Yokohama`s Ramen Museum

I went to Yokohama on my first day off research-related activity. I did not go to the *real* Yokohama, but to the Shin (means `new`) Yokohama station area to visit the Ramen Museum. I thought I had wasted my 300 yen admission fee at first because I only saw the souvenir store and the display of ramen`s history in Japan, the various styles of ramen in Japan now, and the essential tools used at a ramen shop. But when I head downstairs to have lunch, I became happier because the set-up was a 1950s Japanese shop area. Police station, barbershop, salon, train station, tobacco shop, doctor`s office, residential places, hot bath place, motorcycles, and movie theaters. One can only see the outside of each place and not enter except for the policy station and the phone booth. One could also see the locker area of the hot bath place and the train station.

Besides the various ramen style restaurants, they actually sell drinks, snacks and games in the style of the 1950s Japan. There was also one shop where they sold all `traditional` Japanese toys and snacks. I wanted to buy this gel thing that you get to make a ball/balloon thing because I used to play with it as a kid in Taiwan. I did not buy it because I wanted to wait until I get to Taiwan- probably cheaper.

In summary, I think it is worth it to go visit this place once, especially if you like older things or/and ramen.

Bathroom-less, Internet-less Hotel

In a hurry, I booked a bathroom-less and internet-less hotel in the Okubo area to stay at while conducting research at Waseda University for the last two nights. Besides that, the hotel`s proximity to the train station (literally right next to the train track), and the slight tobacco smell, the room was actually nice. I reserved a Japanese style room, which means I got to sleep on comfortable futon (and interesting pillow) on tatami mats. It was fun sitting on tatami eating my dinners, and wearing yukata (Japanese bathrope) after taking a bath. The hotel has two bathrooms. The manager let me use the bigger one the first night, and the bathtube was heart-shaped. The second night I used the much smaller bathroom, it is the standard size if you have ever seen one (similar to Taiwan`s size).

Tokyo in general

I only spent four days in the Kansai (West Japan) area doing research before heading to Tokyo. I have been in Tokyo for five days now, and I think I am getting used to how there are more people and noise in Tokyo. Everything has a faster pace. Things start early and end late everyday.

I like the foods better this time because I am eating mostly onigiri (rice balls) with mandarin oranges or vegetables. They are not as salty as the bento (lunch box) I had most of the time the last research period when I was in Tokyo.

Research typing

Because it costs 50 yen (exchange rate is about 90 yen per dollar) per copy, I decided to type up research notes at Waseda University Library (instead of write because I got tired from hand-write research notes for 6 days almost straight, with one-day break after the fourth day). I spent two hours typing up two-page 12-point-font word doc file. The book was quite large but it was 2.5 pages. I wonder if it is worth it to type it up. I had thought about typing up all my handwritten notes at some point...

The good thing was that I got to learn how to read a 1919 Japanese government document, which means older Chinese characters (actually traditional Chinese format with meaning closer that Taiwan uses now) and older Japanese grammar. I got to learn how to read the kanji in Japanese.

Unlike the last research period (one-week at the end of August), I feel like I am actually doing research this time around (two-week period from Oct. 24 to Nov. 8). Rather than browsing through sources, I read through them and thus have more knowledge than before. I begin to feel excited about research again but I need to find my master thesis topic before I head back to the States.

Train conductors

I wonder if train conductors greet each other when they pass by one another while driving the trains... Is it possible for express train conductors? What about Shinkansen conductors?

Zoo, a Sad Place

I cannot look at zoos the same way anymore... I visited the third-most-famous zoo in Japan, Tennoji Zoo in Osaka, last Sunday, October 25. It was a great zoo with many different animals from all over the globe. I really enjoyed the place, including seeing many parents with their children there. Young couples and older women friends were also there.

Whenever I could tell, I swore that the animals were all sad. They all looked so lonely, as many of them live alone in the cage. There was one especially sad-looking primate, whose hands held onto the bars, and stared at us. I felt like crying, but I stared at him for a long time too...

I don`t think I can go to a zoo again unless I take my kids there for their sake. I much prefer to find animals in their natural habitat. It is much more fun that way also, to understand where they live.

Danjiri Matsuri

I went to two days of the famous Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri last month, and then to two local ones (Kumatori and Tajiri) this past weekend. I think the Danjiri (refers to the carriage that people move/pull around town) Matsuri (meaning festival) is a great activity to not only hold a community/town together, but make people closer to each other in the same town.

Danjiri participants start practicing for the festival two months before the event by running and shouting out slogans. The musicians (taiko and wind instruments) practice their instruments. Everyone, young (as in 3 years old) and old (in their 70s), male and female participate in this event. Although it seems that people in their 20s and 30s compose the majority of the participants. They run as hard as they could as sweats dripped down the sides of their faces. Their faces turn red after putting a lot of force into controlling and moving the danjiri.

The actual event takes place over two days- one day when they carry the danjiri to the local shrine, and one day when they parade around town. At the Kishiwada one, I only saw the parade over two days. But I saw the shrine version from both local ones.

Kid participants are especially cute in the habi (the special clothes they wear) and the shoes. Girls have great hairstyles.

I wish we had something like this at home.