CONNECT Magazine Japan #117 October 2022

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J:WHEN DIDYOU FIRST BECOMEINTERESTED INARTANDHOWDID YOULEARNMORE ABOUTIT?

C: ArtissomethingI’ve beeninterestedinsince Ibecameaconscious beingbutIdidn’thavethe chancetoformallystudy untilhighschool.That waswhenIlearnedabout itmoreanalyticallyandin termsofhistoryandthat wasalsowhenIfellin lovewithpainting.Imainly workwithoilsnowbutI’m alwaystryingtoexpand mymediumstothingslike clay,ink,andeven garbage onoccasion.

J:IREADYOURARTISTSTATEMENT FROMYOUR DISTANCE EXHIBITION. HOWWOULDYOUPERSONALLY DEFINETHECONCEPTOF“HOME,” ESPECIALLYASAPERSONWHOHAS LONG-TERMCONNECTIONSINMORE THANONECOUNTRY?

C: Thankyouforreadingthat.Mydefinition ofahomehascertainlychangedsince movingoutofmyhomecountry.Ifeellike I’mstillgrowingandlearningaboutthetrue meaningofahome,butfornowIthinkit’s wherever your peace of mind exists. Whether youfindpeacewithinthepeopleyoulove, withinsolitude,withincompletestrangers, orwithinnature.

J:HOWHASTHEISOLATION DURINGTHEPANDEMIC AFFECTEDYOU?HASIT INFLUENCEDYOURART PRACTICEINANYWAY?

C: Ibelievetheisolationduring thepandemichasmademea bitmoreintroverted,butinthat sameaspect,it’salsomade memoreintrospective.Ifeel likeI’vegottensomeofmybest ideasduringthistime.I’vebeen givenaveryamplesubject—the pandemic—butalsomuchtime toreflectonit.

J:HASBEINGINJAPAN INFLUENCEDYOURARTIN ANYWAY?

C: Beingin Japanhasput meina veryconflictingsituationinterms of creating. The complete change ofscenery hasgiven meso many revelations,whichhasresulted insomanyideas.Sadly,working fulltimeasanEnglishteacher hasbeenveryconsuming,which

meanshavingtoforgethetime andenergytobecreative.But Ifeellikethecreativeurgeswill alwaysfindtheirway.Forme,it’s beenthroughjoiningthe artclub atmyschool.Itgivesmeasmall windowofuninterruptedstudio timebutalsoanopportunityto bond with my students and share thisverypersonalpartofmyself withthem.

J:HOWDIDYOUCOME ABOUTTHEOPPORTUNITY TOHAVEASOLOSHOWIN JAPAN?

C:Idiscoveredthelocalgallery byjustwalkingaroundmytown. IfollowedtheirInstagrampage andIwouldvisitoccasionally untilonedayIwasfortunate enoughtocatchtheownerthere. Wehad achance tospeak andhe suggestedthatIputtogetherthe exhibition.IhadalotofthingsI’d beenworkingonforapotential futurethesis,andIalwaysknew thatconsistentshowslookbest onaresume,butIneverthought I’dhavethechancetoactually holdoneinJapan.IguessIjust gotluckythatmytownhasthose resources.I’mverygratefulto thegalleryownerandforthe opportunitytosharemywork.

Ifyouwouldliketoseemoreof Cinthia’swork,checkouther Instagram!

CinthiaGomezisafourth-yearALT fromSouthernCalifornialivinginKiryu, Gunma. She is inspired by Rene Magritte, theBauhausmovement,MichelGondry, unrequitedlove,andthemoon.She hopestohavemoreexhibitionsinthe nearfuture.

IanLayugan(Gunma)

DamienHirstopened,incogentdetailanddirection,hisfirst exhibitinTokyo attheNational ArtCenterearlier thisyear.Subtly called DamienHirst,CherryBlossoms, thiswastheartist’sfirst majorsoloexhibitioninJapan.Thecollectionwasfirstlaunched attheFondationCartierpourl’ArtContemporaininParisinJuly of2021. pringisaubiquitousyet timelesssubjectinart. Theseasonrepresents newlife—freshstarts, nascentbeginnings,andinatime ofdesolationbroughtaboutby thepandemic,theNewNormal. Knownforhiselaboratebody ofworkthatincludesanimals preservedinformaldehydeand livecreaturesinaglasstank containingtheentirelifecycleof thousandsofflies,Hirsttakeson anotherenticingbioticelement: thesakura,theclassicsymbolof Japan,aneternalembodimentof spring.Forthisseries,Hirsthas workedon107oilpaintings,24 large-scalepiecesofwhichwere featuredattheexhibit.

THISCHEERFULSUITEof canvasesemploystheNeoImpressioniststyleknownas pointillism,popularlyintroduced

byFrenchartistsPaulSignac andGeorgesSeurat,thelatter referencedbyHirsthimselfasan influenceinthisseries.Flickering, small dots—points—of color bleed witheachothertoformsubjects andscenes.Hirstutilizesunmixed pigmenttorepresentnature,an essentialfeatureofpointillism.

ANOTHERCHARACTERISTIC ofHirst’streescenesisthe obstructionoftheskyas background.Itisonlyrevealed throughglimpsesatthemargins ofthepaintings,asiftheseason issecondarytothesubject.The treesarecanopy-like,enveloping theviewersastheymovefrom onepaintingtoanother,givingan impressionofwalkingthrough alargeroomwithoversized windowswithpinkpetalsrustling intheview.

hewindowsdonot endeavortoconvey light.Instead,they provide vivid imagery of thefragilityandpotencyofthe sakura.Someofthepaintings wereplacedintriptychs— threepanelsarrangedside byside—whichhighlightthe vastnessandsupremacyofthe sakuraduringtheseason.The largestpaintingintheexhibit, GreaterLoveHasNo-One ThanThisBlossom,measures 549x732cm.Theembodiment ofsomethingasfleetingand delicateascherryblossomsin somethingvast andpermanent asapaintingextendsthe commonthemesinHirst’s work:lifeanddeath,religion andscience.

THESEDUALITIESindicate thephysical andtraditional role ofthesakurainhowseasons change.Duringtheexhibit, viewersareproddedtointeract withthepaintings.Patronssat onthefloorviewingthetrees fromtheground,areminderof humanity’sminuteexistence juxtaposedbythetalltrees andwidecanvases.Some walkarounditasifinapark oraforest,whilesomewatch acrossveryclosely,tryingto makeoutthetexturesand pigmentsonthesurfaces.

THUS,THEEXHIBITbecomes avenueforwhattheJapanese call hanami,literally“flower viewing,”asortofpublicpicnic wherepeopleeat,converse, and enjoy the sight of blooming sakura.Treesarealsovery essentialintheJapanese traditionof shinrin-yoku,the Japaneseartofforest-bathing, wherepeopleheadtodensely forestedareastodestress.

romadistance,every canvasclearlydepicts cherryblossomtrees infullbloom.Spined bythetrunkandthebranches ofthetrees,petalsaredepicted predominantlybyvaryinghues ofpinks,blues,reds,yellows, andgreens.Butasonestudies thepaintingsmoreclosely,the canvasesrevealsomethingelse entirely.Texturesbecomemore apparentandmoretangible betweenpotentlayersofvibrant pigments.

THEENERGYofHirst’sworks livesinthesetextures:whenthe strokes are met with the splatters. ReferencingtheworkofFrancis Bacon who “throws” paint on the canvasanddrip-painterJackson Pollockinthe documentaryfilm producedtosupplementthe exhibit,Hirstsaysthatinthe momentswhenthebrushdoes nottouchthecanvasinpainting “allhellbreaksloose”and“the world’sover.”Intermsofsubject andstyle,theexhibitrevolves aroundthetransitoryyetinfinite natureofcherryblossoms.

DAMIENHIRST,CHERRY BLOSSOMS expressesthe magnificenceofcherry blossomsandthewondersit bringsfromasinglepinkleaf toalongbranchtoaconfusing smudgeoforangesomewhere. Thatit isimpermanent andsmall asapetalyetsomemorable; howitisfleetingbutmanages tobringacommunitytogether. Thesearewhatdefinecherry blossoms,andbyextension,art.

HORROR

MarcoCian(Hyogo)

WhenreporterKazuyukiAsakawa learnsofthemysterious,simultaneous deaths of four teenagers, he investigates and finds a cursed video tape, which tells him he has seven days to live after watching it. There is a way to avoidhis death,butthepartof thetape thatsays this was taped over by the teens, leaving Asakawa inthedarkonhowtosurvive. Enlistingtheaidofhiseccentric friend Ryūji Takayama, Asakawa tries to learn more about the tape, and what turned the mysterious girlSadako Yamamura into a vengeful wraith.

Because Ring isanovel,and the productofasinglecreative, ithasthe mostsingularvision ofallthepieces

of Ring media.Suzukievokeshaunting mysterieslikethose ofM.R. James,butin thestyleofthetrashyhorrorpaperbacks thatgluttedbookshelvesfromthe`70sto `90s.Ifyou’reafanofthosepaperbacks fromhell,youshouldenjoy Ring well enough.However,thisfocusedvision isalsothebook’sgreatestweakness. SeveralpassagesarejustSuzukiusing his characters to discuss his own interests orairhispersonalgripes,whichtakes adarkerturnaswelearnmoreabout Sadako.

In Ring, Sadakowas bornwith Hollywood androgen insensitivity syndrome (which is abit differentfrom actualAIS fornarrative purposes),where,despitelookinglikea beautifulwoman, Sadako possessed a malesexorgan,whichSuzukiusesas evidencethatshewasbornunnatural,

WhiletheTVmovieisthemostfaithful

TheRing takesablink-and-you’ll-missitscenefromthe`98filmandexpands itintoamajortheme.Asakawa’sson wasbrieflyshowntobealatchkeykid becauseofherworkschedule,and RachelKeller(Asakawa’scounterpart) mustfindawaytobalanceherwork withherdutiesasaparent. Inthis,Sadako(nowSamara)was probablythe progenyof DeepOnes like inthe`98movie,butinsteadofbeing bornevil,shewassimplybornwith psychicpowersshecouldn’tcontrol. Whendealingwiththesepowers becametoodifficultforherparents, theymurderedher. TheRing focuses onparentsandchildren,howchildren canbebornphysicallydisabled, mentallychallenged,orjustnotwhat weexpected.Butasparents,wehave adutytoraiseandloveourchildrenno matterhowdifficulttheyare,because webroughtthemintothisworld.

Unfortunately,thiscreatesaproblem forthe2002movie,becauseunlike alltheotherSadakos,Samarahas noreasontocontinuethecurseafter beinglaidtorest.Shewasn’tdrivenby aneedtoreproducelikebook-Sadako, shewasn’tscornedandhatedbythe worldlikeTV-Sadako,andshe’snot amonstrousforceofnaturelikefilmSadako.Shewasayounggirlwho couldn’tcontrolherpowersandjust wantedsomeone tolisten toher. Sothe moviehas topull anunconvincing twist sowecanhavethesameendingasall other Ring adaptations,despitethat endingmakingnosenseforthemovie we’veseenupto thatpoint. TheRing is unusualforbeinganAmericanremake where the story would have been better ifthey’dchangedmore,insteadofless, andwillthusprobablyleaveviewers coldafterwatching.

throughtheSouthKoreanRingmovie.

(newchaptersevery otherweek).

omatterwhereyouareintheworld, there’snothinglikedelvinginto somethingspookyinthemonthof October.Whetherit’sahorrormovie suchas Ju-On,abooksuchas MyBest Friend’sExorcism,oraTVshowsuchas MidnightMass,agoodpieceofhorrific mediacantakeyourOctoberfromgood togreat.Sometimes,however,simply watchingthehorrorjustisn’tenough.Ifyou wanttotakeyourhorrorexperiencetothe nextlevel,it’stimetotakea triptotheworld of ResidentEvil.

Oneofthelongest-runninghorrorvideo game series of all time, Resident Evil (known inJapanas Biohazard)isperfect forgamers ofallexperiencelevels.Theseriestells thestoryoftheevilUmbrellacorporation, apharmaceuticalpowerhousethat inadvertentlycreatesavirusthatunleashes zombies,monsters, theworld.Drippingwithatmosphere,filled withterrifying interestinglore, andenthrallallwhodaretakeasteponto thestreetsofRaccoonCity.

Withover25gamesintheseries,however, itcanbeintimidatingtoknowwhereto start.Doyoustartwith1996’s Evil,thefirstgameinthefranchise?What aboutthe2002GameCuberemake?Or maybe ResidentEvil7

newerafortheseries?Thiscanallbevery confusing,butworrynot;bytheendof thearticle,youwillbefullyequippedwith everythingyouneedtoknowtobecomea zombie-killingmaster.

Unlikesomevideogameseries,there’sno realrightorwrong ResidentEvil gameto playfirst.Manyfans,suchasmyself,simply stumbledintotheseriesbychancewitha randomentry.Whenconsideringwhereto start,however,twogamesstandabovethe rest:2017’s ResidentEvil7:Biohazard and 2019’s ResidentEvil2Remake

Originallyreleasedin2017, ResidentEvil7:Biohazard (knownin Japanas Biohazard7: ResidentEvil) isthe first inwhatmanyconsider tobeanew eraforthefranchise. Focusingonacompletelynewcastofcharactersand seeminglyremovedfromtheeventsofthepriorgames, RE7 isliterallybuiltforthosewithnopriorknowledgeof theseries.

In RE7,playerstakecontrolofEthanWinters,aman searchingforhiswifeMia,whohasbeenmissing forthepastthreeyears.Whenhereceivesacryptic videomessagefromMia,Ethanisledtoaseemingly abandonedfarminDulvey,Louisiana.There,heslowly uncoversthemysterybehindMia’sdisappearanceand mustsurviveanonslaughtofhorrorsfromthefarm’s residents,theBakerfamily.

Whilemostgames intheseries drawuponatmospheric zombiehorror, RE7 drawsheavilyfromadifferent subgenreofhorror:hillbillyhorror(think Texas ChainsawMassacre, TheHillsHaveEyes,or

Houseof1000Corpses).Italsochanges theseries’maingameplayperspective fromthird-persontofirst-person,making thegamemuchscarierincomparisonto itspredecessors.

Thegameisseenasareturntoformfor thefranchiseafter2009’s ResidentEvil5 and2012’s ResidentEvil6 pivotedfrom survivalhorror toaction horrorwith mixed results. RE7 isatrulyscaryexperience andissuretosendchillsdownthespines ofeventhemostseasonedhorrorfansat leastonceduringitsroughlynine-hour storycampaign.Plus,thegameleads directlyinto2021’s ResidentEvilVillage, whichIpersonallyconsidertobethe highlightoftheentirefranchise.

RE7 alsofeaturessomeofthemost fungameplayinthefranchise,with challengingpuzzlesandsimpleyet rewardingcombat.Thoselookingfor achallengecankickthegameupto “Madhouse”(thegame’shardmode) whilethoseinterestedinamorechill experiencecanbreezethroughcombat andfocusonthestoryineasymode.

Ifyouhaveaccesstoanymodernconsoles, RE7 isfairlyaccessible.Thegameis availableonPlayStation4,PlayStation5, XboxOne,XboxSeriesX/S,PC,Amazon Luna,andevenNintendo Switch(granted youliveinJapanandcan streamitfrom thecloud).Havingbeen releasedoverfive yearsagoandhaving soldmillionsof copies,youcangenerally findthegame forlessthan$20;itiseven includedwith thebasePlayStationPlus subscriptionon PS4.

Thoselookingtodelveintotheseries’ “original”era ofgames needlook nofurther than ResidentEvil2Remake. Asthename mightsuggest,thegameisaremakeof 1998’s Resident Evil 2, updated with modern graphicsandgameplay.

Whilenotthefirstgameintheseries’ timeline, ResidentEvil2Remake servesas agreatentrypoint.Playerstakecontrolof rookiepoliceofficerLeonS.Kennedyand collegestudentClaireRedfieldonthefirst dayofamassivezombieoutbreakwithin RaccoonCity.Together,theymustfight tosurvivethenight,uncoverthemystery behindtheoutbreak,andperhapsfinda waytostopitfromspreadingoutsideofthe city.

ResidentEvil2Remake takesthestoryand general premise of the original Resident Evil 2 andmodernizesitperfectly.Theoriginal fewgamesintheseriesutilizeanoutdated controlschemecalled“tankcontrols,” whichfranklymakethemincrediblydifficult to play in the modern era. Thus, the remake’s changetomodernthird-personshooter controlsmakes itaccessible toa wholenew generationofplayerswholikelyhavenever playedtheoriginal.

While ResidentEvil2Remake maybea littlelessscarythan ResidentEvil7,itstill hasitsmoments.Inparticular,arecurring, unkillableenemyknownasTyrantorMr.X isaconstantpointoftensionthroughout bothLeon’sandClaire’scampaigns. Hearinghisthunderingfootstepsapproach asyou attemptto killother enemiesor solve puzzlesis chillingand willlead tomore than afewmemorablemoments.

ResidentEvil2Remake leadsperfectly intoawholeslewofothertitlesifyouare hungryformoreafterfinishingit.There’re 2020’s ResidentEvil3Remake,2023’s upcoming ResidentEvil4Remake,the original ResidentEvil4, ResidentEvil5,and ResidentEvil6

Similarlyto ResidentEvil7, Resident Evil2Remake isincrediblyaccessible.It cantypicallybefoundforaround$20on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox SeriesX/S,PC,andAmazonLuna.

KnoxYoder(they/them)isafirst-yearJET livingandworkinginUreshino,Saga.They havetoomanyhobbies,includingbutnot limitedtobinginghorrormovies,playing newandoldvideogames,readingmanga,andnerdingoutoverMyChemicalRomance.Theyareprobablythemostpunk juniorhighschoolteacherinSaga.

“Sheisburning”ripsthe albumopenwith classicrock riffsandathumpingbeat. Borisisn’teasinginto Heavy Rocks; they’rejumpingin face-first.Pummelingdrums andanunexpectedhorn sectionamplifythesenseof urgency Boris is riding on into “Cramper.”Continuingthe high-octaneriffsandrhythm, thesecondtrackon Heavy Rocks isanothercallback totheolddaysofrock.The backingvocalsinthissong areparticularlyhaunting; they’recartoonishlyhighpitchedandgenuinely unsettling.Bythetime“My nameisblank”hits,Boris

Andthevocalsabandon all melodyinexchangefor pissed-off screams.This songdemandsheadbanging fromallwholisten.Lead guitaristWata’schaotically dissonantsololeadstheear onawildlyunpredictable ridefullofwhammybarplay and borderline abusive string bends.

Speakingofdissonance, “Blah Blah Blah” opens withasaxsolofromhell, accompanied by equally horrificguitarslathered inamessofeffects. Ifthiswerethe

firsttrackon HeavyRocks, manylistenersmaynothave madeittotheremainderof thealbum.Itisgenuinely offensivetotheears,but aftertheshort-lived,abrasive moment,asynth-likefuzzy bassriff cutsinwitha wickedgroovethatdemands movement.Sittingbehind theprominentbasslineis aguitarsoakedinreverb, making noise and harnessing feedback.

“Question1”returnstothefast-paced rockandrollofprevioustracksfor aboutoneminute,onlytocollapseinto delay-drenched,post-rockslowmotion, accompaniedbyfeedbackandechoing vocals.Soonafter,theheaviestmoment on the album (so far) appears with guttural screamsandchuggingriffs,returningto rockandrollroots.

“Nosferatou”dropsintothe experimental realmwith somedoom-metal flavor.Lowand-slowguitarsunderlieangelicvocals andthereturnofthefranticsaxophone.

Borisdoeswhateverthehelltheywant. Andsomehow,itworks.

“Ruins”seesareturntoproto-metalwith rippingdrumsandguitarsrunningfull

speedtothegatesofhell.Thedual-lead harmonyat1:33 isepicallytriumphant, suitableforleadingtroopstovictory.

Despitethestellarqualityoftracksup until this point, two of the last three songs on HeavyRocks fallflat,makingthefirst halfofthealbumsignificantlystronger thanthesecond.

“GhostlyImagination”abandonsthe vintage-rockstylingsinexchangefor electrometalinthesameveinas Powerman5000;heavilydistortedvocals, aracingbassdrum,andanannoying guitarriffpairedwithincessant8bitsynthsfranklydon’tfitintothe diversemixon HeavyRocks.It’s withoutadoubtskippable,andmost willlikelydojustthat.

On“Chained,”Boriskeepsthe energyhighwiththreeandahalf minutesofhallucinogenicchaos. Uncountablelayersofsoundsand almostexcessiveuseofeffects pedalscreateahazyatmosphere. It’scomposedofsuperfuzzedout distortion,distantscreams,and guitar leads recorded in outer space. Thisisundoubtedlyoneof Heavy Rocks’sstrongesttracks,which makesthetransitioninto“(not)Last

song”evenhardertoswallow.It’s asix-minuteslogofmostlypiano andwailingvocals,laterjoinedby frantic,reverb-ladenguitar.Aside fromhowexcruciatinglyslowand unnecessarilylongthistrackis,the vocalsare annoyinglyrepetitive and mixed way too high; the combination isharshontheears.

HeavyRocks provesthatBoris stillhasmoremusicalterritoryto exploreevenafter30-plusyearsas aband.Theriffsareplentiful,the energyisinfectious,andtherock androllspirit livesonin themajority ofthesetentracks,despiteafew misses.

Youcanstream HeavyRocks now onSpotify.

RyonMorrinisafourth-yearALT livinginShintotsukawa,Hokkaido. He’saJapan-lifeenthusiast,a mountainclimber,andavocaloid fan.Heenjoysgoingtoshowsand musicfestivals,learningJapanese, andwritingcreativenonfiction.

WITHTHEWORSTOFCOVIDOVER, it’sbecomingless fauxpasforALTsinmycitytosharetheirtravel-heavy summermemories againwith theirJapanese kids.These kindsoftalksencouragekidstoimaginelifebeyondtheir hometowns,convincethemtoexplorethewiderworld oneday—broaderhorizons,moreinternationalization, thosesortsofthings.Wheredidwego?Whatdidwe see?Whatdidweeat?Whatdidweenjoy?Formethis summer, I went to Hokkaido—escaping the heat, avoiding thesnow,andlearningmoreabouttheAinu.

ButwhenIpresentedabouttheAinuinmysummer Hokkaido talk, the topic was completely foreign to the kids orverynearlyso,despiteHokkaidobeingabigmodern chunkofJapantoday.Alotofthemknewonlyasmuch orlittlemoreabouttheAinuthanabsoluteforeigners. TheAinuwerefirstbroughttomyattentionreadingthe GoldenKamuy manga,andfromit,IlearnedtheAinuare apeoplewithafascinatingandtragicstorythatneedsto bemorewidelyknown.

So,inthecontextofmysummerHokkaidotriptothe Upopoy NationalAinuMuseumandPark,let’stalkabout theAinu.

MarcoOliveros(Tokushima)

THEAINU areanethnic groupindigenoustothe landsadjacenttotheSeaof Okhotsk,encompassinga lotoftheRussianFarEast, Sakhalin,theKurilIslands,and whatisnowHokkaido.They areapeoplewithahistoryof extensivecontactsandtrade withRussiansandespecially Japanese,whilepossessing acultureandlanguagevery distinctfromeitherofthese peoples.Theword ainu means “human”intheAinulanguage, andtheybroadlyrefertothe RussiansandJapaneseas sisam,meaning“neighbor.” Unlessspecifiedotherwise, anyfurtherreferencetothe Ainuinthearticlewillbehence referringtotheHokkaidoAinu.

While practicing agriculture, the severe frosty climes of Hokkaido historicallydiscouragedthe

Ainufromemployingextensive andproductivericecultivation liketheirsouthernJapanese sisam.Consequently,densely populatedurbancenters neverarosefortheAinulike itdidfortheJapanese,who survivedonstrongtraditions ofhunting,fishing,and gatheringalongside milletgrain harvests,maintainingsmaller settlements.Frombirdsand beasts,toheavenlybodies andhome-warminghearths, theAinurevereddeeplyall thingsthatprovidethemlife andstructureinthisharsh yetbeautifulland,whichthey ascribeasupernaturaldeific quality,similar, butnot identical, totheJapanese kami:the Ainu kamuy

Fromthe17thcenturyonward, relationsbetweentheAinu andJapanesedevolved frompeacefulexchangeto exploitative subjugation. During theEdoPeriod,abettedby shogunanddaimyo,Japanese settlersandmerchants clashed withtheAinuforrightstoland, resources,andtrade.Ainu attemptsatresistingthese encroachingchauvinistic Japaneseauthoritiesand policiesoftenmetinfailure. FollowingtheMeijiRestoration inthelate19thcentury,the Imperialgovernmentofficially annexedHokkaidoaspartof ImperialJapanproper.

UNDERDIRECTJAPANESEIMPERIAL RULE, theAinuweredispossessedof theirlandandinstitutionallydiscriminated againstbytheJapanese.Theirculture wouldcomeundersystematicattackunder policiesofcolonialist assimilation,themost damagingbeing the1899 HokkaidoFormer AboriginesProtectionAct(HFAPA).In additiontofurtherlanddispossession,the ActbannedtheAinufrompracticingmany oftheirtraditionalformsofhunting,fishing, andgathering,commonly“compensating” theirtraditionalfoodsourcelosseswith inadequatelysizedandpoor-quality farmland.TheActalsodiscouragedthe practiceofAinureligionandpromoted exclusiveJapaneseinstructioninschools attheexpenseofthenativeAinulanguage. Sustained advocacy efforts by Ainu activists andallieswould,overnearlyacentury andmorelater,leadtoareevaluationand reversalofattitudesandpolicytowardsthe Ainu.A1997Japanesecourtcaseopinion declaredgovernmentassimilationistpolicy tobeunconstitutionalunderthepostwar1947Japaneseconstitution,further elaboratingthattheAinuwereentitled topracticetheirownculturewithout governmentinterference.

Shortlyfollowingthiscourtcase,the1997 AinuCulturePromotionAct(ACPA)would repealtheHFAPAanddirectgovernment efforts to promote elements of Ainu culture— albeitstoppingshortof recognizingthem asanindigenouspeople. Adecadelater, Japanvoted toadopt theUN Declarationon the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), andin2019,the JapaneseDietpassedthe AinuPolicy PromotionAct(APPA).The APPA,among otherpro-Ainumeasures andinlinewith theUNDRIP,broughtthe governmentto finally,officiallyrecognize theAinuasan indigenouspeople.Asan addedAPPA consequence,theUpopoy NationalAinu MuseumandPark(Upopoy) wasopened in 2020 tofurther preserveand promoteAinu culturestate-wide.

I ARRIVED AT UPOPOY by train fromSapporoalittlebefore midday,andrealizingallthese workshops and demonstrations existed,andheldduringset recurringtimeblocks,Iwas worriedIwouldn’thavetime toexperienceeverything thatinterestedmeinsidethe museum.Imanaged,though.

Insteadofmakingastraight beelinefortheindoor permanentexhibition,Istrolled thegrounds—whichwere beautiful,bytheway—and brainstormedwhatattractionsI couldmakeintime,andwhich Ineededtomakeadvanced reservationsfor.Ineededto signupforafew,andIneeded tojustshowupforothers.

Soon,Iheadedintoatheaterto watchsometraditionaldance andsong.Startingoff withthat wasprobablyfitting,giventhe museum’sname.“Upopoy”is anAinuwordmeaning“singing inalargegroup,”andasit happened,theAinuperformers intheauditoriumsangin

groups.Throughperformance, evenwithmylimitedJapanese (andnon-existentAinu),Iwas shownwhattheAinuvalued: fire and the hearths they huddle around,natureandthebeasts theyhuntdown,community andthekamuythey singthanks to.

Iwatchedtwomensitting androckinginplace,voices boominginfrontofafireplace; ahunterdancingaboutin aprojectedforest,hisbow swirlingandslashingintheair, hismouthmimickingthecalls ofbirds; agroup ofAinu circling incelebratory iomante around animaginarybear,thankingthe

sacredanimalforitsoffering ofmeat,fur,andorgansto theAinu,prayingforitssafe journeybacktotheworldof thekamuy.Alsotherewas thisweird mukkuri mouth harpthatIswearremindsme ofrubberbands.

Fromthetheater,therewere moretraditionaldanceand instrumentalperformances outside,outdoorreplicasof traditionalAinubuildings, andaworkshoponmaking traditionalAinufood.

IFOLDEDSUGAR,SALT,AND ATHIRDSUBSTANCE Idon’t rememberthenameofbutI trustisedibleintoadarksmelly doughbeforeshapingthe doughintofermentedpotato pancakescalled munin-imo.I waitedforthepancakestofry whilechompingonallthedried fishandwatchingtraditional Ainumethodsforfermenting potatoes,viathecoldandthe

snow.Imarveledathowthe interioroftheAinu cise living quarterscenteredarounda hearthforcooking,smoking, handicraftmaking,andkeeping warm.Inoticedfrominside theanimalcagesjustoutside forkeepinganimalssuchas bearsuntiltheirritualslaughter, andthesacredwindowfacing theAinu’stotemsofreligious kamuy devotion. I listened to the

weirdmukkuriharptwomore times,andalsothe tonkori, whichisastringedinstrument thatlookslikeahandheld koto andsoundslessweird.

Andthen,Ifinallyvisitedthe indoorpermanentexhibition too,whichwasgreat,but definitelylessmemorable thanalltheotherneatstuffI experiencedatUpopoy.

IDIDOTHERGREATTHINGSINHOKKAIDO, butwhenIwasaskedbymykidswhatmyfavorite memory was during my summer vacation, I decided ithadtobevisitingUpopoy.Ithadtobelearning abouttheAinuthroughallthedemonstrativeways Upopoyteachesthatknowledgeand appreciation. Perhaps that’s weird to those who don’t love history andcultureasmuchasIdo,butIdohope,after readingthisarticle,thattheAinuarealittlemore interestingtoyoutoo.

Marcoisafifth-yearALTandthecurrentCultureSection EditorforCONNECT.LivinguptohiscertainItalianexplorer namesake,he’straveledtoover30prefecturesinJapansofar. Hereallylikeshistory.Hegotcongratulatedbythemuseum staff forbeinghardcore andeatingall thedriedfish onhisplate attheAinufoodworkshopwhennooneelsedid.

hat’switheverything herebeingnamed tengu?”Iaskmy husband,whoseidea itwas totake thisgrueling hikeup the sideofthe mountain.Lastnight, we’d campedintheTenguHighlands,and thismorningwe’ddrivenpastthe TenguGuesthouse.

“There’sprobablylotsoftengu aroundhere,”hesays.

“Aretheythoseredguys?”Iask. Helaughs.“Yes,thoseredguys.”

Thoseredguys,knownall throughoutJapanastengu,are tallwithlongnoses,andliveinthe highlands.Hetellsmetheynotonly havesuperhumanstrengthandthe abilitytofly,butcanleapbetween dimensionstoo.Theyalsoliketo kidnappeople.

Whenwefinallyemergefromthe forestandreachthesummit,the viewisbreathtaking—darkmountain linesstretching tothe horizon,a deep

greenvalley,sand-coloredpampas grassflutteringinthewind.There’s notatall,redcreatureinsight.

“Kamikakushiniawanaiyouni,”says myhusband. Let’snotgetspirited away.

“THOSEREDGUYS,”THETENGU, areatypeofsupernaturalbeing referredtoinJapaneseas yokai. Notquitemonsters,notquitefairies, andnotquiteghosts,yokaiarean importantpartofJapanesefolklore moreaccurately definedby whatthey are not:human.“Yokai”hasbecome anumbrellatermusedtodescribe avarietyofunworldlyphenomena. Somelooklikehumans,somelook likeanimals,someshapeshift,and othersmanifestmorelikenatural phenomena—streaksoflightinthe sky,orastronggustofwind.Some causedeathanddestruction,and othersaresignsofgoodluckand prosperity.Whilesomesimilarare foundthroughoutJapan,mostare incrediblylocalized, resultingin arich diversityofyokailegends.

olearnmoreabout theyokaiwhere Ilive,inwestern Tokushima,Ivisit the YokaiYashiki,asmall museuminthemountainsof MiyoshiCity.Theexhibitsin theYokai Yashikidisplay awide varietyoflocalandnational yokai,inmostlyJapanese,but occasionallyincludingasign orstoryinEnglish.There, IlearnedthatTokushima ishometothe konaki-jijii, ayokaithatlivesinthe mountains,andwhosecries soundlikethoseofahuman child. Whenanunsuspecting victimtriestorescuethe konaki-jijii,theyfindwhat appearstobealostlittlekid.But whentheytakethechildintotheir armstocarrydownthemountain, thekonaki-jijiibecomesheavier,and heavier,slowlyreturningtoitsoriginal formasanoldman,untilthevictimis eithercrushedorlosestheirbalance andfalls.

THESTORYTHATSTAYS

otallyokaiare bad,ofcourse. Someareeven consideredgood luck,likethe zashiki-warashi. Thezashiki-warashiappears intheformofachildwith shorthair,andplayspranks aroundyourhouse,like spillingflourorsugaronthe kitchenfloor.Youmighthear itgigglingfromthecornerof yourbedroom.Itlikestopull yourpillowoutfromunder yourheadatnight,andtoss itonthegroundbesidethe bed.Thesepranksnever escalateintoanything dangerous—infact,having azashiki-warashiinyour homeisagreatsignof familyprosperity.

DURINGTHEPANDEMIC, anotherbenevolentyokai hasbeenembracedacross Japan—the amabie.The firstreportoftheamabie, ayokaiwithlonghair, abeak-likemouth,and threelegscoveredinfish scales,datesbacktothe mid-1800s.Accordingto legend,fishermeninwhat’s nowknownasKumamoto Prefecture spotted a strange, glowingobjectinthesea multiplenightsinarow.

Whenatownofficialwent toinvestigatethestrange object,itemergedfromthe waterandspoke,telling themantodrawapicture ofitandspreadtheimage aroundduringtimesof disease. Nearly two hundred yearslater,astheCOVID-19 pandemicsuspended dailylifearoundtheworld, theamabie’s popularity exploded aspeoplebegan toshareimagesoftheyokai onsocial media.Companies

addeditsimagetotheir products—inTokushima, I’veseenbigcolorful picturesoftheamabieon local sudachi-shu alcohol— anditevenbecamethe mascotforJapan’spublic safetycampaign.WhenI came across a small painting oftheamabieatagiftshop lastyear,Icouldn’thelp butbuyitandhangitinmy classroom—Imean,itcan’t hurt,canit?

otmanyJapanese peopleIknow actuallybelieve inliteralyokai anymore(“Um,no,”my closestfriendsayswhenI askher),butyokaistories areaspopularasever.

Withaboomintechnology afterWorldWarII,itdidn’t takelongforancientyokai

legendstoworkthemselves intocontemporary Japanese media.Oneofthefirst seriestopopularizeyokai was GeGeGenoKitaro,a mangacreatedin1960by ShigeruMizukiwhichlater inspiredspin-off TVshows, live-actionmovies,and videogames.Inthestory, Kitaroisafriendlyyokaiwho

helpsprotecthumansfrom moresinisteryokai.Created inrecentyears, YokaiWatch isananimeandvideogame seriesaimedatyounger viewers,andtellsthe storyof elementaryschoolstudents befriendinggoodyokai aroundtown,whilefighting off badyokai.

hancesareyou’veprobably seenyokaiinpopular English-languageversions ofJapanesemediatoo.Yokai appearinStudioGhiblimovies,the Pokemonseries,andhorrorfilmslike TheRing. The kappa—anamphibious greenyokaithatlikescucumbers anddrowningpeopleinrivers—even makesanappearanceinHarryPotter. AsJapanesepopculturecontinuesto growinpopularityaroundtheglobe, yokaifolklorespreadswithit.

Asavidcampers,withasoftspotfor sitesoff thebeatentrail,myhusband andIoftenfindourselvesinthe wildernessalone.Walkingthrough placeslikeTengunoMori,itfeelslike normallifehasbeenleftbehind,asif nothingexistsanymore,exceptforthe mountain,theforest,thebirds,andus. It’sincredible.

BUTI’DBELYINGIFISAIDINEVER FELTONEDGE. Therewillbestrange rustlingsinthedarkgreenfoliage betweenbamboostalks.Lights flickeringacrossthemountainvalley aftersunset.Criesinthemiddleofthe nightfromtheforest,or thesoundofa voice,notquitecloseenoughtocatch thewords.

Neitherofusreallybelieveinyokai. I’mnotscaredofthetenguona hike,orofmeetingakappawhile swimming.ButIdofeelacutelyaware thatweliveinawordsurroundedby mysterious,captivating,unexplainable phenomena—andthatsomepeople choosetocallthatyokai.

Amber Bunnell is a former JET (Tokushima 2016-2019). She runs Kohaku World English,alanguageschoolbasedinTokushima,andisafoundingmember ofthenot-for-profitorganizationTsunaguMimaWorldCommunity.Whennot teachingorvolunteering,Amberenjoyscampingandtravel,andisobsessed withonsen.Followherat ambersensei.mima onInstagram.

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AmberBunnell

MoreThan Hittingthe Target

“

Kyudo ismorethanjusthittingthetarget” islikelythefirstthingyouwillhearwhen goingtoyourfirstkyudolesson.Forquite sometimeafter,you’llhearitatevery followingpracticeaswell.Thisstatement isnotjusttomoveyourmindsetaway frommodernarchery,butitalsoserves asasortofpreambleforallthelessonsto come.Kyudo,tomeatleast,beganasa physicalsportandhasslowlyprogressed tosomethingmorephilosophical.I’dlike toshareabitaboutmyjourneyandwhat I’velearnedinhopethatyoumightalsotry kyudosomeday.

I’ll have done kyudo for five years this month, andinallhonesty,fiveyearsisnotalong timeincomparisontootherswhoarealso doingit.I’vemetpeoplewhohavebeen doingthisfor50-60years,forinstance.I stillconsidermyselfjustanovice,andI’m surethatifIreadwhatI’mwritingnow4050yearslater,Iwouldlikelycringe.Ialso worrythatthosewithmore experiencewill readthisarticleandpointandlaugh—in whichcase,pleasegoeasyonme.

Atthispoint,aftercountlesshoursof feelingfrustrated,experiencingsuccesses andfailures,performingatexaminations, readingbooks,repairingtargets,building ranges,andparticipatingintournaments, Ihavefinallybeenabletoappreciate everythingI’vebeentaught.

Ibegankyudoonaninvitationand,for somereasonoranother,wasdrawnto staywithit.Ifound—andoccasionallystill find—myteachersstrict.Whilestressful, it’swithinthisstrictnessthatIfound growth.Somedays,Iwouldhavetositand repeatedlypracticeasimpleheadbowof only10centimetersforalmost15minutes straight.Somedays,itwouldbehoursof justwalkinginandoutofaroom.Those thingsthatseemedsillyatthetimeare whatallowedmetogrowthemost.Igrew morepatient andlearned tobe moreaware ofeverythingIwasdoing.

Becausekyudoisjudgedwiththesmallestofpoints,Imean,Ihadtobe awareofliterally everythingIwasdoing.Doesmybreathingmatchmyfootsteps? Aremyeyeslookingatthespotfourmetersinfrontofme?Are myelbows atmyside?Aremyhandscorrectlyonmyhips?Aremybow andarrows pointingatthesamelocation?Aremykneesbent?Allofthese checksare justforwalkingforward.Eachstagehasawideassortmentof thingsthat needto becorrected andpracticed. Allof thisis justfor entering aroom, shootingtwoarrows,andleaving.

Inthisregard,youcouldsaykyudoismoreameditationthanasport.This conclusionhasbeenreachedbyseveralteachersthroughouthistory.Some schoolsteachkyudoasasortof“standingZen,”someschoolstrytoavoid testsandcompetitions,someschoolsencourage testsandcompetitions becausetheactofperforminginfrontofpeopleisatestoftheheartinand ofitself.Nonetheless,ineveryschool,basicallyeverythingreducesdownto practicing so much that your actions are no longer conscious efforts. Entering theroom,shootingthebow,andleavingareallmeanttobeintrinsically linkedto yourbody asbreathing is.Even preparingfor practiceis considered practice.Thebow,theglove,andthearrowsareallpreparedinaspecific wayandorder.Shootingarrowswiththebowisthemainactivityofkyudo, butthementalaspectsarethepillareverythingisbuilton.

Overtime,theseaspectsareapplicable outside of kyudo as well. Kyudo teaches you tofocus onwhat youare doingas opposed towhatmightbehappeningaroundyou. Shootinganarrowintoatargetissimple, butinorderforittobedonecorrectly,you must focus. That focus is what strengthens themindtoshootbetter.Likewise,doing dishes,gardening,cleaning,etc.are simple;whyshouldn’ttheyalsorequire focus?Youbegintorealizethatnothing deservestobehalf-assed.Whenyouhave thearrowdrawn,thereisnothinginyour headotherthansilence.Youdon’twantto hitthetarget.Youdon’twanttomissthe target.Youjustdo.

This ties back to the experiences of training. Eachactivitythatseemslikeachoreteaches somethingwhichallowsthestudentto growmoreasaperson.Performinginfront ofpeoplehas,overtime,taughtmetobe morefocusedonkyudoandovercomemy fearofmakingmistakesinfrontofpeople. Building my own dojo has taught me to take careofandtogentlytreatthedojosthatI visit.Hittingthe targethastaught metonot revelinsuccessbutinsteadfocusonthe nextarrow.Missingthetargethastaught menottodwellonfailure.Thepractice aloneteachesfocusonwhat youaredoing andpreventsdistractionbyyourthoughts. Practicingwithothersteachesyoutobe awareofyoursurroundingsandtolearn tomatchtherhythmofeveryoneelse’s archery.Everythingisalesson,andifyou don’ttreateachlessonseriously,youwill notgrow.

American Football

inJapan

Manysportsmaketheirwayacrossinternationalbordersfromwherethey firststarted.TheBritishEmpirespreadcricketaroundthecommonwealth asoneoftheirmany greatcrimesoftheera, andyoucanbarelyland inany countryintheworldthatdoesn’thaveasoccerteam.Onesportyoumay findmoreof astruggleto locatewhenyou stepoutsideof itshomecountry isprofessionalAmericanfootball,orNationalFootballLeague(NFL)asit’s morecommonlyreferredto.

Therearecertainlyfansallovertheworld.TheNFLhasbeenabletosend theproductofAmericanfootballfarandwide,withgamesintheirregular leagueseasonbeingplayed intheUnitedKingdom, Germany,Mexico,and morecountriestocome. There’seventalkofafranchise beingcreated outsideoftheU.S.,withLondonbeingthefavouredlocationinleague

WatchingtheNFLinJapanisanendurancesportinitsownright.Games areplayedonaSundaynightat1p.m.EST,whichtranslatesto2a.m.on aMondaymorninghere.Thismeansyouhavetobeaheavilycommitted fanoraninsomniactogetyourfixoflivegameswatchingNFLbroadcasts fromtheU.S.For thosewhovaluetheir sleepbutstillwant togettheirfix of Americanfootball,thereisasolution.

EntertheX-League

Japanhasn’tquitetakenAmericanfootballtothe sameprofessionalheightsthatittookbaseball when itembracedthesport,buttheamateurleaguethat hasdevelopedinJapanisgrowinginpopularity.

ABITOFHISTORY

Americanfootballwasactuallybroughtto Japanearlierthanyoumightthink.Thefirst threecollegeteamswerecreatedin1934by missionaryandarmy personnelbasedin and aroundTokyo.

Professionally, the league formed in 1981 and ismadeup ofcompanyteams andcompanysponsoredteams—PanasonicImpulsein Osaka,forexample. Theleagueis amateurin thesense thatplayers donot playfor asalary.

Therearealsotwocollegiateleaguesin Japan:theKansaiandKantoleagues.

Split into two leagues, the X1 Super and the X1AreaLeagues, thereareteamsbased all over Japan for you to root for on a Saturday, whichiswhenthemajorityofgamesare played.Asmostoftheteamsarecompany teamsorcompany-sponsored,localteams, theyare madeup mainlyof playerswho work forthecompany. Butwhatwouldamateur sportsbewithoutafewringerssprinkledin?

Infact,teamscanhaveuptofourforeign playersontheirteam,withonlytwoonthe fieldatanytime.Thereareseveralformer U.S.collegeplayersonX-Leagueteamswho madethemovewhenthingsdidn’tworkout attheprofessionallevelintheU.S.Tokeep tothesport’samateurstatus,theimported playersaregivenasalaryasacompany employee,notasaplayer.

Thehighlightsoftheleagueseason aretheJapanXBowl,inwhich the twobestteamsintheleagueface off toseewhoisthebestteamin the X-League,andTheRiceBowl,in which thewinneroftheXBowl facesthe winneroftheKoshienBowl, whichis thecollegetitle. Ifitsoundslikesomethingyou’dbe into,nowistheperfecttimetostart. TheLeague’sfallgameschedulejust startedinSeptember,andtheseason isonlyafewgamesin.Thespring tournament has ended, but that’s really onlyreallythewarmuptothefall schedule,whichisthemainevent. Youcangoin persontoseea teamfor averyreasonableprice(mosttickets arelessthan1,500yen)comparedto mostothersportingeventsbygoing totheX-Leagueofficialwebsite,or youcanwatchallthegamesfromthe comfortofyourownhomewiththe league’sstreamingservice.

Andyspendsmostofhistimeworried aboutthefutureoftheNewYorkJets footballteam.Hehasafamilytooand canoftenbefoundhunchedover paintingsmallplasticfigures.Iced coffeeishisfavouritethingabout Japan.

world’ssimplestandmostsatisfyingmeal.Put yourpastaontocook.Twoclovesofgarlic shoulddo,chopfinelyandthenfryoveralow heatinaglugofoliveoilandtablespoonof butter.Atthispointyoucanaddornotadd whateverformofvegetableyoupreferfora healthieroption.Ioftenhavespinachwhichis greatandveryversatile.Whenyourpastais cooked,placeitinthefryingpanwiththe sauceandstir.Finishoffbyseasoningwith salt,pepperandchoppedchillies,andaddone finalknobofbuttersoitmeltsasyouserve.

BuyFrozenVegetables

Ifyouareanythinglikemeandthemajorityof otherhumansonthisplanet,youwillpurchase avarietyoffreshoptionsfromthesupermarket inarose-tintedhaze,convincedthatthisweek youareabouttobecomeastellarcook.Fast forwardninedays,andthemajorityofthat beautiful,vitamin-filledvegisgrowinganother lifeformatthebackofthefridge.Thisis nothingtobeashamedof.Afull-timeworking weekisexhausting,andtheideathatwewill comehomeeacheveningrefreshedenoughto makeahealthymealfromscratchis unrealistic.Frozenvegetablesaregenerally cheaper,stayfreshaslongasyouneed,and areeasyandsafetodefrost.

VEGETARIAN

VEGETARIAN

PrepareYourLunchin Advance.

Iamalmostcertainlysurethatifyourschool offers kyushoku,youareunabletosignupif youhaveanydietaryrequirements.Iama seniorhighschoolALT,soIalsohavetofend formyself.IhaveonlybeeninJapanforslightly overamonth,andfeelthatImightsoontake onthephysicalappearanceofa7/11pickled plum onigiri.InvestinagoodTupperwarethat won’tleakandalwaysmakeextrawhenyou cookyoureveningmeal,andBob’syouruncle youhaveyourselfatasty,cheap,andmildly nutritiouslunch.

KeepanOpenMind.

My“vegetarianism”hasencounteredmany differenthomes:universityhalls,mystudent houseinSheffield,andmyparent’shousein Cheshire.Ithasalsocrossedmanyborders.I havetriedandtestedthevegetarianandvegan optionstravelingacrossWesternEuropeand livinginSweden,Japan,andEngland,my homecountry.

Meetingpeoplefromsomanydifferent backgroundshasfosteredmanyinteresting cross-culturalconversationsabout vegetarianism,veganism,andtheglobalfood systemingeneral.Animalproductsare inseparablefromdiscussionsaboutfood security,sustainability,andglobalfossilfuel emissions.Whethertheyareanessential, integralpartofourglobaldietoran unnecessarystrainonourresourcesisupfor fiercedebatebothamonggloballeadersand aroundourowndinnertables.

SustainabilityisKey.

Ihavemanyfriendswhopushforatransitionto adietoflocal,seasonalproduceinplaceof simplytheavoidanceofanimalproducts.This reducespressureonanyonespecificfood source,asopposedtosimplydivertingthe pressure,asconcentratingonnewalternatives seemstodo.

Intheory,Iagreewiththis.Theargumentthat localratherthanmassproductionisbetterfor thewell-beingofallthoseinvolvediseasily won.Inpractice,however,unlessyoulivein theoutbackorareextremelywelloffandcan affordtoshopatgentrifiedfarmer’smarkets, youhavenooptionbuttopurchasemassproducedgoods.Thequestionremainsthen–whichisthelesseroftwoevils?Topurchase meatthatisultimatelyanenormous contributortotheincreasingtemperatureof theplanet,ortodivertourmoneytodifferent sourcesoffoodthatareinthelongrun, potentiallyjustasharmful?

Don'tbetoohardon

Yourself.

Allthisdoomandgloom!Timetogettomy point.Icannowbetterexplainmyexperience inJapanasawannabevegetarian.Ihadarrived inTakasakinolongerthan12hourspriorand hadalreadymanaged,accidentally,toorder ramentoppedwithanenormouspileofbeef. Aftercontemplatingmymoralsforatotalof threeminutes,Idecidedtoeatit.Foodwasteis definitelyonparwithmeatconsumptionin termsofcontributiontoclimaticdestruction. Chooseyourbattles.Also,Iwasveryhungry.

AlexandraCrombieisafirst-yearJETlivingin Gunmaprefecture.Herfavouritecolourisadark, mutedblueandshelikestospendherfreetime campingorexploringwithfriends.Shealso enjoyswatchingcopiousnumbersoffilms.

GAINS the Grind & Japanese GymCulture:

AComprehensiveGuide

MazRacette(Ishikawa)

Areyouapersonwhoconsiders homewherethegruntsofswole dudesinstringertanktopsand theinhalationofmuskybodyodor fillyouwiththesamefeelingas whenyouwereachildon Christmasmorning? Maybe,like everyoneatsomepoint,you’ve neversteppedfootinagym;but now,you'reonthat“newcountry, newme”grindset,andyoutell yourselfit'stheperfecttimeto start(you’reright,bytheway). Regardlessofyourfitness orientation,youmightfindit challengingtolocatetheright gymforyouinJapan.Iwasright therewithyou,quiterecently.But fearnot,forIwillbeyourbig, strongguideonthiswonderfully uniquejourneythatisJapanese gymculture.

Inordertounderstandthe appropriategymoptions,itis importanttoknowthatafewthings likelydifferinthegymculturein Japancomparedtothatofyourhome country.Whilehealthandhobbies playalargeroleinJapaneselife,the nationgenerallydoesnothavea fitnessindustryquiteaslargeasits westerncounterparts.Becauseof this,gymstendtobesmallerand lesserinnumber.

UponaskingGoogle sensei toshow gymsnearby,manyofthemare crampedstudiosthatrestonthe eighthfloorofanobscurehighrise— iftheyarelistedonGoogleatall. Let’snotforgetthattyping“gym”into mapswillonlyshowgymslistedwith theEnglishword“gym.”Imadethis mistakeandsignedayearcontract withagym(whichIendeduploving) thatisfarenoughawayfromthe apartmentthatIpassseveralother suitablegymsontheway;ones whichIdidnotfindsimplybecauseI reliedonlyonGoogle.

Japan’sintenseworkculturemeansmanypeople gotothegymdirectlybeforeorafterwork. Becauseofthis,thereareusuallylockersand showersingyms,sometimesevenhairdryers, clothingsteamers,sinksfortoothbrushing,and more.Anothercommonfeatureisthewomen's onlyfacilities,oftenyogastudios,whichcan providewomenwithasafeenvironment.Some gymswillhaveawomen-onlyworkoutarea, whichcanrequirespecialkeyaccesstoenter.

Thereareacoupleofstandardrulestoaskabout beforesigningupaswell.Onewhichmaycatch Westernersoffguardisneedingtattoosand piercingstobecovered,likewisewiththe occasionalstrictdresscode—includingthe Japanesestandardoftheuseofseparateindoor shoeswhileinthegym.Andofcourse,ifyou’re tryingtogetcakedup,youneedtogetmaskedup aswell.Italsowouldn’tbeJapanwithoutarowof vendingmachinesinyourgym,filledwithflavored energyjellypacketsandproteinshakes.Yougotta eatbigtogetbig,afterall.

Ifindmanyofthesesurprisinglittlefeatures enjoyable,astheygivemeasenseofplacehere inJapan.Bothstaffandothergymgoersare extremelykindandfriendly.Ironically,asmuchas Ifeellikeaforeignerinanewland,Iinstantlyfeel acceptedassoonasIstepfootintothegym.

DespitebeingthousandsofmilesfromwhereI grewup,IfeelathomewhenIenterthegymin Japan.Whetheryou’relookingtoimproveyour health,havefunwithanewhobby,ortakeyour firststepintotheworldofwellness,Ihopethis shortguideprovidesyouwithsomesucculent, muscularadvicetogetthemostoutofyour fitnessjourney.

Source1

TheAgeingPopulationandAgedSocietyfrom

The

Japanese

CuttheTop

Cutaholeinthetopofyourpumpkinlarge enoughtogetyourhandsinside.Afterwards, puttheknivesawayuntiltheyareneeded again.

CleantheInside Invitethestudentsuptothefronttohelpyou cleanoutthegooeypumpkinguts.Thisstage is the most fun for the kids, who tend to squeak andshriekthroughoutwithamixtureofglee andrevulsion.Providepapertowelsorwet wipesforhandcleaning.

CuttheFace

Oncethepumpkiniscleanandsmoothinside andthestudentsarebackintheirseats,carve theface.It’slessexcitingforthestudentsto just watch after the interactive cleaning phase, sothisstepisbestaccomplishedquickly(you cansmoothoutfinedetailsinthecarving later).

Finally,turnthelightsout,drawthecurtains, andlight thecandles insideyour fabulousnew jack-o’-lantern!

Aftercarving,leaveyourjack-o’-lanternsat schoolforthestudentsandteacherstoenjoy. Asktheprincipalorviceprincipalforapublic placetodisplaythepumpkins,inthehallway, byyourEnglishboard,oronthestudents’ shoeshelves,etc.Atnight,afterthestudents gohome,lightthemupsothattheteachers canenjoythefulljack-o’-lanterneffect!

JORDAN ROCKE (EHIME)

ItseemsmoreandmorelikelythatmostseniorhighschoolALTs aregoingtobeinsituationswhereinvolvingtechintheirlessons isnotjustprobablebutencouragedbytheirJTEs.Alessoninvolving techmightmeancarryingaportableprojectorupthreeflightsof stairs,andtheJTEaskingrepeatedlytomakesuretheactivityis [[i]]that[[i]]goodsoit’sworththeeffort.Andtherewouldstillbe atleasta25%chanceyou’llbeusingchalk,anyway.Tobehonest, Imissit!Thejoyofalow-techworkplaceishaving101gamesthat requirebasicallynoprep.Sotoday,Iwanttorunyouthrougha fewofthem.

typhoon35

COMMUNITY

AShibaInuguardsthestorebefore

InDogoParkinMatsuyama,therearemany birds,largeandsmall.Icannevermanage togetagoodphoto ofakingfisherinDogo’s park,butIdidmanagetophotograph anotherbird:thebull-headedshrike.Bullheadedshrikesimpaletheirfoodtomake themeasiertoeat...andsometimestomark theirterritory.Prettyscary,butnatureislike thatsometimes.

LikeNara,MiyajimaIslandintheHiroshimaBayAreais hometomanyfriendly(andsometimesaggressive)deer.I startledawindowshopper.

Thisyoung hippohas beenthe mostrecent starofTobe’szoo,picturedtakingadip nexttomom.

Nearbytothehippo,amonkey practicesdentistry.

Justlookathim.Youcantellhe’sthinking somethingterribleandviolentbehindthose cold,lovelesseyeswithhispea-sizedbrain. Hassaku,ifyou’rereadingthis,whichIknow youaren’tbecauseyou’retoodumbtoread, butyoulostyourchancetobemyfriend.As for the rest of the animals I’ve encountered in Japan,you’remorethanwelcome.

VeronicaNielsen(Hiroshima)

Onasmallislandoff thecoastofmainland Hiroshimaprefecture,shrubberylines thelushgreenmountainsatthebases, somethinghidingbeneath.Underthese bushesareadorablerabbitsthatresemble ballsoffurastheyrelaxintheshade.Other rabbits hop around in open areas near a port wheretouristsarrive,asifusedtopeople. Seenfromtheportaredilapidatedbuilding ruinsscatteredthroughouttheislandof Okunoshimathatonceservedanational, albeitnightmarish,purpose. Okunoshima,neartoTadanomiStation alongtheJRHirodenLineinHiroshima, hasatinyportthatcantakeyoutoand

fromthistinyislandoff thecoastofthe smallcityTakehara.Growinginpopularity amongJapaneseandinternationaltourists, Okunoshimaismostwell-knownforits abundanceofrabbitslivingontheisland, henceitsnicknameRabbitIsland,or UsagiJima (うさ ぎ 島). This island has countless rabbitsthatawaitvisitorsnear theport wheretheyarriveandmorearound the island.Hidingundertheshrubberyor baskinginthesun,thecuddlyanimals bring joytovisitorsofallages,makingOkunoshima apopulardestinationthat visitorstoJapan mustexperience.

DuringmyfirstvisittoOkunoshimainthe earlysummerof2022,Icouldn’tseemuch asheavyrainfallmadeithardertoexplore theislandthatday.Despitethis,Idevoted timetofindingandfeedingtherabbits,as wetastheywere,withtheceleryIbought. Manyrabbitshidundergreenshrubbery andpicnictablesunderroofedseating areastostaydryfromtherain.Withthis weather,therewasnowayIcouldcover myselfwithrabbitslikesomevisitorshave donewhenmorerabbitsareoutandabout. Nonetheless,Ihadplentyoffunspending timewiththerabbits,andIlookforwardto goingbackwithmyfamilyonanicerday.

Currently,wedonotknowmuchabout theisland’srabbits.Thereisnoconcrete answerexplainingwhytherabbitsliveon Okunoshimaorhowtheygotthereinthe firstplace.Onetheoryproposedthatthe present-dayrabbitsaredescendantsof theoriginaltestrabbitsusedforpoison gasmanufacturingduringthewar,butno evidencesupportsthis.Someguessthata groupofschoolkidsmayhaveintroduced themtotheislandatsomepoint,although itisunclearwhattheirreasonswouldhave been.(4)However,manyfluffyrabbitslive ontheislandtoday,entertainingvisitors withtheircutecharm.

Onthesurface,Okunoshimamakesa brightimpressionwithitsfurrycritters,but theislandhasalesser-knownhistorythat revealsitsdarkpast,stronglycontrasting withitspresentstate.Scatteredaroundthe islandareruinsofbuildingstructuresthat onceservedanationalisticcause.These ruinswerefactoriesthatproducedpoison gasweaponsforJapanthatitsmilitary couldprimarilyuseinitswarfareabroadin ChinaduringWorldWarII.(2)

Inordertoconcealitslocationfrom enemies,JapanerasedOkunoshimaoff themapwhileitcontinueditsproduction ofpoisongastosendtothemilitary. BecauseJapanwasanofficialsignatoryof the1925GenevaProtocol,whichbanned chemicalwarfarebutnotthedevelopment ofchemicalweapons,theJapanese government’sdecision tohide Okunoshima fromofficialmapswasproblematicforthe island’sresidentsandworkers.(3)

AccordingtoOkunoshimaIslandPoison GasMuseum’sgasplantexhibit,the island’sresidentsandpotentialemployees

hadnoknowledgeofwhattheisland’s factorieswereproducing.Manyfactory workersworkedinstrenuousconditions, someofwhichdealtwithpoisoningfrom gasproduction.AttheendofWorldWar II,residentsandformerworkershadto remainsilentaboutOkunoshima’spoison gasproduction;onlyinrecentyearshave workersfinallyreceivedtreatmentaidfrom theJapanesegovernmentfortheirtoxicrelatedillnesses.(3)TheOkunoshima Island’s Poison Gas Museum does a superb jobofillustratingwhatmakespoisongas deadlyandthedevastatingeffectsof warfare.

Althoughitissafetoassumemosttourists visitOkunoshimatoseetherabbits, therearedownsidestothesizablerabbit population.First,Okunoshima’srabbit populationissaidtobetoolargeforthe island to sustain. Given the lack of resources duetothefactoryremainsand surrounding environment,thereisn’tenoughnatural feed,orgrassandplants,tofeedallthe rabbits.Becauseofthat,manyrabbits relyontouriststoprovidethemwithfood whenevertheyvisitforadaytrip.(1)

Manyrabbitshaveopportunitiestoeat foodduringsummervacationbytourists, butsomefacestarvationduringthewinter asfewervisitorscometoOkunoshima.In addition,the feedtourists givethe rabbitsis not always healthy. While cabbage is widelybelievedassafeforrabbitstoconsume, itdoesnotcontainthefiberneededfor rabbitstosustainahealthylife.(1)Some touristshavealsoraisedconcernsabout feedingrabbitsfood meantforhumans, like bread.Whilegivingtherabbitsfoodisnot prohibited,touristsmustberesponsible astheyinteractwiththetinycrittersand confirmthatthefoodtheyfeedtherabbits issafeforthemtoconsume.

Astourismgraduallyincreaseswithmore countriesallowinginternationaltravel, visitorstoJapanandthoseresidinghere shouldvisitOkunoshima.Touristsfrom withinandoutsideJapancantaketheferry fromTadanomiPort,andthegiftshop containsaplethoraof rabbitgoodies.Along withitsrabbits,variouspoisongasfactory ruinsremaintoday,remindingvisitorsof Okunoshima’s role in assisting the Japanese militarywithweaponproductionduring WorldWarII.Forthosecuriousabout history,thisislandisamust-visittolearn aboutafascinating,yetnotwell-known, topic.Evenwithadarkhistorysteepedin itspast,Okunoshimahastransformedfrom apoisongasproductionsitetoarabbit paradise.

VeronicaNielsenisafirst-yearCoordinator forInternationalRelations(CIR)located inHiroshimaprefecture.Sheiscurrently workingontranslatingwebpromotional materials,socialmediaPRactivities,and educatingthelocalcommunityabout variousaspectsofAmericanculture.She enjoyshikingaroundJapanandisona missiontoscoutouthistoricsitesacross thecountry.

Sources

1. TheDarkSecretsofOkunoshima, Japan’sRabbitIsland

JapanExperience

OkunoshimaPoisonGasMuseum

VisitOkunoshima,Japan’sMysterious RabbitIsland

Marking Stories,

SharingMemories

BEKOBE!

Thestatementisanodtothevaluablecontributionsofevery citizenofKobeCity.Itisarousingdeclarationthatthebest feature of this port city goes beyond the comfortable weather, enticingviews,andmouth-wateringcuisines(Kobebeef, anyone?).Itisthecommunity.

AsaJETprogramparticipant,itisalwaysasourceofpride, honor,andfulfillmentasaculturalambassadortoJapan whenIgettheopportunitytowearmy barongTagalog—the nationaldressshirtformeninthePhilippines—toanyevent oroccasionthatservesasanavenueformetorepresentmy countryandourculture.

Itwasdoublymemorableformetowearmybarongduring aceremonygracedbythecity’smayorashehandedmemy appointmentcertificate,flankedbyafewothercityofficials andsomeotherdistinguishedpeople,whilesurrounded byothercolleaguesrepresentingothercountriesaswell.It wastheappointmentceremonyoftheKobePublicRelations Ambassadors(PRA).IamnowinmysecondyearasaPRA, andithasbeenakeytoopenalotofdoorsforme.

Tellingthetales

TheKobePRAmbassadorsareforeignnationalswholive,work,and/orstudyin Kobe.PRAsarearmedwiththeirpassiontosharestoriesabouttheirnewfound home,their joyto sharetheir experiencesin thecity, andto helppromote Kobewith theEnglishlanguagethroughdifferentplatformsonsocialnetworkingsites.

What started in 2016 with only 15 PRAs gradually increased to 82 in 2022. The PRAs comefromdiverseculturalandprofessionalbackgrounds.NowthereareALTs, students,educators,musicians,practitioners,businesspeople,andsocialmedia influencers,amongothersworkingasPRAs.What’smore,Kobe,beingthemelting potthatitis,hasPRAs fromallpartsoftheworld includingtheU.S.,France,Russia, SouthAfrica,Jamaica,India,Singapore,andthePhilippines.ThePRAs’mainrole istobringKobeCityclosertotheworld:tonotjusttell,butshow,howthecityhas impactedus,notjustasstudentsorprofessionals,butasindividuals,withpersonal talesandtravails.

ThePRAs’mainroleistobringKobeCitycloserto theworld:tonotjusttell,butshow,howthecityhas impactedus, notjust asstudents orprofessionals, butas individuals,withpersonaltalesandtravails.

Formany,KobeisthecityinWesternJapanthatwas severelyhitbyamassiveearthquake,knownasthe GreatHanshin-AwajiEarthquake,inJanuary1995. Internationally,thecity’snameisspokenbyforeigners for having the world’s best meat: the famous Kobe beef. ButKobehasmorepositivestoriesthandisastersand moreexcitingoffersthanbeef.

ThecharmthatKobehasissharedbytherestof Japan—initscornersandhiddengems.Delicacies athole-in-the-wallrestaurantsandcafes,Instagramworthy corners from the narrowest to the widest streets, summerhikes,andhanamiviews.Hereiswhereour “job”asPRAscomesin.

Toolsofthetrade

BeingaKobePRA isnotactuallya job.Wearevolunteers andnot officialrepresentativesoremployeesofthecitygovernment’sPR department.Wedonotgetpaid.Weareevenstrictlyforbidden toreceivepayment,discounts,freebies,oranyotherspecial treatmentinexchangeforpromotingabusiness,product,place, orevent beforeor afterposting. Otherwise,our PRAstatus willbe immediately revoked. This establishes our roles not as influencers, butasthecity’spartners.

Second,wecanpostandpromoteKobeanytimeandanywhere wemaybe.Wechoosethetimewefeelliketakingpicturesor videos,andwhento postthemonline.No timetablestofollow,no pressure.

Third,ourdailylivesinKobearemainlyoursourceofcontent. Passingbyalocalshrineofinterestonthe waytowork?Makean Instagram post. Riding a local train and chancing upon a speciallythemedtraincar?Makeareel.Passingbyafavoritelocalbakery orcaféandorderingyourfavoritepastryordrink?Postit.

Theremarkableincreaseinfollowersonour official social media platforms is proof that the KobePRAsaredoingagreatjobinmaking thosewithinournetworksknowmoreabout Kobe.Thefactthatwehavebeenexpanding ourreach onthe webfor thepast fewyears is just one of the indicators that Kobe PRAs have beencontributingtothediscourseofthecity online,andthatitisabeneficialone,too.

Tripswetake

So,whatdowegetfrombeingaKobePRA?First,asweareappointed ambassadors,we areprivy toin-depth knowledgeabout thecity weare promoting.Itisevensurprisingsometimeswhenwediscoverhidden gemsfrom ourneighborhoods. Whowould havethought thatthe small rodentprintshangingonshopwallswouldhaveinterestingstoriesin thecity’sbookoffolktales?

Second,byparticipatinginofficialeventsandtoursforPRAs,weget freeaccesstoexclusiveinformationandopportunities.Thinkofitlike gainingVIPaccess totheKobe Club,thefirst English-speakingclubfor foreignersin WesternJapan. SinceI wasinducted intothe group,I have experiencedaKobeBaycruiseaboardtheluxuryvesselGozabune, anEdoperiodreplicalinerownedbyfeudallordssuchasTokugawa Iemitsu,thethirdshogunoftheTokugawadynasty.

Third,wereceivepassestomuseumexhibitsinthecity.Forsomeone whohadnointerestintheartsormuseumsbeforejoiningKobePRA,I developedapassionforfinearts,history,andliteraturebecauseofthe freemuseumticketsIgetalmosteverymonth.

Finally, since Kobe PRA is also about community and building networks, anyonejoiningtheprogramisguaranteedanexpandedcircleof influencewhileintheprogramorevenaftertheirappointmentperiod. True enough, the program has become an intersection and opportunity tomakenewfriendsandbuildbridgeswithstrangerswhose—nopun intended—commongroundisKobeCity.

Wecametothiscityasindividualswithhighhopes,bigdreams,and excitement.KobePRAstaketheseindividualaspirationsandpassions with them, like pages, and turn them into a saga, something we all hope willmakeKobe’sbookagreatoneforothers toexperienceandalsoto write.

CONTRIBUTINGTO

CONNECTisamagazineforthe communityinJapan,bythe communityinJapan.Everyone iswelcometowrite,nomatter yourexperienceorstyle!Ifyou haveanideayouwanttoseein thesepages,reachouttoour HeadEditor,oranyofour awesomesectioneditors.We’ll workwithyoutomakeitthe bestitcanbeandshareitwith ouraudienceofthousands.Not everyarticleneedstobean essay!Wefeatureinterviews, infographics,top-tenlists, recipes,photospreads, travelogues,andmore.

ContacttheHeadEditorof CONNECT,MonicaHand,at connect.ajet.editor@gmail.com withyoursubmissions, comments,andquestions.

ARTICLES

Writeaboutsomethingyou’re doing.Writeaboutsomething youlove.Tellusastory.

SPOTLIGHT

Tellus about someone inyour communitywho’sdoing somethingneatandnoteworthy. Cooks,collectors,calligraphers— wewanttohearaboutthe inspiringpeoplearoundyou.

PHOTOS

Members oftheJETcommunity contributedtothephotosyou seeinthisissue.Ifyou’rean aspiringphotographerandwant yourworkpublished,pleaseget incontactwiththelead designer, LloydCruickshank,at connect.ajet.visualmedia@g mail.com.

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