Kurume in a picture

Article posted on Monday, August, 1st, 2011 at 12:15 am

It was almost two weeks ago that I went to the Arima Memorial hall in Kurume City to see their latest exhibition. I was of course happy to see the exhibition, but I was on the lookout for something else that day. I knew that if I kept my eyes cast low, I’d see it. It was right outside the recently refurbished JR Kurume station that I found it. A colour manhole cover!

The city of Kurume has decorated their manhole covers with representations of the beautiful nature that surrounds it. In the background is the stunning Minō mountain range (耳納連山), which lays to the East of the city. Every morning when I drive to work, the towering range fills my windscreen. To my constant surprise, it manages to stay hidden for weeks at a time thanks to the annual rainy season.

In the foreground is the Chikugo River (筑後川). The real-life version of which I’m happy to say, actually looks like a river. And, rounding out the scene are the bright, pink azaleas which cover the Chikugo Gawa’s banks.

Arima Kinenkan Exhibition – The life of an Edo Period lord

Article posted on Wednesday, July, 20th, 2011 at 4:41 pm

Just another day at a Japanese school. It seems everytime I get back to my desk, there’s yet another pamphlet or flier from a insurance or travel agency sitting on my desk, waiting to be thrown away. Sometimes they leave hard candy. I like it when they do.

I couldn’t've been more surprised the other day when I saw this one. A new exhibition was being held in Kurume at the Arima Memorial Hall, a small but tidy historical museum of the Arima clan at the site of their former castle. Well, looks like I finally had a plan for the coming Summer vacation.

Sprung!

The drive to Kurume castle was brief. Making my way from the Eastern entrance, I walked across the face of the Sasayama Shrine (篠山神社). Having not entered via the front gate, the first doors I was presented with were that of the toilets. And, if my memory served me correctly (it did), the wall of the male toilets is decorated with old roof tiles, some featuring heraldic symbols. I could hardly resist, so I whipped out my camera.

I struggled to get the shot I was after in that confined space. At my third attempt I noticed a man approaching. Actually, I noticed that he had noticed me. I gave a slight bow then scuttled off. Gee, that didn’t feel weird.

The memorial hall

In the door & up the stairs I went. "Konnichi wa", to the man at the front desk. I handed over the ¥200, and I was handed back about ¥200′s worth of pamphlets & fliers. What the..? I felt like I was back at work.

I heard footsteps behind me. It was the man who saw me in the toilet taking photos. He relplaced the man who had been on the front desk. There was just the two of us there now. What a relief that we’d broken the ice earlier!

The exhibits

I was immediately ushered toward a seat, and the friendly staff member started a short video of how the Arima clan came to be in Kurume city. A second video briefly spoke of the life of a princess at the end of the Edo period. A third video spoke of the Arima clan residence in Edo & of the clan’s legacy. The primary focus appeared to be that of an elementary school & a horse race.

I found all three videos of interest. They weren’t too long, and I was able to pick up on some tasty tid-bits of information here & there.

It was time to unleash myself upon the rest of the exhibits. It was a very short walk and I was reminded of how far away I was from Tōkyō, Kyōto, Nara, Nagoya or even Fukuoka city.

Okay, sarcasm aside, I really did enjoy myself. I definitely got my ¥200′s worth. There were several paintings/prints & artifacts relating to the castle that I was very happy to see. Also interesting was the amour with the dark-blue laces shown in the top picture. There is a dent in the breastplate from where it had been tested against gunfire. Kewl!

It was time to go, but before I left, I made sure I got the big, round, red stamp you see to the right to make sure it was ¥200 well spent.

Castle carpark surprise

Article posted on Tuesday, April, 12th, 2011 at 11:17 am

In a nation that has mastered the mass-production of motor cars, it is refreshing to come across low-volume or dressed-up cars, even if they are a little… odd. I think you’ll agree, the one below is… odd. I could be wrong, but I think they are going for the London taxi look.

Continuing on the British theme, another conversion that I’ve seen around is that of a Jaguar Mark 2, and it looks kind-of okay. Plenty of other manufacturers are represented too. VW Kombis, Leyland Minis, even Dodge-truck-looking atrocities can be seen about if you keep your eyes peeled.

I guess as a side-note, this photo was taken in the carpark of Kurume Castle. The cherry blossoms were more-or-less at their peak, but no better than the last time I visited. So, no new pictures I’m afraid.

One final item of note, our family car is a Nissan Rasheen, a non-exported Japanese car.