JAPONESQUE
text and photos by Roger Agustin

From Re-birth to Growth

Japonesque is ‘back’.  After spending almost 3 years in the tropical Singapore, I am finally back to Tokyo, which has been my home for so many years. You may call it homesickness, but I really missed Japan and its seasons (not that I didn’t like the monotonous hot and sometimes rainy seasons of the tropics). And my so-called ‘homecoming’ was realized in spring so it was more than memorable for me to see Tokyo gleaming white as the sakuras displayed their best blossoms of the year, as if they were welcoming me back home (forgive me for my over-imagination!). But as always, spring felt to be very short and all of a sudden, the snow-like white blossoms were taken away by the wind, the next day they were gone.

If spring is the symbol of re-birth, then I asked myself, what comes next? So I looked around again, the white blossoms are gone but I see lush greenery around, not as bright as the white blossoms but so fresh to the eyes. And then I started to question why is the month of May associated with the melancholic season and the so-called ‘Go-Gatsu-Byo (May Sickness)’. They say that the idea of May Sickness is that all the enthusiasm and excitement from April gets drained out from everybody and that happens in May, just after the Golden Week. I suggest we look at it from a more positive point of view now. Instead of seeing it as a month of sickness, it must be seen as a month of growth, where every tree comes fresh with new green leaves and so must we to come out fresher and not drained out. The month of June comes with the rain, showers of blessings as they say, and I believe they come to sustain the growth and get everything ready to bear fruit by the summer.

Before, I used to read a lot of books hoping to find some answers. Nowadays, I look around and see how nature copes with changes. I usually find the answers, better answers than the books. The nature and its seasons teach us very simple lessons of life. I am still learning from them.

Like a broken record, I still encourage you to go out and see nature around us when you have the chance, rain or shine you will always find something interesting and worthwhile.

Enjoy the rest of the season and see you all in summer!

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Hello Haru!

The daily news continue to fill our eyes with facts and talks of the ever worsening global economic downturn, daily conversations in and out of the workplace fill the air with talks of recession, fears of retrenchment, growing unemployment, cost-cutting measures, and whatever that is negative than can make us gloomier. I am almost to the point of getting tired of hearing such things and starting to let them all pass through. After all, global economic situation is not within my span of control anyway, only I can control how I react to the situation. My professor in business school once told my class, those who lose in the great tides of business climate changes blame the situation, those who emerge and win are those who were able to adapt to the changes and make use of the situation even to their advantage. From Japonesque point of view, this is correct. Just before the economic downfall came into our attention, we were all talking about global climate changes, global warming, saving earth, etc. I am not really the serious eco-conscious type of a person, but my photographic work concentrates mostly on the nature around us, big and small, with the hope that someday the images can raise even a small amount of consciousness to appreciate and preserve our natural environment, which I believe is an important factor to our own preservation as part of the ecosystem. And even reflecting back on the economic woes that we face on a global scale, there must be something we can learn from how nature learns to battle the tides of changes in its environment. For many years, we have all been worried about shifting climates caused by global warming and causing massive destruction to different ecosystems. But from my own personal observations and on a limited scope, I have seen how nature has learned to adapt to these drastic changes brought about by excessive human activities. Just in time for Japonesque's Spring issue, one example that has always struck me is the famous cherry blossoms of Jindai in Yamanashi Prefecture. Called the Yamataka Jindai-Zakura, it is known to be as old as 1800 to 2000 years old. For four consecutive years that I have seen it, it just followed its own blooming cycle so that it produced beautiful blooms on almost the same day every year. With all due respect to the old tree, it is really an ugly beastly shaped tree, but when in full bloom, it is still hard for me to imagine in human terms how a 2000-year old creature can produce such delicate beauty. I recommend it's a must see in spring. I have also read that from a biological standpoint, the short blooming period of Japanese sakura trees is closely related to its ecology. In the spring, these trees have to drop their flowers in a hurry to reduce the strong wind pressure against their branches. As we all know, it is during the peak blooming season in April when the strong winds called Haru-Ichiban come to Japan. The transcience nature of the sakura bloomings can be derived from the tree's self-defensive adaptation to the harsh spring weather. Well, I don't quite fully understand how I would apply this so-called adaptation techniques of the sakura to the harsh economic weather we face at the moment. I guess the sakura is smart enough to shed its beauty at its peak rather than break its branches from the strong winds. I wish the old sakura could speak and share more of its wisdom.
My wishes for an enlightening spring!

Winter Wonderland!

Japonesque wishes you all another happy and prosperous new year!

Writing about winter has always been a challenge for me. In spite of claiming to be an "outdoor" person, my activities are very limited in winter. Winter is not as exciting as it was when I saw the falling snow for the first time. Maybe I'm getting old, I just want winter to come and pass by while I sleep and the next day I wake up it's already spring (it makes me sound like winter is the most boring season, huh). Now I seem to understand why some animals hibernate and wonder why we can't do the same. Or it's just that I have yet to find a way to better enjoy the cold months of this season.

When I try to reminisce with memories of winter, some memorable events come to my mind which you may find amusing but was more of a life-and-death experience for me. One of my popular winter accident stories was walking into thin ice over a frozen waterfalls and that unforgettable moment when the ice broke upon my next step. In an instant, there I was sunken above my waist and trying to cling to the surrounding ice as the water flowing underneath tried to suck me in. There were only two things in my mind during those moments: First, "Where will I end up if the river underneath pulls me in?" And second, "My camera can't get wet no matter what..." My children tried to run towards me to pull me out and all I could tell them was, "Just get my camera, don't worry about me!" I'm still alive right now so I hope my children did not have any doubts on the choice I made (they think my camera is worth more than my life...). But a kind warning from me who's been there: Please do not ever attempt to walk on a frozen river or lake at all times unless it is really considered to be safe by authorities.

One of the scarier experiences of my winter adventures is when we climbed a zigzagged mountain pass nearby Mount Fuji in late winter. It snowed quite a lot a few days before so the road had snow on it. I was driving a 4WD with anti-skid brake system on it so I was confident I could make the climb. The climb was OK, but the drive downhill was a complete oversight. What I thought to be snow on the road on my way up was actually solid ice! There was a long stretch of steep slope on the way down and you could imagine what happens when a two-ton vehicle slides down as if my wheels are on skis! My brakes were just worthless, and worse, there was this "ojii-san" driver in a car who was driving up towards my sliding vehicle!! I could have hit his car and pushed him over the roadside cliff if he didn't hear my loud horn. I can't explain enough how frightening a drive it was and I almost swear I will not go back there in winter...but the pictures I took up there make me have second thoughts though.

A cold and icy winter can bring us fun, but please also do exercise care and put safety first!

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"I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house.
So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air.
- Nathaniel Hawthorne

By the time JP readers see this issue, it probably is the end of September and the long hot days of summer should have been gone. The days are cooler and bearable but makes you start thinking of taking out your jackets and cardigans from the closet.

Autumn is something you would not want to miss if you are in Japan. I missed those days when I used to live in a farmhouse and autumn is the time when we were busiest with harvesting different crops - rice, chestnuts, potatoes, eggplants and so on. The back-breaking farm work was well compensated with a good harvest rewarding the hard work done in the spring and summer seasons. It is the season for harvest and therefore it is also called a season of the palate (mikaku no aki, shokuyoku no aki). If you are subscribing to a daily newspaper, you will notice the thick advertisement inserts for different tours in autumn taking you to different places to view the foliage and savor the autumn special treats - mushrooms (matsutake), the salt broiled "sanma" fish, chestnuts, fruit picking (grapes, pears, apples, mikan). Just like in spring, early autumns also boasts of the multi-colored cosmos (they are also called "akizakura", the autumn cherry blossoms) blooms here and there. Tours are quite economical considering the nonstop increase in gas prices and besides you don't worry about the terrible traffic jams especially in the weekends. But I still prefer driving on my own so I have the freedom to stop anywhere and anytime. Autumn is the nicest season for me to drive Ð not hot nor cold, and the air seems to feel fresher. The only catch is I of course I have to plan my own "tour" schedule and make sure my family does not get bored with the tour's course of the day. Nowadays, we only pick our destination and don't plan much which adds more excitement to the trip because we discover more when we explore things unplanned. Sometimes we would get into a local store and ask where a nice local eatery would be or where would they go for a hot dip in the onsen, and they are always more than happy to tell us where the best places would be. You don't really have to drive to experience what I do. An hour ride on a train will probably get you out of the bustling city to a quiet countryside, and almost always there would be events going on around the local stations. This is what I like in Japan, they don't run out of things to do.

By the time you read this issue, the colors around you might have changed already and the fresh fragrance of kinmokusei is in the air. Just like what the poem said, don't waste your autumn days staying in the house, go out, feel autumn!

Sunset in the Land of the Rising Sun

"When I admire the wonder of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in worship of the Creator."
- Mahatma Gandhi

Sunset - 1986
What actually got me serious into landscape photography was the sunset I saw from the back of my school dormitory about twenty summers ago, here in Japan. Looking back, it wasn't really a spectacular sunset, more of the ordinary, just a bright yellow round sun setting down behind a curved old pine tree (see picture). I still remember how I use to marvel at sunsets back home during my childhood days when I would watch patches of clouds beaming with red, orange, and golden hues over wide blue skies. In those days and maybe even now, I was wondering if I was the only one awestruck by it, as it seemed to be just another day for everyone else. And maybe yes, it's just another ordinary day and beautiful sunsets were a part of it. Even today, when I stand by the rice fields near our house in Cavite, to watch and photograph the sunset, passersby would look at me as if I have never seen a sunset before! They would probably never understand my level of appreciation of the beauty in front of me. They see it everyday, I don't. And maybe yes, it's just another ordinary day, for them but not for me.

Nowadays, I would bet most of you (including me) get a rare chance to even see the sun setting over the horizon, or at least even from your own veranda or from the window of your own office. We have become so busy all day working in closed walled offices that the only sign telling us it's the end of the day is the darkness outside... Today, to see the sunset for me is a luxury. My office doesn't have windows, so in order for me to see the sunset, I need to plan an "escape" from my office "cell", walking past cubicles as if I am going to a meeting or making a short trip to the restroom. As strange as it may sound, it is true. But the reward of seeing a beautiful one, more than exceeds the thrill of the "escape"!

Parades of Shrines and Floats

The month of May reminds me of fiestas back home. It's kind of similar here in Japan although they have more things to celebrate, not limited to just religious deities but also every seasonal or historical events they can come up with. Back home, it's a real feast and you get to 'feast' on lavish entertainment of good food. While here, you feast on 'yakisoba' and 'takoyaki' you buy from the street stalls!

An important element of Japanese festivals is the processions, where the local shrine's 'kami' (Shinto deity) is carried around the town in 'mikoshi' (portable shrines). It is the only time of the year when the deity leaves the shrine to be carried around the town. It actually reminds me of the traditional 'karakol' parade I saw every fiesta in my hometown. Don't you think so?

One of the most popular festivals in May and visited by millions is the Sanja Festival at the Asakusa Shrine, one of the three great Shinto festivals in Tokyo. The festival is dedicated to the three men who founded and established the Senso-ji temple. The three-day festival is famous for its parade of the mikoshis along 44 blocks of residential areas and is considered to be the wildest among the three festivals, given the way the mikoshis are shaken and bounced in a rather more than enthusiastic manner (when I saw it I thought it was close to violence). Well, there's more to see than just the mikoshis, along with them come participants in lavish costumes, heron-hooded dancers, geishas, and even the tattooed guys! If you are brave enough to mix with the rest of the dancers and the tourists, I'm sure you'll get charged up with the intensity of the energy in the air.

Other festivals also feature decorated floats, which are pulled through the town, accompanied by drums, bells and flute music by the people sitting on the floats. During the Golden Week, the Ome Grand Festival in west Tokyo is also celebrated along the old roads of the city. The festival dates back to about 400 years and shows off large floats on wheels with a small stage at the rear. On the stage are musicians playing the bamboo flute, bells and the drum while another one dances. There is a competition between groups of floats to maintain their own rhythm. If one of the groups misses the beat, then they have lost the match. Not quite comparable with Asakusa, but the huge floats competing almost colliding with each other is quite an impressive site to see! With three dozen floats, doing all these matches and watching them as well takes up a good part of the day. It's well worth the day though (but by the time you read this, it's already over so look forward for the next one next year!)

The picture onset shows the Shiofune Kannon, an old historic temple also in Ome City. During the Golden week holidays, it is visited by many for the Tsutsuji Matsuri where around 20,000 azaleas come to full bloom covering the face of the hillsides around the temple, offering a colorful mix of red, pink, white and
violet azaleas. On the 3rd of May every year, Buddhist priests of this temple perform the fire walking ceremonies. It would be an experience to see this ritual, and get a chance, too, to walk on it as spectators are also invited to walk through the fire for cleansing (of course they make sure to clear the ground for walking though), but with a fee (they call it donation). But you have to think twice having to stand among thousands of spectators and under the searing heat of the afternoon sun. And besides, the ritual involves a priest shooting arrows in all directions, which makes the crowd nervous although I've never seen anybody yet being hit. Even if you don't walk on fire, it is still worth it to walk across the myriad azaleas, walk to the top, sit on the bench and get a macro view of what's below.

The Golden Week and festivals may be more tiring than relaxing, but I guess they were made to re-charge us and relieve us of the stresses of April. It will be more relaxing after the Golden Week as you see the trees around you getting covered with fresh green leaves, slowly preparing you for a hot summer. So, relax until then and see you in
summer!

March-April 2008


Japan Spring – It’s All about The Blossoms
It’s springtime again, what a wonderful thing! Though I have small hopes that the cold and snowy days of winter are over in a few days, I have high hopes we will see a beautiful spring. I have always believed that after a hot summer comes a colorful autumn. So I thought, if the winter is cold, the coming spring will be as bright and colorful as well. I only count on my experience, but it holds true most of the time.

What was supposed to be the start of spring in the first week of February (according to the Lunar calendar) this year turned out to be a cold and snowy winter. I remember the heavy snow in Tokyo a few weeks ago gave me some thoughts of a far spring. Nevertheless, I thought it was a long awaited winter since we have been having some warm winters for a couple of years now (we all blame this on eon global warming…). And though the early spring winds brought the bitter cold front into the mainland, it was indeed a sign that spring will be here very soon.

So, while the trees around you still look like lifeless, they are all waiting for the coming of spring, including myself. From afar, they look sad and naked. But looking closely, the branches are almost full of tiny buds just waiting for the cold days to end and soon they will burst into fresh colors and spread their scents. I don’t really have an exact way of saying when they bloom, but as a rule of thumb, once the temperature reaches a level where you don’t have to wear a jacket, that’s when they start to bloom.

And while spring is about a season for a new beginning, renewal or rebirth. Spring in Japan is always about the ‘Sakura’. For years I have searched for other some other meanings of spring in Japan and it always goes back to the magical ‘Sakura’. It has become an institution itself and is synonymous with the new beginning in the modern Japanese psyche. As soon as the Weather Bureau and the newspapers start to announce the daily Sakura blooming forecast by showing contour lines drawn across the country map (known as the ‘Sakura Zensen’ or Cherry Blossoms Front) indicating where and when they will bloom, the whole nation seems to fall into a trance celebrating the blooming season with Hanami and Sakura Festivals. It is indeed what spring in Japan is all about!

As a friendly advice, when the small buds of the lifeless-like trees start to swell and show some colors, waste no time! The blooming season usually lasts for about 2 weeks the most (it depends on where you are though). That doesn’t even consider other worse-case factors such as winds, rain, and erratic weather behaviors, which makes the duration shorter. For a Sakura-fanatic (call it crazy whatever) like me, I actually look at the ‘odd’ contour lines of the Sakura forecast and ‘chase’ them so I can always view the stunning blossoms for a longer time. The Internet seems to have a better and very accurate way of conveying the information by showing live webcams of popular sakura-viewing spots! Well, you don’t have to go that far, cherry blossoms are everywhere, all you need to do is just take some time off, bring your mats, bring your ‘sake’, join the crowd, celebrate!

May you all enjoy the blessings of Spring!

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January-February 2008

Shinnen omedetou gozaimasu. Kotoshi mo yoroshiku o-negai shimasu!
Japonesque wishes you all another happy and prosperous new year!

I was wondering if I have to write about the New Year or about winter in this issue so it took me some time to come up with something. But then it occurred to me that if you are in Japan, you can experience two kinds of new years.

In the solar calendar (Gregorian calendar is one of them), the start of the year does not coincide with any natural change. This is what the whole world typically uses to celebrate the 'official' New Year on January 1. But in the old lunar calendar (such as the Chinese calendar), it marks the beginning of spring in Japan. It is typically called "risshun" in the Japanese calendar which was the traditional New Year's day and falls on the 4th of February. So have you ever wondered why most of the New Year postcards "nengajou" would have greetings like 'geishun': to welcome spring or  'shoshun': early spring? And due its Chinese origin, they also still follow the Chinese zodiac signs, like for 2008, it is the year of the Rat.

From Japonesque's point of view, I would pick the latter as natural New Year because it better represents the time when nature began to show signs of rebirth, a well marked transition from the dead of winter to life in spring. So even if February could be the coldest month of the year, it is still the month when snow starts to melt and flowers like plum, 'Robai' and 'Fukujusou' among many other start to bloom. It makes me come to a conclusion now that winter in most parts of Japan is very short after all. The 'next' New Year is just a month away. Enjoy the cold and see you all again in Spring!

Again, my best wishes for the New Year!

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November-December 2007

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf's a flower." -Albert Camus

I just realized I’ve been writing for Jeepney Press for more than 2 years now and this is my 3rd autumn issue. This is by far my longest stint for a publication. Actually, I had no idea at first that Japonesque would be a regular section in JP as the first article was actually a ‘one-time’ favor to a good friend. I thought I was only asked to submit a photo of Japan, but then I was also asked to write up something about the picture. Thereafter, I would go through a bi-monthly cycle of panic-writing just before the deadline (just like now)! I wish I could just say, “If a picture paints a thousand words, then why do I have to write about it?” Please forgive the lame excuse of a ‘writer’ in panic! Nevertheless, JP is very generous to give me the freedom to write whatever I wanted for Japonesque. My original intent was to showcase my photography and share with readers at least different ideas of how to explore, appreciate and enjoy the seasonal changes in Japan that many would never experience back home in the Philippines or somewhere else. I also had another goal which is why I take pictures: to promote appreciation of the nature’s beauty around us and at the same time the awareness that its beauty will not be the same tomorrow, or next year, or ever. It is through photography that I get connected with the ecosystem that I shoot, and Japan is the place I found that has a lot to offer when it comes to nature. While Japan is known in the world as a highly modernized country, remember that less than 20% of the land area is habitable. And I believe it is for this reason the Japanese take pride in being in harmony with nature marked by each of the four seasons that are distinct. And so as I always suggest, when seasons change, get out of the ‘concrete jungle’, go to the ‘real world’, slow down, relax and unwind.

As this is a November-December issue, don’t think about winter yet. The month of November is particularly special for me because it is the time when most of areas in Japan put forth their display of vivid autumn colors. Although it is difficult to pass up the wonder of the cherry blossoms in spring, the autumn colors could be more spectacular with the leaves changing colors more slowly than the cherry blossoms would bloom in spring. Even the fallen leaves produce a colorful display on the ground although it gives a melancholic feel.

Even if you can’t get to the famous landscapes (like Kyoto), chances are that your own town will put on some sort of a colorful exhibition. As for me, I am taking a week off from work to do my own ‘leaf peeping’ (‘momijigari’ in short). No specific plans but I might just go out and drive until I see the colors. If you happen to see me, just give me a holler.

Enjoy the autumn season and see you all in winter!





Hot Springs and Forest Bathing
By the time this article is out, the Golden Week holidays are over and we are all back to work cramming up with what to do with a week’s worth of unread mails and leftover work (just like me!).

This is my second year of writing about Japan’s four seasons and I am running out of things to write. I guess I haven’t seen enough yet to write more! But with the limited time I have today, I still manage to see new places and sceneries – thanks to my navigation system that just stopped functioning so that now I have to go back to looking at maps again and once in a while stop to ask for directions. In the end it brings more fun as I discover more places not even on my trip schedule, or sometimes not even in the map!

One part of my driving trips that is becoming regular is to find a local ‘onsen’ they call ‘hitou’ (secluded hot spring spots). You can actually find springs that are run by local towns and they typically charge from 300-600yen range. Just last month, on our way back from hanami, we found a really small ‘onsen’ that does not even have a ‘roten-buro’ but has a nice view of Mount Fuji and the Alps on a clear day. Half disappointed that the place was too small, and further disappointment came when the water was not hot enough for me. But as I soaked myself in the tiny pool, and reading through the usual explanation about the qualities of the spring water posted on the wall, I noticed that my body was covered with many tiny bubbles and the ‘lukewarm’ water got me warmed up sooner than I expected. We found out that this onsen is a rare one, it is a ‘kakenagashi-yu’ meaning the water comes directly from the natural source and is not circulated (just like many onsen resorts). And besides, the water is emerald green in color and is carbonated (tansan-kei) – the largest of its kind in Japan, the reason why many tiny bubbles accumulate on your skin. They also have a faucet somewhere near the pool with a sign that the spring water is good to drink. Why look for Evian, when you can have it free here! The name of the onsen is Asahi Onsen in Nirasaki, Yamanashi. It’s not easy to find although there are signs along the road.

Just last week, we visited the popular Nozawa Onsen in Nagano situated in the ski resorts. It is not a big resort but quite interesting as they have a free ‘ashi-yu’ or foot bath where you can soak your feet in a shallow but hot pool, quite relaxing after a walk around the resorts. There are several communal bathhouses within the village and some of them are housed like the one on the picture and they are not that big so only a few can get in at a time. The local stores even sell eggs that you can take with you and soak in the boiling spring source, wait for ten minutes, and you have the onsen-tamago (the store lends you a plate and a small bottle of salt too).

If you are not an onsen fanatic like me, the months of May and June are best for seeing the fresh green leaves or ‘shin-ryoku’ and I would recommend going to a hike through the forest known as forest bathing, a kind of therapy becoming popular nowadays as the air in the cities become more polluted. I actually went into a beech forest (of trees also called ‘buna’) in Niigata Prefecture just when the fresh leaves were springing out. And indeed, the air inside the forest seemed to be so pure it was a very refreshing experience. I heard that this refreshing fragrance of the woods is called ‘phytoncides’, substances emitted by most plants and trees to protect themselves from getting rotten or being eaten by some insects or animals. But for humans, they seem to have an invigorating and stress relieving effects. It worked for me. You might want to give it a try too. After a tiring Golden Week, it’s time to relax again and get ready for another summer!


March-April 2007 Issue

Sakura Fever

Haru ga kita! My most awaited season has come again – Spring! The season of renewal and fresh start.

Spring is a beautiful season, filled with the breath of life, when every living thing that went to a deep sleep in winter springs forth back to life again.

The springtime flowers bring a non-stop overwhelming display of brilliant colors and sweet fragrances that awaken our senses after a long cold and dull winter. The plum (ume) blossoms begin in mid-February, followed by the absolutely breathtaking cherry blossoms, and then a continuous overlapping of blooming periods for azaleas (tsutsuji), camellias, wisteria (fuji), peonies (botan), roses, tulips, pansies, irises (shobu), hydrangeas (ajisai), etc. that lasts well into mid-summer.

But for me, with utmost bias, my spring in Japan is devoted to only one thing – the SAKURA!

I like flowers in general, but nothing has fascinated me more than the ‘sakura.’ Never mind the historical aspects attached to it, forget about the short life it symbolizes, I look at it as a gift from nature, a short moment of joy that makes me want to see it again year after year.

I have never seen a nation like Japan that puts such a high reverence and respect to a flower like sakura. I feel the same way, too. Its simple beauty makes me forget the complexity of today’s modern life. Its short life makes me reflect on my own, how I make a difference in my own seasons. I don’t drink and party under its tree, but I treat it with respect and awe. I thank the creator who designed it, in spite of all the calamities it goes through because of human work. Do you see it the same way as I do? Yeah, it’s just a flower after all. It comes and goes. We all do. So we aren’t that different after all.

Here are my personal favorites for Sakura viewing spots:
1. Minobu-san (Minobu, Yamanashi Prefecture)
The weeping cherry (shidare-zakura) besides the Kuon-ji temple in Yamanashi, is a famous spot awaited by many people. As soon as it goes into full bloom, the place is filled by photographers and local tourists waiting from dawn to catch the once pale white petals shine from the rays of sunrise. The temple is also surrounded by other small temples on hills where thousands of sakura trees are planted and are a bonus for sakura lovers.
2. Yamataka Jindai-Sakura (Hokuto-shi, Yamanashi Prefecture)
Located near the Jisho-ji temple in Yamanashi, is considered the oldest sakura tree in Japan (about 1800 years old) is a well visited spot. It is just amazing to see the ‘beast-looking’ tree producing beauty throughout these years. The tree is well taken care of by the local folks.
3. Miharu (Fukushima Prefecture)
The town of Miharu boasts of many fine sakura trees. The Taki-Zakura, one of the three sakura trees in Japan is also located here. Viewing is typically in late April.

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November-December 2006 issue

Koro-gaki (Persimmons ready for drying)- Enzan, Yamanashi
(see photo above)

It was a big surprise to learn that Las Fotografias has moved to London. And I thought, I also need to make my own confession - Japonesque also moved! Yours truly also moved out of Japan to Singapore this summer. But the good thing is I still 'live' in Japan and comes back regularly to shoot pictures of Japan's seasons and I will continue to share them on Jeepney Press.

This year's autumn foliage in Japan had been particularly very colorful compared to last year and the preceding years as well. Because of my move, I was not able to see a lot of places, although I got to see some at Yamanashi (Kiyosato, Nishizawa) and Nagano (Yachiho Highlands). I hope you all enjoyed the autumn colors last month, and if not, it is not too late. Remember, the popular places even in Kyoto and areas around the metropolitan do not start to change until the middle of November. And just in case you are late, it is still nice to see the colored leaves that have fallen to the ground. I myself have not given up yet and still contemplating on going for another autumn trip end of November.

You must be already thinking of cold winter days and the White Christmas this time but I will leave that topic for somebody else to write.

Looking for something to see in November, last year I went with my family to Enzan (âñéR), a small town in Yamanashi prefecture, to see the "koro-gaki" preparations. They are the dried persimmons ('kaki' ä`) that is a known sweet snack in winter. Autumn is the season for this fruit and you will see them in supermarkets sold along with apples. But they ripe very quickly and that may be the reason why they are dried and preserved. Aside from grapes, persimmons are grown widely in this town and after harvesting them, the farmers peel the skin and weave them into straw braids and hang them around houses like curtains to dry in the winter. They should be sweet and ready in four to six weeks. You can walk around different farmhouses that are open for sightseeing to see how they prepare the koro-gaki. They are even kind enough to let you taste the newly dried ones and you can even buy them there (they are quite expensive when sold in stores). You can find the farmhouses around the Erin-ji (åbó—éõ), a fine temple which is a popular spot for travelers.
 

A farmhouse in Enzan, Yamanashi
(see photo below)

Nearby Enzan are also a couple of wineries and hot springs to visit so it's a popular spot for hiking and trekking in late autumn. I remember having lunch at a family owned restaurant that served "wain-gyu yakiniku" ('wine beef' as they say, maybe because mix the cattle feed with what was left of the grapes after pressing for juice) which was quite good. After walking around, try the local wineries which offers wine tasting and some of them would even offer you a guided tour to their cellars. You don't really have to buy their wines, but maybe after enjoying a couple of sips of different brands which you can really drink as much as you want, you might be obliged to! And lastly, to conclude the tour, enjoy the refreshing dip at the many onsen resorts nearby (the average entrance fee ranges from 500 to 700 yen). There are a lot of hot springs resorts in the Makioka and Fuefuki area. You can get there either by train (Chuo Honsen) or by car through the Chuo Expressway (getting off at Katsunuma interchange).

So, that's about it for this issue. My best wishes for all of you for the rest of the year! See you all in next year's issue.

September-October 2006 Issue
The warm days are over! Prepare for the cooler days and expect another colorful season to come soon.

September in Japan is like another post-spring season because schools start again after the long summer break. And for those who didn’t have a break, after the long stressful hot summer months, it is now time again to relax and slow down as Japan begins to cool off. This is the month when the days become shorter, as celebrated in the autumn equinox day (September 23rd). However, nature doesn’t start to show off its colors this time.

September is the season for harvest. This is the time to see the surroundings turning into golden yellow with the rice fields getting ready for harvest. It is the same season when sweet potatoes (satsuma-imo) are dug from the ground. The beautiful scenery of vast rice fields is slowly vanishing in Japan as farms are transformed into industrial and residential areas. And the sight of farmers planting and harvesting rice will definitely soon disappear as the ageing population of farmers will soon be replaced with farming robots (I saw one on TV the other day)!

My last ‘hanami’ for the year is also in September. Not known to many, a red flower called ‘higan-bana’ (red spider lily or cluster amaryllis) blooms right during the autumn O-higan (September 20-30). O-higan is the Buddhist term for the seven day period that coincides with the Spring and Autumn equinox. During O-higan, people travel home to visit their ancestors’ graves, and to go to temples. This is why this flower has deep religious undertones and is associated with the departed in people’s minds. In Chinese charac-ters, it is called "Manjyushage," but it is also said to have over 600 names including a flower for the dead, ghost flower, orphan flower, flower beyond the utmost heavens, etc. So knowing this fact, you don’t just pick this flower and give it to someone you know or even like! And besides, since the olden times Japanese children are taught not to pick them because of their ominous meaning. The truth is, the bulbs are poisonous and they were planted around places to keep down pests such as mice. Therefore they can be seen in the countryside lining the banks of rice fields, along rivers and around graveyards and temples.

Although not popularly viewed as the other flowers, a place called Kinchakuda (in Hidaka-shi, Saitama) is famous for viewing the gregarious-life of ‘higan-bana’. It is located near Koma station in Western Ikebukuro Line. A lot of people visit this place for the attractive natural beauty of the higan-bana blooming all over the ground looking like a red carpet spread between trees.  

And don’t forget that the ‘aki-sakura’ (autumn sakura or simply cosmos), blooms here and there some time in the later part of September.

And here comes October, where it starts really to get a little chilly in the morning. I sense the signs of autumn when I begin to smell the fragrant Kinmokusei flowers together with the cool breeze. A delicate fruity-floral apricot aroma permeates from the plant's small but exquisite gold-orange petals. They are quite difficult to notice, so for a long time, I never realized that this autumn scent came from the ‘kinmokusei’. I only knew that they would constantly bloom at the same time of the year, which for me marks the true beginning of autumn.

As I said before, Japan’s autumn is a long colorful season marked by clear blue skies and the mixed colors of foliage coming down gradually from the northern part in Hokkaido to the southern part in Kyushu. Actually, October would be the best season to see the autumn colors as most trees go into a beautiful transformation once the temperature goes down to an early winter-like chill (for your reference, it is about 10 degrees Celsius). I must have given you the best destinations to go and see the foliage, but for a quick recap, the most popular sites are in Nikko (around the lake Chuzenji and the several waterfalls nearby), Hakone (also around the lake), and the ever popular Kyoto. Rain or shine, the beauty of the foliage is the same, although I still prefer a cloudy or a rainy day for better contrast, and of course less people.

Autumn is something you would not want to miss in Japan. When you see some colors changing around you, take some time off either with friends or your family and enjoy the way how nature transforms itself into a full size kaleidoscope.




June-July 2006 Issue

Last year, I wrote about some summer festivals like the ‘hanabi’
fireworks. I have probably seen enough of them last year that I
want to cover different topics this year.

From my two decades of stay in Japan, I don’t remember anybody
telling me they like the hot and humid summer here. I think the
Japanese should be thankful because their summer is still mild compared
to some of the places I’ve been to so far – the almost ‘wet’
humid Singapore summer, the dry Death Valley in California,
and the really hot Flaming Mountains in Xinjiang, China. And contrary
to our perception of summer in the Philippines, Japan’s summer is
also marked by typhoons. It makes sense because most of the
typhoons passing through the Philippines during this period
eventually make their way to Japan. So as a friendly warning,
if you know there’s a typhoon coming, try to avoid sightseeing
in mountains, camping near rivers or going for a swim in a nearby
beach. Many accidents happen in these places during the typhoon
season.

And yes, Japan’s summer is indeed quite annoying. It starts with
a gradually increasing humidity and the piercing cry of the cicadas
(“semi”). But why complain when it only lasts for 2 months in a
year! Instead, enjoy the festivities that are celebrated all throughout
the country like the Fireworks festivals and the Bon-Odori (Bon
Festival Dance) that accompanies the Buddhist festival O-Bon in
honor of the spirits of the dead who return to their families.
The dances were originally held to console the departing spirits,
but nowadays the original religious meaning has faded and simply
enjoyed as entertainment. Local communities hold the Bon-Odori in
open public spaces where a platform (yagura) is built in the center
and people dance around it. You don’t have to be a Buddhist to join,
wear a ‘yukata’ and join the crowd dancing to the rhythm of
Japanese traditional music.

Climbing Mount Fuji (or Fuji-san) is a popular summertime activity.
The short climbing season runs throughout the months of July and
August, so tens of thousands of climbers crowd the slopes each day,
with hopes of reaching the summit, most of them to get to the top
to see the spectacular sunrise (if the skies are clear enough!)
Modern climbers usually drive to the fifth station (by bus, taxi, or
your own car) and begin the climb from there; but, even from
this point, the summit is a good five hours of steady climb. Not
everyone makes it because of altitude sickness, so if you are
planning to climb, better get ready. But don’t ask me more about
the climb. I’ve never climbed Mt. Fuji (though I used to test drive
cars to and from the fifth station), maybe I won’t for a long time.
I love to watch it from afar, from a pure all white in winter to a
faint shadow in summer. Besides, I would not want to see the litter
around it (thrown away by climbers), the reason why it can’t make
it to the list of World Natural Heritage sites by UNESCO!

There are a lot of other things to do in summer than just going to a
beer pub and blast away the heat with that amber liquid in a frozen
mug (yes, they do serve the beers in frozen mugs!).

If you want to stay home cool, turn on your TV and watch the
popular “Koukou-Yakyuu” or the All-Japan High School
Baseball Championship Tournament (officially Zenkoku Koukou
Yakyuu Senshuken Taikai). The games are broadcasted nationwide.
Most of the pro baseball players including the Japanese major
leaguers made their way from these tournaments.

One of my personal favorites is to go on a retreat to one of the
rivers in the Okutama area where I would walk along the small
streams that flow out of the small waterfalls. It is hard to imagine
that while the temperature outside is around 35 degrees, it is very
cool in this area like 24 degrees and with all the ‘minus ions’ coming
from the falls, makes you feel relaxed as well.

My own ‘hanami’ still continues in summer. One particular flower
that is worth seeing in summer is the Lotus (see picture above left).
You will see them not only in temples but also in vast lotus farms
where they are cultivated for their roots, known as the “renkon”.
One place I visit is the “Kodai Hasu no Sato” (Ancient Lotus Country)
in Gyoda-shi, Saitama where about ten thousand lotus of different
kinds bloom in July. And don’t forget the ‘Himawari’ (Sunflower -
see picture below) which is just right for the season. Many Japanese
visit the Furano area in Hokkaido, famous for the fragrant lavender
farms (Tomita Farms is the place to go). I went to the visit lavender
parks around the Kawaguchi Lake in Yamanashi which was quite
good especially the ones with Mt. Fuji on the background.


“Budou-gari” or grape-picking is also very popular in summer where
grape growers open their vineyards to the public, and for a fee,
visitors can pick grapes from the vines and virtually eat as much
as they can. Most of the popular spots are in the grape growing
and wine regions of Yamanashi (Kofu, Katsunuma). In the late
summer, Ichinomiya in Yamanashi is also a very popular spot
for “Momo-Gari” or peach-picking.

And if you can’t beat the heat and is experiencing the ‘Natsu-bate’
(summer fatigue from heat exhaustion), try the popular stamina
dish of “Unagi no Kabayaki”, broiled eels dipped in sweet sauce
and placed over hot rice. Eating broiled eel in the summer, particularly
on "Doyo Ushi no Hi" - a day determined by the ancient calendar
that traditionally was considered the hottest of the season — has long
been seen by Japanese as an effective way to beat the heat. But in
the summertime, cold dishes are still the most popular. “Hiyashi
Chuuka” (literally Cold Chinese) is the cold version of ramen
noodles. “Somen” (think of it as very thin udon noodles), udon and
soba are also served cold and dipped in soy-sauce based soup
(men-tsuyu). And if you really want a cold one, try the popular
“Kaki-Goori” (shaved ice with sweet syrup). Although newer
versions come in green tea flavors with azuki (sweet red bean)
toppings and some are even mixed with condensed sweetened
milk, it is still no match to our own Halo-Halo! And for your
information, Halo-Halo is already a known name in summer here
in Japan, popularized by Mini Stop convenience store. Even if,
don’t expect too much, the Japanese Halo-Halo is only a mixed
version of their own kaki-goori!

Japan’s summer is hot, hazy, humid, and uncomfortable. However,
it is a special season in Japan filled with different sorts of festivals
and activities (I guess intended to make you busy and forget the heat).
It’s not worth to stay in a cool room, go out, enjoy the heat and have
fun!

May-June 2006 Issue
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Japan’s Spring: Of Flowers and Pollens

My most awaited season has come – Spring. It brings me both joy and melancholy at the same time. Joy because the cold winter is over, and melancholy because I have ‘kafunsho’ or that dreaded allergy from pollens (or just plain hay fever). While it is the time to breathe the fresh air of the season, I and my ‘kafunsho’ amigos are going to wear masks and will be sneezing and blowing our noses until summer!

The word spring itself tells a lot of things. It is the time when life springs back from a long sleep in the winter. And here in Japan, spring is also marked by strong winds called the ‘Haru-Ichiban’ or the first winds of spring. But the blooming of the cherry blossoms is the most important and the most widely celebrated event in spring.

And for me, spring is reserved only for one thing – the “Sakura” or the Cherry Blossoms. It is hard to explain my love for this flower. I am just fascinated by its beauty in an unadorned simplicity. Maybe I’m turning more Japanese these days or I am just looking for a good substitute to our own “Sampa-guita”. While I write this piece, my mind is already in a ‘planning mode’ of searching through my library, scouring through travel books and scheduling my so-called ‘sakura pilgrimage’. Once I get news that the cherry blossoms start to bloom, nobody stops me from seeing these lovely blossoms because I know that once they go to full bloom, they next day they start falling away blown by the gusty spring winds. It is symbolic of a short-lived beauty.

Sakura – The Other Side of It
It is quite well known that Sakura is the ‘unofficial’ national flower of Japan and is represented on all form of consumer goods, including kimono, stationery, and even tea cups, and dishware. It is an enduring metaphor for the short-lived nature of life, beauty, and happiness itself, and as such is frequently depicted in art and even lately in a number of pop songs. It is also associated with both the feudal samurai and kamikaze pilots as one of its historic dark side. During WWII, the ‘Sakura’ served as a motivating symbol for the Japanese people. Japanese pilots would paint them on the sides of their planes before embarking on a suicide mission. From the way the Sakura quickly and gracefully fall, they were used by the old military government to glorify the death of the suicide units. To samurai in the ancient times or soldiers during World Wars there was no greater glory than dying on the battlefield like scattered cherry blossoms (sounds like the last phrase of our own national anthem, don’t you think so?). The government even encouraged the people to believe that the souls of downed warriors were reincarnated in the blossoms (the famous Yasukuni Shrine is also a popular sakura viewing spot). But on the other side of it, the cherry trees have also been offered by Japan as a symbol of peace to other countries of the world. In fact, in 1912 the city of Tokyo presented about 3,000 sakura trees to Washington, DC as a gift that a National Cherry Blossom Festival is celebrated here every year. Hey, that’s one piece of historical fact from Japonesque, huh? Anyway, I am not one of the pilots but I do decorate my PC and mobile with sakura blossom stickers!

Where to Go?
When it comes to ‘sakura’, I don’t really have to tell you where to go because they are just everywhere. But if you want to see some special or historical sites, then I’m at your service. The sakura blooms at different times throughout Japan starting from late March in the south to late April in the northern part so you have to watch the “sakura zensen” (cherry blossom front) during the daily weather forecast to know where the blossoms are at peak. The best place to start is an ordinary park near you or even small temples or shrines will definitely have beautiful blossoms to show. Most schools and public buildings are surrounded by sakura so I typically take a stroll around school grounds with my kids on ordinary days. Some of the famous places are in most historical sites like the Imperial Castle and Ueno Park in Tokyo, Mt. Yoshino in Nara Prefecture, Maruyama Park (have you seen the TV commercial lately?) and almost all of Kyoto, and Hirosaki in Aomori Prefecture. I don’t have a specific preference because I would rather go and see an unknown sakura rather than mingle with the crowd who are mostly interested in drinking sake and singing karaoke under the cherry trees rather than appreciating its beauty. But if you really like the crowd and the festive atmosphere, just go to parks like Shinjuku Gyoen, Sumida Park, or Inokashira Park. And go out especially in the night because many popular sakura trees are lit up in the evening (called Yozakura) during the “hanami” or sakura-viewing festivals. While the sight of hundreds or thousands of sakura trees in full bloom altogether is a wonderful experience, around Japan there are also many beautiful solitary spots well worth visiting. For the old ‘traditional’ ones, I would recommend some ‘sakura’ trees in the Yamanashi and Nagano prefectures. The Jindai-Zakura in the Yamanashi-Nagano border is known to be the oldest sakura (said to be 1,800 to 2,000 years old) and one of the three most famous sakura trees in Japan (the other two being the Tatsu Sakura in Fukushima Prefecture and the Usuzumi-Sakura in Gifu Prefecture). The Jindai-Zakura tree itself shows its age but the branches spreading around it boasts an awesome beauty. Last year, I went to Nagano’s Iiyama area and found an elevated old sports ground that was surrounded by huge sakura trees covered with white blossoms. I was the only one there and it was all for me to enjoy! You can also visit the Oshino Village in Yamanashi where the blossoms blend with the snow-capped Mount Fuji (but beware, even in spring the village is freezing cold!). These places are a bit far, but it is well worth seeing.

How Many Are Kinds There?
Japan's most predominant and popular variety is the “Somei Yoshino”. This variety produces a profusion of nearly pure white single blossoms, tinged with the palest pink. In full bloom, it creates an effect of white clouds, and the flowers usually fall like snow within a week, before the leaves come out. Other varieties include yamazakura, yaezakura, and shidarezakura. Yamazakura (literally mountain cherry) produces white flowers and bloom with young leaves at the same time. Yaezakura have large flowers, thick with rich pink petals. My personal favorite among the sakura is what is called as the ‘shidarezakura’ or weeping cherry, that has branches that fall like those of a weeping willow, bearing cascades of pink flowers (but turn white before they fall). So you can now imagine a ‘sakura’ tree where branches are covered with blossoms from top to the ground. There are other hundreds of varieties but all of them are just as beautiful as the above.

“Hanami” has been a Japanese custom since the 7th century when the aristocrats enjoyed viewing the cherry blossoms and wrote poems. Here’s a famous 9th century poem from the Kokinshu by Ariwara no Narihira:

Yo no naka ni  Taete sakura no  nakariseba
Haru no kokoro wa  Nodoke karamashi

If there were no cherry blossoms in this world
How much more tranquil our hearts would be in spring.

The author does not mean he does not want the sakura in spring anymore so he can be at peace. Rather, the poem expresses the different emotions experienced by a person within a short period in spring, from the eager anticipation of when the flowers would bloom, to awesome excitement when in full bloom and to melancholy when the white petals begin to fall and scattered away by the wind. I feel exactly the same. And maybe you will to once you fall under its spell.

Spring is a season of flowers, and not of course all sakura. There are also other flowers that bloom together with sakura that they add more colors to the world around us. They are also celebrated as well with festivals attributed to their names: Nanohana Matsuri (the yellow rape blossoms, the Tsutsuji Matsuri (the red, white and pink azalea that lines up most of the roads), Tulip Festival (hundreds of thousand of them are planted and bloom in major national parks). You will also notice a lot of those white Magnolias (mokuren) blooming along roads.

So, go out there and take a stroll, breathe some fresh air (if you are not a ‘kafunsho’ victim!)  and enjoy the colors of Spring!

Dear Readers,
First of all, my best wishes for a happy and peaceful 2006.

I thought I was done with reporting Japan’s winter in the last issue only to realize this one is another winter edition! This thought woke me up from my ‘hibernation’ and got me into a panic to write another winter article. As I write this article, many parts of Japan is still plagued by the unusual heavy snow, but strange as it may sound, the snow has not reached the Kanto region yet! And to my surprise, even Mount Fuji did not have any snow on top when I went there last December! But from my 20 years of seeing winter here, the ‘Ooyuki’ or heavy snow typically comes to the Kanto area just right after the ‘o-shogatsu’, mid-February, and later in March. If my prediction goes wrong, blame it on global warming!

January and February here in Japan should be typically the coldest months of the year, but the thought of the coming spring makes it easier to bear with. But believe me, this year is different. The very unusual cycle of cold and warm fronts are creating problems here and there.

Frozen Rivers and Waterfalls
This year’s cold wave brought the unfortunate heavy snow that covered both the southern and northern parts of Japan. Although I have not seen any ‘real’ snow around me here in Tokyo other than the thin white frost I see around me early in the morning, the small river besides where I live had been frozen for weeks and I even saw some frozen waterfalls in regions just north of Tokyo that have been there since December! But beware! If you see a frozen river or pond near you, don’t think you can go for a skating practice! I have never seen a place in Japan where people or kids would go on skating on an icy river because it’s not that cold. Yours truly actually fell into this cold water of the frozen waterfalls I’ve gone to see when the ice below me broke as I walked on the supposed to be hard and icy surface. The picture you see on this issue is where it happened!

Winter Flowers
You all may be surprised to know that there are quite a number of plants and trees that do not ‘hibernate’ and produce flowers in the cold winter. While some rivers freeze and snow remains during these months, many trees and plants that have shed their leaves in autumn and took their sleep under the snow are already preparing for the coming of spring.

‘Sazanka’, or Camellia sasanqua flowers start to bloom in the late autumn and continue flowering through the coldest days of winter. They are the red or crimson flowers that are also very similar to the spring-blooming ‘tsubaki’, only that the sazanka petals fall one by one whereas the tsubaki suddenly drop their ‘heads’ complete to the ground. They are easily noticed as these bushes are planted here and there around houses and parks.

'Robai' also known as Winter Sweet is a yellow fragrant flower that blooms in winter. From its name in Chinese, it literally means ‘Wax Plum’ because of its shape as if it was molded in wax, and in fact it has a waxy feature that helps it survive the snow and the cold rain of winter. It may not be easily noticed but if you see a small tree with small yellow flowers without leaves, that would be it.

Another flower which comes out early is the ‘Fukujuso’, a yellow Adonis. It literally means Prosperity (fuku) and Longevity (ju). They are seen mostly in gardens or parks where they sprout and bloom out of the snow on the ground.

Plum Blossoms
Another flower symbolic of transition from winter to spring is the ‘ume’ or plum blossoms (also sometimes referred to as Japanese apricot). They bloom from late winter until the early spring just before the ‘sakura’ goes to full bloom. The plum blossoms do not match the beauty and elegance of the ‘sakura’ but they have a fragrant scent and ‘ume’ is used more than the sakura in the Manyoshu collection of poems. Just like the cherry blossoms they are also celebrated with events like ‘ume matsuri’ or Plum Festivals and what ‘hanami’ to sakura is called ‘kanbai’ for plums although the festival is celebrated more quietly than hanami. Plums blossoms are of many varieties and different colors (in white, red and pink) that makes it worth to see them in ‘ume matsuri’. Most of the garden and parks famous for sakura are also popular for plum blossoms. Among the plum gardens in Japan, the most popular is probably the Kairakuen Park in Mito city (Ibaraki Pref.) which is ranked as one of Japan’s three finest landscape gardens. The park features over 3000 trees and 100 varieties. My personal favorite is the Yoshino-Baigo area in Ome City of northwestern Tokyo (where I live). About 25,000 plum trees cover an area stretching four kilometers east to west in an area known for its production of plums since the Edo period. The Ume-no-Koen (or plum park) features plum blossoms of plum trees that are planted on the slopes of the hills that can be seen from the nearby station.
You don’t have to go to these crowded parks as you can see plums here and there even in small public parks and temples or shrines around the country.
[Tokyo Plum Blossoms – Ome City]
 

Winter Sakura
Not known to many, some varieties of sakura bloom very early in the winter season. The ‘Kanzakura’ blooms early in the winter and the Kawazu Sakura Festival (of Kawazu Town in Izu Peninsula) celebrates early cherry blossoms from February to early March.

It’s still winter, and it is cold, but it’s not all snow to see around. So as I have been always suggesting, go out and look around and you will appreciate more how nature and the living things transition themselves wonderfully in the different seasons.

November-December Issue 2005

Japan's AUTUMN: Nature's Artwork