The Wonders of Takarazuka

I just reserved a ticket to see the Takarazuka Revue in Tokyo a couple of days before I blow this popsicle stand. The Takarazuka is an all-female musical theatre group; I studied it in college as an interesting example of sexuality in Japan. There are six troupes ("Flower", "Moon", "Snow", "Star", "Cosmos", and "Superior Members") which have over 80 members each and perform predominantly at their home stages in Osaka and Tokyo. In order to join, girls between the ages of 15 and 18 must go through a highly competitive audition to get into the Takarazuka Ongaku Gakkou, one of the best performing arts academies in Japan. Over 1,000 girls audition each year, but only 40-50 are accepted. After passing, girls take classes in singing, acting, dancing (Japanese, ballet, tap, and modern), music history, theatre theory, etiquette and more from 9-5 each day.

After one year at the school, each student becomes either an otokoyaku (player of men's roles) or musumeyaku (player of women's roles). The starring otokoyaku are by far the most popular of the actresses in the Revue, so there are never enough spaces for all of the girls who would like to be otokoyaku. The decision is based on height, physique, voice, etc. Otokoyaku study how to act like, talk like, and move like men, while the musumeyaku train in being a strong and graceful feminine counter to the male roles (the 1914 rationale was that the musumeyaku would learn to be the ideal women, while the otokoyaku would learn to empathize with men and thus become better wives). The students learn techniques that signify gender, including stylized movements, gestures, and speech patterns. After their training is complete the students will join one of the troupes.

Nearly all of the fans of Takarazuka are schoolgirls and middle-aged women. A lot of them enjoy the portrayal of pure romance, rather than a physical attraction between a man and woman. Many of the fans adore the Takarasiennes and will stand outside of the theatre after a show, waiting to get a glimpse of their favorite stars on their way home, and maybe a photo or autograph. There are fan clubs, three official magazines, and of course, a plethora of collectibles.

So, the show I'm seeing is a rock opera called "Rome at Dawn", based on Julius Caesar. *Awesome*. A totally bizarre, totally Japanese way to end my year-long sojourn here.



Here's an article on it.
And another.

Tales from the 中学校...

So, I've been correcting compositions lately. My third-year students went on a school trip to Kyoto back in April, so each of them wrote me a letter about their most important memories. I thought I'd share a couple of my favorites, complete with student illustrations...


Student Drawing: Scary Deer
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Dear Kristi-sensei,
How are you?
I went to on school trip.
I want to tell you about this picture.
I went to Nara park.
Then there were many deer.
Some deer came to me.
Finally I was surrounded by deer.
The deer were very scary.
(Kazama Yukiko)


Student Drawing: Funny Story
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Dear Kristi-sensei,
How are you Kristi? I went to on a school trip. I had good times. The best memory is Watazen. I was talking till late at night. After that I was very surprised at talking while sleeping my friend. She said "Ouch!" She is Takahashi Kasumi. Her way of sleeping was very strange. But she was very cute!
(Tomoe)

Things are winding down fast! Here's the running count:

26 days until I leave Niigata
28 days until I leave Japan

That means just...

13.5 days of teaching
1 Board of Education meeting

Wow!

Beach-y Goodness and Other Tales of Niigata

It was back to the grind this week, with lots of school business and errands to take care of. It seems that I only have about six weeks before my triumphant return to the U.S., and that comes along with all sorts of tasks that must be attended to. The weekend, however, was all about fun. Friday I did some much needed lying about, while the evening encompassed a pancake party at Nuria's and a welcome enkai for Aaron's parents at the Aqua Hotel. Saturday was Round Two of English Day at Niigata Women's College, the same affair I went to back in December but with a new batch of students. It was fun and an easy way to pick up some extra cash - but wow does it make you realize how much work conversation can really be!


June English Day, Niigata Women's College
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

After the English mayhem, we were all in need of a relaxing time. Fortunately enough, Melissa and Kate invited a bunch of us down to Maki for a beach BBQ, Maki-style. There was a wealth of food and drink to be had, as well as good company. Phil in particular came prepared for a good time, with glowsticks and fireworks and some surprisingly developed bonfire-making skills. The weather held out and resulted in a very nice time for all concerned - and we didn't even get abducted by the North Koreans, whose boat lights we swore we could see on the horizon. Here are some highlights, some courtesy of Phil:


The Gang, Maki Beach
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Making S'mores, Maki Beach
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Phil on Fireworks
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

And now, it's Sunday. How does the weekend always speed by so quickly? Gotta get moving on all this stuff, before everything passes me by.

P.S. I <3 Kung Fu Hustle

Niigata, Tokyo, and Kamakura with Maria!

Ok, so before this gets totally foggy in my mind, I should set down some of the whirlwind that's been engulfing my life recently. Let's pick up where we left off, shall we? After a two-day stint in Hakone, Maria came up to Niigata to spend a couple of days hanging out with me and seeing the less touristy side of Japan. On Wednesday, she accompanied me to the Kamo City sports competition, where we saw students from several of my schools playing baseball, basketball, tennis, and ping pong before heading out for a stroll in Niigata City and visiting the Sea of Japan Tower. Thursday, I taught three classes and was soundly chided for not bringing her to class as a "special guest", so poor Maria had to hang out with me at school - the kidlings were very excited. And they let me go home early. :) We walked around Kamoyama Park a little bit and had a nice time at the Kamo Onsen before getting some dessert at Gusto and calling it a night.


Maria, Sea of Japan Coast
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Friday we took the shinkansen down to Tokyo, checked into our hostel, and went straight to Asakusa's Senso-ji, one of the livelier Buddhist temples in Japan. Then we hit Ueno Park for a couple of hours in the Tokyo National Museum, managing to cover only about a fourth of its total collections. The night ended with eating ourselves silly in Shibuya and enjoying some Friday night people watching.

Saturday was all about Kamakura, one of the old capitals of Japan and a center of Buddhism. We started at Enkaku-ji, one of Kamakura's five great Zen temples and then strolled over to Tokeiji, which used to be a refuge for abused wives seeking a divorce. Then we embarked on a hike which took us to the Zeniarai Benten Shrine, a really amazing place nested in the caves where visitors wash their money in hopes that they'll attract good fortune. At last, we made it to the Great Buddha, which was everything I hoped it would be. Hase Temple capped off the day trip - it's home to countless statues of jizo, which help women, children, and travelers - they're particularly associated with aborted babies. My personal favorite was the part of the shrine hidden inside another series of caves. Anyway, we had some yakiniku before heading back to Tokyo and making stops at Akihabara (yay for massage chairs!), Shinjuku, and Roppongi. Long day!


Maria & Kristi, Daibutsu, Kamakura
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Hase-dera, Kamakura
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

On Sunday, Maria started off the day with a little aikido - we met up at Tokyo Station and took a quick look at the Imperial Palace before jumping over to Harajuku to witness the cosplay-zoku in their usual Sunday madness. Did a little bit of shopping in Harajuku and Omotesando, enjoyed some kaiten sushi and pizza, and then hopped over to Ginza where we visited the Sony Building. The highlight of the day was definitely the final stop though - we saw a kabuki show for about $8 at the Kabuki-za Theater! It was amazing, mesmerizing, hilarious - it was a blast! Like watching Japanese history come to life or being whisked back into the Edo Period. I think I would totally go every month if I lived in Tokyo. Very much a must-see.


Kristi and Maria, Imperial Palace
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Anyway, now Maria is back in Washington DC and I'm back in Kamo, readjusting to a "normal" pace of life. Back to work!

Kansai / Western Honshu Blitz

I've returned safe and sound from another excellent excursion. Talk about insane - over the last four days I've spent time in Kyoto, Osaka, Himeji, Hiroshima, Miyajima, Onomichi, and Fukuyama, traveling on planes, trains, streetcars, ferries, cable cars...  I'll try to keep the narrative short though. As many of you know, my friend/college roommate Maria is in Japan for two weeks, so I flew to Osaka on Thursday night and bussed out to Kyoto to meet her.  We enjoyed a night-time stroll around the city, grabbed some okonomiyaki and crashed for the night.


Kyoto Tower
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Friday morning we made an early start for Osaka, heading out to the bay to check out the Tempozan area.  We took a ride on the Tempozan Ferris Wheel, which was the world's largest ferris wheel until the construction of the London Eye and totally satisfied our desire for randomness.  In the afternoon, we swept by Himeji, home of Himeji-jo, Japan's most spectacular castle.  Maria and I also spontaneously decided to buy ourselves yukata (summer kimono), which was exciting.  We crashed in a Hiroshima business hotel that night.


Tempozan Giant Ferris Wheel, Osaka
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Maria & Kristi, Himeji Castle
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Saturday morning was all about Hiroshima. Maria and I wandered the Peace Memorial Park, hitting major attractions such as the A-Bomb Dome, the Cenotaph for the Bomb Victims, and the Eternal Flame before heading into the incredibly moving Peace Memorial Museum. This was my second time seeing these parts of Hiroshima, and they were even more striking the second time around, if that's even possible.


A-Bomb Dome, Hiroshima
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Statues, Hiroshima
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

In the afternoon, we took a ferry out to Miyajima to meet Eric and his girlfriend Saya. Miyajima is home to one of Japan's three most beautiful spots (again with the ranking), a vermillion "floating" torii. It is also home to a large number of temples and native deer and monkeys (the deer were much more chill than in Nara, btw). This has to be one of the most picturesque places I've seen in Japan - a real favorite.


Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Friends and Fun, Miyajima
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Torii Sunset, Miyajima
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

But no, the fun wasn't over yet - the four of us went back into Hiroshima City to catch a little of something really special at the Hiroshima Yukata Festival. People were everywhere, dressed in brightly colored summer kimono, eating food from the many vendors on the street, and generally having a good time. At some point, we ducked into Molly Malone's, an Irish pub in the city and proceeded to gorge ourselves on such delicacies as fish and chips and the ever-illusive "real" hamburger. Afterwards, we parted ways and pretty much passed out from sheer exhauston.

Sunday was the big departure day. Maria embarked on a rather extended journey out to Hakone, Saya went shopping, and Eric and I took a train bound for Onomichi, where we went up a small mountain, looked at a "castle" for sale, and had yummy Thai food at what appeared to be an abandoned hotel. (Random adventures are the best, aren't they?) Afterwards, Eric kindly shuttled me to Fukuyama Station and I began the train-bus-plane-car journey back to my comfy home in Kamo. Phew, glad that's over.

And now? Now I'm kind of shell-shocked from the busy weekend and a very busy workday - anxious to get some rest. I think I'll close with one of the funniest things I've seen in Japan, a miraculous combination of Engrish and illustration:


"We do not hope to be such a monkey."
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Click here to check out my full photo set. (There's some fun stuff!)