Japanese patterns

Inspired by the Edo exhibition at the Chester Beatty, I'm now exploring Japanese patterns. What happened to the seaweed, I hear you say! I'm fickle!

And now I can't wait to go back and see the second part of the exhibition, with its autumn-winter theme.

By the way, you don't have to be in Dublin to see the exhibition, it's available virtually too!

Onsen town in winter

This is a view of an onsen town in the Nagano prefecture in Japan. I found the photo of the scene on Facebook. It was posted by a friend of a friend. Since the friend I'm talking about died nearly 10 years ago, I've been friends on Facebook with this person, although I've never actually met him. I'm sure if she's looking down, she'd find that weird! But to me, that's the power of the friendships she cultivated.

I don't even know the name of this town, as I can't find the original post anymore. Typical Facebook problem! But what struck me, and what I hope I have been able to suggest here, is all these snow-covered roofs - they're all in shadow, but they reflect so much light, and somehow, the square roof in the bottom left is reflecting some of the rising/setting sun. Maybe it's because it's a flat roof? Or it's standing a little higher than the others?

And if you think the roofs are snow-covered because the houses are well insulated, you're probably wrong. Houses in Japan are not that well heated. Although, maybe in the Nagano prefecture, they are. They do get a lot of snow and cold weather!

And here is my original sketch in my sketchbook, which I always find is more luminous than the finished watercolour. Different paper. Different energy.

A visit to Kasugai

Some days, the location for sketching doesn't suit me, or I don't have the energy to drive across the city. But I still want to explore techniques or ideas. I don't like sketching from photos, but the idea of the #virtualsketch has been explored by many sketchers during lockdowns all around the world. And since we can't travel, it's a nice way to dream, if only for an hour!

This house is somewhere in Kasugai, a suburb of Nagoya. My good friend Shinobu lives in this area and I'm planning to use Google Maps to virtual sketch around there during the winter or if further restrictions are introduced in Dublin.

When you're travelling by train in Japan, it often looks like urban planners didn't do a very good job. Houses are tucked in everywhere, in an industrial landscape with little greenery. But when you explore on foot, you will find many beautiful houses hidden behind walls, with only a glimpse of their manicured trees. And the ever-present electricity poles and cables criss-crossing the landscape. Because it's easier to repair faults after an earthquake if the cables are above ground.

KenRokuEn

I had to do a painting trying out these new colours I discovered a few weeks ago, in particular Cascade Green and Piemontite Genuine. As I was flicking through old photos, I came across a view from Kenrokuen in Kanazawa, and it brought back lovely memories. I tried to capture the feeling more than the exact configuration.

Rajio Taiso

I must try this in the mornings! I believe this is done in a lot of companies around Japan at the start of every workday.

Japanese baths

I love Japanese bathrooms. When I win the lotto, that's the first thing I'll do, get one fitted instead of my current bathroom.
Yes, Japanese loos are great - warm seat, music, bidet function. But that's not the most important feature for me. The item I love the most is the deep and short bathtub. So, instead of a narrow bath where my feet can't reach the end, and my shoulders stick out in the air, I would be able to sit straight with my feet propped at the end, and my shoulders (nearly) covered.
The bathroom we had in Kyōtō was perfect - separate loo, then an entrance with a very practical sink, very deep and tidy, and an accordion door to the shower and bath room, which is all one unit (no leaks!). The water temperature is set to the exact degree. And there is a unit on the wall outside to control the air temperature and flow, so you can hang clothes in there and get them dried overnight if it's raining outside (or if you're travelling the following day!)

Oh, and did I mention that when you flush the loo, the cistern refills at the top with a little tap that you can wash your hands with. Such a water-saving idea!

Deep sink with a good splash-back, nice big mirror and built-in press under it.

The bath room. In Japan, you wash and rinse fully with the shower before you step into a hot bath to relax.

The panel on the outside, with settings to heat the room, dry yourself and even dry clothes

Deep sink with a good practical tap and clear temperature control

Controls for the shower and bath, which you can set to the degree

That's how serious I am, I took a picture of the brand

That's the tap at the top of the loo water cistern. So when you flush the loo, the cistern refills from the top via the tap and you can wash your hands from that tap. So clever

Chinese, Korean and Japanese delicacies

I often say that I'm not that interested in food. I could eat the same thing (baked potato, coleslaw, cheese) every day and be happy. Yet, our trip in September/October was very food-focused. Well, I love Japanese food, so that's the easy bit. And my husband looooves food.

My previous experience with real Chinese food, many years ago, wasn't that great. But this time, my husband had done the research - actually now that I think of it, the Internet didn't really exist the last time we went to Hong Kong - maybe it existed, but there was certainly no broadband at home and I'm not sure Google existed, let alone TripAdvisor. I remember reading an article in a computer magazine at the time about the coolest websites and Google was one of them, and me and my husband were there 'yeah, we agree, it's so cool!' Now nobody even thinks about Google Search. It's just there. Also, Hong Kong hadn't been handed over back to China yet. God I'm getting old!!

And as for Korean food, I had never touched it, worried it might be too spicy for me. I had plenty opportunity to try it in New York, as any time we went, we stayed in a hotel very close to Little Korea, but it did not appeal to me and I always pushed for other food choices (all you can eat sushi was around the corner too, and that was hard to resist!).

So here we go, a brief overview of the weird and wonderful foods we tried.

Sea Cucumber soup
Sea Cucumber was on my 'try-before-you-die' list. Now I can say I've eaten it. Never need to do it ever again. Not much of a taste. It's an interesting texture. The two things that go against it from my perspective are 1. it doesn't look appetising - I won't say it - you just have to look at the picture below; and 2. it's really hard to grab with chopsticks!

Jellyfish (it's the one at the end)
Jellyfish, on the other hand, was delicious. On the occasion below, it was with a chilli sauce. There is a bite to it, which I didn't expect. This was in Hong Kong, but we had jellyfish again in Japan and it was delicious too.

Baby Tako Yaki
I feel bad for the baby octopus, but you can't go to Ōsaka and not eat tako yaki!

Tako Wasabi
I wonder is that the right picture, or is this Japanese jellyfish? We had both at the same meal in an izakaya. Both were yummy. Tako means octopus. And wasabi is the spicy green Japanese sauce.

Dim sums for breakfast
Sets you up for the day!

Salmon Roe (ikura, イクラ)
I love the pop of salmon roe on my tongue. I could eat it all day (it would be nice on top of baked potato, actually!)

Shaved ice with sweet beans

It was still hot in Japan, so I had to try one of these! So refreshing!

Tofu and other goodies

I love how you can order set meals in Japan, so you might order tofu, but you also get tempura, salad, miso soup, rice, and pickles. We tried many different varieties. On one occasion, I even tried yuba, which was delicious too.

Okonomiyaki

Again, you can't go to Ōsaka without trying okonomiyaki (it sounds like a difficult word, but once you've tasted it, it will roll off your tongue - just try to say each syllable on its own slowly o-ko-no-mi-ya-ki and then faster and faster). It's a kind of omelette, with cabbage, seafood and all sorts of yummy things (I'm trying to alternate between yummy and delicious - I could also go for oishii, the Japanese equivalent! - My food vocabulary isn't very extensive, this is why I'm not a food critic!)

Bibimbap
Onto Korea now. Well, we only had two full days there, so I had bibimbap, bibimbap, and bibimbap again (forgot to take a photo of the first one, but it's in one of my sketchbooks). It's a kind of mix of rice, vegetables, sour hot cabbage and sometimes egg. The one at the top was brought in a big earthenware dish and the rice continued to cook against the bottom and sides of the dish, making it crispy and even tastier. As the chilli sauce was served on the side, mine was quite mild. The one below was an octopus bibimbap - it was spicy, probably the spiciest food I've ever eaten (apart from my first time eating Indian in London - it put me off Indian food for years), but the soy bean accompaniment tempered the spiciness. It was a small restaurant near the entrance to the palace near the City Hall in Seoul, we were the only westerners there, there was no English spoken, except for the basic menu, and I can say that after eating there, I felt ready to convert to Korean food!

Any dessert with sago in it!
This one was particularly spectacular (in Hong Kong), but I love sago. I tasted it for the first time on a short Cathay Pacific flight between Taiwan and Hong Kong, a long time ago, even before that trip I mention earlier in this post, and I still remember how happy it made me feel!

It's Snails, Jim, but not as we know it.

I still have lots of bits about Japan that I wanted to share with you, but at this stage, I'm barely keeping up with day-to-day life, so it's going to have to be quick!

If you're squeamish about your food, leave this page. But it's probably too late already, as your eye has glanced down the page and seen the pictures below!

I am Belgian. I have been eating snails all my life. I have eaten lamb's brains, and frogs' legs, and plenty other delicacies!

But a snail this big? Never! My Japanese friend was keen that we try foods that we might not know to order on our own! I have to admit that when I pulled the snail out of its shell, the dangly bits didn't look too appetising to me! So what did I do? I ate it of course, starting with the dangly bits, which were actually the tastiest, softest part of the whole thing - the foot was a little chewy, but I managed - with the help of a glug of umeshū! I'm glad I tried it. Would I order it again? 多分

A few days later, we were presented with another snail, much smaller and daintier. おいしい

The overhead wires

Back home after a long trip, it always takes me a while to get back into my groove. So, rather than leaving the memories behind, I'm going to try to use some of my sketches as the foundation for more finished works. My goal is to do five, but I'll probably get distracted by something else in no time. So, we'll see how it goes!

This one was a sketch of overhead wires (I wanted to call this The Power Lines, but I'm not sure they're all power - they could be telephone, internet, TV?) on a street in Nara, Japan. I know, I know, so much beauty and history all around me, and what do I choose to sketch? I can't help what I find interesting! Done while standing on a street corner for 10 minutes before heading back to the bus station for our coach to Kansai airport! (The bus trip was so much more relaxing than taking the train!)

I was happy with the initial sketch, but then I messed it up by adding coloured pencil. I've tried to erase it, but it's not working, so I'll have to live with it. I didn't take a picture of it before adding the coloured pencil.

The next stage was to draw it again from photo and sketch, and add ink.






















I was happier with the plain grey one.

Then I decided to try to do an ink and watercolour version, using what I learned with Shari Blaukopf in terms of painting the walls and adding shadows (it was a dull day so I had to make them up!). This is my favourite so far.

I'm currently trying a Jane Gray style version, but my drawing wasn't brilliant to start with - it lacked shape and focus. And I think I've added too much watercolour pigment. Plus I forgot the idea to only use colour in the area of interest. Back to the drawing board, literally.









Will I try another style? I could do a Marc Taro Holmes direct watercolour version? Well, there's an idea now.

Japanese Film Festival

I got to see two movies at the Japanese Film Festival this year. I enjoyed both and gave them both an 'excellent' rating (as part of the festival, you can give each movie a rating). I would have liked to see a few more, but there was only so much time in the day!

Her Sketchbook (sekai wa kyo kara kimi no mono)


A lovely story about a young woman who has withdrawn from the world, only working in a factory because she doesn't have to talk to anyone. When she loses her job, her father finds her work as a tester for video games.
A beautiful story, and also an interesting insight into the hikikomori in Japan, a phenomenon I had never heard of before, but something quite widespread in Japan, when young people gradually withdraw from society and don't interact with the outside world.
The movie manages to be both tender and humorous.

Dear Etranger (osanago warera ni umare, which literally means 'a young child was born to us', so I really don't know where they got the English title from!!)


Life is not easy when you have a daughter from a first marriage, your wife has two daughters from her first marriage (one of which is young and doesn't realise that you're not her real dad, and the other is a teenager, full of angst and anger, mostly targeted at you), and your wife tells you she is pregnant, more or less at the same time as you're told by your boss that your job is not secure and you will be transferred from being a middle manager to working on the factory floor. But this man, Manoko Tanaka, loves his family, and keeps on giving his best, no matter how far he is pushed. A beautiful story, showing that Japanese men can express their love for their family and don't spend all their time at work. He's not perfect mind you. He does occasionally lose his temper, and he doesn't tell his wife about his demotion for a few months, continuing to go to work in his suit as if nothing happened! An interesting look at real life for many restructured families!

Departures

Another movie with Masahiro Motoki, Departures is available on Netflix. The movie won the Oscar for best movie in a foreign language.

Motoki is a cellist, who goes back to his own town with his wife after the orchestra he plays with is disbanded. He answers an ad for a job, not really sure what it's about, a travel agency maybe? It turns out the job is that of encoffiner, a ritual mortician who prepares the body before the funeral. After a rough start, he becomes good at his job. The problem is that there is a Japanese social taboo against people who work with the dead. When his wife finds out what his job is, she has a tough time accepting it.
A beautiful, delicate movie, dealing with a difficult subject.

Fake Journal 2017 Day 26

Renewed energy for the last few days of International Fake Journal Month? There can still be ups and downs, even at this stage!

Here is what I did for Day 26. I was quite inspired when I found a postcard from 1983 from Shinobu! Check it out on the Fake Blog!

Experience Japan 2017

A fantastic day at the Experience Japan Festival 2017 at Farmleigh. The weather was grey and quite cold, but the organisers must have made a good quantity of "teru teru bōzu", as it stayed dry throughout the day.

The crowds were even bigger than last year, probably a lot to do with the free shuttle bus from Dublin Bus, bringing in people every ten minutes from Parkgate Street near Heuston Station. We found the traffic much easier on the way in than last year. On the way out, well, it was busy. What can I say!

In terms of the program, a similar fare, which was perfect: performances at the main stage (drums, dancing, cute little children singing, etc. etc.), a food court (much bigger than last year - crazy busy, long queues for some of the stalls, not enough benches, but we managed!), craft exhibitions, calligraphy (get your name written in Japanese), haiku readings, rakugo, cosplay, origami, kimono dressing, and of course, martial arts demonstrations!

We went early and I stayed on, as this was the location chosen by Dublin Sketchers for its outing this week! I enjoyed sketching the martial arts, mostly the kendō, and some aikido masters at rest (or, rather, in conversation)

And a Japanese lady even gave me three homemade onigiri. Oishikatta desu!

I can't believe I missed the dorayaki stand, though!

Here are my sketches from the day:

And to finish, a little warabe uta I just found!

Teru-teru-bōzu, teru bōzu
Ashita tenki ni shite o-kure
Itsuka no yume no sora no yo ni
Haretara kin no suzu ageyo

Teru-teru-bōzu, teru bōzu
Ashita tenki ni shite o-kure
Watashi no negai wo kiita nara
Amai o-sake wo tanto nomasho

Teru-teru-bōzu, teru bōzu
Ashita tenki ni shite o-kure
Sore de mo kumotte naitetara
Sonata no kubi wo chon to kiru zo

Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu
Do make tomorrow a sunny day
Like the sky in a dream sometime
If it's sunny I'll give you a golden bell

Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu
Do make tomorrow a sunny day
If you make my wish come true
We'll drink lots of sweet sake

Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu
Do make tomorrow a sunny day
but if it's cloudy and I find you crying (i.e. it's raining)
Then I shall snip your head off

Terrace House

I've completely given up on Big Brother - I watched it for a long time, but really, it wasn't good for my blood pressure. I can't believe I watched it for as long as I did. But we've found the perfect replacement for it on Netflix: Terrace House! It's a Japanese reality TV show, where 6 young people, three boys, three girls, share a house, and a panel of TV presenters discuss what's going on, or not going on, as is more often the case.

The six young people take it very seriously. Most of them are looking for love, but some have to leave love, and the house, behind, in order to pursue their studies or careers, which always seem to be the most important thing in their lives, except for one chap who was living in Hawaii, and was so laid back he barely had a pulse. It was fascinating to watch, as Japanese culture is so different from ours - how long it takes to get to a kiss, how dates are conducted, how the girls always seem to have the power when it comes to deciding where they want the relationship to go, how little people touch, and how important hard work is to everyone. They even have house meetings to discuss how they feel about someone's behaviour (doesn't clean enough, makes too many disparaging comments, etc.), and the conversation generally ends with the person promising to try harder, work harder, amend their ways.

The panel, on the other hand, provide the fun element. Just like us, they debate the likelihood of girl x saying yes to boy y, and they get so excited when things are going well! And their comments are so funny. I even learned a new Japanese word: chinchin (check it out here) or ochinchin if you want to place the honorific o in front of the root word! They're lively. They're funny. They don't take themselves seriously. Nothing like what you imagine the Japanese to be like (serious, hard-working, discreet, humble, ...)

It's on Netflix, and the next season, starting soon, will be set in Hawaii. That will be interesting!

Onsen etiquette

There will be no nudie pictures in this post, don't worry!

Onsens are Japanese hot springs or spas - the big difference from what we're used to in this part of the world is that you are required not to wear any clothes. No bikinis, no knickers, no bra. No need even to modestly hold a towel in front of you!

I thought it would take a little getting used to. But after one session, I was an expert! Thanks to my good friend Shinobu who thought it was the most natural thing in the world to go to an onsen with a friend! So that's the best advice I can give you: bring a friend who knows the ropes with you the first time you try an onsen (even if the idea is a bit scary). And also, remember to wash and rinse thoroughly before entering the hot baths.

Japanese onsens are said to be good for you, a bit like taking the waters, as the hot waters are of volcanic origin and contain a variety of minerals. I didn't feel different. I didn't glow. But it was fun, and very relaxing. Although, careful if you suffer from high blood pressure. Don't stay in the hot water for too long.

One of the best things about onsens is that they often have both an indoor pool and outdoor baths. So you can experience the coolness of the air and the heat of the water at the same time.

Onsens nowadays are segregated, so you can't go in with your husband, unless the place you go to has private baths. Which our ryokan in Hida-Furukawa, Yatsusankan, did. So, now that I was an expert, I got BB to try it out too.

And I even went to the onsen in our ryokan on my own the following morning. Now that I knew the ropes, it was no big deal. It wasn't busy. And the ladies who were there already had a few words of English to make me feel welcome. And an elderly lady even started chatting to me in the changing rooms, engaging me in full conversation in Japanese. Not that I understood much of what she said. But enough to get by and keep everyone happy. Remember, smile a lot. And don't stare.