Darlo's World

The 桜 (sakura, Japanese cherry blossom) season normally lasts but a few weeks, with the best times to see the short lives blossoms varying from place to place. This year however due to changing weather conditions, the sakura trees have been taking longer to fully blossom despite them opening earlier. This meant that people had (and still have for that matter) more time to do お花見 (ohanami, cherry blossom viewing).

Ohanami takes the form of a picnic (or similar) where groups of friends, families, work-colleagues (etc) have a fun time in a park with, often under, sakura trees. Often alchohol is drunk (sometimes in excessive amounts), but the atmosphere amongst the groups is usually friendly enough to keep all parties under some sort of control … bare in mind I did say usually.

Coming up in a mo, I talk about my ohanami experiences this week, but first here’s a video from Clark in Japan of ohanami in 2007, which will give you a better idea of what I’ve been talking about.

So I ohanami’d (can’t believe I made an English verb out of a Japanese noun … well, not a very good one) twice this last two days, coming away with two very different experiences from them.

My first ohanami was at the park of 大阪城 (oosaka jou, Osaka Castle) with three others; my French friend and two of our Japanese friends. I and one of my Japanese friends arrived late after deciding to walk from Umeda, not realising how far it was (and not realising we were going in the wrong direction). Along the way I bought a can of beer (Strong Seven), though this stayed in my bag the whole time (honest!). By the time we got there our friends had already drunk theirs, but the small number of us meant that we could really enjoy the moment, a real 一期一会 (ichi go ichi e, a moment to be cherished, link to Nakamura-sensei’s homepare as he taught me about it).

Many (3; English, French and Japanese) languages were spoken and a world variety of topics discussed as we spoke beneath the shade of a sakura tree, with past experiences being shared with one another. We enjoyed the scenery with all the other groups beside and around us doing likewise, and caught a few photos of the land-train that is not unsimilar to Telford Town Park’s own Teddy’s Train.

Walking through the park on the way back, we passed many different groups in the park also enjoying a moment of 一期一会. School sports clubs were together with each other enjoying the moment (not drinking … I assume). Work-colleagues of a variety of ranks were together enjoying some time together out of the office (drinking … I assume), and one group of foreigners were … well, they seemed to be enjoying a game of “that sign’s in Japanese, so it must not apply to us” (to be fair, maybe they couldn’t read it, I just don’t know), as they set up a smoke-spewing barbecue right next to a sign saying “no barbecues or fireworks”.

Today there was another ohanami organised by some of the exchange students at uni and took place in a park in 夙川 (Shukugawa). To be honest I didn’t have high hopes of enjoying this one, especially by comparison to yesterdays, partly due to the common behaviour of some of students who were expecting to attend but mainly because we’d been predicted pretty naff (aka usual UK) weather.

When I arrived, brolly in arm, there was a guy on the roof of the gazebo we seemed to have taken over and many empty bottles and cans. That being said everyone seemed to be in good spirits and having fun (in a non-drunken way). Strangely though we’d taken a spot where the sakuras could barely be seen. After about an hour and half fatigue caught up with me though, not to mention the annoying “stoppy-starty” rain started getting on my wick, so I headed home early.

Cliche as this will sound, and pretty much everyone with a vague interest in Japan will have heard this at some point, but there really is something special about sakura and I don’t just mean it’s scent (which is really nice by the way). The reverance they receive despite and possible because they are only around for such a short time, has given them a real imprint onto the hearts of those they touch.

I’ve also remembered that Telford actually has sakura within the Maxell Cherry Garden, so those of you back home can actually have a little ohanami of your own.

I’m going to end this entry with a song from Kobukuro called Sakura, a song so beautiful it takes the words away from the very man trying to sing them in their 2005 tour. You can see the non-live version here, and if you want to know what he’s saying the lyrics are below.

Japanese lyrics (Kanji)
Japanese lyrics (Romanized)
English lyric translation

Kanji version (from Corichan)
名もない花には名前を付けましょう この世に一つしかない
冬の寒さに打ちひしがれないように 誰かの声でまた起き上がれるように

土の中で眠る命のかたまり アスファルト押しのけて
会うたびにいつも 会えない時の寂しさ
分けあう二人 太陽と月のようで

実のならない花も 蕾のまま散る花も
あなたと誰かのこれからを 春の風を浴びて見てる

桜の花びら散るたびに 届かぬ思いがまた一つ
涙と笑顔に消されてく そしてまた大人になった
追いかけるだけの悲しみは 強く清らかな悲しみは
いつまでも変わることの無い
無くさないで 君の中に 咲く Love・・・

街の中見かけた君は寂しげに 人ごみに紛れてた
あの頃の 澄んだ瞳の奥の輝き 時の速さに汚されてしまわぬように

何も話さないで 言葉にならないはずさ
流した涙は雨となり 僕の心の傷いやす

人はみな 心の岸辺に 手放したくない花がある
それはたくましい花じゃなく 儚く揺れる 一輪花
花びらの数と同じだけ 生きていく強さを感じる
嵐 吹く 風に打たれても やまない雨は無いはずと

桜の花びら散るたびに 届かぬ思いがまた―つ
涙と笑顔に消されてく そしてまた大人になった
追いかけるだけの悲しみは 強く清らかな悲しみは
いつまでも変わることの無い
君の中に 僕の中に 咲く Love・・・

名もない花には名前を付けましょう この世に一つしかない
冬の寒さに打ちひしがれないように 誰かの声でまた起き上がれるように

Romanized version (from Megchan)
Na mo nai hana ni wa namae wo tsukemashou
Kono yo ni hitotsu shika nai
Fuyu no samusa ni uchihishigarenai you ni
Dareka no koe de mata okiagareru you ni

Tsuchi no naka de nemuru inochi no katamari
Asufaruto oshinokete
Au tabi ni itsumo aenai toki no sabishisa
Wake au futari taiyou to tsuki no you de
Minoranai hana mo tsubomi no mama chiru hana mo
Anata to dareka no kore kara wo
Haru no kaze wo abite miteru

Sakura no hanabira chiru tabi ni
Todokanu omoi ga mata hitotsu
Namida to egao ni kesareteku
Soshite mata otona ni natta
Oikakeru dake no kanashimi wa
Tsuyoku kiyoraka na kanashimi wa
Itsu mademo kawaru koto no nai
Nakusanaide kimi no naka ni saku love…

Machi no naka mikaketa kimi wa sabishige ni
Hitogomi ni magireteta
Ano koro no sunda hitomi no oku no kagayaki
Toki no hayasa ni kegasarete shimawanu you ni
Nanimo hanasanaide kotoba ni naranai hazu sa
Nagashita namida wa ame to nari boku no kokoro no kizu iyasu
Hito wa mina kokoro no kishibe ni
Tebanashitakunai hana ga aru
Sore wa takumashii hana ja naku
Hakanaku yureru ichirinbana
Hanabira no kazu to onaji dake
Ikite iku tsyosa wo kanjiru
Arashi fuku kaze ni utaretemo
Yamanai ame wa nai hazu to

Sakura no hanabira chiru tabi ni
Todokanu omoi ga mata hitotsu
Namida to egao ni kesareteku
Soshite mata otona ni natta
Oikakeru dake no kanashimi wa
Tsuyoku kiyoraka na kanashimi wa
Itsu mademo kawaru koto no nai
Kimi no naka ni boku no naka ni saku love…

Na mo nai hana ni wa namae wo tsukemashou
Kono yo ni hitotsu shika nai
Fuyu no samusa ni uchihishigarenai you ni
Dareka no koe de mata okiagareru you ni

English Translation (from Megchan)
Let’s name this nameless flower
There’s only one of it in the world
So it’s not battered by the cold of winter
So it can rise again when someone calls

A lump of life sleeping within the ground
Pushing aside the asphalt
Whenever I see you, we can share
The loneliness of not being able to meet, just like the sun and moon
Even the flowers that don’t bear fruit, and those that wither as buds
Are bathing in the spring wind
Watching your future with someone else

Whenever the cherry blossoms fall
Another unreturned love
Disappears with tears and a smile
And then we grow up
And the sorrow of always chasing after
That strong and pure sorrow
Never changes
Don’t ever lose it, let it bloom inside you – love…

When I saw you on the street
You seemed lonesome as you slipped into the crowd
Don’t let the swiftness of time
Sully the sparkle within your clear eyes
Don’t say a thing, it can’t be put into words
The tears you shed will become rain, healing the wounds of my heart
Everyone has a flower on the banks of their heart
That they don’t want to let go of
It’s not a sturdy flower
But a single flower, swaying fragilely
You feel the strength to live
In the number of its petals
Even when the storm rages and the wind flattens it down
There’s no such thing as a rain that will never let up

Whenever the cherry blossoms fall
Another unreturned love
Disappears with tears and a smile
And then we grow up
And the sorrow of always chasing after
That strong and pure sorrow
Never changes
It blooms inside you and me – love…

Let’s name this nameless flower
There’s only one of it in the world
So it’s not battered by the cold of winter
So it can rise again when someone calls

Some music shall we? Today’s tune is a 1972 recording of School’s Out by Alice Cooper. Why? No idea, it was playing on WinAmp.

Good evening everyone and welcome to 春分の日 (shumbun no hi, Vernal Equinox Day), a national holiday here in Japan where people visit graves of departed family members and holding family reunions. And since I could do neither of the above, how did I spend my day eh?

Well to start with a nice lie-in was had (no food on holidays, you know the drill by now) as well as a day off from Uni. This in itself seems quite rare, as we normally (as exchange students) go in on most national holidays. Some of my Leeds friends at other Uni’s in Japan always seem somewhat shocked that we still have to go in during the Spring break.

Today I’d arranged with a couple of Japanese friends to go down to 日本橋 (Nippombashi) to look at the second hand manga shops and other anime related goodies. Like me, my friends arrived earlier than we agreed to meet so we could head off earlier. I love it when people are punctual ^_^.

After arriving at Nippombashi we headed in the direction of Den Den Town to first grab some food. Suddenly we came face to face with a barrier and a guard directing foot traffic. After crossing a road to where we wanted to go, we noticed a sign over a bridge saying that ‘something’ (not being able to read the kanji) was happening that day. According to my friends there was some kind of festival on, but even they weren’t entirely certain, suggesting it could be an Otaku Festival.

Sure enough the moment we turned the corner the street was jam packed with cosplayers, photographers and maids among other people. Voices could be heard over loudspeakers aswell as the excited calls of shop staff as they tried as hard as they could to entice people in to make a sale or two. After having a very brief nose around, we headed to the nearest McDonalds.

After chowing down we headed off down the road to the A-Too Media Recycle Shop, my favourite shop in the area. For my friends, this was the first time they’d gone to Nippombashi, so going in a shop that had manga starting at 10 yen (just over 7p at today’s rate) appeared to be a real treat. I too was astounded by the number of books that had been put down into the 50 yen and 100 yen sales. Picking up 7 books from the 100 yen section and a set of 6 books for 300 yen I headed for the till.

Now, either this shop was having an amazingly generous sale, they undercharged me, or both. Let’s just do a little math shall we? 7 books at 100 yen is 700 yen, plus the 6 book set for 300 yen, totalling 1000 yen (convenient number). Now when I was at the counter I heard one girl (there were two at the counter serving me) mention that the 100 yen books were now at 50 yen. This in itself was pretty sweet, so let’s change the equation. 7 books at 50 yen is 350 yen, plus the 6 book set for 300 yen, totalling 650 yen, right? ブー (buu, wrong (audible noise like a buzzer)).

I paid a total of 410 yen (£2.97) for my 13 books, giving an average price per book at just under 32 yen (23p) each. Get in! Checking the reciept later, they’d charge me just 60 yen instead of 300 for by 6 book set.

Shopping List: The 山田家 (The Yamada-ke, The Yamada House) books 1-6, 涼宮ハルヒの憂鬱 (Suzumiya Haruhi no yuuutsu, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya) books 1 and 2, and げんしけん The Society For The Study Of Modern Visual Culture (Genshiken (a word made from an acronym of) The Society For The Study Of Modern Visual Culture) books 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8. There is of course one big problem with buying manga at the moment at that has a lot to do with the fact I only have 2 months (ish) left, shipping this stuff home is going to be a heavy and expensive PITA.

After having a nice look around the area and in some other shops, we then headed to nearby Namba for some more nosing. One of the biggest differences between the two places was the vast difference in the kind of people that seemed to be in the area. Sure, both were full to the brim, but whereas Nippombashi was packed with people dressed in outfits of characters from Ace Hono to Zodd The Immortal, Namba had a more “commonly dressed” crowd, the two barely seeming to notice the fact that they’re right next door to one another.

Vistiting Namba Parks again was a nice little experience. We didn’t really go with a set plan or list of things we wanted to see, meaning we could freely wander around. Heading up through the restaurant section we were treated to a display where a chef was showing how cold soba noodles are made from dough. One person from his restaurant was then giving samples out so we could have a taste. Personally I’ve never been a fan of soba, but these were quite nice. I took a video of him cutting it with great care and attention, so that’ll be on the photo and picture blog soon.

After this we headed up to the top floor where there was a garden area. Performing on a staged area was a clown from America (I think he said his name was Dave or something). Don’t get me wrong, when I said clown I don’t mean he was some tosser arsing about, I mean he was actually performing clown-like things (well, we only got to see his finale, juggling knives on an elevated unicycle). Also fair play to the guy, his Japanese was pretty damn good (he slotted in English every now and then, but it seemed to work), so good in fact that it wasn’t until the end that he said he was from the States that I’d have believed it. Good show Dave.

Throughout the rest of the garden were handprints people who had achieved fame in Japan. We had fun comparing different people’s handsizes to our own and I felt a nice sense of acomplishment that my hand could compete with writers and athletes to name a few professions.

Parting ways in Umeda, I headed to Matsuya for my usual holiday meal of Curry-Rice.