Kooky Kabuki: Mon 24 Jul 2006

Well, a few weeks ago, I went on a school trip to watch the Kabuki Theatre. Off course, when I say school trip, Im sure you all imagine a big yellow bus, with lots of excited kids screaming and yelling. The Tokyo style of a school trip is to assemble at school and walk in big groups towards the station. Just another day commuting with the good citizens of Tokyo. When we got there, we went straight to our seats. There was a pre-amble before the show explaining the origins of Kabuki and its techniques. The storyline is so complex with twists and turns that purposely tries to throw you off the story (Even the average Japanese finds the kabuki hard to follow). Basically there is a bad guy that Rokusuke (the main hero) has to chase and during then he falls in love with a girl and saves a little boy from bandits. It was so difficult to follow, that I fell asleep throughout half of the show! It also didn't help that the men playing the shamisen were lulling me to sleep. On a good note, I must say the set design and costumes were great. Simple yet eye-catching. So, to wrap up my kooky kabuki experience, once is enough to last me a lifetime...

For more pictures: Click on the link 'Kabuki' under links on the right column

The Yamadas and Seaworld: Sun 23 July 2006

Papa whale in the pool

Today, I went to visit the Yamadas. They are my guardian here in Tokyo. Currently, they live in Kisarazu, sort of far out from Tokyo. Mr. Yamada is an MD at a golf club there and his house at Kajigaya (5 mins from my dorm) is under renovation. They'll be moving back in September. I started of the morning from home with 2 train changes to the bus terminal at Shinagawa. The bus ride took me through an underwater tunnel through Tokyo Bay. The whole trip from home to Kisarazu took 1 hour 40 mins. Lunch was at the golf club. Very peaceful. Lots of trees and hills. Most of the club members commute from Tokyo or Yokohama. After lunch, we decided to take a drive to the coast. Kisarazu is on a peninsula. Spontaneously, Akiko and I drove to Seaworld in Komagawa. It was nice to see the killer whales, dolphins and the beluga whales. Kisarazu is very quiet and peaceful. Most of the people there are rice farmers. I had heaps of fun with Akiko. By the end of the trip though my brain was getting all slow and mushy digesting the Japanese words I was being fed by Akiko. I underestimated how tired I can get just translating languages back and forth in my brain. It seems to explain why I have been getting tired and sleepy very early at night. Akiko reckons its coz I live alone, so I get bored quick,which probably leads to my sleepiness...

For more pictures: Click on the link 'Kisarazu+Seaworld' under links on the right column

Karaoke with class: Fri 21 July 2006

"And aiyeeai..will always love youuuu...."

So at last, I got to experience the 'Japanese Karaoke'. Some classmates of mine organised a little outing with our sensei, Friday night after school. It was great to exercise my lungs. My classmates were cool, they weren't shy at all. Some sounded like frogs, and others like superstars. I won't say which category I fall under, but its safe to say that I could have been a Super-star frog. One of the top ones. hehe... Well, the songs all vary from English to Japanese, to Chinese to Korean. The karoke booth under the TV even had a score board which calculates how good we are! There is a portable menu that you click on like a palm pilot to select your songs. They also had the traditional 'giant remote control'. After karaoke, we went for dinner at the local Japanese pub 'Izagaya' in Japanese. Friday nights were filled with business people loading off their work stress with tons of Sake and Western Alcohol.

For more pictures: Click on the link 'Karaoke@Shibuya' under links on the right column

Karma Kamakura: Sat 15 July 2006

Worshippers leave messages at the temple

It was a lovely, hot and humid Saturday when I decided to go to Kamakura with some friends. Monday was a public holiday, so we took the chance on Saturday to go on a 1 day trip out to Kamakura, the 'Kyoto' of Tokyo. Kamakura is a little seaside town filled with temples. It is set in a valley of mountains opening out to the sea. The Kamakurans must be a religious community. There are just too many temples to count (Even 2 hands are not enough!) The beach was nothing to shout about, it was dirty and full of people. The sand was dark grey! Anyway, we saw the giant buddha (2nd largest one in Japan). Kamakura was a nice change to the hectic pace of Tokyo. I heard from some Tokyo-ites that the Kamakurans are a close knit community. It is very hard for an outsider, even a Japanese person, say from Tokyo to move into the little town. I must say that the monks sure had a peaceful life. The gardens are just gorgeous. Surprisingly though, food in Kamakura was much more expensive than in Tokyo!

For more pictures: Click on 'Kamakura' under links in the right column

Akihabara: Wed 12 July 2006

Well, my next destination was Akihabara, Tokyo's electric district. One day after school, T and I decided to visit Akihabara and get a mic for our computer. For those with Skype, let me know your username so we can talk on the internet. Anyway, Akihabara was filled with neon signs and bright lights. I was getting used to this more and more as I continue to stay in Tokyo. I don't know which sign to look at!! It is a real visual overload not to mention a burden on the city's electric generator! There were bargains everywhere but the prices still can't beat the ones we find at Low Yatt or Sungei Wang. I noticed A LOT of sales people there were foreigners from the middle east, china, eastern europe. AND, they all speak great Japanese! Akihabara is also known for its anime, from the kosher kind to the 'Hentai' porno kind. I turn a corner and I see a business man ducking into a little underground shop, probably for a quick flip through. Gross, i know... but it seems the norm here. That's one thing I still can't figure out about the Japanese. It is amazing that a society with such an array of social rules, have a hidden persona (from tiny porn shops, to vending machine selling school girl undies, to tanned girls with pink hair wearing clown make-up). They have a saying that in Japan if you are different, like a nail that sticks out, then they will hammer you down to conform. The funny thing is, the younger generation are competing to look so different from one another, but no one seems to stand out anymore. Just like the street signages at Akihabara...

For more pictures: Click on 'Akihabara+Coffee' under links on the right column

Shibuya Train Home: 09 July 2006

It's been awhile since I last wrote, but where I left off was at Asakusa temple. The journey back home is getting to be quite the routine for me now. I can finally get the gist of when rush hour is and when to catch the express train which saves me a good 8 mins and skips 6 stations! Tokyo has a gazillion train lines. There are so many lines owned and operated by different companies. I can't simply get a train ticket that takes me everywhere on the Tokyo rail network. Currently I have 2 train tickets. One is direct from Kajigaya Station (my dorm) to Shibuya. The other ticket is a debit card ticket for one of the major lines (JR lines) JR= Japan Rail? has a line called Yamanote which loops around major destinations like Tokyo, Akihabara, Shibuya, Shinjuku and many others. The rest of the places like Ginza and Ropponggi are accessible by subways, which you guessed it requires a different ticket! Like I said before in my email, the thing about catching trains in Tokyo, is you MUST know which station exit leads to your destination. Pick a wrong one and you can expect a detour from 10 mins to an hour!

For more pictures: Click on 'Shibuya Train Home' under links on the right column

P.S: Check out the Asakusa link too for more pictures...

Asakusa Day Out: 09 July 2006

On Sunday, I went to a beautiful temple in the old part of Tokyo called Asakusa. Muto-san from Hakuhodo along with his tennis club partner were my tour guides for the day. It was a crowded place and full of worshippers from hip Tokyoites to Yukata cladded men and women, getting in touch with their tradition again. Apparently, now it is quite hip to wear kimonos and yukatas again. The difference between a kimono and a yukata is that a yukata is made of cotton and is worn during summer, while kimonos are usually silk or brocade and worn for more formal functions. Colours vary from bright to pastel. Men usually wear dark blue yukatas with simple motifs knocked-out in white.

The temple I went to was called Senso-Ji. Here I am, looking like a real tourist with my umbrella. By the way, that umbrella is really cheap! Around ¥300= RM10. There are tons of the transparent types around.

This is so cheesy!

At the temple, the worshippers crowd around a giant bowl full of incense and start waving the spiralling smoke towards themselves for goodluck. It smells quite similar to incense burned in a Chinese temple.

If that was pot, Japan would be a very happy place indeed...

We went into the temple full of people worshipping and getting their fortunes from these ready made fortune chest of drawers. Again, it is very similar to Chinese temples where you have to shake a container of sticks until one comes out with the number of your fortune. I call it the 'take-away' fortunes. They even have an English translation at the back. Mine goes along the lines of "Only master jeweller will turn rock into marvellous brilliance. The patient in bed long, does not hurt him". Basically, I think my endeavours will all come true with patience and hardwork. It also said that someone I am waiting for will come...but late. (Hmm, I wonder who that could be?)

Hello.Konichiwa.Apakhabar?: 01 July 2006

Sorry this post is late. I sent this email to some of my friends and family. For those I missed out, please have a read

To my dearest family, friends and my mini-lover.,

Hello from Tokyo. What can I say about this city... It is overwhelming. As we drove in from the airport into the city, I was greeted by a concrete jungle, worse than New York (well from what i see in the movies). Rows and rows of multi storey buildings were intertwined with triple decker highways. If any of you have had a chance to play Tokyo Street Racer on Sega, they would understand me. I think the new Fast & Furious movie (Tokyo Ridge racer) would illustrate just what I mean.


The Japanese favourite sport is baseball.

I was already getting claustrophobic, just looking at the buildings. Well, we were dropped right at our hotel. Thank God I posted my bags straight to my dormitory, that really saved us a lot of trouble. You do not want to carry heavy luggage around in Tokyo. At the hotel, we just collapsed, fell asleep and woke up for a semi- expensive dinner. "Semi" meaning that you get a plate of pizza 7 inches wide and 2mm thick. It was like eating paper that costed RM25. Our coffee break at the hotel was RM 25 per coffee cup. A phone card to call Malaysia is RM30=average of 16-18 mins.


Lots of traffic jam coming into the city

Now I know really understand the true meaning of expensive = life in Tokyo. But sometimes, if you look hard enough, you can find a packet of biscuits, beautifully wrapped with individual wrapping (different designs for each) for ¥100= RM 3.20. Well, I guess Tokyo is a big challenge for the bargain hunter.

I will keep this email short. I plan to continue writing to you all through my blog. There, I can also upload pictures. Just note, my address:

http://www.abyjunus.blogspot.com

My camera is dead, and I cant seem to find an international adaptor anywhere. One reason a lovely Japanese man gave me was "This is Japan, we only get Japanese people buying our plugs.". Well... he obviously hasn't heard about FREE TRADE.

Anyway, today i did a recce of the Tokyo subway, braving it with my two senior but adventurous mom & dad. My sisters would be proud, although I did lose my temper a bit,when my mom started wanting to navigate us through a different way (especially when we had just walked the same street 30 mins ago, mind you I had a map!). Well Kak E, did this happen in Germany? I really sympathise. hehe... And pops, well he of course had to have his toilet breaks, and always wanting to break-off from the group. But in the end, I must say we survived. Amazingly, I only spoke Japanese the whole day!! I think Ive learnt about 10 new words per day since Ive been here. We managed to ask for directions, shop for shoes, look for cough medicine, check into the hotel, order our meals, browse through prepaid mobile phones (all in Japanese. phew! its slowly coming back.)


Not so busy in Shinjuku on a Saturday

The trains stations were ok. It's just a pity for you if you take the wrong exit. If you are in Tokyo, you must know what train line you want to get on. From there, you will have to buy tickets at the specific train line destination counter. Forget about asking help in English, again I had to speak Japanese. Surprisingly, there are not many information counters.

The dorm was great. I have a nice room in a lovely little neighbourhood. Very quite compared to the city. The busy city was getting to me by the end of today. I will write about my dorm another time, when I actually move in properly.. probably next week.

A funny thing happened near my school. There was a small hotel next door, so mom wanted to see how much it was (thinking we could move there). I walked in and asked the price and was surprised to find it so cheap. She was quite accomodating. Suddenly mom walked in all decked with her tudung and said hello to the lady. She started saying that the hotel wasnt appropriate for us and that we should go into the opposite inn. I kept asking why and she shook her head, until I heard laba's hoteru. (which means lover's hotel). So she was so embarrased that she personally took us directly to the inn next door. Now wonder the hotel was so dark! I thought it was cozy. hehe

I must say the Japanese are quite accommodating when you approach them, although there are also the few that live the real "i am a busy city folk, please don't disturb me" attitude.

Well, that's the end of today's story. It was very tiring and hectic. Sometimes I am amazed at what I got myself into. Tomorrow I will brave another day, this time a quick exam at school and battling with the local city council to get my "Alien" Registration Card.

I miss Malaysia and all of you very much. The loneliness hits the pits of my stomach when I sit in my room alone. Its that kind of feeling I used to get when I was returning to boarding school (my sisters will fully sympathise.. hehe).

My love to all my nieces, nephews and brother in laws.

Love heaps.

Aby
xoxox

Proffessor Stein's Reply

(Please See post below this one for the email I wrote to Proffessor Stein. Yey. Nara here I come. At least I know that the tsuba was made around the time my great grandfather was born. For those interested, below is a write up on Nara Tsubas. I have also found out where the Japan Center for Asian Historical Records is - They keep records from Meiji Era- WWII: 1870-1949.)

Ko-Nara tsuba, also called old Nara or early Nara tsuba, were a style of decorated iron plate tsuba popular from the Momoyama period through the mid Edo period. This group produced tsuba with kinko (soft metal) Goto style inlay on iron plates, some of which may have been produced by other tsukako - possibly Saotome makers. The first Nara master, Toshiteru, is believed to have studied under the Goto school and applied the Goto kinko techniques to iron plate tsuba. The Ko-Nara group are those makers working before approximately 1700 who preceeded the fourth Nara Master, Toshinaga. While this type of tsuba is called Ko-Nara, they were made by a variety of different makers, some only distantly related to the Nara school. The later or new Nara school (Shin Nara) became one of the most prolific and influential schools of tsuba and kodogu makers producing works into the Meiji Period. It is the later Nara work that most collectors refer to as the Nara school. The Three Great Nara Masters (Nara Sansaku) were Toshinaga (aka Riju) (1667-1737), Sugiura Joi (1700-1761) and Tsuchiya Yasuchika (1669-1744). Works by the great Nara masters are often reproduced, copied or forged (gimei).

The Ko-Nara and Nara school are considered by some to be the progenitors of many other schools of tsubako, the Hamano, Shonai Shoami and Iwamoto schools among others. It was artisans of the Nara school who formed the Hamano school. The style of the Nara school was often copied by workers of the Aizu Shoami and Mito schools of tsuba and kodogu makers. The work of Hamano, Aizu Shoami and Mito are often difficult to distinquish from that of the Nara makers. It is not unusual to see tsuba in this genre all labeled as Ko-Nara style.

CHARACTERISTICS OF KO-NARA TSUBA
These tsuba are characterized by well forged and hammered iron plates decorated with figural and naturalistic motifs in gold, silver, shaduko and copper inlay. The motifs commonly depict stories from Japanese or Chinese mythology or various naturalistic themes. On the better tsuba, the decor is quite detailed and extremely well done, rivaling that found on Goto or Soten tsuba in my opinion. Most Ko-Nara tsuba are done in maru-gata or mokko-gata. Iron bones (tekkotsu) are commonly seen on the edge (mimi) of Ko-Nara tsuba which are sukidashi or uchikaeshi. The surface is normally tsuchime (hammered finish) although some smooth plates were done and the carving done in shishiai (sunken relief) style; some will have iron on iron inlay which appears takabori (high relief carving). Ko-Nara tsuba are rarely signed.

To Proffessor Stein: Ko-nara tsuba?

(I wrote to Proffessor Stein who knows quite a lot on Japanese swords: http://www.geocities.com/alchemyst/nihonto.htm. Next week I might head off to the Sekaido Bunka Art Museum. They have a collection of swords there.)

Dear Proffessor Stein,

I am not familiar with the world of Japanese swords and tsuba, but our family has in our possession a tsuba that supposedly belonged to my great grandfather. Could you please shed some light on its origin? I am now in Japan studying, and would like to do some more research on the tsuba and where it came from.

Firstly, I will explain how we got the Japanese tsuba, considering that it is now in Malaysia. My grandmother is Japanese and was born during the early 1900's in Singapore ( I dont know the exact date). She was given away by her parents to a Malay family and was brought up as a Malay in Malaysia. She did not know of her Japanese heritage.

Her parents were shop keepers in Singapore and when they had to return to Japan, in the early 1900's they gave her away to the shop owners, leaving with her a sword. She was not the only one given away. Apparently she had a brother as well. But he did not survive. The sword was sold, and what remained was the tsuba.

We do not know what happened to her parents. But it is said that during those days in Singapore, the Japanese that were sent there were usually on reconnaissance missions.

During the World War 2, Malaysia was occupied by the Japanese, so my grandma refused to acknowledge her Japanese ancestry. It is all kept hush hush in Asian culture if one was adopted. My mother who was born in 1940 remembered that right after the WW2 (1947-49, a Japanese man came to Malaysia looking for my grandmother, but the older members of the family told him she had passed away. In fact she only passed away at 62 years old in 1965.

As you can imagine, most of the family members who were old back then have now passed on. As I mentioned, I am now in Japan studying Japanese and as a personal project of mine would like to trace my family. Even if i do not find them, I hope to gain a lot of experience understanding this culture we never knew as a family.

Apparently, the Japanese man who came to Malaysia was my great grandfather's brother. He mentioned that my great grandparents had commited harakiri. Please forgive me if it is beginning to sound like a fantasy story. Usually 'word of mouth' stories tend to be exoticised a little. I now do not know what is true and what has been exaggerated upon. I only have this tsuba and a small idea that it might have come from Nara.

A cousin of mine has been there to look for a name and has come up with an even more seemingly absurd tale that my great grandfather was a samurai descendent of Yoritomo and from the Clan of Minatomo. So I will have to brush up on my Japanese and start looking at the archives in Tokyo, perhaps beginning at the War Memorial Shrine.

I will start with the facts first, and if this tsuba did come from Nara, then there could possibly be a link. I have a photograph of it that I will attach in my personal blog, if you are interested in having a look.

I found your website very easy to read and informative. It would be great to hear your response.

Please find below a link of the photograph on my personal blog:

http://www.abyjunus.blogspot.com


Warm regards,

Abyan Junus