of every three people will be elderly. The solution? Robot love baby...Companies are hard at work developing robots that will be able to alleviate the burden of a geriatric society. From robots that can remotely activate home appliances to robots that will be able to carry the old folks from their beds to their 2 wheeled cruisers. Seems like an expensive answer with many limitations compared to just having a more lax immigration policy that could help offset the imbalance of old to young. Its all fun and robots until they eventually develop into Terminators and exterminate us!!
