Here Comes The Nighttime

I had a festival this weekend so we're delaying the licenses episode until next week. Sorry!

     I probably haven't mentioned it but I write articles periodically for my school's website - and town newsletter for that matter. They dubbed it "Joshua's Corner" and this week I wanted to share what I wrote. I'll also throw in some pictures!

Note: I write these in English and they're later translated into Japanese.

     The festival season is here! Summer festivals are one of the best - and most unique - parts of Japanese life. Every now and again this time of the year can become too hot to want to do much but it’s never so bad that I would skip out on these celebrations; they’re one of the things I look forward to the most here. These events touch upon so many of my senses that they’re instantly memorable no matter where I am. The cry of the cicada provides a wonderful soundtrack to accompany vendors selling their wares both of which become lost in the laughter and joy of children who run about. Seeing people walk among the crowds in their colorful Yukata creates a fantastic backdrop against the illuminated night. The smell of the foods lures one from stall to stall, filling up on delicious treats. Above all else, nothing beats watching fireworks at night with friends, when the sky comes alive. This is summer in Japan.

You want it, they'll fry it.

It's going to get a lot more crowded soon.

Me watching everyone watch the dance performances.

I think that lady is taking a picture of me.

Starting to pick up a little bit more now.

Nowhere other than a festival would I pay 500 yen for that.

Plenty Of Message

Niku Maki Cheese. Amazing.

Mitsuko's go to favorite: Bucket o' fried chicken.

Stacked and ready to serve.

Awaiting the next performance.

Seriously, this is the best food.

Starting to fill up now.

Not pictured: Anyone's face.

I think that lady in the middle looked at just the right time.

Waiting for fireworks off to the side.

Taiyaki after the fireworks were over.

Really wanted to try that lemonade, but we were out of money.

I really want a professional camera now.

 So that was it for the Hatano Matsuri. Still not sure if it was Hatano, or Hata No... Anyway, it was a good time and I was able to see a lot of my kids all throughout the day. A few of them even sat with us so we could watch the fireworks together. It was a great night, and not even that hot at all, which made it all the better. The humidity was also extremely tolerable, neither of us were muggy the entire night.

Next weekend there are more events but I do promise to get an episode of the podcast up by then. We'll talk about festivals most likely after licenses are done.

See you,

Joshua

Joshua In Japan Episode 2!

Okay okay, I realize that I'm a little bit behind on the posting. I haven't even written about Tokyo Orientation or even those first few nights in my own place yet! It probably seems like I'm jumping the gun. . . but I couldn't resist the opportunity to get the second episode of my show out there!

Here's some show notes for you:

We open at first by returning from a weekend in Kofu-cho where I was able to say hi to many of the people I met while I was volunteering. Now that I've become a "sensei" by way of the JET programme I was met with congratulatory remarks which I humbly cast aside. In all honesty I was just happy to be back in Japan, a place that had already made a huge impact on my life more than once.

I made sure to come back to Akasaki this past sunday though because I was told there would be a summer festival that included: food, song, dance, an eating contest, and of course fireworks.

In the video I called it the Hakuhou Matsuri, but that's a slight mistake. It's actually known as the Hakuhousai. It's the same kanji, but I got the reading wrong. I apologize for that.

In any case, a literal translation of the event boiled down to: The White Phoenix Festival. Which is absurdly cool.

I captured a few things here and there, but the highlight of the evening was certainly the fireworks display. I managed to record the entire thing! So sit back relax and enjoy the long overdue second episode of Joshua In Japan!

I'll also throw in some pictures of the food I ate as a bonus for you out there.

Steak Stick: I wanted another one so bad

Churro: That cost me 350 yen. It wasn't bad but I could've paid for another steak stick

Takoyaki: I love takoyaki. Mitsuko and I shared this one

Squid: I'm always up for fried squid. A guy I met at the town office worked a booth that sold this one

Melon Shaved Ice: With two pocky! This was a lot better than I thought it was going to be

  -J

4th of July Weekend

I think it prudent to open up this post by expressing my condolences to people who were injured or lost loved ones as a result of Flight 214's crash landing.

I cannot imagine at all what a horrifying and scary situation that must have been. I hope for a speedy recovery to all those affected by that incident.
 

Can you spot the beer can?

 So, in other news, I spent the 4th of July weekend at Dockweiler State Beach, which is a stone's throw from LAX. Honestly you can watch planes taking off all day long, which is one of the appealing parts I think. The recent incident notwithstanding I think flying is one of the most amazing experiences in the world. Every time one would take off, we would all stop and gaze as it was swallowed by the clouds, off to a new country.

Anyway, we got there on the night of the 4th. My extended family had already been set up for a day or two so we were able to squeeze in without much trouble. Nearly every space you can park and camp in is booked well in advance for the 4th of July weekend, and this year was no exception. As we arrived there was food on the grill, and a bonfire already glowing just few dozen yards past the campers.

Police patrolled the area and even though many of the beach's patrons were firing off the most illegal of fireworks nobody seemed to be arrested or even reprimanded for having lit them. I think it's one of those days that nobody in an official position would ever admit (but we all know too well ) is a day that the law looks the other way because let's be honest: they think the fireworks are cool too.

Or maybe they'd just be booking the entire beach if they did and that's way more work than letting people rattle off a few imported sky-dazzlers.

I cut together a video for your viewing pleasure featuring some highlights from that evening check it out here. I don't think youtube will allow me to embed it because I threw some music on top of it. But honestly, would you have preferred no music?



We had our own fireworks to play with that night and by the good grace of whoever brought them, I was able to use a roman candle for the first time. How have I never played with one of those before? Those will forever be a staple of my patriotic gunpowder-related endeavors for many years to come. After all the fireworks finished going off us younger people pulled out the game Gestures® and started playing that on the beach before eventually moving back to the campers where the food was, naturally.

When that was over and most everyone was nice and drunk due to shots being thrown out left and right, we returned to the beach and played midnight horseshoes. I got a ringer! Three points. Just about 1:30 in the morning the alcohol worked it's magic; those who drank started feeling sluggish to pre-hungover. And so it was bedtime!

These kids caught some tiny crabs in a bucket

The next day we had some chorizo and egg burritos, mixed with diced up bits of the sausage from the night prior - an excellent combination I might add. The next day was met with frisbee throwing, a tremendous horseshoes comeback (down 4-19 to later win it 21-20), tanning, burning, and for my baby nephew: fear of coming into any kind of contact with the sand.

Eventually Peter took him to the water

I'll remember it for the rest of my life. I picked up him and carried him to the sand, tried setting him down and his feet curled in as though I were slowly lowering him into a molten pit of death. I decided maybe it was a band-aid ripping scenario and he'd be fine once he was plopped down. So I did just that and immediately Rocco (22 months old) started scanning his surroundings, realized it was completely sand in all directions, and said in his mumbly baby way:

"Oh no, no, no, no….."

Crestfallen. Thank you Rocco. I would've felt bad if it wasn't so funny.

Later that night the whole family had a hell of a time playing charades. We wrote down movies mostly then broke off into teams. There were some hilarious moments especially when Peter had to act out "Sex and the City", as well as Jeffrey's "Dumb and Dumber". Our team lost but we did super well, and had some great moments, I thought. I have a question though, and I'll put it out there to the reader, do you think it's slightly cheating to deliberately ask questions to the actor who is performing? I think it ruins the game a bit. POINT IN QUESTION: Someone was acting out The Lorax, which I don't think any of us had seen, and even fewer read back in the day. Earlier their team happened to be the same one that had drawn Green Eggs and Ham, so the actor in question repeated some of the gestures for that one, and one of the guessers said, "Is it a Dr. Seuss Book?" Then immediately after the actor confirmed it with a head nod, the guesser blurted out, "THE LORAX!"

Now, I don't know 'bout you, but I think that defeats the fun of the game. Just a little bit.

We played well into the next day, and we all had a really great time. Everyone slept comfortably that night.

Took this after washing my hands

The next day we helped clean up and pack things up. Not much in happened in terms of activities, just packing and loading. After we finished up there, I said goodbye to my grandparents and drove back home with my mom and brother. We made it home a little exhausted, a little burnt, but fairly content with the weekend.




-J