Aizu Matsuri - Festival

This is the festival to celebrate the beginning of autumn as well as rice harvest season. During three days there were celebrations all day long of witch i visited the evenening lantern parade and the Bandai dancers as well as the samurai procession the next morning.
In the evening events took place in the towncenter where the main road was blocked for circulation. I came early so to see how things would develop.


First of all, no alcohol anywhere! Instead the sidewalk was rowed with stands offering, diverse specialties, like Tako-Yaki, which is some sort of Knoedel made out of octopus. Look here how its made!
So first came the pupils, who were each carrying a lanteren, then the street was open to the bandai dancers. The most impressing thing wasnt the opulence of costumes, but the sheer mass of performers! I didnt manage to count the children, but I estimated the dancers to be a 1000 at the very least (locals told me it was much more!) So there where nearly as many people involved in the dance, than where standing by watching. Perfomers not only came from diverese clubs engaged in some cultural activity but also from local companies, who seemed to have kindly invited their employees to join the celebration.
What they did, was dancing around a main stand at the central crossing of the road, filling it up from one end to the other (about 1km). They where accompanied by the repeated enchantement of a female voice (which i first thought to be playback), who continued to chant for at least three hours long without pause. A really dionysic feast that was and you could feel a rise of temper just without any alcohol, people on the sidewalk gradually joining the dance as the evening advanced.

The next morning, there was a troop gathering at Tsuruga-Choo. Again there where several hundred people involved, wearing different samurai-costumes. They were welcomed by a assembly of the daimyo and other high rank warriors. During the day, they would make their way from the castle, again through the city center. I only watched the gathering, as I had to catch the train to Niigata, to go on to the three sacred mountains of Dewa Sanzan.

You can find the complete album of the Festival here!

Aizu Wakamatsu - Last Samurai Experience

So as troubles with getting internet access continue, I report a little bit delayed.

I went from Tokio to Koriyama with the Tohoku-Shinkansen Line and then by the local train passing many rice field as well as Bandai-San on to Aizu Wakamatsu. This one turned out to be a rather unimpressing middle sized town. I stayed at Hotel Alpha-1, one of these frequent buisness hotel-blocks you can see near every train-station in Japan (Tel. 0242-326868). In fact it was a convenient place, staff was very nice, and as i got a room in the 10th floor I could overlook the whole town, Tsuruga-Choo, as well as the mountains surrounding the town.
From the hotel the street leading to the town center is Dr. Noguchi-Street, which I started to like only after having it walked up and down at least twice. Because during the day local buisinessman came to the strange idea filling this narrow road inhabiting shops and soup-kitchens with music might raise the attracivity of this street (at least it was some turned down classical music!). Thing which reminded me a lot of Sugar Creek in Ohio, but in fact this turned out to be very common in Japan.

But Aizu has more to offer, in fact it has some very nice sights. So the next day i borrowed a bicycle from the hotel (which was free) and experienced the bike-friendliness of japanese circulation. It was perfect to reach the monuments.
Aizu-Wakamatsu has some historical background, which still lives on in the spirit of todays people (at least locals like to tell you that).
So when 1868 Emporer Meiji reclaimed power this lead to Boshin Civil war, in which he had to fight against ruling Tokugawa-Shogunate. And Matsudaira Katamori, head of the Aizu clan stayed loyal to shogun Tokugawa, opposing the emporer. In fact the Aizu where the very last to fight on against Meiji rule.
When Tsuruga-Choo was attacked by imperial forces and burnt down, a group of young samurai known as the Shiroi-Byakkutai (White Tigers) commited collective suicide, thinking their cause was finally lost. In fact the war continued on for about a month... (oops!). Anyway this tragic story is very popular in Japan. When I arrived on top of the mouintain a young woman reenacted the story. Also on the mountain, the graveyard of the dead samurai, as well as Sazae-Doo.
Not far from Imoriyama is the rebuilt residence of Aizu Bukeyashiki, displaying the composition of the daimyos estate. A little farther up the hill is another graveyard, where the members of the Aizu-Clan are buried. In fact all of the hill seems to consist of graves making a rather spooky hike.
On my way back I stopped at Oyaku-En, a meditational garden at the townborder of Aizu to relax a bit.

Tokyo --> Aizu

I now left Tokyo for Aizu Wakamatsu a small town in the northeast. There will be a matsuri (traditional celebration) this weekend. I enjoy it very much here, I liked Tokyo too, but it was a somewhat hectic in the end (i finally experienced a subwayride during rush-hour), so this is the real holidays that starts now.
I managed to find a place providing acces internet (which was rather hard) and uploaded some fotos!
More infos will follow.

Tokyo-Gagaga?

I Finally arrived. After so many weeks of preparation...

But despite many things here on the other end of this world are turned upside down like circulation, maps and so, and most people think I am American, and are suprised beeing talked to in Japanese, things are going very fine.

Okay, BA lost ma bagage, but they promised to deliver it directly to my school, so i will be spared the dirty work.

I am now at a Hotel in Ueno, a very nice place with a lot of tiny houses hosting noumerous workshops, people sitting on the pavement, a very relaxed atmosphere here, which I didnt expect at all.

Saying Good Bye!

Less than 24 hours before lift off!

I somehow managed to finish all preparations by now.
So in principle I could start right off .
Nervositiy augments again, but I'm far away from the peak (at least I hope so).

I said good bye most of my people, family, friends, collegues...
Only my girlfriend now, who is still present.
But within some hours I will have to say good bye even to her.
That hurts!
It hurts to have to say good bye to folks, even when I am so glad to actually engage in this journey. Which I will do alone, leaving every other behind (if I may say so... But that's what it feels like) and thereby loosing all security!

Euch allen viele Liebe Grüße und eine gute Zeit bis wir uns Wiedersehen!

What I'm up to....

Going to Japan, that is!
I got my sabbatical leave of 6 months which I will spend most of the time on the island of the rising sun.
I'll attend a language school in Tokyo.
Before returning home I hope to travel somewhat around, in any case stopping by in Ottawa visiting my grilfriend there.

But for now it's going east!
I will arrive at Tokyo 19th of september. My intention is to stay there for two days, then travelling up wrongfully neglected Tôhoku (Northern Honschu). One destination will be Aizu Wakamatsu.
The beaten track including Kyoto and Nara I'll probably take up later on during my stay.

29th of september I'll move to a host family. Course will start 1st of october.
So that's the plan so far....


Here an updated To Do-List

Travel Preparations

• Writing down and memorizing graphic characters of locations I will visit. --> DONE!
• Buying O-miyage (small presents) for host & others. --> DONE!
• Make reservation for a room in Tokyo. --> DONE!
• Asking for fees for a change in booking for my flight (so i can go to canada). --> DONE!
• Buy a train ticket. --> DONE!
  

Insurance & Medical Matters

• Take out a foreign health insurance --> DONE!
  
• Vaxxination --> DONE! (except Typhus)
• Collect Information about travel isurance --> DONE!
• Filled out insurance-form in casd of emergency return --> DONE!
  
• Visiting a dentist. --> WILL
• Visiting a physician. --> WONT
  

Job & Educational stuff

• Looking for the right language school --> DONE!
• Try to get an arrangement with my employer. --> DONE!
  

Finance & Money

• Opening a savings account. --> DONE!
  
• Put back some money --> DONE! (hehe...)