Rice: Great Kids, Cool Project, Nice Price

Bought 4kgs of rice today from students of a Niigata City primary school who live in a farming district and had planted and harvested the rice themselves. Pretty cool.

A Different Kind of Lunch

Lunch Set

Grilled saba and karage lunch plates. Simple izakaya fare to warm body and soul.

Niigata Artist Fukiya Koji

In the lobby of an historic hotel in Niigata City, I am pleased to discover an exhibit of works by local graphic artist Fukiya Koji. To view the artist's work, past the followingこinto your browser: うじふきや作品

玉子あんかけうどん

Most tasty, this noodle dish from udon chain 丸亀製麺.

Because Election Season

Government shifting away from inclusion of foreigners | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis https://share.google/dpsGVK9b29FshsTru Onoda Kimi heads the relevant industry, and there she is, to the left of the PM, with a smirk?, or is that her Giaconda Smile? If you suspect Kimi has immigrant heritage, noticing her coloring, perhaps, or facial structure, she does indeed: she was born in the US. Japan doesn't allow dual citizenship, but one is confident Kimi has satisfied Japanese law in that regard. (No point exploring the possibility of irony in Kimi's public service.)

Windbreak

This belt of pine forest was planted in the late Edo period as a buffer to shield Niigata from fierce winter winds barreling across the Sea of Japan.

The Kusa- Hibari

The Kusa-Hibari, or 'Grass Lark',is a species of cricket (Svistella bifasciata), of which Lafcadio Hearn keeps a lone specimen in a tiny wooden cage in his study. "By day he sleeps or meditates, except while occupied with a slice of fresh eggplant or cucumber... But always at sunset the infinitesimal soul of him awakens: then the room begins to fill with a delicate and ghostly music of indescribable sweetness..." https://youtu.be/gO-zSUmNH-8?si=Nf7Mihw-9C_lKSQt

More about Fireflies

"(T)he light of a fine Genji-firefly is so brilliant that.. at first sight the flash appears yellow as the flame of a wood-fire.." Thus the following poem: Kagaribi mo/ Hotaru mo hikaru/ Genji kana. The kagari is a brazier, torch basket, or cresset, such as were used by officers of the watch, certain fishermen, and at festivals.

A Few Words about Fireflies

In Lafcadio Hearn's miscellany titled "Kotto", there is a delightful chapter on the subject of fireflies, or hotaru (蛍- combining the characters for fire- 火- and insect- 虫). We read that two species are called Genji-botaru and Heike-botaru, folknames deriving from the famous warring clans. According to legend, the fireflies are ghosts of the Minamoto and Taira warriors, and they meet once a year in June above the waters of the river Uji to reenact the famous 12th century battle. And upon that day all caged hotaru are to be released to participate in the contest. Hearn relates that special trains took passengers from Osaka and Kyoto to Uji to view the Hotaru Gassen, or Battle of the Fireflies. Poet Chiyo was inspired by the spectacle to write: Kawa bakari/ Yami ha nagarete-?/ Hotaru kana, which Hearn translates "Is it the river only/ Or is the darkness drifting) Oh, the fireflies

Nissin ラ王とろ熟味噌 Ramen

For instant miso ramen, this is the bomb ( on account of the Hokkaido miso). Added green onion, sesame, red pepper, and pureed garlic. For best results, the miso and seasonings are to be added last: お召し上がり直前入れ下さい。

組子- Kumiko

Watching an NHK Education program about kumiko, 組子。As here...

Kadomatsu: New Year's Decoration

The kadomatsu (門松) at Goukoku Shrine, Niigata, are the largest I've seen in town. The individual elements are symbolic, with the matsu, or pine, signifying longevity, perpetuity and the bamboo, strength, growth, prosperity. Kadomatsu of this size may exceed 150,000 yen. The shrine itself is controversial inasmuch as it's part of the Yasukuni "Group", the Tokyo shrine where the souls of Japan's war dead, including war criminals, are honored.

The Chouzuya (手水舎)

Beside the approach to a shrine sits a water basin- in Japanese 水盤- provided with ladles (hishaku) for the performing of ritual ablutions, the purification of hands and mouth. The 手水舎 (also known as 水盤舎、or 水屋) is sometimes encirled by a sort of shimenawa with pendent shide to demarcate the sacred space and ward off evil spirits.

卒塔婆- Sotoba

Sotoba: mortuary tablet, from Sanskrit stupa. A wooden lath placed upright behind the grave marker at some (depending on the sect) Buddhist temples. The death name of the individual, date of death, age, and so on are inscribed thereon. Notched, to evoke the shape of a 5-storied pagoda. I visited a nearby temple 墓場 today, recalling that sotoba were numerous there in the past, only to discover that nearly all had been removed (perhaps that is a year-end custom). Those I did find were not upright but on the ground. Somewhat forlorn, it was.

The Brothers Toyotomi

NHK is broadcasting an historical drama about 16th century Shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi and his brother, Hidenaga (The two were born peasants; Hideyoshi's rise is the stuff of legend). Anyhow, he was most interested in geography and cartography, commissioning a map drawn on screens, currently preserved at Jotokuji https://share.google/79pGKpdvAv9HGZUh9

Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan

Lafcadio Hearn, or 小泉八雲、as he came to be known after naturalization, arrived in Japan in April, 1890. In "Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan" Hearn describes his early experiences and impressions of the country, at the time 22 years into 維新、or the restoration of the Emperor. Visiting a temple (unnamed) in Yokohama, Hearn writes that temple authorities had posted signs in English informing foreign visitors that "IT IS FORBIDDEN TO INJURE THE TREES" (an interesting choice, not deface or damage, but injure , as of a living thing). I was reminded of a recent story about graffiti on bamboo at Arashiyama in Kyoto and authorities' decision to remove the injured plants.

Foreign -born Children: Japan Doesn't Want You

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/16269759 Discriminatory and opaque Justice Ministry policies result in the Kafkaesque limbo such individuals face. However, the LDP is ultimately behind this. Right-wingers are the same the world over. So predictable, and so odious.

蓮久寺 (Kyoto) and 大黒様

Nice story here about the temple, previously in a state of advanced disrepair, Daikoku-sama, one of the seven gods of prosperity, and a generous benefactor. 奇跡体験！アンビリバボー：夢に大黒様が登場し 人生激変 - フジテレビ https://share.google/2SW5VfyJaXGuxItCx

The Mallet of Gold- an Old Story from Echigo

Long, long ago, in the province of Echigo (which, gentle reader, is an old name for Niigata), there lived in a village in the hills an elderly couple. (It will come as no surprise to visitors to these pages that the two were poor, childless, but happy.) Though poor, the couple knew not want but were able to share their meager fare and humble abode with an adopted dog and cat. Such was their household. One day jiji (old man, grandpa) was down by the river on some business or other when he heard a commotion. Going to investigate, he found that the tumult was caused by group of youths who had tied a length of twine to the tail of a turtle and were dragging it about, rapping smartly on its shell the while. "Hey, you, enough of that", remonstrated our hero. To no avail. Whereupon he bethought himself of the mochi and sweets his wife had packed for his lunch. "Hey, I'll give you some rice cakes and other dainties if you give me the turtle", to which the louts readily assented. The exchange completed, jiji carried the traumatized creature to a deserted stretch of river where, before releasing the turtle, he advised it to avoid teenage boys in future. To which the turtle made this reply to its astonished saviour: "I cannot thank you enough for saving me from those hateful delinquents. To repay your kindness, I shall place a wondrous treasure of a mallet beside your pillow on the morrow. No ordinary object, but atop this mallet will magically appear a small gold coin each and every morning." And with that mysterious and startling promise, the turtle waddled into the river and vanished from view. "If it hadn't been for you, what might have befallen that poor turtle?" mused the old woman when the day's excitement had been related. And the two discussed the wondrous mallet, not doubting the creature's word but wondering at its mystery. The couple betook themselves to bed at the appointed hour and slept a dreamless sleep until, in the dead of night, a phantom turtle disturbed their slumbers. "I most humbly thank you for coming to my assistance today. To replay your kindless, I shall have a mallet placed beside your pallet. Upon this mallet a bar of gold will appear every day at the time of your morning repast. Live happy and prosper." With that the image of the turtle dissolved, and the couple awakened. Rubbing their eyes and muttering astonishment, the two searched the room, half doubtinng they would find the mysterious mallet, when lo, there it was at the foot of their straw mattress, just as their benefactor had said. After depositing the 鎚 (tsuchi, mallet) in a hiding place for safe keeping, the old couple went back to bed. Rising at the usual time, or first light, they could scarce bring themselves to remove the false panel in their only tansu to see if in fact a coin of gold lay atop the tsuchi- lest their faith and hope be soかrely dashed. After a brief hesitation, jiji opened the hiding place and, behold, a dull golden gleam showed from a small gold coin, or koban, placed neatly atop the mallet. Each and every day a koban appeared, and the couple lived a life of modest leisure: the husband ordered silk kimono from the local haberdasher to replace his threadbare cotton kimono, while his wife fed the two adopted pets the choicest morsels. Which led to th becoming dangerously obese. - to be continued

The Fate of Private Universities in Japan

If you teach at a small private university in Japan, as I do, this article is for you: https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/260c1881910e56d04f3b7118bd2b5eea3d68310f

Izakaya Dinner

miso, sashimi, saba, salmon and roe potato salad

ロシア産塩紅鮭？

Why is Japan importing salmon from Russia? (Or anything, for that matter?) Add the US to the list of rogue trading partners. Don't buy ロシア産. Or アメリカ/米国産, either.

Bando Tamasaburo the Fifth: Living National Treasure

Celebrated kabuki actor who portrays female characters and national cultural treasure 玉三郎 さん is a guest on a program hosted by Matsuko (gay, cross-dressing, one of Japan's most successful TV personalities): マツコの知らない世界新春SPリアル国宝・坂東玉三郎が語る歌舞伎女形▼鉄道好き新年会 | TBSテレビ https://www.tbs.co.jp/tv/20260103_98C4.html One of the themes of the show is homosexuality and Japan's openness (寛容) to LGBTQ. Check out the linked video and others of Tamasaburo-san. And: I'll offer that the American culture is too Christian, too unsophisticated, too retrograde generally to appreciate the finer things such as Kabuki. 野蛮。Cherish your s-hole country, MAGA.

Kozou-kun

On an evening stroll through downtown Niigata I meet be-hatted こぞうくん. Let us consider the inscription on his plaque: "Place your palms together: Thank Buddha for family, friends, all life." In this season of giving, Christians would do well to open their minds to such sentiments. (Particularly American Christians, ever bent on denying succor to the the weak, meek, marginalized, unfortunate; let's include girls and women, non-whites; then we have despoiling the natural world; as an American raised in the Presbyterian church before it ceded moral authority to zealots, I am qualified to criticize American Christian hypocrisy.) Why is the religion so very pathological? Well, the bible tells us of an angry, vengeful jealous, narcissistic deity. Even if you are a New Testament Christian, you have much to answer for: let's start with that chap Paul (would he had not traveled to Damascus- he is the origin of much Christian mischief). There are many good Christians, of course, but the religion has been the source and justification for untold mischief, stupidity, and cruelty for millenia. .

Visit a shrine or temple, pray for wealth, health, love, academic success... Buddhism and Shinto are perfectly organic, serviceable, edifying... why some Japanese opt for Christianity is baffling to me.

Lion Dogs

The komainu, 狛犬、are the mythical leonine creatures at the entrance or flanking the approach to a shrine. Typically, that on the left displays fangs bared and is known as 阿形 (agyou)、while its companion opposite, with maw closed, is called 吽形 (ungyou). The pair protect the shrine's sacred precincts from evil spirits. Deer, foxes, wolves, and fowl may also perform the function. The 狛犬 are pictured with カリン、or Chinese quince; as offerings? Karin are inedible, though the fruit is used to flavor liquor. The banners read 学問の神様. 菅原道真公（すがわらのみちざねこう-name later changed to Tenjin-sama, 天神様) has been revered as the god of scholarship since the Heian Period (794-1185). As the neighborhood is home to a primary school, three high schools (including Takahashi Rumiko's alma mater), and Niigata University's School of Medicine, 天満宮 (of which there are 12,000 in Japan), is most convenient for students sweating their exams and in need of academic inspiration and encouragement.