The mountain-top mystery sound

Article posted on Wednesday, November, 9th, 2011 at 10:05 pm

For anyone who starts to watch the following video, I’m almost certain your attention will be held for its entire duration! I concede, it is rather short at 17 seconds long, but let me assure you, it is that good.

So, I shot this video on my half-day trip to Koishiwara is Fukuoka Pref. The castle I visited that day was Chikuzen Matsuo castle. Anyway, click play already!

Castle mascots

Article posted on Thursday, August, 18th, 2011 at 1:08 pm

Characters are popular with kids, and with more mature-types too I guess. I’ve met people who are legally regarded as adults yet are mad on a particular Disney character. It may not be my cup of tea, but I have my share of childish interests. Heck, who doesn’t?

Cute & funny characters are one thing, but partnering them with an historical site strikes me as a little odd. I mean, people have fought & died at some of these places. Maybe, I’m just being a stick in the mud. That may well be the case because it seems not everyone would agree with me.

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to present to you…

Name Affiliation with Design Inspiration Additional info Official Website

Oshirobo kun Aizu Wakamatsu Castle Aizu Wakamatsu's main tower Is all about cheering for the future Here (link)

Name Affiliation with Design Inspiration Additional info Official Website

Kamejirō Echizen Ōno Castle The castle sits atop 亀山 (Turtle mountain) N/A Here (link)

Name Affiliation with Design Inspiration Additional info Official Website

Hiko Nyan Hikone Castle The 2nd lord of Hikone rescued a cat Likes to stroll around the castle Here (link)

Name Affiliation with Design Inspiration Additional info Official Website

Shiromaru Hime Himeji Castle White mochi A singer who likes tea in the garden Here (link)

Name Affiliation with Design Inspiration Additional info Official Website

Takamaru kun Hirosaki Castle Hirosaki Castle nickname “Hawk-hill” castle Gets carried away easily Here (link)

Name Affiliation with Design Inspiration Additional info Official Website

Karawan kun Karatsu Castle The last Ogasawara Daimyo (& Garfield??) Likes to make people smile Here (link)

Name Affiliation with Design Inspiration Additional info Official Website

Korō kun Kikuchi Castle An Asuka Period warrior & Kikuchi’s tower Likes to walk around & eat old-style rice Here (link)

Name Affiliation with Design Inspiration Additional info Official Website

Tora’cha Kokura Castle Famous paintings relating to the castle Likes to pickle then eat veggies Here (link)

Name Affiliation with Design Inspiration Additional info Official Website

Higo Maru Kumamoto Castle Kumamoto's main tower Likes to dance Here (link)

Name Affiliation with Design Inspiration Additional info Official Website

Hachimaru Nagoya Castle He’s a wanderer Likes to exchange gifts Here (link)

Name Affiliation with Design Inspiration Additional info Official Website

Yume maru Ōsaka Castle The castle & the plum blossom N/A Here (link)

Name Affiliation with Design Inspiration Additional info Official Website

Musubi maru Sendai Castle Date Masamune & a rice ball (?) Likes napping & visiting hot-springs Here (link)

In the process of putting together this post, I was reminded of a quote from Pulp Fiction. “Just because you are a character doesn’t mean that you have character.” I’ll leave it to the reader to decide whether that quote applies here.

Crossed wires

Article posted on Tuesday, August, 9th, 2011 at 11:17 pm

Once you hit the back streets of a town that few tourists get to see, you come across all manner of odd things. Just check out the handy-work in this picture. I wish I could say that it is a rare sight, but I’ve seen a few just like it.

People need lights, whether there’s a qualified electrician or not. It doesn’t matter how it might look, or that it becomes a potential fire hazard. What matters is that it works.

The building in the photo below is gate, a Yakui-style gate to be exact. It belongs to a shrine in the narrow streets of Yame city in Fukuoka Prefecture. It’s a miracle that the gate has managed to avoid a toasty finish. Let’s hope it stays that way.

The view at the top

Article posted on Tuesday, July, 5th, 2011 at 9:47 pm

How disappointing that Japan’s truly interesting castles get tourists. I mean, except for providing them with actual purpose, crowds are just about the worst thing if you want to immerse yourself in the aura & mystique of a centuries-old castle.

You can try to get there early if you like, but it’s not long after the security guards push open the front gates that the bus-loads of sightseers start surging through. They arrive with the determination and speed of a flash-flood, and are just about as welcome.

Once the swell of people arrive at your heels, you are swept through the narrow corridors and up the steep stairs as though you are surfing in a queue. The conga-line does make a stop though, right at the top.

We have now arrived at the upper-most level of Matsumoto castle. And, what I’ve just described was what I experienced last Summer on my trip to Nagano Pref. An amazing place to visit, but the view at the top wasn’t what I was expecting.

I’d really love for you to leave a comment. Perhaps you’ve had similar experiences.

Kumamoto cookie

Article posted on Tuesday, December, 14th, 2010 at 7:52 pm

I’ve promised myself I wouldn’t ever do a post on flavoured Kit-Kats, and for anyone who’s ever read a Japanese blog, you may know very well what I’m talking about. And it’s not that I have anything against those who do blog on the topic of Japanese snacks, it’s just that I thought there’d be 1,001 things to get to before getting onto the topic of food. Well, at least I thought that was the case.

So anyway, the other day I’m at work minding my own business when I get a tap on the shoulder. Turns out one of the other teachers went to Kumamoto & brought back the obligatory omiyage (お土産). Pictured below is the snack. It’s a fairly typical souvenir being a small, individually wrapped piece of food.

My question for the advanced students is, who do you see? Such is my shallowness, my interest with the milk cookie is only as deep as its wrapper.

Going my way?

Article posted on Monday, November, 22nd, 2010 at 7:05 am

I had just come from Matsuyama castle & had almost reached the train station when I saw this bus. It’s an Iyotetsu bus promoting its own highway-bus service to Nagoya City. Seeing as both places are big castle towns, this targeted advertising makes sense.

Sorry everyone, this post simply had to be non-taxing as I am still exhausted from my one day trip to Ehime Pref. The night-bus there & back made it a one day, two nights holiday. Anyway, stay tuned for pictures & posts of my visits to Matsuyama, Yuzuki, Ōzu and Uwajima castles.

Mini castles by Doyusha

Article posted on Monday, November, 15th, 2010 at 9:12 pm

Azuchi castle is at last mine! Mwa haha! And what a bargain at ￥350 (a few bucks). Okay, so I won’t be moving in anytime soon, seeing as it fits in the palm of my hand and all.

This particular series of castles date from 2007 and were produced by a company named Doyusha, a company that also makes (larger) plastic model kits of Japan’s castles.  Actually, as I glance over to the book shelf, I can see one of those very kits (again it’s Azuchi) that I picked up for ￥1,000 (a few bucks more).

So, what do you get for your hard earned? Well, perhaps the picture says it all. It’s a painted & pre-assembled plastic diorama, the size of which I’ve already alluded to. Pictured is the Summer version. And, for those lacking Bionic-Man eyesight, there is also an Autumn version of Azuchi.

It’s a bit of a lucky dip as to what you get, the box is sealed with no indication as to which one is inside. I could just as easily have picked up Wakayama Castle (Summer), Matsumoto Castle (either Summer or Winter) or  Hikone Castle (Summer). To totally sweeten the deal there is an ultra rare version. It’s Hikone castle (Spring) with bonus Hiko Nyan! See this post for an explanation – Castle Mascots.

Well, I think I may have gotten the bug. And why not? They are only a few bucks.

Daimyo’s pool cleaner

Article posted on Wednesday, November, 10th, 2010 at 7:04 pm

I was toying with the idea of a caption contest, sans prizes, of course, for this photo. It’s not that I doubt the humour of the Japanese Castle Explorer blog readership, It’s just that there aren’t so many of you inclined to posting a comment (which doesn’t really bother me) let alone trying your wit on in a public forum.

Anyway, here’s the picture (Matsumoto Castle). So, what have you got guys? A title, a comment from the guy? Please share in the comments section. I’ve written some below the picture, and you can even comment to say they suck if you want.

• “Looks like another dead’n. When will those ninjas ever learn?”
• “If I don’t get the chlorine level just right, the lord will have my head?”
• “Please, please, please let that be just a chocolate bar.”
• “Enter the lord’s service they said. Give your life in service of the lord they said. Die with honour they said.”

Toothpick Castle

Article posted on Saturday, May, 1st, 2010 at 10:32 pm

I won’t say which castle it is, but with its distinctive, if exaggerated shape, I wonder if you can’t figure it out for yourselves. Would you like to take a guess at the name of the castle?

Someone has gone to a great deal of effort here. And, just to save you the guess work I did a bit of googling. Over the course of a year, about 150,000 toothpicks were assembled into this oddly proportioned Tenshu. I’m hoping they were unused toothpicks but I’d be impressed either way.

Atop the steeply-sloping stonework sits a five-layered, wooden donjon. Topping the tower is the immense & overhanging top floor. There is also a smaller tower attached by a single-story hallway.

My googling revealed quite a bit of toothpick modeling happening around the world with many of the world’s landmarks having been constructed. I had no idea such a hobby existed. It’s not exactly my cup of tea, but those toothpicks that come with the disposable chopsticks really are starting to pile up.

The throne and where it leads

Article posted on Thursday, April, 22nd, 2010 at 5:54 pm

Behold, the lord's throne

The plumbing of Japanese castles isn’t exactly a commonly talked about topic. Given that there are a great many and more agreeable things to talk about, this probably comes as no surprise. If you keep reading, perhaps you’ll come to agree that there are points worthy of your interest & discussion.

Lifting the lid
On a recent visit to Kokura castle I was somewhat surprised to see a traditional squater on display. Some people refer to this type as the bobsled. It features a “T” handle to keep your balance in the event of the big one striking or even an earthquake. There is also a lid (which I presume was left up.)

Well, perhaps the lid wasn’t left up. A gaping hole in the floor is a potentially dangerous thing. It’s not that hard to imagine a drunken samurai putting his foot through or even losing hold of his mobile phone or keys down there.

Dark brown bowls
… could be used to describe Bizen-yaki, a popular regional style of pottery. But this wouldn’t be a fair description because they’ve also produced vases, cups and even, would you believe, the toilet bowls of Japan’s most celebrated castle, that of Himeji. The waste was delivered courtesy of gravity where it decelerated rapidly about a foot (300mm) from one’s bottom, even less if no-one got around to emptying it.