Grand Sumo Tournament in Nagoya: Takanoyama Shuntarou

The Grand Sumo Tournament began yesterday in Nagoya. It lasts until the 24th of July. That's a lot of Sumo for any enthusiasts in the Nagoya area. I wonder if my host father as tickets! If you happen to be there try visiting the official event site. Otherwise, you can see match results in English and watch it streaming (if you have WM11 installed) here.

Today the Asahi Shimbun's English edition had an article about a Czech-born wrestler who, after 10 years in Japan, finally moved to the second-highest level, 十両 juuryou,from the third ranking 幕下　makushita division in the wake of a bout-fixing scandal (八百長・やおちょう) that banned many of the top-ranking wrestlers from competition. Incidentally, did you know if you type 相撲 into Google, the third suggestion down is 相撲八百長?

Anyway, what I thought was interesting about the Czech sumou wrestler, whose wrestling name is Takanoyama Shuntarou, was his (comparatively) diminutive stature. And yet he can really hold his own, if this video is any indication. It's a pretty exciting bout.

 He doesn't do so well here, though.

You may say, "What about the fact that he's a foreigner doing sumou? Isn't that impressive?" I will say I was surprised when I first realized that foreigners did sumou - officially, and in Japan! But yes, foreigners also participate in sumou, and even reach the upper-most ranks. Asashouryuu, who I wrote about earlier, is from Mongolia, for example. Most seem to be from there; others are from places like Russia and Georgia, South Korea, China, even places further abroad such as Brazil and the United States. But I've never seen such a (relatively) tiny sumou wrestler before. I don't watch much sumou, but he's definitely rare for his size. Takanoyama is around 230 pounds, 160 pounds or so lighter than most wrestlers.  Of course size is not necessarily a determining factor - there was a sumou wrestler in the late 90's named Mainoumi who was lighter and smaller than Takanoyama (so small that he had silicone implanted in his head to meet the height requirement) and still made his way to the top. Check him out in action:

Takanoyama trains at Naruto Beya in Chiba, which has a 'diary' blog if you're interested in sumou and want to work on your reading skills!

Osu-Kannon

Osu-Kannon is the large shrine where we did Setsubun; it gave rise to many little shops and restaurants which catered to its visitors, and eventually a little 大須商店街 (shoutenmachi, shopping district) arose around it. It is pretty awesome. You want some kind-of-Mexican food (no chips and salsa, but they do have curly fries with cinnamon and sugar)? Go to Osu Kannon. You want to buy a new watch? Go to Osu Kannon. You want some of those delicious little pancake fish filled with sweet bean paste (鯛焼き)? Get down to Osu Kannon. You want some cute clothes? Some weird clothes? Some incense? Some pancakes? Go to Osu Kannon.

Do you need a watch? Do you need a uterus? Osu Kannon - problem solved.

The designer of these pants actually lives in Nagoya and works in the (owns the?) store.

Off you go, you crazy kids. Take your own pictures.

Nagashima Spaland

We went to an amusement park with the Nanzan Judo Club. It's part of a larger resort, but we were only there for the roller coasters, man.

It's 4100 for the ticket if you want to ride all the rides (のりもの放題） as much as you want. There's a cheaper ticket that let's you in, but you have to pay for rides separately.

As far as amusement parks it's pretty similar to all the others you see around the world. What's different is the haunted house they have open all year round (as far as I know). The monsters are different from what you'd see in the US (to an extent - The Ring has made creepy little girls with long hair a recognizable horror), and that much is definitely interesting. Otherwise, it's the same as any other amusement park you may have visited - PURE FUN.

Nomikai・のみかい･飲み会

So one of the things that I enjoy in Japan is the NOMIKAI. Having joined two clubs I got to participate in a few, and I have to say that they are one of the things I will miss.


No, you guys, this is not because I am an alcoholic. I don't drink in America, mostly because it is still not legal for me, and partly because I think beer smells terrible. Actually, the funnest part (the part that is most fun?) of the nomikai is the 会　(the meeting).

Gustatory Adventures: Rafters

A burger shop between Yagoto and Yagoto Nisseki Stations. Very small and cozy! If you are walking from Yagoto Nisseki, it will be on your left side, a bit after Toys R Us. The owner, Mr. Tanabe, is super-nice and talkative. My friend talked to him for dating advice! He's used to the influx of Nanzan students, and makes everything right in front of you. Try his home fries! We went there often for shakes - it's a wonderful place to hang out with friends, but be aware that there is only counter space (so no HUGE groups of friends). He even has a little to-go window for soft-serve icecream! Besides the shakes and the English-muffin burgers and the fries and the sundaes, I loved the counters and stools, and also, strangely, the very cute little bathroom.

Rafters is a nice place to relax with friends, during lunch break or for a late night milkshake. Make friends with Mr. Tanabe! He's very personable but he won't talk if you don't talk to him first.

Rafters is one of the places I'd love to go back to one day, if I ever return to Japan. An 11/10! The extra point is for awesomeness and nostalgia.

 Strawberry, mint, and Kahlua milkshakes. Plus Mr. Tanabe!

(I never got to try the French Toast or the crepes. This is a serious regret・後悔・こうかい)

Bamboo Shoots

Read in Japanese

The other day my host father, brother, and sister took me out to an acquaintance`s house to go digging for take no ko (bamboo shoots). We carried shovels and trowels and I felt very quaint thinking I would be digging up food that I would later eat myself. (I like to delude myself with illusions of self-reliance.) If I ever end up without food in some place which happens to be plentiful in bamboo, I am prepared. I feel like I have become more adult.

We went a bit early in the morning, before I had rugby practice. The sun was out, but where we were digging was very shaded (what with all the bamboo), so my camera did a bad job of capturing the scene (also I was very busy digging), and I have only a few very low quality pictures.

 Take no ko in the ground

So what you do is find the shoot poking out of the ground. My host brother is especially adept at this. Once you find one, you begin to excavate the dirt around it. Basically you dig around the shoot and wiggle it about every once in a while to determine if you can try and pull it out yet. My host sister and I had a fun time doing this together. The thing to take care of is that you don`t break the shoot until you hit these tiny red, knobby, bead-like things at the bottom.

Digging!

たけのこ

英語で読む

この間、ホストファミリーと一緒に、知り合いの家でたけのこをとらせてもらいました。シャベルを持ちながら、自分の食べ物をとりに行くことを考えて、自分が独立独歩の人だとい妄想を持って来ました。これから、食べ物がなくても、竹がある場所なら生きられます。本当の大人になりました！

ラグビーの練習の前、ちょっと朝早く出ました。日が出ていたけど、竹がいっぱいの場所で陰が多かったし、たけのこをとるに忙しかったので、あまり写真を撮れなかったし、それに撮れた写真はちょっと悪く映りました。

あまり見えないけど、たけのこです。

とにかく、まずは 土から出ているたけのこを探します。この点で、ホストブラザーはとっても得意でした。たけのこを見つけたら、 周りの土を掘ります。簡単にいえば、たけのこの周りに掘って、もう取れるかどうかって、たまにたけのこをちょっとだけ揺れ動かせます。ホストシスターと私は、一緒に楽しく掘りました。大切なポイントは、たけのこの下にある、小さくて、赤くて、丸いものが現れるまで掘って、その部分の上にたけのこを折れないように気をつけるポイントです。

掘っています！

その前の夜、雨が降ったので、ホストファザーに掘りにくいと言われたのに、そんなに難しくなかったけど、 根っ子でけっこう困ったから、たけのこの周りにちゃんと掘れないことが、よくありました。その場合で、たけのこをまた隠してから、ほっておきました。 たけのこが小さすぎるときにも、ほっておきました。

ホースとブラザーがとった、大きなたけのこ！

たけのこがごはんと一緒に蒸すと、とてもおいしいと思います。漬物のたけのこも大好きです。いつか食べてみてください。掘ることも、とても楽しいですよ！

Some notes...

A Night at the Chuunichi Dragon Game

Read in Japanese

I went to a baseball game (Chuunichi Dragons) with my host family the other night. Super fun! Baseball is baseball where ever you go, but there are some differences when it comes to baseball games in Japan. What I noticed most was the fan base.

中日ドラゴンズ

 英語で読む

この文章は、Masamuneさん、tsyさん、yinamotoさん、shuichiさんのおかげで、

もっといい文章になりました。 

詳しい添削を、こちらです！ 

この間、ホストファミリーと一緒に野球チームの中日ドラゴンズの試合を観に行きました。すごく楽しかった！確かに、どこでも野球は野球ですけど、アメリカと比べたら、日本の野球の試合はちょっと違うなと思ったところもありました。例えば、ファンのこと。

Toyota Plant

Read in Japanese

We visited the Toyota plant, and then the Toyota Museum. Unfortunately, photos and video were absolutely not allowed within the plant. It really is a shame, because it was amazing. Something about the organization of everything -- all of those moving parts, human and robot, working together -- just wowed me. I felt like I was breathing efficiency and seeing the future. (Comments about Toyota brakes aside). I suppose you can see the way humans and robots work together in car factories on commercials, "How Do They Do It?", etcetera, but to see it in real life, on such a scale, I think is really awe-inspiring. One thing I can tell you is: the Toyota plant used different tunes to apply to different teams/sections of the factory. It was cute.

At the Toyota Museum: learn how your car protects you 
in the event of an accident

トヨタ工場、トヨタ博物館

英語で読む

この文章は、Masamuneさん、shuichiさん、yinamotoさん、tsyさん、hilobayさんのおかげで、

もっと言い文章になりました！詳しい添削は、こちらへ！

トヨタの工場と、トヨタ博物館も見に行きました。工場では写真もビデオも撮ってはいけなかったのですが、本当にすごい場所だからそれは残念だと思いました。 何となく工場の人間とロボットが一緒に働くシステムなどに、胸がわくわくさせられます。 その効率的な雰囲気を体験して、まるで目の前で未来を見ているような気がします。（ブレーキのことは略します。）おそらく車工場の働きぶりなどは、CMやテレビ番組で見られると思いますが、本物を見るともっとすごい印象を受けると思います。

番組などでは教えてくれないことを、私が一つ教えてあげられるかもしれません。トヨタ工場では、あるチームって言うか、ある部署ではチャイムとして音楽が流れます。例えば、Aチームには、Mary　Had　a　Little　Lambで、Bチームの曲はTwinkle　Twinkle　Little　Starという感じです。面白かった！

トヨタ博物館で・・・

博物館も面白かったです。車に乗れるショールーム も、決まった時間にトランペットを吹くロボットも、車の色々な部分や略図、未来的な設計コンセプトの絵もあります。博物館自体は、それほど大きくないけどとっても面白い場所で、また、効率的な工場を見学することもできてすごい体験でした。

ところで、博物館に展示してあった、未来の乗り物を、名古屋の中部空港で実際に見ましたよ。観光フロアにいたガードマンは、とてもSF的ですね。

実は、ちょっと怖かった。「人間狩り用、未来派の車 」という感じがしませんか？

「ほほほ、自転車に乗る子供、それは私の大好物・・・」

  

Some notes...

パチンコは？

So I had my first real foray into Pachinko the other night, courtesy of my host father, who ushered me in saying something to the effect of, "it's something you have to try at least once".

この間、「一同だけでも行ってみたら」と言うホストファザーのおかげで、ちゃんとパチンコをやれました。

I say my first 'real' foray, because my previous experience with Pachinko lasted a grand total of twenty seconds, which were spent without touching a machine in the following fashion:
「ちゃんと」といえば、そのときまで、パチンコは２０秒しか体験しませんでした。その20秒の体験はこうでした。

• seconds 1-5:  Maybe we can find the stairs in here. Hey, do you hear that? It sounds like a million angry and robotic bees.
• seconds 6-15:  Oh my god, our oxygen has been replaced with cigarette smoke. Why are all of these machines screaming at us? What is the meaning of all of these shiny balls? Where are the stairs?
• seconds 16-20: I think we should go. Is it just me, or are your ears bleeding too?

一秒から五秒：こっち階段があるかな。えっ？それ聞こえる？百万 匹の起こっていたロボット・ハチの音か？

六秒から十五秒：どういうこと？酸素がタバコの煙になってしまった！どうして機会にキーキーと鳴られているの？きらきらしたボールはどういう意味？階段はどこ？！

十六秒から二十秒：行った方がいいのよね。あなたの耳からも血が出ているの？

My impressions at that time were 1) Pachinko is noisy, and 2) Pachinko parlour air space is 60% cancer, and that's really all I could manage to glean in the few seconds which comprised our first meeting.

その20秒を体験して、感想は二つがありました。一。パチンコはうるさいものです。二。パチンコの空間の６０％は、がんで構成されています。

After spending about 2 and a half hours in one, and playing at two machines, my experiences are bit more informative.
パチンコを二時間ぐらいちゃんとやっていたから、もっと有益な体験ができました。

Pachinko seems to be a mix of pinball machine and slot machine, but with a dash of confusion and crazy.
パチンコは、ピンボールとスロットで構成されて、困惑とクレージーが混ぜたものなんです。

Gustatory Adventure Day 3: Chinese Restaurant On the Way to Nanzan from Nagoya Daigaku, the Name of Which I Failed to Get

It's small and cozy! Catering to the college lunch time crowd, there's a selection of manga to read while you eat! There are daily specials! It's decently priced! It's Chinese food!!

So yeah, definitely not a bad place to stop by.

Kimchi Chahan, what whaaat

Hinamatsuri Festival (The Doll Festival / Girl's Day)

Read in Japanese

The Doll Festival. I didn't go to a temple to see the festivities, but our very nice neighbors invited me over to make the rice cakes which are traditionally made for this event. (There is a square shaped variety that is more widespread; the kind I helped make is called okoshimono, which is apparently traditional in the Nagoya area.)

We took rice powder and mixed it with water, then pressed the sticky paste/dough into hand carved molds, decorating it with dough that had been died pink, yellow, or green. Apparently the molds are very expensive; our neighbors` must have been passed down through the years. There were bird, prayer card, and flower shapes, among others.We put plastic wrap down first, to keep the sticky rice from caking over them.

After you've molded your rice, you steam it. When it`s done, you can wrap it in some seaweed and eat it with soy sauce, or some soy sauce and sugar. (Or, you can skip the seaweed and soy sauce and just dip it in sugar, like a friend did).

These rice cakes are apparently rather expensive if you don`t make them on your own. I`m grateful to have had the opportunity to make them (and eat them)! 

 Very unskillfully coloured... But still tasty.

ひな祭り

英語で読む

この文章は、takさん、Ruiさん、TAXXIさん、shuichiさん、washiさん、

Miyokoさん、hilobayさん、Eigoloveさん、Masamuneさん、tsyさん、

Austimさんのおかげでもっといい文章になりました。

添削はこちらへ！

 

 飾り付けは下手でも、おいしいですよ！

ひな祭りですね。


残念ながらお寺には行かなかったですけど、親切なお隣さんに誘っていただいて、一緒におこしものという 餅をつくりました。


米のパウダー（米粉）と水で作ったもちを、手作りの型枠に入れてから、黄色とピンク色、そして緑色に着色した餅で飾りました。


聞いたところ、木製の枠は、とっても高いのだそうです。お隣さんのは、ずっと前から大事にしていて、今までも使えるんだなと、尊敬してしまいました。

鳥、お札、花などの形の型枠がありました。もちがくっつかないように、まずはラップを敷いてから、餅を入れました。

それから、餅を型枠から出して、蒸します。


出来上がったら、のりで包んで、しょうゆや砂糖醤油とつけて食べるんです。（または、ある友達のようにのりもしょうゆも使わず、砂糖だけをまぶした餅を食べることもできますが・・・）

この餅は、自分で作らずに店などで買ったら、けっこう高いそうです。お隣さんのおかげで、餅を作って、食べることを体験できて、本当にうれしかったです。


Some terms...

Gustatory Adventure Day 1: Mountain

Wednesdays are gustatory adventure days for my friend Doro and I, and we started with a restaurant near Nanzan University called Mountain (マウンテン). You can reach it from Irinaka or Yagoto Nisseki station after a short walk. Mountain came to our attention after some friends went and returned with tales of having tried a green spaghetti that was sweet... and maccha flavoured! We knew this would be a good place to start. The restaurant has a pretty exterior....

...and decent seating. All of the windows made it overall a really nice place to eat. The service was average - not amazing but not terrible. Smoking is allowed though, so if you're sensitive to it be forewarned. I think most restaurants in Japan allow smoking. Some have separate seating, but from what I've experienced you usually have to walk through the smoking section to get to the non-smoking.

The menu has quite a variety within three categories: spaghetti, pilaf, and dessert. (Mountain is apparently known for it's sweet spaghetti. Maccha, or strawberry flavoured varieties, for example). There's also a wide selection of drinks (including floats!!). We agreed to have spaghetti and a parfait. Since we were getting a dessert, we opted to skip the famed sweet spaghetti.

 

These are all the different spaghettis you can order. Is spaghettis a valid word?

I ordered from the "one coin" section - all of the meals there are 500 yen - and decided on matsutake to tori no suupu supa (まつたけととりのスープスパ）. Doro asked for the spiciest spaghetti they had, which was called akai wanpiisu (赤いワンピース） and was not on the menu. (About the menu - it's entirely in Japanese; just a warning in case you can't speak/read it, to bring someone who can).

After a short wait we received our dishes. A slight digression - in America everyone's dishes are usually brought out at the same time. I suppose this is because it's considered rude to begin eating before other people. In Japan, it seems like dishes are brought out when they're ready. Your friend may get their dish a good ten minutes before you do. Anyway, we received our dishes and I realized why they may have named their restaurant Mountain.

  It is because you receive a mountain of spaghetti.

Setsubun

Read in Japanese

February third was Setsubun (節分). It's a whole lot of throwing beans (まめ、豆), chasing ogres (おに、鬼), and celebrating the last day of winter. It's a bit like spring cleaning: you chase the demons that have accumulated out to make room for the good stuff of the new year.  Doro and I went to the Osu Kannon shrine, but not in time to catch the parade (though we did manage to catch six beans to split between us; not quite enough, since you're supposed to eat an amount equal to your age to stay healthy through the next year).

Besides the bean-eating, other traditions include: eating an entire makizushi in silence while facing eastward; and throwing beans shouting "demons out, happy in!" (おにはそと、ふくはうち；鬼は外、福は内). (OK, to be more correct it's something like 'demons out, fortune in', but...) Actually, here in America some people follow the tradition of eating beans on the New Year. Black-eyed peas are supposed to bring good luck (they are beans, despite their name)!

You can read a story about the Demon of Setsubun here. This website also has an option to listen to the story, to improve your listening comprehension (聞き取り)！

節分

英語で読む　そこでビデオもあります！

鬼を見たことがありますか？

この日記はTinaさん,shuichiさん、denryoku-manさん、

megさん、Friendsさん、Masamuneさん、Kennyさんのおかげで
もっといい文章になりました。添削はこちらへ！

先日の二月三日は豆を投げたり、鬼を追い出したり、冬の終わりを祝ったりする節分でした。

鬼という積もった悪を追い出して、次の年に備えるところは 、なんとなくスプリング・クリーニングみたいですね。友達のドロと私は大須観音に行きました。行くのが遅かったからパレードを見られなかったけど、一緒に豆を６粒集めたよ！でも元気でいるためには、年齢と同じ数だけ豆を食べなきゃならないそうだから、ちょっと足りなかったですね。