Okinawa

So, recently I went to Okinawa for a nice little vacation. I spent 7 days in Okinawa and had a weekend on either end to enjoy Tokyo, so it was a good time. Every year in Japan at the beginning of May is a holiday period affectionately known as Golden Week. With a name like that you know it has to be amazing. I mean, if it was called Brass Week or Bronze Week it just wouldn`t feel the same. Even if they tried to improve it by calling it Platinum Week most people wouldn`t be able to tell the difference if you told them it was Platinum Week, but in reality it was really White Gold Week or even Brushed Aluminum Week. Yep, the Japanese holiday makers have definitely got this figured out. In case you were wondering, Golden Week is basically a bunch of consecutive national holidays within a 7-day period. These holidays are the Constitution Memorial Day, Children`s Day, Green Day, and another holiday called "National Holiday." I like the creativity on the last one`s name. Oh, about Green Day, everyone has to listen to each Green Day album twice within a 24-hour period because they are really popular these days. At least I think that is what happens, but what do I know. I did hear a rumour that next year there will be no Green Day, but instead it will be replaced by the name of an even more popular Japanese band called Bump of Chicken. You read that correctly ... Bump of Chicken. Personally, I think they should have gone with Chicken Blister, but then that would have been silly, don`t you think. Yeah, one of the things I have noticed about Japan is that the more random an English name you can think of for your band, the more success you will have. Some other examples of popular acts here are "Orange Range", "OOIOO", "Seagull Screaming Kiss Her, Kiss Her", and "Mr. Children." Mr. Children is actually not so bad, but I still hope he is being investigated for, shall we say, unseemly activites.

So, about my Okinawa trip, well, as I said, it was good. Okinawa is basically Japan`s version of Hawaii, although if you have ever been to Honolulu you may feel that Honolulu is Japan`s version of Hawaii. There are actually stores there that are solely for Japanese customers. Souvenirs are big, big business in this country so I am sure they are doing very well catering to the Japanese client in Honolulu. I digress. Okinawa is also famous as being the site of the last battle of WWII. This was a brutal battle and deeply affected the Okinawan people. The Okinawan people (as well as the Japanese people as a whole) had been brainwashed into thinking that the Allies, particularly the Americans, were monsters who killed babies and raped women. Running low on manpower, the Japanese military recruited the Okinawan people to help fight in the battle, women and children included. They were massacred and many committed suicide rather that falling into the hands of the supposedly barbaric Americans. Aside from this, Okinawa (aka Ryukyu Islands) is in a crossroads between Korea, Japan, and China and their ownership has long been disputed between these regional rivals. When Japan gained control over them in the late 1800s (I think) they quickly applied a policy of assimilation in an effort to erase the cultural ties of the native Ryukyu people. This policy was affective in many ways, although the Ryukyuans have managed to hold on to many of their traditions. Unfortunately, this is not as evident in the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, where the Ainu, the indigenous inhabitants, have nearly lost all of their culture and langauge. Their ties to their past are nearly completely severed and are only holding on by a few small threads. Another tragedy.

Anyway, Okinawa`s militaristic character is still strongly evident as 30,000 Americans soldiers occupy approximately 20% of the land. Fortunately, there are several very good museums that are must-sees on any trip to Okinawa. One is the Underground Naval Headquarters of the Japanese during the war. This is a series of tunnels where thousands of soldiers and commanders lived and carried out the war. It was a secret from the Americans until right near the end. Tragically, over 4000 Japanese soldiers killed themselves by seppuku (ritual disembowelment) or by hand granade rather than being caught alive by the Americans. It was a pretty sombre tour, but an important one. The other museum we visited was the Peace Memorial Park. This one does a very good job documenting the buildup of the war, the major Battles in Okinawa, and the hardships faced by the Okinawan people in the war years and the in the post-war years during the American occupation that lasted until the 1970s. Okinawa wasn`t officially handed back to Japanese control until 1972, I believe. While the museums were very good, they still fail to effectively acknowledge Japan`s atrocities and wrongdoings, which the Japanese public largely remain ignorant of.

Oh, I have to tell you about one of our taxi drivers. He actually makes an appearance in my photo blog if you want to have a look. Anyway, he picked us up in town and took us to the Underground Naval Headquarters about 10 minutes away. He told us he`d wait for us there and that we only needed 30-40 minutes to see the entire museum. We told him we couldn`t pay for him to wait for us, but he said he wouldn`t charge. At least that is what we thought he said because he could only speak Japanese and, well, our Japanese is limited, at best. Anyway, we spent our 40 minutes in the museum and when we came out, sure enough, he was right there waiting for us, no charge. Next, he drove us to Okinawa World, which is a giant complex that contains the second longest cave in Japan, a snake museum, and a bunch of traditional Okinawa handicraft exhibits and shops, including glass making. He said we needed 2.5 to 3 hours to see everything. He also said he would wait for us. Now, 30-40 minutes I can understand, but 3 hourswith no charge? The guy had to be nuts. I asked him what he was going to do to kill time and he said he would have cola and coffee (that`s two drinks, not one) with his taxi driving buddies. At this point I glanced to my left and saw a dozen or more cabs waiting next to us. Next, he took us right down to the entrance and got us special English-only maps from the main office and then offered to take pictures for us. The guy went so far out of his way for us I thought he would get lost. Anyway, 3 hours later we came out and there he was. He`d had a nice refreshment and chat with his buddies and was ready to take us back to town. He dropped us of at the giant treehouse restaurant that serves better food to people who can read Japanese than to people that can only read English (the Japanese menu had way more items and better ones at that). All told, the driver was with us for 5 hours and the total charge was maybe $60, but that is a high-end estimate. Tips aren`t expected in Japan (often they are refused), but we insisted he take something. It wasn`t a lot (maybe $5 total), but he definitely earned every bit. Seriously though, I have no idea how the taxi drivers get paid in Okinawa, but something seems a bit off.

As you might expect, I was able to spend some time on the beach, though not as much as I would have liked. The weather didn`t cooperate for a couple of days, which, oddly enough, happened to be the days that we camped on one of the nearby islands, Zamami. We had to postpone and then cancel a sea kayaking/snorkeling day because of the weather, so that was a bit of a bummer. Guess you can`t complain if you are only spending $3 a night on accomodations. Nevertheless, I was able to enjoy the azure beauty of the sea, which might be the most beautiful I have ever seen. We went snorkeling a couple of times, but the reefs were pretty brown and don`t hold a candle to the vibrant and brilliantly coloured reefs of Maui, my paradise. They were ok though.

In our final two days we rented a car and drove 80 kms up to coast to a town that is home to the world`s second largest aquarium. The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium has a tank that that has a capacity of 10,000 gallons. That probably means as little to you as it does to me, but to give you an idea of how big that is, there is enough room for 3 whale sharks (the world`s largest fish), 4 manta rays, and about 30 different species of other fish and rays. There are over 5,000 individual fish in the tank. I am actually pulling most of those numbers out of nowhere, but the point is that it is big. I took lots of nice pictures there and was going to tell you that they were from scuba diving (I was careful not to get any walls, reflections, or other people in the pictures), but I suppose your reward for reading this far is knowing that I am not a daring underwater adventurer/photographer, because I am sure that is what you were thinking. We also stopped by Pineapple Park, which featured a short drive through a pineapple plantation by way of a driverless, pineapple-shaped golf cart, which was accompanied by an audio track explaining eveything we were seeing (fascinating stuff such as there being over 1000 varieties of pineapple). Most people get the commentary in Japanese, but since we don`t speak it, they switched the track on the on-board minidisc player to the English track. It was done by an American girl who couldn`t really pronounce a single Japanese word properly, but she did great with the English words. After the pineapple go-cart, we went in and sampled a variety of different pineapple wines, pineapples, and pineapple-flavoured sweets. I had such high expecations for the place because for some inexplicable reason they thought Pineapple Park should be a giant Bavaria-style castle, but I must say that I was a little disappointed. Maybe I will skip it next time I go back. Besides, I hear there is a great Cucumber Kingdom theme park nearby. Finally, we also visited Nagakusuku Castle ruins, Nakamura House (a traditional Ryukyu-style house), and Shuri Castle.

In my short time in Okinawa I was able to draw some important conclusions. First, that the Okinawan people are much more friendly and open than people on the Japanese mainland. This is not to say that the Japanese are not friendly, but Okinawans have a little more of a Pacific Islander`s mindset, which includes brilliant hospitality and very little emphasis on punctuality. I was constantly trying to decide if Okinawans should be classified as Japanese or Islanders, but I couldn`t settle it. The ubiquitous Hawaiian shirts just may tip the scale toward the islanders. Second, that I still prefer Maui. Okinawa is gorgeous, but it gets bloody hot in the summer and also is plagued with some of the same maladies as the mainland. Namely, powerlines and haze dominating the skyline. There were very few clouds in the sky for most of our stay, but the humidity causes a haze so that there is almost never a crystal blue sky. Have a look at my pictures from Shuri Castle as evidence of this. There wasn`t a cloud in the sky, but it still appears white in the photos because of the haze. Too bad, I say. Still, Hawaii in general is more epic and has a much higher frequency of breathtaking vistas. Finally, coconut beer is really good. I am not a beer fan, but coconut beer may be the best I have ever had. It is basically just beer laced with coconut flavour. Who would have thought? Anyway, Kampai (cheers) to a great Golden Week.

Land of Contradictions

The past month I have witnessed the most dramatic changing of seasons of my life. Spring in Japan is anually carried in on the winds that strip the cherry trees of their astonishingly beautiful blossoms. Beginning in late January in the far southern islands of the Japanese archipelago and culminating in late May in Hokkaido, the blossoms are a signal to the Japanese that Spring has arrived. Each year, families and colleagues alike gather under the shade of the sakura tree for hanami (flower viewing) parties. It is a truly festive atmosphere and a lot of fun, but the cherry blossoms themselves very much stand alone as the stars. I don`t think I know of anything that so easily lends itself to poetry. Every blossoming tree I saw captured and held my attention. It is truly spectacular. I am glad spring is here, but unfortunately, it won`t last long and I will soon be at the mercy of the Japanese summer. Oddly enough, we still have some snow on the ground (try and remember how much there was to begin with).

You might get the impression that Japan is the most beautiful country on earth. Indeed, the sub-tropical islands of Okinawa are stunning and the wilds of Hokkaido are not unlike the mountains of British Columbia, while the charm and cultural wealth of cities like Kyoto are immensely enjoyable. All things being equal, I am confident that Japan could give any place on earth a run as the most beautiful country on earth. Having said that, Japan may very well be the ugliest place I have ever been and is most certainly the ugliest place I have ever lived. The problem is that Japan has destroyed itself.

Blessed with remarkable natural beauty, the landscapes of 150 years past must have been breathtaking. Since then, however, this land has undergone constant transformation and those that were responsible for planning clearly never had time to step back and look at what was truly happening. Sure, Japan embraced the modern age and metamorphosed from an archaic, backwater nation into the second largest economy in the world (China will overtake them any day now), but what has been the price?

The countryside is at times more concrete than coniferous and even the conifers are ones that have been planted by man in neat rows and have supplanted much of the natural vegetation. The hillsides are covered in fences, rails, retaining walls, and the bane of everyone who has ever taken a picture in Japan - powerlines. In fact, Japan is the only industrialized nation that does not bury its powerlines and consequently, the are completely ubiquitous on the Japanese skyline. Many films that are set in Japan are actually filmed in countries like New Zealand because it is nearly impossible to find a panorama that is free of powerlines, particularly on the mountain ridges, where it can be seen from everywhere. Other countries will at least put the powerline below the ridgeline or paint them green to reduce their visibility, but not Japan. One of the most shocking statistics I have ever seen is one that was published in 1991, so it may have changed since then (not for the better, I imagine). The statistic is that of the 30,000 rivers and streams that there are in Japan, only 3 of them are not damned. That is not to say that they are completely unincumbered by concrete irrigation walls because no river in Japan is immune to this, but only 3 do not have a damn. That is .01%. That is shocking!

Now, I am not one to go on a big environmentalist rant because I do not consider myself an environmentalist, but as someone who loves the beauty of nature I had to say something about it. Before I came to Japan I had the impression that many of you do. That is, that Japan looks like it does in the pictures - peaceful, natural, and beautiful (and usually covered in a plush carpet of moss). Well, there are a couple places like that, but I imagine it is also less than 0.01%. Unfortunately, I think I have perpetuated this myth with my photographs. I take great care with which photos I choose to post on my photo site and I must admit that it is not in the least an honest reflection of what Japan really looks like. I have learned to live amidst pretty ugly surroundings (even though I am in an area generally considered to be quite beautiful) and this is how I choose to represent Japan to you. I guess it is a cup half full mentality, but I try to only allow myself to see the beautiful things.

One other thing I would like to address before I am finished is Japanese architecture. When I first came to Japan for the World Cup in 2002 I was witness to what seemed like an endless number of attractive and innovative buildings. Granted, I was in Tokyo and saw only the best of what Japan had to offer, but I left with a great impression of Japanese architecture. When I came here last year it took me about 5 minutes before I realized that all was not as it appeared. Japanese residential architecture can best be described as functional hideousness, although I am not yet convinced of its functionality (please see the January blog entry about my toilet freezing solid). The traditional wooden buildings that you have seen in the movies are virtually nonexistent. These buildings had a habit of burning down (funny how wood does that) or being torn down, in favour of cheaper, yet monstrously ugly housing complexes. There is rust everywhere. There is concrete everywhere. Everything looks and feels like a rusty, concrete, institutional building.

In the senses I have described above, I am deeply saddening by what this country has become. It is a true shame. It is easy for me to say these things, but I do understand some of the reasons behind Japan`s current appearance. First, they industrialized much more rapidly than did Europe or North America and needed to take some shortcuts in order to catch up. Second, Japan is a land frought with many natural disasters, including flooding, so measures to control nature are inevitable. Third, Japan is not blessed with the natural resources that we take for granted so it has done what it can to get energy from the land. So, I understand, at least a little. Nevertheless, I have little hope that it can or will change for the better.

On another more disturbing note, there is a growing undercurrent of racism and discrimination. A comic book that discriminates against Koreans sold over 300,000 copies last year and this is just one example. The recent Prime Ministers have gone on anual pilgrimages to Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, which enshrines Japanese war dead since 1850 (I think), but its most infamous dead are the convicted war criminals who are also enshrined there. It is extremely controversial here in Japan and despite the fact that between 70-80% of the Japanese public disapprove of these visits, the PMs still go. This single issue has ground Japan`s relations with its neighbours to a halt (particularly with China). Personally, I am thinking that you don`t want to be pissing China off. The Asian concept of saving face is a big factor and pride is also, although the two concepts are most definitely not mutually exclusive. Japan needs to show its neighbours that it is still a power and doesn`t have to bow to anyone else`s wishes. Sounds pretty childish if you ask me. I don`t like where things are headed.

Having said that, I have been greeted with almost universal kindness since my arrival over 9 months ago and haven`t even seen a hint of the bigotry that I just discussed. It is here is this country somewhere, but I am just thankful that I have not see it here in my corner of Japan. In fact, what gives me hope in the future of this country is its people. My students fill me with joy everyday and I don`t need to be away for long before I begin to miss them. My colleagues are among the best I have ever worked with, depsite the language barrier and cultural differences. My Japanese friends are fantastic and everyone exudes warmth. Perhaps my situation is unique. I think it may be to some degree, but at least it has given me some hope in Japan`s future.