The Last Samurai - visiting Shosha-san

Mt. Shosha, or Shosha-san as its known to the locals, is located about a 40-minute bike ride away from my apartment. Another 40-minute moutain climb and you can arrive at the Engyoji temple ground.

According to Kansai Scene magazine, "The chronicle about the origin of this district says that in AD 966 the Buddhist priest Shoku received spiritual enlightenment from Monju, the God of Wisdom and Intellect. The God also advised Shoku that anyone who climbed Shosha-san would be purified both physically and spiritually. Following this belief Shoshasan became popular and principal Buddhist priests visited in order to be advised by Shoku. Even until today Shosha-san and its major temple Maniden are visited by many pilgrims throughout the year."

The area was beautiful, with moutain paths and walking trails through stunning clearings. From one shady spot, where a set of picnic tables are provided as well as benches for enjoying the sight and a quick snack. You can even take a ropeway up the mountain, which is especially nice after a long lost bike ride there. From Himeji station there are buses that leave for Mt. Shosha pretty regurlarly.

While Shosha-san might be a famous spot for pilgrimages and studying Buddhism, recently it is more famous for being the first place that Ken Wantanabe and Tom Cruise talked in the 2003 blockbuster The Last Samurai. Many of my students have noted this movie as being their favorite film, while others kind of shrug it off.

Plastic Food

Students often ask me how I can order in Japan. While I can speak and understand a decent amount of food words in Japanese, reading it is near impossible for me. There are just too many Kanji (Chinese characters). But reading a menu in Japan is actually incredibly easy. The reason? Incredibly detailed photographs, and when these are not available, there is a good chance you can find some plastic food models along the outside window of the restaurant.

The creation of plastic food is an art in Japan. In fact, I've heard many art majors from universities will work painting or sculpting the plastic food models as a day job. It's an intricate process beginning with the restaurant providing the factory a real sample from which a cast can be made. Cutting, texturing, painting, and airbrushing help give the food a more authentic look. In Japan, having delicious looking plastic food can really make the difference. There have been many times I've stopped into a restaurant, because the plastic food was too delicious looking to pass up. Likewise, I have skipped over restaurants when hungry because the plastic food was old, the colors not vibrant, and the fake sashimi slices looked dusty. Who can eat dusty sushi?

Life's Simple Pleasures

When I first arrived in Japan every spare moment I had I felt that I needed to be traveling, or planning out new places to travel to. I succeeded in having traveled to Hiroshima, Kyoto, Tokyo, Okinawa, Nagano, Nara and many more uncommon but just as great cities and prefectures. Currently, I feel that I have seen a good amount of Japan, so my desire to travel isn't as incessant as it was when I first arrived. Don't get me wrong, I still love traveling and plan on seeing more before leaving, but for now I'm content with simpler ways to spend a day or two.

For example, last week my roommate and fellow blogger Emily, and I went on a hike. We hopped onto a local train, and after 10 minutes had reached our destination. After leaving the train station, we walked for 10 minutes to the start of our hiking course.

Our hike was amazingly beautiful, exerting, and occurred in gorgeous weather, everything you could possibly want in a hike. The hike lasted about 6 hours as Emily and I trudged North along the mountain ridges. We scaled rocks and pushed aside tree branches before descending upon a lovely shrine, where we stopped and read and had a snack before turning back.

All in all we had a great day. Our hike wasn't as exciting as a seeing the Golden Pavilion for the first time, or a Tigers game in Koshien Stadium, but it was equally as good in it's own simple way.

Eye Patches and Injuries

Throughout the months of winter when colds strike leaving people with running noses, many Japanese people resort to wearing masks. In a culture where blowing one's nose is not acceptable behavior, I believe the mask functions to hide one's nose just in case. Despite the prevalence of tissues that are handed out on every major street corner advertising everything from English schools to hostess bars, these tissues are used for dabbing one's nose with or for blowing it in the privacy of the bathroom.

Masks, however, serve an even more vital purpose once spring rolls around. They protect people from painful hay fever allergies. Although not everyone will wear a mask, it is not uncommon to see four or five individuals defending themselves against allergies on one train car. I once saw a young man wearing both a mask and giant headphones which made him look a bit like a spaceman.

In pharmacies, you will not only find hay fever masks, but as I discovered today, all manner of bandages. Last Saturday I got something in my eye, so today I attempted to see the doctor, but after waiting 45 minutes during the lunch break, I spoke to the secretaries only to learn that the clinic only deals with noses, throats, and head problems. Dispiritedly I left, but stopped at the drug store on my way home where I was able to find a giant bottle of eye wash and yes, indeed an eye patch. I'm not sure if I have to guts to wear it out on the street, but if I must, I will feel like I am in one country that will not judge me for it.

Baseball in Japan

On May 31st, I went to see a baseball game in Koshien Stadium, Lions versus the Tigers. The Tigers are the home team of the area I live in, which is the Kansai area. The Tigers won, and were in the lead throughout the game, so the atmosphere in the stadium was vibrant and carefree. Aside from the great vibes shooting through Koshien, it was interesting watching the differences between a Japanese baseball game and an American baseball game, and there are too many to list here so I'll go over some of the major ones. First off Japanese baseball has cheerleaders, although they reminded me more of dancers. They come out sometimes between innings in white outfits, do a quick cheer, then sprint off the field. At certain points during the game, a white golf-cartesque vehicle will dart out onto the field, drive around for a few minutes, then drive off. I'm not exactly sure of the reason why, but in the land of Hello Kitty and Pokemon, I don't think there needs to be a reason for cute and entertaining. Then there is the matter of cheering. Random cheering is highly frowned upon, as I learned from the looks I received when a friend and I screamed at the top of our lungs, WE LOVE YOU ANDY. Sidenote: Andy is an American player on the Tigers. There is a man whose job it is to lead the cheers, and only when he leads the cheer can you cheer, and when he motions to stop, you must stop. This man stands in the front row, facing the audience, directly across the length of the field from the batter. He wears enormous white gloves that come up to his elbows. When he leads a cheer/chant everyone in his section will follow along, until the cheer makes its way around the stadium. When he crosses his arms into an X, everyone must stop. I've heard that it's difficult for the audience sitting in the section where the man in white gloves stands to pay attention to the game because they have to be watching him, waiting for their cue to chant. My favorite experience with Japanese baseball came in the 7Th inning. At one point pretty much the whole audience blows up balloons in neon yellow, pink, purple, blue and green. Then, before the Tigers go up to bat, everyone releases the balloons into the air. It's really cool to see hundreds of neon balloons simultaneously being released into the black sky!! I love Japanese baseball and can't wait to see the Tigers win yet again!!