Plain Talk
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD MAY 13. 20222022 Looks Really Bad: Wars, Famine, Inflation...And The Sesshoseki Splitting by Patrick Hattman
I am usually not the superstitious type. I think there are rational explanations grounded in science for most occurrences in life and how the world around us works. Fables and fairy tales can make for some interesting stories, to be sure, but they typically belong in a make-believe world full of legends.
In fact, I firmly believe that's what the world's so-called greatest religions have as their foundations. Yet billions worldwide accept them unquestioningly as the gospel truth. They do not need evidence to confirm the veracity of what they believe. They simply have faith.
Be that as it may, I have to admit things are getting so bad for the planet that it is not surprising that some are dismissing rational explanations and looking to fantasy ones to make sense of the incomprehensible. In fact, as the world's history is being recorded so far in 2022, things seem to be, to turn a phrase, running amuck.
We are inundated with war news from Ukraine, the continent of Africa and elsewhere. There is a daily barrage of stories about famine and resulting starvation, with the distressing news of rampant inflation making things worse for the foreseeable future. COVID-19 and its mutations, the climate crisis, a mad man in Vladimir Putin running Russia. Could it get any worse?
Well, it could if you are in Japan, especially if you want to delve into superstitions for why life is getting so dark and depressing. Some recent news articles detail how the Sesshoseki - Japan's "Killing Stone" on Mount Nasu in Tochigi Prefecture - was found split asunder. From the legendary world, this means that Tamamo-no-mae, a malevolent nine-tailed fox demon entombed in the rock for more than a millennia, has escaped and can once again wreak havoc throughout Japan.
What will result from this evil happening? War for Japan in Asia, earthquakes, and pestilence might be among the consequences of the fox demon's freedom. Or maybe there is no truth to the powers of the ancient Tamamo-no-mae. Perhaps the fox demon is a fairy tale and the Sesshoseki was cleaved by natural processes involving water and erosion. Whatever the truth is, one thing is for sure: 2022 looks like a doozy!
普段の僕は、迷信を信じるタイプではない。人生で遭遇する出来事や、僕たちを取り巻く世界の仕組みには、科学的根拠に基づいた合理的説明があると思うからだ。寓話やおとぎ話は確かに面白いが、それは伝説にあふれた架空の世界に属するものだ。
実際、世界的な偉大な宗教も、根底にあるのはそういうものだと僕は確信している。しかし世界何十億もの人々は、それらを福音の真理として疑うことなく受け入れている。彼らは、自分たちが信じていることの信憑性を確認するための証拠を必要としない。ただ、信じるだけなのだ。
それはともかく、地球にとって事態があまりにも悪化しているため、合理的な説明を排除し、理解できないことを理解するために空想的なものに目を向ける人がいてもおかしくはない、と僕は認めざるを得ないのである。実際、2022年までの世界史に記録されているように、事態は、言葉を変えれば「暴走」しているように見える。
ウクライナやアフリカ大陸など、戦争のニュースが氾濫している。飢饉やその結果引き起こされる餓死に関するニュースは連日報道され、インフレの蔓延という悲惨なニュースもあり、当面は状況が悪化することが予想される。COVID-19とその変異体、気候危機、プーチンという狂人がロシアを動かしている。これ以上悪くなることはないだろう？
もし、君が日本にいたら、なぜ人生がこれほど暗く憂鬱になっていくのかについて、特に迷信を掘り下げて考えたくなるかもしれない。先日、栃木県那須岳の「殺生石」がバラバラに割れて発見されたとニュース記事が伝えていた。伝説の世界では、この石に千年以上封じ込められていた九尾の狐の魔物「玉藻の前」が逃げ出し、再び日本中に災いをもたらすというのである。
その結果、何が起こるのか？アジアにおける日本の戦争、地震、疫病などが、狐の妖怪が自由になった結果として起こるかもしれない。あるいは、古代の玉藻の前が持つ力には真実はないのかもしれない。もしかしたら、狐の鬼はおとぎ話で、雪竇は水と浸食の自然現象で裂かれたのかもしれない。いずれにせよ、2022年は大変な年になりそうだ。
Plain Talk
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD TNB Throwback: DECEMBER 11. 2015Interaction With Japanese Police by Marshall Hughes
Most people I know try to avoid interactions with police on any level, and I had been pretty much able to avoid the police my whole life until I came to Japan. It was in Japan that I had my first interaction with police. It was because of a parking ticket and it was an amazing experience.
In my country, America, a parking ticket can be handled by writing a check and dropping it in the mail. Not so here. I used to live near Tsukuba, Ibaraki, and sometimes would drive to Abiko and park next to a public park when I went into Tokyo on a weekend night. It always looked a bit dodgy as to the legality of where I was parking, but there were other cars parked there so I thought I’d give it a try.
One Monday morning I came out of my house only to discover something attached to the front grill of my car. It was on there very securely, but I was able to pull the paper ticket out while leaving the bulky apparatus that remained attached to my car. I had not noticed it when I came home the previous Saturday night. I showed the ticket to someone at work who told me I had to go to the police station in Abiko to pay the ￥10,000 ticket. I left work early the next day and went to Abiko. When I walked in the station I headed to the front desk where I showed two officers my ticket and said I was there to pay. They asked me if I had an international driving permit or a Japanese license. I told them that I had an international permit. This seemed to not be what they wanted to hear. They stepped back and, after recirculating through their teeth the usual amount of surrounding air that can accompany indecisiveness here, discussed what to do. They struck upon the idea of calling in another officer so they told me to wait. Down the stairs came a quite portly officer and the first two officers handed him the ticket and melted into the background.
Mr. Massive asked me if I had an international permit or a Japanese license. I told him that I had an international permit. Cue the air suck and confusion. He turned for help but the first two officers were gone, so he waved me into what I would guess would be the interrogation room. There were only two chairs, a light and a desk in the room. There was a small, two-way window for observation. I looked around for blood stains as my imagination started to go wild. Mr. Massive asked if I spoke Japanese, a rather odd question as I had been speaking to everyone so far in la lingua Japonica. I told him only a little, thinking it might be the best answer. He asked to see my permit, and this is where the fun really began. An international permit, at least one from America, is more a booklet than a license. Mine was 16 pages or so, with one page each in about a dozen languages including English, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Korean and Arabic, among others. I handed him the permit. He looked at the front cover, and turned the permit upside down. And then right side up. And then upside down. It was soon apparent that he couldn’t read English, or even tell when letters were right side up or upside down. Then, he flipped through the book from front to back, occasionally turning the book upside down and then back. He couldn’t tell, in any of the languages, what was upside down and right side up. Even in Chinese or seemingly Japanese. Finally, he got to the end of the booklet where my picture was. When he saw my picture he turned the booklet right side up and handed it back to me with a bit of a self-satisfied smile. He then left me in the room and came back toting a massive book, one of the single most mammoth volumes of anything I had ever seen. He started going through the book, and I assumed it was to quote me some vehicle code. He was sweating. Profusely.
He finally closed the book and gave me a rapid-fire, no-holds-barred lecture about the importance of driving safely while school was in session, saying that if I hit a child while driving it would be a serious problem. I’m not sure what that had to do with my parking ticket, but I assured him that I would always drive safely and try not to run over any children. He then stood up, gave me the thumb out the door and out of the building.
I never paid the fine or heard from them again.
Unfinished business
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD MAY 17. 2019Farewell to a Japan Jazz Icon by David Gregory
The messages from all over Japan read aloud during the service helped us realize how widely Koyama-san touched lives and how many like us were feeling something newly missing from our worlds. But, although wonderful and sometimes saddening us, they did not trigger crying. That happened next.
Those first few notes of the "'Round About Midnight" Miles Davis version, the cut Koyama-san always used to open Jazz Tonight, performed by a live piano and trumpet duo up front near the coffin, did it: Instant recognition, recollections, sighs around the room, eyes closed, arms crossed, heads dropped back or down, and tears, at least for me. How many times had we heard, after Miles breathed his somber opening, Koyama-san's low, raspy voice welcoming us into the studio with, "Minna-san, gokigen ikaga desho-ka everybody, how are you feeling?"?and never thought that someday we would hear him ask about us no more?
Koyama-san's widow, whom, like him, had never known me, stood alone at the coffin head and bowed in silence to everyone in turn after they placed flowers around his body as the duo continued with another slow number, the trumpet sounding so strong and crisp and unusual in a memorial service hall. After we placed our flowers, she responded to my hand on her shoulder, a touch just meant to console her, by immediately turning and reaching for me?a total stranger?burying her head in my chest, and breaking down. She needed that hug that everybody sometimes needs. She let go after her respite when she was ready to face the coffin and everyone else again, and returned to her position. Going to Kashiwa in a snowstorm was worth it just for those few moments when I could do something for her.
So our Kashiwa day was both sad and good. But, why did I even want to go a funeral for a man whom I only knew by voice, and who, although linked to jazz, was not even a musician?
Koyama-san and his Jazz Tonight program I listened to since at least the early 2000s. For more than sixteen years, while my life in Japan has been filled with huge uncertainties, he has been here Saturday nights on the radio, reliable, keeping me connected to the world's music and opening my ears to music from Japan I would not know without him. Listening to him always made me feel good, no matter what had happened in my life during the week or what was coming up in the weeks ahead. Koyama-san and Jazz Tonight were my respite. How well can I replace that comfort?
Koyama-san, thank you for helping this foreigner feel good in Japan. Please rest well in jazz heaven.
NHK Radio, thank you for giving Koyama-san a way to connect with us. Please encourage other DJs to continue doing what he did so well.
To Koyama-san's surviving family members: Please care well for yourselves now, and thank you for supporting and sharing Kiyoshi with us.
The Smallest Box by David Gregory
She came over to my table and asked if I remembered her.
“That’s my boyfriend over there.”
Their table hugged a pillar blocking the sunny Tokyo Bay view enjoyed by the other customers that afternoon in Chiba’s AquaRink ice skating facility café.
“Maybe we will marry next year.”
On my way out, I stopped to congratulate the potential groom to be. What I later heard happened with Hiromi and Hiroshi that night at another place also close to the bay sounded so too good to be true that I visited that place to confirm it really happened. It did.
Hiroshi had reserved for the course menu that night at OCEAN TABLE, next to Chiba Port, on the second floor, where tables sat by the huge windows facing Chiba Port Tower and Tokyo Bay. No view-blocking pillars there. And they had a wait, even with their reservation, because it was Christmas Eve, which in Japan matters much more than the following day; the Eve is the year’s couples’ night out, and single women without dates that night can feel their whole year was wasted.
Hiroshi had changed into a suit after skating, and had urged Hiromi, against her protests about overdressing, into a plaid one-piece, raising expectations. They had never come to a place this nice, one requiring reservations. Saizeriya was more their speed: fast faux-Italian, cheap, and everywhere.
The unexpected wait made Hiroshi antsy. He relaxed and all was perfect after they were seated.
They talked. They ate the Christmas Dinner courses. They ignored the soft Christmas background music. They admired the gleaming, golden Christmas Tree rising from the first-floor buffet area through the open center space across from their table. They could see outside the sparkling flashes and half the tree in Port Tower’s Christmas Illumination, and beyond, the lights from the ships on and facilities around Tokyo Bay, appearing almost twinkling. Perfect—but not for Hiromi.
She went to the toilet. Still he had not asked. The day was done. The reservation system only allowed them two hours there. They had been together all day. He had remembered her birthday-just by coincidence, also that day-with a necklace at AquaRink. Nice, but was that all? He had pestered her since early December about what Christmas present she wanted until she had finally exploded with, “Nothing! Don’t you know I just want a proposal?!” And had added she wanted it to be a surprise. Here he had the perfect chance, and he was wasting it.
She could try enjoying what was left of the evening. Dessert was next. At least here was better than Saizeriya….She was still stuck when she returned to the table, and had no chance to do or say anything, anyway. It was his toilet turn.
Their desserts came. Hiromi sat and waited and pondered the future. Outside, the tower stood alone against the dark sky and Tokyo Bay’s inky darkness.
Their desserts waited. Maybe his tooth was bothering him again. Maybe he was just tolerating it to make the night go well. Maybe for her. Maybe she should go to check on him. Wait-maybe she just heard his voice across the room.
No, only Santa Claus, posing for photographs with diners at the far table. He then started circling the room, giving a small present from his big sack at each table. She could check after he was done.
Hiroshi still had not returned to his seat when Santa reached their table. He handed Hiromi a big, red stocking, by far the room’s largest gift, accompanied by a squeaky, “Atari! You’re a lucky one!” Yeah. She set it aside and Santa moved on. What was he still doing in the toilet?
Santa finished his round, returned to Hiromi, and pointed at her unopened stocking with squeaky, “Un! Un!” grunts. The other diners had opened their presents. She forced a smile and said she was waiting for her boyfriend to return. “Un! Un!”
When Hiromi still resisted, Santa took the stocking in his white-gloved hands and opened it himself. Out first came a big, pink box, heart shaped. He opened that and pulled out another heart-shaped box, and then, from inside that, another heart-shaped box. Another smaller, heart-shaped box followed. He removed from that an even smaller heart-shaped box, and thrust it to Hiromi with one more squeaky, “Un!”
Still gone. Well, he’d miss it. Hiromi obeyed Santa this time and opened it, the smallest box in the room …and her mind and face went blank.
After that frozen moment passed, Hiromi looked at Santa. The second shock hit, and more followed. Santa Claus had ripped off his gloves, furry hat, sunglasses, and huge, flowing beard. He took the box from her?she was still speechless?dropped onto one knee, held the open box out and up to her in both stretching hands, and said in a voice loud enough for everyone in the room to hear, “Hiromi-san, boku-to kekkon shite kudasai! Hiromi, please marry me!”
Outside, to anybody looking, Port Tower’s Christmas Illumination still flashed, and the lights on and around Tokyo Bay still appeared almost twinkling. Inside OCEAN TABLE, on the second floor, everything was happening so fast that Hiromi just did not know which was more difficult to believe: Hiroshi and the ring he first tried slipping onto the finger on her right hand, the one he had taken in his before she held out her left hand, or the following PAN! and PAN! PAN! PAN! PAN! PAN! and PAN! PAN! and PAN! explosions ripping and ribbons shooting around the room as diners at the floor’s other tables popped the party crackers they had found with the notes in their presents from Santa Claus.
Copyright © 2018 David L. Gregory All rights reserved.
I Did It! by David Gregory
She had been here before. But, those were tour-guided or hand-held visits. After living most of her life in white-bread suburban USA, driving everywhere, shopping in giant malls and supermarkets, and needing only one currency and one language, my mother ventured out on her own, within and beyond Chiba, during one trip to Japan. From her notes, here are Dorothy's...
ADVENTURES IN JAPAN
Grocery Shopping in Neighborhood―Walk five blocks...buy only one bag...walk five blocks back. Survived it!
Shopping in City Center―Walk six blocks to bus stop. Ride bus fifteen minutes. Arrive at stores. Walk around. Look. Decide: cookies.
Buying: “Ikura desu-ka how much?” Hmm. “Kakimasu kudasai write please.”
Paying options: give large bill, let clerk figure change, or open change purse, let clerk take out correct amount. Decide to just give some cash.
Clerk shakes her head (“NO! MORE!”), then counts out correct amount needed from register and shows me. I mimic her action from my change purse. Smiles! Deep bows with many, “Arigato gozaimasu thank you very much!”-es.
(My error: thought there was decimal point in Yen price....)
Open cookies, expecting pirouettes with chocolate centers. Instead, peanut butter waffle rolls, no chocolate. No wonder, now I see peanut sketch on package. “Shoganai can’t be changed,” I did it to myself. It could have been worse!
~~~
Travelling to Visit Friend’s Family on Other Side of Chiba―Walk ten blocks to train. Purchase ticket. Electronic lady on ticket machine screen says, “Arigato gozaimasu” and bows. Ride train twenty minutes, watching for correct stop, get off, walk seven blocks to house. I did it myself!
Visiting Hisae Overnight―My Japanese study partner in USA returned to Japan, now lives on other side of Tokyo Bay.
Take large purse and large tote bag with jacket, nightie, toothbrush, cosmetics. Walk six blocks to bus stop. Ride bus to train station. Ride train eighty minutes to Yokohama. Find correct exit from station. EASY. Did not even look at note in pocket explaining route and Japanese signs. And, look! Hisae and three-year old Kei are waiting! “Hello!” they say! Many hugs!
I did it!
Then, still more travel: train together fifteen minutes, short taxi uphill to lovely apartment, sunny and bright.
Returning to Chiba, just reverse process. Next time, we can meet at a station halfway in between. I can do it.
I can do it!
Copyright (C) 2015 David Gregory. All rights reserved. Chiba, Japan
Book Review
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD MAY 11 2018Cherry Blossoms in the Time of Earthquakes and Tsunami
by Rey Ventura Reviewed by Randy Swank video maker and scriptwriter Rey Ventura won the 2015 National Book Award for his third collection of essays, Cherry Blossoms in the Time of Earthquakes and Tsunami, but for some strange twist of fate you will find very little information on this book. You can’t even buy it on Amazon. This is a shame because Cherry Blossoms... is a beautiful, insightful and thought-provoking book. |
Cherry Blossoms in the Time of Earthquakes and Tsunami |
In "Miniskirts and Stilettos" we meet Ginto, a young lady who comes to Japan dreaming of making it big as a singer and entertainer but has to deal instead with a much darker reality; while "Mr. Suzuki Tries Again" and "Into the Snow Country" are tragicomic tales of arranged marriages where the dreams and expectations of bride-starved farmers from Japan's Deep North clash with those of young Filipino women who want to escape their poverty and go into marriage "as a girl goes into a convent." Ventura tells these stories with a great eye for detail and manages to find a ray of light even in the darkest corners, or poetry in the midst of a nuclear disaster. The book's first essay is called "The Slow Boat to Manila" and indeed, slowness is the first word that comes to mind when considering Ventura's approach to writing. Everything Ventura does is slow. He is no magazine reporter after all, and will spend days or even months getting to know a person he wants to write about. That's the kind of personal commitment and deep connection with his subject that one feels when reading his essays. |
Tokyo Fab
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD MAY 13, 2022
HIDA TAKAYAMA JAZZ FESTIVAL
"There are mountains, culture and local people’s lives. Rich life in Hidatakayama. When I saw Gassho-style houses in the falling light rain for the first time, the roof was beautifully mossed.
That was my first experience that I felt the building is alive. I saw the building that continue coexisting with nature for a long time."
Jazz was born for liberated African Americans to survive. And it has evolved till this day after mixing many interpretations made by people of various races. It’s been 100 years since Jazz was born. Hida’s Gassho-style has been existed since that time. Our own history in Hida has developed mixing cultures from north, south, east and west. Now It is the place where people from all over the world visit. It evolves with time, still we have to identify what needs to remain unchanged and what the root is. That is the important thing we have to cherish in the future.
Jazz has free expressions. Music has the power to make people happy. We are glad to hold a jazz festival here in this rich location, Hidatakayama. Leading parts are wonderful artists and of course guests. Yes, it’s you. Welcome to HIdatakayama.
Date：2022.5.21 Sat 12:00−22:00
Venue: Hida no Sato (Takayama Sta. on JR Tokai Line)
Hakuba Yoo Hoo Festival
"Hakuba Yoo Hoo Festival" is an outdoor festival where you can enjoy music, yoga, lantern nights, tasty local food, and more with spectacular views. The festival will be held at the top of the 1,289-meter-high mountain!
The two-day live music event at the summit of the 1,289-meter-high mountain will be produced by former Kimaguren member ISEKI. The artists will weave their sounds with their feelings in the shining fresh greenery and clear air. ISEKI, who loves nature and has produced many music events that coexist with nature, looks forward to a collaboration of music and the spectacular scenery of Hakuba Iwatake.
Enjoy the experiences at the top of the mountain, where everyone can spend their time freely. A variety of outdoor events will be held at "Iwatake Green Park," a pleasant lawn overlooking Hakuba Village, including yoga to relax the body and mind, and lantern night, where visitors can make a wish and float into the starry sky from the top of the mountain at night, which is normally off-limits to the public. Don't miss these opportunities to experience Hakuba's natural beauty while having fun.
Date：May 21 (Sat) - 29 (Sun)
Venue: Hakuba Iwatake Mountain Resort in Nagano Pref.
https://hakuba-yoo-hoo-festival.com/
What’s App With You?
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD MAY 13, 2022
Console Launcher:
Plenty of phones come with their own game launcher, like Samsung and Asus, but what if you'd like to roll your own launcher on an Android device? Well, Console Launcher is a delightful new release that offers a console-like experience. Game icons are large, they can be displayed in landscape, and controllers are supported, meaning you can easily presuppose an older Android device to use as a handy gaming device with a slick launcher to jump into your games quickly. Keep in mind Console Launcher is still a work in progress, so bugs may pop up.
Capsll:
Seeing that many of us post plenty of content across social media, you must wonder if it's worth saving this stuff in a single location. Wonder no more; Capsll is a fresh app that offers exactly that. It's a digital time capsule app where you can save content from across all manner of sites to capture concise stories of the events in your day-to-day. Capsll makes it easy and safe to collect scattered records of memorable moments into digital time capsules that can be shared privately with full user control, or on an optional public feed to inspire others. The app, which doesn't mine user data or rely on advertising, is set to revolutionize digital memory saving while giving users complete ownership of their content.
Tokyo Voice Column
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD TNB Throwback: JULY 24. 2015
The War behind Ueno Zoo Tokyo Japan by Cherry
I have once been to Ueno zoo together with my family. We are excited to see a panda like other animal species. If you’ll take a look, it’s just a simple zoological park like any other zoo, except that the difference is its history behind those animals living there.
Back to its sad history after the March 1945 bombings of Tokyo, the Japanese Army ordered that all wild and dangerous animals at the zoo be killed; claiming that bombs could hit the zoo and escaping wild animals could wreak havoc in the streets of Tokyo. Because aside from atomic bombings on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki which killed at least 200,000 people and most of the dead were civilians, the rest suffered by radiation sickness, compounded by illness and malnutrition. It’s not only people who are victims of war, but also the animals who are taken cared of in Ueno Zoo,Tokyo Japan.
The animals were executed by poisoning, strangulation or by simply placing the animals on starvation diets. And during that time, Japan, overlaid with sorrow and the flood of tears of the Japanese people and their children. Now a permanent memorial can be found in the Ueno zoo.
War reminds us that his victim is not our true enemies, but the innocent people and living things on this planet. There is no victory in war, we can’t get satisfaction with a violent way either by taking the lives of many people; it never has a happy ending.
We can obtain victory and happiness by unity and peace whatever your religion, race, culture, and nationality is.
Although, it is hard to accept what the war brought to us, we need to move on and live peacefully in the present. Pray and hope that it would never be happen again.
家族と上野動物園に行った。うちの家族はパンダを含め動物を見るのが大好きだ。上野動物園は、普通の動物園と変わりないが、そこで暮らす動物達のたどった歴史を振り返ると大きな違いがある。
悲しい歴史とは１９４５年３月、東京大空襲以後、日本軍の命令によって動物園の猛獣は殺されたことだ。空爆で動物園が破壊され、猛獣が東京の街に逃げ出し大惨事を起こすかもしれないという理由からだった。広島や長崎では２０万人の人が命を落とした。その大多数が一般人で、生き残った人達も放射線症やその他の病気や栄養失調を煩っていた。戦争の被害者は人間だけでなく、東京の上野動物園で飼育されていた動物も同様だった。
動物たちは毒殺、絞殺.あるいは餌をあたえられずに死んでいった。殺処分が行われた期間、日本は、子供を含め日本人の深い悲しみと涙で覆われた。現在の上野動物園には永久の記念碑がある。
戦争とは、戦争の被害者は本当の敵ではなく、罪のない人々やこの地球上で生を営んでいたものだった事がわかる。戦争で勝利はない。多くの人の命を奪うという野蛮な方法で勝ち誇ることはできない。つまり戦争にはハッピーエンディングは決してない。
地域、人種、文化、国籍にちがいがあろうと平和に共存する事で勝利と幸福を得ることはできる。
先の大戦がどんな結果をもたらしたかを受け入れるのはむずかしいかもしれなが、前進し現在を平和に生きる必要がある。二度とこんな悲惨な戦争が起こらない事を願ってやまない。
MUSEUM -What's Going on?-
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD APRIL 22. 2022
Poke´mon Fossil Museum
Poke´mon, the beloved creatures of the Poke´mon video game series, are full of mystery. Some of them can only be revived from fossil-like states!
The subject of this exhibition is the so-called fossil Poke´mon, which are shown as part of a unique paleontological learning experience. Visitors will be able to compare the fossil Poke´mon with similar prehistoric life forms found in real-world fossils.
Our “Fossil Professor” and “Excavator Pikachu,” along with real-world experts, will guide you through the exhibition, offering assistance on how to compare the fossils of the two worlds.
*
Highlight １
Compare the image of this Poke´mon with and that of the prehistoric life form next to it and try to identify the similarities and differences between them!
Highlight ２
Life sized conceptual skeleton models of Fossil Poke´mon are featured in this exhibition, which showcases skeleton models, fossils and replicas from our world for easy comparison!
Highlight ３
Compare skeletons of Poke´mon with those of real-world prehistoric life forms! How Poke´mon skeleton would be like was conceptualized for this exhibition. The images will help you imagine how these creatures must have looked like if they were to be excavated like real-world fossils. ※ Skeleton images of the Fossil Poke´mon are only conceptual drawings.
Period: - June 19 (Sun), 2022
Venue: National Museum of Nature and Science
Hours: 09:00-17:00 (last admission 30 minutes before closing )
Closed: Mondays (Except 5/2 & 6/13)
Admission: General & University Students ￥1,200 / High School, Junior High School and Elementary School Students ￥400
*Reservation required.
For more information, please visit
https://www.kahaku.go.jp/pokemon/
The Year 2121: Futures In-Sight
21_21 DESIGN SIGHT holds the exhibition "The Year 2121: Futures In-Sight" from 21 December, 2021. The exhibition director is Michiaki Matsushima, an editor who has published numerous books and magazines, all revealing his interest in issues relating to the future. His perspectives consider how technologies bring change to our cultures and styles of living.
The term "20/20 vision" is used in English to denote perfect sight. The name, 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT refers to our wish to provide a place where people can look far into "the future". One hundred years from the opening of this exhibition will fall in the year 2121. Our concept is to ponder how the world will look in a year which is coincidentally also the name of this institute.
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Since ancient times, humankind has made predictions and prophecies about the future, whether tomorrow's weather, the next year's harvest or the future prosperity of the nation. We have recently gained more confidence in the process, thanks to the detailed and elaborate prognoses now available via advancing technology of analysis and measurement of information. Yet, in every case, from the very beginning of time, has "the future" even been more than just an extension of the past?
The experience of global pandemic has brought drastic and widespread changes to our life-style, communication methods and sense of community, as well as to people-values and general ways of thinking. It has brought home to us how unpredictable "the future" really is.
With its multiple ideas of what lies ahead, this Exhibition offers space in which to think about "the act of considering the future." We provide the generations alive today, and those yet to come, with opportunities to nurture rich insights into how we might create a tomorrow through the medium of design.
Period: - May 22 (Sun), 2022
Venue: WATARI-UM, The Watari Museum of Contemporary Art
Hours: 11:00 - 19:00 (last admission 30 minutes before closing)
Closed: Tuesdays
Admission: General ￥1,200 / University Students ￥800 / High School Students ￥500 / Junior High School Students and under may enter for free
*Advanced booking recommended
For more information, please visit
Strange but True
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD MAY 13, 2022
Secret Rocket?!
People are convinced they've discovered a secret rocket hidden deep within a desert on Google Maps. The unusual spot, which was shared on the Reddit page r/GoogleMap, shows an odd-looking structure which somewhat resembles a rocket in the Taklamakan desert in China. The site is in Qiemo County, Xinjiang, and after following the coordinates, it shows that there are a number of other similar sites which are located next to industrial buildings near the centre of Taklamakan desert. It's the world's second largest shifting sand desert which spans 337,000sq km (130,000sq mi) and has dunes which reach as high as 18m (60ft). One Reddit user uploaded the image of the site with the coordinates before asking the online forum if the structure was a rocket. Although it seems that not everyone is as convinced by the bizarre structure with some coming up with a much simpler explanation. Have you ever spotted anything unusual on Google Maps?
Protect Your Skin!
Most of us use just one to two pumps when applying foundation. If you apply SPF first, this isn’t an issue. However, if you’re skipping SPF and only using a foundation with sun protection as part of the formula, one to two pumps aren’t anywhere near enough to get the level of protection needed. A beauty chemist has shared just how much foundation you’d need to apply to get the SPF benefits that come with the bottle. Shockingly, you would need around 13 pumps − way more foundation that anyone would want to use, as it would leave skin cakey and be hard to blend in. So to answer the question: do I need to wear a separate SPF if my foundation has SPF in it? Yes, you most certainly do. It might seem like a chore, but a demonstration from Michelle shows just how ineffective applying minimal foundation is.
Links
Guesthouse Tokyo
10 minutes to Ikebukuro.
Interhouse
safe and accessible solution for your accommodation needs in Tokyo.
Sakura House
1830 monthly furnished rooms at 204 locations in Tokyo.
BAUHOUSE
Private furnished rooms in Roppongi, Akasaka, Azabu-Juban etc.
J&F Plaza
Furnished & unfurnished guesthouses and apartments in Tokyo.
May Flower House
Tokyo furnished apartments. Ginza, Roppongi, Yotsuya and more.
TenTen Guesthouse
33,000yen/30 days for working holiday students.
GOOD ROOM TOKYO
Share room, Private room, under 50,000yen
MOVE JAPAN
Private furnished rooms in Tokyo with free internet. Call us first or call us last!
Tokyomove.com
Hassle free moving starts from 6000yen.
Tokyo Helping Hands
Very flexible working hours to effectly help you with moving, deliveries, disposal, storage and more!
AirNet Travel
We'll cut you the best air ticket deals anywhere.
Fun Travel
Discount air travel & package tours 2min from Roppongi Stn.
No.1 Travel
We go the extra mile for you. International air tickets and hotels.
JR Tokai Tours
Top-value travel to Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya from Tokyo by Shinkansen.
Matsuda Legal Office
All kinds of Visa, Immigration & Naturalization, International Marriage etc.
Futaba Visa Office
Licensed immigration lawyer & certified public tax consultant.
American Pharmacy
English speaking pharmacy since 1950.
Tokyo Skin Clinic
EU-licensed multi lingual doctors.
Tax-free AKKY
Japanese Appliance, Watch, Souvenirs
Tokyo Speed Dating
1st Sat. & 3rd Sun. at Bari n Roppongi ETC.
Tokyo Spontaneous
Picnic, Parties, Language exchange
TMA
Japanese women & Western men.
Tokyo Fab
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD MAY 13, 2022HIDA TAKAYAMA JAZZ FESTIVAL
"There are mountains, culture and local people’s lives. Rich life in Hidatakayama. When I saw Gassho-style houses in the falling light rain for the first time, the roof was beautifully mossed.
That was my first experience that I felt the building is alive. I saw the building that continue coexisting with nature for a long time."
Jazz was born for liberated African Americans to survive. And it has evolved till this day after mixing many interpretations made by people of various races. It’s been 100 years since Jazz was born. Hida’s Gassho-style has been existed since that time. Our own history in Hida has developed mixing cultures from north, south, east and west. Now It is the place where people from all over the world visit. It evolves with time, still we have to identify what needs to remain unchanged and what the root is. That is the important thing we have to cherish in the future.
Jazz has free expressions. Music has the power to make people happy. We are glad to hold a jazz festival here in this rich location, Hidatakayama. Leading parts are wonderful artists and of course guests. Yes, it’s you. Welcome to HIdatakayama.
Date：2022.5.21 Sat 12:00−22:00
Venue: Hida no Sato (Takayama Sta. on JR Tokai Line)
Hakuba Yoo Hoo Festival
"Hakuba Yoo Hoo Festival" is an outdoor festival where you can enjoy music, yoga, lantern nights, tasty local food, and more with spectacular views. The festival will be held at the top of the 1,289-meter-high mountain!
The two-day live music event at the summit of the 1,289-meter-high mountain will be produced by former Kimaguren member ISEKI. The artists will weave their sounds with their feelings in the shining fresh greenery and clear air. ISEKI, who loves nature and has produced many music events that coexist with nature, looks forward to a collaboration of music and the spectacular scenery of Hakuba Iwatake.
Enjoy the experiences at the top of the mountain, where everyone can spend their time freely. A variety of outdoor events will be held at "Iwatake Green Park," a pleasant lawn overlooking Hakuba Village, including yoga to relax the body and mind, and lantern night, where visitors can make a wish and float into the starry sky from the top of the mountain at night, which is normally off-limits to the public. Don't miss these opportunities to experience Hakuba's natural beauty while having fun.
Date：May 21 (Sat) - 29 (Sun)
Venue: Hakuba Iwatake Mountain Resort in Nagano Pref.
https://hakuba-yoo-hoo-festival.com/
What’s App With You?
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD MAY 13, 2022Console Launcher:
Plenty of phones come with their own game launcher, like Samsung and Asus, but what if you'd like to roll your own launcher on an Android device? Well, Console Launcher is a delightful new release that offers a console-like experience. Game icons are large, they can be displayed in landscape, and controllers are supported, meaning you can easily presuppose an older Android device to use as a handy gaming device with a slick launcher to jump into your games quickly. Keep in mind Console Launcher is still a work in progress, so bugs may pop up.
Capsll:
Seeing that many of us post plenty of content across social media, you must wonder if it's worth saving this stuff in a single location. Wonder no more; Capsll is a fresh app that offers exactly that. It's a digital time capsule app where you can save content from across all manner of sites to capture concise stories of the events in your day-to-day. Capsll makes it easy and safe to collect scattered records of memorable moments into digital time capsules that can be shared privately with full user control, or on an optional public feed to inspire others. The app, which doesn't mine user data or rely on advertising, is set to revolutionize digital memory saving while giving users complete ownership of their content.
Tokyo Voice Column
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD TNB Throwback: JULY 24. 2015The War behind Ueno Zoo Tokyo Japan by Cherry
I have once been to Ueno zoo together with my family. We are excited to see a panda like other animal species. If you’ll take a look, it’s just a simple zoological park like any other zoo, except that the difference is its history behind those animals living there.
Back to its sad history after the March 1945 bombings of Tokyo, the Japanese Army ordered that all wild and dangerous animals at the zoo be killed; claiming that bombs could hit the zoo and escaping wild animals could wreak havoc in the streets of Tokyo. Because aside from atomic bombings on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki which killed at least 200,000 people and most of the dead were civilians, the rest suffered by radiation sickness, compounded by illness and malnutrition. It’s not only people who are victims of war, but also the animals who are taken cared of in Ueno Zoo,Tokyo Japan.
The animals were executed by poisoning, strangulation or by simply placing the animals on starvation diets. And during that time, Japan, overlaid with sorrow and the flood of tears of the Japanese people and their children. Now a permanent memorial can be found in the Ueno zoo.
War reminds us that his victim is not our true enemies, but the innocent people and living things on this planet. There is no victory in war, we can’t get satisfaction with a violent way either by taking the lives of many people; it never has a happy ending.
We can obtain victory and happiness by unity and peace whatever your religion, race, culture, and nationality is.
Although, it is hard to accept what the war brought to us, we need to move on and live peacefully in the present. Pray and hope that it would never be happen again.
家族と上野動物園に行った。うちの家族はパンダを含め動物を見るのが大好きだ。上野動物園は、普通の動物園と変わりないが、そこで暮らす動物達のたどった歴史を振り返ると大きな違いがある。
悲しい歴史とは１９４５年３月、東京大空襲以後、日本軍の命令によって動物園の猛獣は殺されたことだ。空爆で動物園が破壊され、猛獣が東京の街に逃げ出し大惨事を起こすかもしれないという理由からだった。広島や長崎では２０万人の人が命を落とした。その大多数が一般人で、生き残った人達も放射線症やその他の病気や栄養失調を煩っていた。戦争の被害者は人間だけでなく、東京の上野動物園で飼育されていた動物も同様だった。
動物たちは毒殺、絞殺.あるいは餌をあたえられずに死んでいった。殺処分が行われた期間、日本は、子供を含め日本人の深い悲しみと涙で覆われた。現在の上野動物園には永久の記念碑がある。
戦争とは、戦争の被害者は本当の敵ではなく、罪のない人々やこの地球上で生を営んでいたものだった事がわかる。戦争で勝利はない。多くの人の命を奪うという野蛮な方法で勝ち誇ることはできない。つまり戦争にはハッピーエンディングは決してない。
地域、人種、文化、国籍にちがいがあろうと平和に共存する事で勝利と幸福を得ることはできる。
先の大戦がどんな結果をもたらしたかを受け入れるのはむずかしいかもしれなが、前進し現在を平和に生きる必要がある。二度とこんな悲惨な戦争が起こらない事を願ってやまない。
MUSEUM -What's Going on?-
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD APRIL 22. 2022Poke´mon Fossil Museum Poke´mon, the beloved creatures of the Poke´mon video game series, are full of mystery. Some of them can only be revived from fossil-like states! |
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Highlight １ |
Period: - June 19 (Sun), 2022
Venue: National Museum of Nature and Science
Hours: 09:00-17:00 (last admission 30 minutes before closing )
Closed: Mondays (Except 5/2 & 6/13)
Admission: General & University Students ￥1,200 / High School, Junior High School and Elementary School Students ￥400
*Reservation required.
For more information, please visit
https://www.kahaku.go.jp/pokemon/
The Year 2121: Futures In-Sight 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT holds the exhibition "The Year 2121: Futures In-Sight" from 21 December, 2021. The exhibition director is Michiaki Matsushima, an editor who has published numerous books and magazines, all revealing his interest in issues relating to the future. His perspectives consider how technologies bring change to our cultures and styles of living. |
* |
Since ancient times, humankind has made predictions and prophecies about the future, whether tomorrow's weather, the next year's harvest or the future prosperity of the nation. We have recently gained more confidence in the process, thanks to the detailed and elaborate prognoses now available via advancing technology of analysis and measurement of information. Yet, in every case, from the very beginning of time, has "the future" even been more than just an extension of the past? |
Period: - May 22 (Sun), 2022
Venue: WATARI-UM, The Watari Museum of Contemporary Art
Hours: 11:00 - 19:00 (last admission 30 minutes before closing)
Closed: Tuesdays
Admission: General ￥1,200 / University Students ￥800 / High School Students ￥500 / Junior High School Students and under may enter for free
*Advanced booking recommended
For more information, please visit
Strange but True
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD MAY 13, 2022Secret Rocket?!
People are convinced they've discovered a secret rocket hidden deep within a desert on Google Maps. The unusual spot, which was shared on the Reddit page r/GoogleMap, shows an odd-looking structure which somewhat resembles a rocket in the Taklamakan desert in China. The site is in Qiemo County, Xinjiang, and after following the coordinates, it shows that there are a number of other similar sites which are located next to industrial buildings near the centre of Taklamakan desert. It's the world's second largest shifting sand desert which spans 337,000sq km (130,000sq mi) and has dunes which reach as high as 18m (60ft). One Reddit user uploaded the image of the site with the coordinates before asking the online forum if the structure was a rocket. Although it seems that not everyone is as convinced by the bizarre structure with some coming up with a much simpler explanation. Have you ever spotted anything unusual on Google Maps?
Protect Your Skin!
Most of us use just one to two pumps when applying foundation. If you apply SPF first, this isn’t an issue. However, if you’re skipping SPF and only using a foundation with sun protection as part of the formula, one to two pumps aren’t anywhere near enough to get the level of protection needed. A beauty chemist has shared just how much foundation you’d need to apply to get the SPF benefits that come with the bottle. Shockingly, you would need around 13 pumps − way more foundation that anyone would want to use, as it would leave skin cakey and be hard to blend in. So to answer the question: do I need to wear a separate SPF if my foundation has SPF in it? Yes, you most certainly do. It might seem like a chore, but a demonstration from Michelle shows just how ineffective applying minimal foundation is.
Links
Guesthouse Tokyo10 minutes to Ikebukuro. Interhousesafe and accessible solution for your accommodation needs in Tokyo. Sakura House1830 monthly furnished rooms at 204 locations in Tokyo. BAUHOUSEPrivate furnished rooms in Roppongi, Akasaka, Azabu-Juban etc. |
J&F PlazaFurnished & unfurnished guesthouses and apartments in Tokyo. May Flower HouseTokyo furnished apartments. Ginza, Roppongi, Yotsuya and more. TenTen Guesthouse33,000yen/30 days for working holiday students. GOOD ROOM TOKYOShare room, Private room, under 50,000yen |
MOVE JAPANPrivate furnished rooms in Tokyo with free internet. Call us first or call us last! Tokyomove.comHassle free moving starts from 6000yen. |
Tokyo Helping HandsVery flexible working hours to effectly help you with moving, deliveries, disposal, storage and more! |
AirNet TravelWe'll cut you the best air ticket deals anywhere. Fun TravelDiscount air travel & package tours 2min from Roppongi Stn. |
No.1 TravelWe go the extra mile for you. International air tickets and hotels. JR Tokai ToursTop-value travel to Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya from Tokyo by Shinkansen. |
Matsuda Legal OfficeAll kinds of Visa, Immigration & Naturalization, International Marriage etc. |
Futaba Visa OfficeLicensed immigration lawyer & certified public tax consultant. |
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American PharmacyEnglish speaking pharmacy since 1950. |
Tokyo Skin ClinicEU-licensed multi lingual doctors. |
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Tax-free AKKYJapanese Appliance, Watch, Souvenirs |
Tokyo Speed Dating1st Sat. & 3rd Sun. at Bari n Roppongi ETC. Tokyo SpontaneousPicnic, Parties, Language exchange |
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TMAJapanese women & Western men. |
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50 Shades of Yikess
