Modern World

Early September
Settling in...


Me and a friend shopping for cell phone charms at "Kiddy Land." Unfortunate name, huh?

I'm doing a disservice in waiting so long to post a new entry. So much happens in an hour, a day, a week that by the time I write everything is so very generalized. In Japan, I've found, meaning comes to me through things minute--a man smoking heavily in the park, the florescent glow of a liquor storefront, the twelfth evening with rain in fourteen evenings-- so this broad approach to blogging may not work. In time I'll start posting shorter entries with greater frequency. I think that's the way to go.

We Built Another World
Himeji Castle



Himeji Castle was built in 1333 and even today may be one of the most striking military structures ever conceived. Four days ago one of my new friends grabbed me in the hallway to tell me he had just that day learned about the place and he was just that day going to visit. His hurried pace down the hallway and wave over the shoulder was enough to convince me--I ditched class that day and took a train to the Hyogo prefecture.




The general conceit of a castle is that there are so many walls--so many doors and halls and twisting corridors--that it takes well over and hour to travel the distance normally covered in a few minutes. Himeji, built on a hill, has "the keep" as its centerpiece. After walking through each rampart, up each flight of stairs, past every single wrought iron door, we found ourselves in the topmost floor of the keep. As tourists it took us well over an hour. It was hard not to imagine that as soldiers--bearing swords and armor, avoiding boiling water and flaming arrows, it would certainly have taken much longer. But I'm a nerdy guy and I imagine things like that...often. The reality is that Himeji was never successfully sieged. In fact I was told that after the Meiji period about a hundred men holed up inside the castle walls and no conceivable amount of force or energy could get them out. The Japanese Government, at a loss, eventually had to cut supply lines and just wait for concession on the part of the few resilient soldiers.

Great picture taken by Andrea. My camera broke so I borrow some of her pictures from time to time in the blog. Some are mine, some are hers. I honestly usually don't remember whose are whose.


Himeji, like so many other historic sites of Japan, surprised me. Once again, amidst miles and miles of malls and restaurants, this hulking ghost of Japanese past just looms. I'm not sure I could call it out of place. It fits surprisingly well, all things considered. But I can't help but be reminded of this perfect balance Japan is trying so desperately to strike between two contradictory forces: the first involves traditionalism, modesty, and nationalistic independence while the second concerns itself with Western modernity, industrialism, and adaptability. I'm not sure the balance is even possible. Jun'ichiro Tanizaki--the brilliant author of the words posted in the previous post--doesn't think so either. If you get a chance, try to check out his essay, In Praise of Shadows. It's about essential Japanese aesthetics and how they mesh, or don't, with Western technology. It's more interesting than I make it sound, I assure you.

On a lighter note, this little guy was chillin' outside Himeji castle:


That's right, it's a prairie dog in people clothes. I dunno if this is a Japanese thing or just the adorable pet of a crazy man. At this point neither would surprise me.

Eating, Drinking, Being Merry

The lure of the Izukaya--or traditional Japanese bar/restaurant--has yet to wane. I still find myself wandering to these places for dinner--sitting on tiny pillows and tatami, sometimes alone, conversing in terrible Japanese with the owner and customers. Here's a picture of the usual aftermath:


Besides that I've eaten sushi at the rotating-plate place a few times. Andrew, the dude in this picture, eats about twenty plates every time.



I bought a cell phone, I bought a bike, I bought my school books. Now that all the big spending is out of the way I'll try to stick closer to my budget. Hope it works out. As for my studies, I take Spoken Japanese five days a week and study every night. Once and a while I'll understand completely a string of Japanese words--it surprises me every time. In literature we just finished our first novel--The Key by the afore mentioned Mr. Tanikzaki. In film we've watched two movies, Swallowtail by Shunji Iwaii and a movie called Gohatto by...some dude I forgot. Gohatto had Beat Takeshi in it, and he's always a bizarre treat.

Thanks for reading and I'll keep 'em short and sweet from now on, when I can. Comment away and drop me lines via email!

-cwa

coreywaite@gmail.com