Japanese White-Bikes Doesn't Mean Only About Color

In Japan, the ordinary name of these Motorcycles in the photos above are "Shiro-Bai (White-Bikes)". Yes, they are policemen's motorcycles. Since the bikes are painted pure white color, people started to call the motorcycle policemen troopers "Shiro-Bai Tai (White-Bikes Troopers).

The photos are taken in Tokyo, but the style of the bikes are same in all over Japan. Therefore when you hear somebody say "Oh, there is a White Bike!" in Japanese, it means "Oh(or oops), There is a motorcycle policeman!". So please be careful, cars and bikes around you might slow down suddenly!

Inagi City Started A New Project Related To Old Kids' TV Shows

Recently, Inagi city Tokyo started an interesting project called "Okawara Kunio Project". It's not well-known but "Kunio Okawara" is an animation mechanic designer who is living in Inagi city. Although his name wouldn't be very famous in general most Japanese probably know some of robot characters he designed. 

One of the TV animation programs he designed robots for is "Mobile Suits Gundam", a Kids' TV show which was broadcasted around 1980. The show was super popular in those days so that everybody in schoolchild age knew at least the title and famous characters' names. Many kids vied to get plastic models of the robots (mobile suites) in the show which designed by Kunio Okawara and absorbed in assembling them.

As the start of "Okawara Kunio Project", Inagi city started displaying two big robot statues which are the most famous mobile suites in "Mobile Suits Gundam" under elevated railroad near Inagi-Naganuma station as shown in the photos above. The white robot is "Gundam" and the red one is "Char's Zaku". Behind the two robots, there are a cafe and a shop selling local items inside the window.

Today, the kids who were big fans of the show when it was on TV are all adults, but they would have good nostalgic feeling by seeing these two robot statues. Moreover, the TV show is not limited to one generation. Since it became so famous and popular in 80's, it became movies and also many TV shows were made as continuations of it in later days. So even in these days some kids would know the recent "Gundam".  Then, maybe some parents and kids can enjoy having drinks in the cafe and talking about Gundam, and have a fun time together.

By the way, interestingly, according to a newspaper article introducing this project, the designer, Kunio Okawara, got an idea for the Gundam design from Samurai hair style. It sounds funny, but please compare the two small square photos in the lower right hand corner, the shape of the robot's head is in fact similar to typical Samurai hair style. I never thought of it but the design of Gundam robot was actually very Japanese.

A String-like Cloud In The Sky Of May, What Does It Remind You Of?

The two photos on the top row are showing a typical style of Japanese dragons. The Image was originally imported from China in ancient times. The shape is the same as typical Asian dragons, but it is clearly different from the images of dragons in Western countries. 

Comparing to dragons in Western countries, Asian dragons looks more like a big snake with the four limbs and don't have wings although they can fly. 

In Japan, dragons have been considered as one of the nature gods, but they are not always nice to people even though they have an aspect of being a good omen. 

Ancient people related them to water, and thought they can control/bring water disasters such as storms and floods. Thus most shrines which worship dragons are usually located near water in Japan and typical images of Japanese dragons show dragons flying in a rain clouds or in a thunder storm.

So it is easy to be reminded of a dragon when people see a string-like cloud in the sky especially with a rain clouds in dark gray color. Well, do you see any dragons in the photos on the middle and bottom row?

May 5th Is Traditional Boy's Festival Day In Japan

Today, May 5th is Boys’ Festival Day in Japan, and now it is also a national holiday called “Children’s Day”.
For this seasonal event, many parents who have boys display traditional decorations to wish their boys’ success and promotion in future. 

In contrast to Girls’ Festival Day, which people display beautiful dolls set for their girls to wish their happy marriage as I introduced on March 3rd, people display decorative Samurai armor set which are special dolls representing historical heroes as symbols of strength/success, or carp shaped wind streamers (Koinobori in Japanese) on Boys’ Festival Day. The carp shaped wind streamers (Koinobori) is also a symbol of success. There is a story in a Chinese legend about a carp who successfully swam up a big fall and became a dragon to fly away into the sky, and therefore carps are considered as a symbol of promotion.

Apparently this seasonal event was originally imported from China in the 3rd century BC. After coming to Japan it was mixed with Japanese customs and became Boys' Festival Day. Especially after the 12th century, as Samurai society in Japan and the society became more significant, this event became also important. People probably wished their boys to be stronger and their family will be prosperous.

However, today many people live in small houses or condos/apartments in big cities, and they don't have enough space for these decorations especially carp shaped wind streamers (Koinobori) which traditionally requires a yard to erect a big pole. As a solution, some communities recently started to display many of the wind streamers (Koinobori) in public parks or river side fields, from donations from people who can't display them at home. It would be a good way to avoid wasting Koinobori handed down in each family and have a good seasonal event in communities.

A Japanese Local Community Event With A Small Shrine in 2016

The annual Spring Festival at a tiny local shrine which I have introduced previously on the 26th in this blog was just held yesterday. Many people got together at the shrine, from not only within Hachioji city but also various places in Tokyo and they had a nice time.

The shrine is located on top of a small mountain near Mt. Takao, which is well known as a sightseeing spot in Tokyo. So the shrine was surrounded by beautiful greeneries and wild spring flowers as you can see in the photos.

Although it was not necessary many people brought food or drinks/liquors to share with just like a pot-luck party, and if you donate something to this festival, you get a small bottle of sacred Sake from the shrine in return as shown in the upper center photo. In addition, Shinto priests of the shrine prepared a hot pot and provided to those visiting the festival.

People also enjoyed performances at the festival. There were a shrine maiden's dance and several music bands playing. The music weren't traditional Japanese music, in fact they were all foreign music. People gathering there are open-minded and they don't insist on Japanese materials only.

As you can see in the lower photos music bands were playing foreign music and there were people from foreign countries enjoying the music. It might be rare to see local community's activities at a Shinto shrine can be culturally mixed. It would be an interesting feature of this shrine that is open to international communities. The lower right hand side photo shows one of the Shinto priests dancing to South American music. There was even a foreign Shinto priest. That would be the reason why many people are gathed for this tiny shrine's activities.

A Japanese Local Community Event With A Small Shrine: What Does It Look Like?

In Japan, Shinto shrines and temples are everywhere, and we can find them in almost every few blocks. Their events are actually more like traditional customs rather than religious activities. People hold seasonal events and festivals at shrines and temples, in a sense these shrines and temples often work as a community center for local people.

Traditional seasonal events/festivals with major big shrines and temples are usually famous and many tourists visit to see these events. However, originally seasonal events/festivals were just local community activities, and we can still find the original style at some tiny local shrines and temples.

What do these old-fashioned local community events look like? There are many styles, but I'd like to introduce an example from West Tokyo area today.

The photos above are showing annual Spring Festival of a very small local shrine in Hachioji City, Tokyo. The shrine is tiny and there is no resident priest. However once in a while local people and priests get together there and enjoy community activities such as seasonal festivals.

Even though I said these are seasonal festival photos they probably look very different from famous festivals which always have many tourists. There are no stalls selling food and drinks. Since it is a very small local event, people don't invite stalls, just bring food and drinks there and priests provide some hot pot. It is an 'at-home' event like a 'Spring Party'.

During the festival, some people voluntarily provide performances such as singing songs or playing musical instruments. Last minute volunteers for these performances are also welcomed. It would be a good opportunity for the local professional performers to join the circle of music or dance. 

If you are living in West Tokyo area, and interested in joining this kind of local 'at-home' event, this Spring Festival will be held on April 29th (from 11:00am-3:00pm) this year, so please feel free to join!
The location is Asakawa Kompira Shrine, (address) 1429-285 Hatsuzawa-machi, Hachioji City, Tokyo.
The detailed map is below. 

A Photo Of After Sakura: It Is Called 'Hazakura'

As I wrote many topics about Sakura in my posts, Japanese pay a lot of attention to Sakura even before it blooms and after the flower falls. Therefore there are many words related to "Sakura (cherry blossoms)" in Japanese language. “Hazakura” is one of the words which means Sakura-With-Leaves (Cherry-Blossoms-Trees-With-Leaves).

Since most Sakura flowers bloom without leaves in early spring, right after the flowers scatters the young leaves come out, and "Hazakura" is the word describing the status of tree. Sakura trees with young fresh green leaves as shown in the photo above. The term includes the meaning of "after flowers", and it is often used when people want to express "It is too late for going to Hanami" or "Hanami (Seasonal Flowers Viewing) party season ended".

For example, people use it in a conversation such as 
“Hey, I just came back from my business trip. Why don’t we go to Yozakura(Night-View-Of-Sakura) seeing tonight at Ueno Park?” 
“Oh, I don't think it's possible. I saw it already became Hazakura this morning”
"Really!? I missed Hanami drinking this year!!"