I like that the Japanese word for Easter is 'fukkatsusai' 復活祭, literally "revival festival". It really fits with spring, a time when the world is coming back to life. Coming back into bloom.
And, boy! Does Japan bloom! At the tail end of winter, the plum blossoms burst white followed by the deep magenta of the peach trees. The coup de grace, of course, are the cherry blossoms. Iconic, the cherry trees start to bud at the onset of spring weather, explode into a light pink for about a week, then begin to let their petals drift down to the earth like snow. It's said that the Japanese fascination with cherry blossoms stems from their ephemeral nature mirroring the Buddhist theme of impermanence or yadda yadda yadda, whatever, they're beautiful. I don't care who you are, they will move you.
Two weeks ago, I did 'hanami' for the first time. In short, it amounts to you gathering up your best mates, sitting under the cherry trees, and getting sloshed at hours when, really, no one should be drinking. We went to Gongendo Park (which I think I've mentioned before), Satte's #1 tourist attraction. The park is situated at a bend in the Gongendo River. In times long past, the people of Satte built a levy to protect themselves from the often overflowing river. On the top of the levy they planted numerous cherry trees for stability and unintentionally created the main source of revenue for the city their tiny hamlet would become. The park is distinctive for its juxtaposition of the pink cherry blossoms above the fields of yellow rape seed along the riverbank. It's a beauty to behold, and you can see it in the video below. You'll also see me and my friends acting like we'd recently been lobotomized.
On the following Sunday, I agreed to go to an Easter parade put on by Mr. Oogushi's church. I've probably never mentioned this before, but Mr. Oogushi and his family are devoutly Christian. They go to church every Sunday, attend Christian retreats in Canada, the works.
As the parade approached me, marching down the streets of Kasukabe, I was suddenly swept up in it. Urged along down an alley toward the church. As we turned the final corner, I was surprised to see the street lined with food stands and games. It looked just like a Japanese festival! They even had goldfish scooping, which I got to try (another first for me). This really was a 'revival festival'! After having the best pizza I'd had since coming to Japan, I got to speak with some of the foreigners affiliated with the church. A guy from Philly, a guy from California. In the middle of the conversation, I realized something amazing for me: these people weren't trying to convert me!
I could really dig this Japanese-style Christianity. So far, it seemed to me to be a religion based upon the virtues of good food and catching goldfish with a tiny, paper scooper.
A little while later, we got to the main event: a performance of the resurrection story. Not an unusual Easter festivity. But it was in Japanese, and in that respect, it was certainly an unusual experience for me. The footage is below.
Last weekend, I did hanami again with a group of people I'd never met from SIEN. Don't ask me what that stands for. I can't tell you. But I can tell you that they were all very nice Japanese people who wanted to practice English and share a few good drinks.
The event was at Shinjuku-gyoen, right down the street from KCP, the place where I did my study abroad program. Shinjuku-gyoen is a giant park in the middle of Tokyo, tiny in comparison to Central Park, but sizable none the less. To get straight to the point, it was gorgeous. At one point I came upon a tree where the petals were just raining down, spinning in the wind. In Japanese, they call this 'hanafubuki' (lit. 'a snow storm of petals'). I was awed. It's also in the video below, so without further ado, enjoy! Watch in HD to feel LIKE YOU'RE REALLY THERE.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
The Meddlesome Gods #2 - A Contemporary Tale of Bravery
I've had this sitting on my hard drive for a while, just never got around to posting it. So with that, feast your eyes! And any feedback is appreciated.
--------------------------------------------------
A Contemporary Tale of Bravery
K worked at a company in a good position. He had no children, but he had a beautiful wife, and to some extent, he got by with more than he needed. Nothing much changed for him-- he was just an ordinary, middle-aged man.
If you had to cite a change in his life, stopping over in the neighborhood park after leaving the house would be about it. Making a round through the park every morning before his commute became a part of K's daily routine. It somewhat made up for his habit of not getting enough exercise, and besides, it refreshed him.
On that day, however, the park didn't look what you could call "refreshing" and he was on his guard. As K strolled along, a young man sitting on a bench stood up and started to speak to him.
"Excuse me, are you Mr. K?"
"Sure, but who are you? And what do you want?"
"You're not going to like this."
"What the hell are you talking about? Just spit it out."
"It's hard for me to say this, but I'll just tell you flat out. I'm going to kill you."
"What? Are you crazy?"
The young man restrained the shouting K. He briefly pulled out a handgun, and then immediately returned it to his pocket. Then, with it still in his pocket, he pressed it against K's body. "Please, don't raise your voice. This is a new type of silent handgun. If I pull this trigger, the bullet will force the life right out of your body."
This was no joke.
"Are you going to kill me here and now?"
"If you try to escape, then yes. However, I would prefer to wait a little longer."
"What do you mean?"
"If possible, I would like you to return to your home and die there."
"What are you saying?! My wife is home!"
"I have been entrusted with killing you in front of your wife's eyes."
"Who the hell would think up something that cruel?! And without even a reason..."
"Since you're going to die anyway, I might as well tell you. Due to your company halting distribution of its products, a certain company went bankrupt. The manager committed suicide by jumping in front of a train right before his wife's eyes. In other words, it was said that you, the manager, killed him. At that, his widow took an oath of revenge. Taking it upon herself, she saved the money, and so that you should be killed under the same circumstances, she hired me. It's a real contemporary tale of bravery, isn't it? It's seldom that you see a lady so admirable. I even took the job on cheap."
"Well, wait a sec. Something like that may have happened, but that was done under company policy; it's not my responsibility. That's no reason to kill someone! Please, save me!"
"I can't do that. It is my job to follow the policies of a client. Putting it that way is no reason for me NOT to kill you. I can't save you."
"If she has some kind of complaint against me, she could come to me personally."
"However, killing you is not something which should be borne on the hands of of a lady. And so, I was hired as her agent."
"What a bullshit story."
"Complaining to me won't get you anywhere. I'm only an agent, you see? Now, how shall we proceed? Would you prefer to die here, or shall we go to your home?"
K thought for a long while. If he died here, it would be the end no matter what. He didn't want to surprise his wife and get her entangled in this either, but he had to buy himself a little bit of time. In that, he might be able to find a method of escape.
"Let's head towards the house."
"Well then, shall we go together? Please don't think about trying to escape en route or anything of that sort."
Without speaking as much as a word to the young man, K looked for a chance to escape. However, the assassin could see through that as well, and didn't drop his guard even for a moment. K's escape became an impossibility. Again, he tried to talk him out of it, but it was futile. The assassin would say no more.
Returning via the nearly shadowless road through the park, K turned towards his house. With every step, his despair further deepened. Then at last, they arrived in front of his foyer. Putting on his sunglasses, the assassin ordered thus, "Don't ring the doorbell. You have a key, correct? Open the door with that. If you don't comply, then right here..."
Having no other choice, K took out his key and opened the door.
"Now, where's your wife's room?"
K motioned towards his wife's room with the end of his chin. Thinking himself about to be killed, his words wouldn't come. In the end, it was hopeless. His only hope was that, before his death, he would just be able to meet his beloved wife one more time. Although, at the same time, he would have to die.
The assassin, his attention never leaving K, pulled open the door to the room.
When he did so, an unexpected scene, one which K had never considered, unfolded before them. There was a young man in the room who K had never even met. This man, wearing only his underwear, thought to grab the ashtray next to him, aim at the assassin, and let loose a powerful throw. Then, he threw on his clothes in a fluster and jumped out the window.
The assassin, his attention focused solely on K, had no time to sidestep. The ashtray hit him in the face, and his sunglasses shattered. He fell down on the bed, hands covering both eyes.
K, who had been dumbstruck by these unforeseen events, finally returned to his senses. With the nearby power cord, he bound the assassin up. After that, he asked his wife, standing indecorously in the corner of the room, "What was with that man who jumped out the window just now?"
"Uh, that is, he's a salesman."
"Why was there a salesman in here?"
At K's weighty question, she fell to her knees and answered.
"I'm horrible. While you were away, the salesman came into the house, and I was unfaithful. I'm sorry. I'll do anything to make amends! Please try and forgive me!"
Naturally, K forgave this crying, apologizing woman. He bowed down even lower than her.
"Thank you. I don't know what to say. Thanks for cheating on me while I'm away."
--------------------------------------------------
A Contemporary Tale of Bravery
K worked at a company in a good position. He had no children, but he had a beautiful wife, and to some extent, he got by with more than he needed. Nothing much changed for him-- he was just an ordinary, middle-aged man.
If you had to cite a change in his life, stopping over in the neighborhood park after leaving the house would be about it. Making a round through the park every morning before his commute became a part of K's daily routine. It somewhat made up for his habit of not getting enough exercise, and besides, it refreshed him.
On that day, however, the park didn't look what you could call "refreshing" and he was on his guard. As K strolled along, a young man sitting on a bench stood up and started to speak to him.
"Excuse me, are you Mr. K?"
"Sure, but who are you? And what do you want?"
"You're not going to like this."
"What the hell are you talking about? Just spit it out."
"It's hard for me to say this, but I'll just tell you flat out. I'm going to kill you."
"What? Are you crazy?"
The young man restrained the shouting K. He briefly pulled out a handgun, and then immediately returned it to his pocket. Then, with it still in his pocket, he pressed it against K's body. "Please, don't raise your voice. This is a new type of silent handgun. If I pull this trigger, the bullet will force the life right out of your body."
This was no joke.
"Are you going to kill me here and now?"
"If you try to escape, then yes. However, I would prefer to wait a little longer."
"What do you mean?"
"If possible, I would like you to return to your home and die there."
"What are you saying?! My wife is home!"
"I have been entrusted with killing you in front of your wife's eyes."
"Who the hell would think up something that cruel?! And without even a reason..."
"Since you're going to die anyway, I might as well tell you. Due to your company halting distribution of its products, a certain company went bankrupt. The manager committed suicide by jumping in front of a train right before his wife's eyes. In other words, it was said that you, the manager, killed him. At that, his widow took an oath of revenge. Taking it upon herself, she saved the money, and so that you should be killed under the same circumstances, she hired me. It's a real contemporary tale of bravery, isn't it? It's seldom that you see a lady so admirable. I even took the job on cheap."
"Well, wait a sec. Something like that may have happened, but that was done under company policy; it's not my responsibility. That's no reason to kill someone! Please, save me!"
"I can't do that. It is my job to follow the policies of a client. Putting it that way is no reason for me NOT to kill you. I can't save you."
"If she has some kind of complaint against me, she could come to me personally."
"However, killing you is not something which should be borne on the hands of of a lady. And so, I was hired as her agent."
"What a bullshit story."
"Complaining to me won't get you anywhere. I'm only an agent, you see? Now, how shall we proceed? Would you prefer to die here, or shall we go to your home?"
K thought for a long while. If he died here, it would be the end no matter what. He didn't want to surprise his wife and get her entangled in this either, but he had to buy himself a little bit of time. In that, he might be able to find a method of escape.
"Let's head towards the house."
"Well then, shall we go together? Please don't think about trying to escape en route or anything of that sort."
Without speaking as much as a word to the young man, K looked for a chance to escape. However, the assassin could see through that as well, and didn't drop his guard even for a moment. K's escape became an impossibility. Again, he tried to talk him out of it, but it was futile. The assassin would say no more.
Returning via the nearly shadowless road through the park, K turned towards his house. With every step, his despair further deepened. Then at last, they arrived in front of his foyer. Putting on his sunglasses, the assassin ordered thus, "Don't ring the doorbell. You have a key, correct? Open the door with that. If you don't comply, then right here..."
Having no other choice, K took out his key and opened the door.
"Now, where's your wife's room?"
K motioned towards his wife's room with the end of his chin. Thinking himself about to be killed, his words wouldn't come. In the end, it was hopeless. His only hope was that, before his death, he would just be able to meet his beloved wife one more time. Although, at the same time, he would have to die.
The assassin, his attention never leaving K, pulled open the door to the room.
When he did so, an unexpected scene, one which K had never considered, unfolded before them. There was a young man in the room who K had never even met. This man, wearing only his underwear, thought to grab the ashtray next to him, aim at the assassin, and let loose a powerful throw. Then, he threw on his clothes in a fluster and jumped out the window.
The assassin, his attention focused solely on K, had no time to sidestep. The ashtray hit him in the face, and his sunglasses shattered. He fell down on the bed, hands covering both eyes.
K, who had been dumbstruck by these unforeseen events, finally returned to his senses. With the nearby power cord, he bound the assassin up. After that, he asked his wife, standing indecorously in the corner of the room, "What was with that man who jumped out the window just now?"
"Uh, that is, he's a salesman."
"Why was there a salesman in here?"
At K's weighty question, she fell to her knees and answered.
"I'm horrible. While you were away, the salesman came into the house, and I was unfaithful. I'm sorry. I'll do anything to make amends! Please try and forgive me!"
Naturally, K forgave this crying, apologizing woman. He bowed down even lower than her.
"Thank you. I don't know what to say. Thanks for cheating on me while I'm away."
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