Fushimi-Inari Taisha

Visit to a shrine dedicated to the gods of rice and sake.

Fox - considered the messenger of Inari, the god of the rice harvest

View from half-way up...

Small foxes

Market find

Tooth floss

Naoshima

The next stop on my trip was the island of Naoshima, in the Seto Inland Sea.

This island was, until about 20 years ago, a small island with a declining population. There was a large refinery on the island but little more.

From the Benesse website:

In 1985, Tetsuhiko Fukutake, the founder of Fukutake Publishing Co., Ltd. (now Benesse Corporation), who nurtured a dream of creating an area where children from around the world could gather on an island in the Seto Inland Sea, came together with Chikatsugu Miyake, then mayor of Naoshima, whose own dream was to develop the south side of Naoshima as a pristine and educational cultural area. These two men formed a mutual agreement to develop Naoshima. Activities commenced with a trial camp for children, operated by employees of Fukutake Publishing.

http://www.benesse-artsite.jp/en/

Now the island has a number of art galleries and site-specific works, including a sento bath and art-houses (old local houses converted into installation spaces).

Just getting there was an experience. I started off on the Shinkansen (bullet train) from Hiroshima, to gain time, as the local trains after the section on bullet train would take some time. The great thing about train travel in Japan is that trains go when they are expected and you can get detailed travel plans with all train connections including which platform you will arrive and which you need to go to to change. So journeys are not at all stressful as you know exactly where you are going and when.

After the train journey, I got on the ferry which is just about 20 minutes journey to the island.

On the ferry

Arriving

It is definitely true about journey sometimes being more important than the destinations. I think travelling and getting to places are great experiences. However, that is not to say this destination was not worthy of the journey.

On getting off the ferry, I made my way to the hostel I had booked for the night to leave my bag and to rent a bicycle for the 2 days I would be staying. I had heard it was good to get around by bicycle - there are buses between the sites and walking is possible but biking is the best option.

I think the guy thought maybe I had not cycled before as I almost fell off the bike on taking it.... however, I managed to stay upright and made my way to the other side of the island, to see the art-house project.

To enter the 6 art-houses, you need to buy one ticket which allows you to access all. First you have to find the ticket selling place... after a few wrong turns, found it and I was on my way. However, finding some of the sites proved to be more difficult! Cycling round and round the near deserted streets of the port and suddenly happening on the destination made it like a treasure hunt.

Although some of them were more obvious from outside, others were just as they would have been as houses in the town, without any kind of signage....

I think these art-houses really encompassed the idea as art as an experience, an all over thing, surrounding the viewer. This really made me think about how that is possible, how to achieve that. For example in my chosen discipline, painting, how can I make it an all over experience. How to engage with installation to make it a whole involvement. I think this could be a really interesting, involving and rewarding way to progress with my work.

I then cycled on round to some outside art pieces at the Benesse art complex. From a distance you can see one of the famous pumpkin on the pier....

The other pumpkin on the island is at the pier when you arrive by ferry. However I didn´t see it at first, although it is supposed to be one of the first things you see when you arrive....

Had to wait a while to take a photograph as there were two idiots taking photos of the pumpkin, with altered perspective, so it looks like eating it or holding it etc. I don´t suppose they were the first to do that....

A picnic lunch then on to the Lee Ufan museum. The museum is partially underground and was designed by Tadao Ando. The idea is to work with nature and complement the space. It is a very peaceful place and it resonates depth and strength. The place has a very calming effect, right down to the gallery assistants tiptoeing around, asking you to remove your shoes.

After more cycling about, I decided to go back to the main town to get a hot drink and then check into the hostel. But on the way, stopping to see this:

I found a cafe which, apart from the terrible Christmas covers CD on repeat, was very sweet. It is clearly the quiet season, so I was the only customer, I think they were delighted to see me! The younger woman seemed to be in charge with an older woman who didn´t seem to know what she was doing but trying to be so helpful, but the younger woman kept her right, so sweet to watch them. Like they had a hobby coffee shop together.

In Japan cake & coffee set is quite popular (and cheaper) so I went for that.... although, as usual, not really sure what I was ordering. But I got this:

And this:

A great surprise, yum.

Then onto the hostel.... the room turned out to be a ship storage container with bunk beds! Crazy... but it works.

There was just one other girl there, who was sweet and friendly. However, she was in her pyjamas before 7pm!

sento public bath, which was just next door. It is called I love you.

Looks like this outside.
http://www.naoshimasento.jp/#/en

It is decorated to reflect the world of artist Shinro Ohtake. It is like stepping into a crazy word, but otherwise just like a regular sento bath. For the first half hour I was alone, and was so great to soak in the hot bath and relax.

The only thing about sentos and onsens is that after soaking in the hot water, you are completely wiped out. So it was back to the hostel and bed...

The next day was noticeably colder so cycling around was not as much fun. However, I went to the Chichu museum, which is again, designed around the land and the artworks within it. It is a beautiful space which has a calming and relaxing effect. It makes use of natural light, so that the exhibits change by the minute and by the season, when clouds pass and the time of day.

However, this museum was the most expensive of all on the island - 2000 yen, about 16.50 pounds. Although it was well worth seeing, I think that on the whole, all the art museums on the island are extremely overpriced. I understand that maybe costs are higher on the island, but if you figure in the cost of seeing the exhibits plus the high cost of travel in Japan, it makes it a very expensive trip, which I know would put off some visitors, which is a shame as it is a great experience to visit the island.

After that, I decided to cycle round the rest of the island. Part of the island is prohibited to enter as it is an industrial area. But you can cycle past it to get back to the other side. It was interesting to see that side of the island, as the industrial history dominates - although now the art centre has surely changed the island, it still has this very industrial, opposite side. This is all part of the place and it was interesting to see that contrast.

After a quick visit to the 007 James Bond museum (yes, really, http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5480.html)... it was time to take the ferry back to then catch the train back to Kyoto.

Hiroshima

Last week I went on a short holiday. I had wanted to go away for a while - I felt I needed space and time to really be on my own. Time to think and not be somewhere usual.

I suppose I am definitely starting to want my own space back, my "actual life". Normal after having been away for some time.

I was not sure if I had wanted to visit Hiroshima - look at a city destroyed which has built itself back, for what?

However, I had heard reports that it was a beautiful place to see and was not all about the destruction by atomic bomb at the end of the 2nd world war.

I was not disappointed - for some reason the city is beautiful and had a peaceful, strong vibe, kind of friendly and homely feeling.

Most of it was destroyed in 1945, except from this:

Called the A-Bomb dome, it has become a symbol of the strength of the people of the city.

Visiting the museum in the Peace Park was not all about the suffering. The angle taken was really about the complete lack of necessity of atomic warfare, and the want for a more peaceful world free from conflict. It did document the reasons why Hiroshima was chosen to be bombed, in letters from the American government. It was odd reading those, as if the city did not have people, with lives but was just a place, a name, a target. You are reminded of the horrors of modern warfare: push a button, destroy the world.

Peace Park

It is quite a small city and easy to walk around, but there are also trams with conductors, it still surprises me the number of people they employ to do stuff in Japan:

In the evening I saw the castle - tramping about in the dark (they don´t seem to light up stuff at night here, not sure if it is to save money or what) as I didn´t get the chance to see it in daylight. You just wouldn´t do that in Britain, but here it is perfectly safe to wander about in the dark on your own, odd feeling.

The next day I went to Miyajima. This is a small island in Hiroshima bay, just a 30 min train ride from the central train station and a 10 min ferry to arrive. It is a sacred island and I read somewhere it is one of the 3 most beautiful places in Japan. Its most iconic image is of the Torii gates (entrance gates) which look like they are floating.

You see the gates as you approach the ferry terminal on arrival. It is clearly quite a touristic venue in the on-peak season. However, due to the fact that it is December, it was really quiet and not so many people around - which was great, for the first time in a long time I felt I had space to breath and time alone.

It has a small mountain which has some shrines on the way up. You can take a cable car but I decided to climb up it. It was quite a climb to the top but well worth it.

On the way up I hardly saw anybody. There were some naughty deer at the top, and this is the view from the viewpoint:

It was possible to walk down the other side through a park, which I did, after a picnic in the sun.

Itsukushima Shrine is the main shrine on the island, here is inside:

Here are the monks cleaning the shrine:

On the island there is also a pagoda:

So refreshing to have the time to walk up a mountain in such beautiful surroundings.

Left Hiroshima early the next morning for my next destination.

Manhole cover.

Collaboration

Last week, after about a week of meetings and working, the exhibition in which we were invited to collaborate with the visiting artists Dunhill & O´Brien opened.

http://dunhill-obrien.org/

This exhibition had been planned some time ago and the students of our tutor had been asked if we would like to participate. The name of the exhibition is Stone Appreciation, and is about ... stones.

The artists have used stones in various ways for some time and this next effort seems to have been inspired by a particular stone of note, which was turned into a sort-of tourist attraction in the 1900s. The Bowder stone is in Cumbria.

http://www.visitcumbria.com/kes/the-bowder-stone.htm

The artists had their own work for the majority of the exhibition but wanted to include a Stone Appreciation Study Room. This is where the collaborative part came in. They had a lot of information and things they had collected which we could use, like postcards, souvenirs etc. The idea was that we, as a group, would create/curate this room, as part of the exhibition.

We had, a few weeks back, gone on our own Stone Appreciation Walk. This had given us a few ideas and provided us with photographs and a bit more knowledge too. However, at that point, I don´t think anyone really knew what was going to be involved. I also think that the artists were keen to see how this collaboration wold evolve and what it would be like, as not so much a directed thing but to give us freedom to realise the task.

So, we started by looking at the material which they had brought. Then the idea of categorising it, and working ourselves into groups to manage what we had and come up with and ideas on how to show/curate what we had. It seemed to work out quite naturally, in that people drifted into groups which they felt they were interested in and wanted to participate.

At that point it was really all quite vague as to what would be done - how to present this material, and in what format. Would it work together well, and how would the overall thing be presented.

Gradually, the groups formed ideas and came up with solutions. I worked in a group with two other students, both Japanese. My level of Japanese is quite poor, and their English was not too bad but not great, so communicating ideas at this level was a bit of a struggle. But, pen and paper work. Ideas drawn out worked well. One of the artists, Mark, had suggested the idea of a booth for viewing material. I loved this idea and we set about in converting it into our own. One of the guys, Yuki, is also a fan of the artist Yoshitomo Nara. Nara has worked with sheds and structures which house his work. They are cute in a Japanese way and convey a sort-of homeliness and warmth. So we settled on making a structure which had these qualities. We would display material inside these structures.

Actually making something like this was such a great thing. A physical object - wood measured, cut and screwed together. Although quite basic, it provided us with a great sense of achievement. We worked together, sometimes all three, sometimes one or two, as time allowed. It only took us three days on and off to finish the structures. At some point along the way Yuki and Shinji decided that one was not enough and we may as well make two! It is interesting working like that, without the benefit of being able to clearly express your opinions. It was quite liberating and there was less of a feeling of preciousness about the work, and a willingness to create something for everyone. It also showed the difference of working methods, for example - as long as it is measured, it should fit (my opinion) and Yuki was a bit dubious about it and was visibly worried that everything wouldn´t fit! It did in the end...

We used various pieces of wood we had found alongside the materials given to us. This really gave the objects an earthy and worn feel. The overall effect is kind of kitschy, quaint, collector-like. I think like what we were trying to achieve.

Meanwhile, the group as a whole were deciding on an overall theme for the room. Between a mad-collector type, obsessive... or a clinical study space.... eventually it placed itself somewhere between all of these, with the different exhibits. There were clipboards with facts about stones, objects laid out, stories in Japanese and English to listen to, maps of locations of stones etc...

It really was a great learning experience to work in a group on a project like this. For one, the language barrier was a positive thing - drawing out ideas and working through things in an instinctive way seemed to be more productive and concise in some ways. Also, you have to think a lot more about how to convey an idea, not just open your mouth. I can imagine what this would have been like at ECA - people being misunderstood, offended, insulting and egos all over the place. It was really refreshing to just work together without any of that getting in the way.

However, the Japanese students have a very different way of working together in a group. It takes FOREVER to make any kind of decision. I am not sure why this it really. Maybe it is a good thing to work out all the possibilities before committing to something, but I find it a really frustrating way to work (I am a more impulsive decision maker). However, after that they are really hard workers and attention to detail is amazing.

Almost finished...

Inside one,

And the other

In the space

Cultural experience day

Sunday was a trip to the Kyoto Prefectural International Centre to have a look at their Cultural Experience Day. The place is a bit odd as you have to go through a department store to get to it... but anyway it was a chance to do some traditional Japanese stuff for free, so why not?

First getting dressed in a kimono.... felt like having a corset on, must be more comfortable for those who are thinner....

It did take a while to put on an had a number of different parts and accessories, the result - warmth.

Then on to origami making...

This is my attempt - it is supposed to be a retriever dog.... the teacher was a little surprised at my choice of paper (it should be a plain colour I suppose)

Then we got involved in some Japanese dancing.... no photos of that, at it is just as well! Kind of dancing that geisha and maiko do... but is really for people with better co-ordination and grace.

Then onto temari ball making. Temari balls are traditional gifts in Japan - they are made from thread and some have very intricate designs. Check out this link:
http://www.temari.com/

Grand show-off photo(!) with example balls behind, note the small efforts in our hands...



Food

It took a litle while to become accustomed to the food here and the way of eating. It seems important to really embrace the way of eating here. In other foreign locations I suppose food is not that different, or indeed you can always find something like or the same as what you are used to. The love of the West does extend to foodstuffs very much but the way in which it is done is so differently (probably due to the availability and cost of ingredients) that really it is a different thing anyway. I suppose the only thing you could get the same would be McDonald´s. If you wanted to.

So basically it is just better to stay native and enjoy the food everyone eats rather than try to look for something that will probably disappoint. Besides, there are so many things to try I don´t think I´ll get round to trying even the half of it.

Best just to show my favourite things so far:

Edamame beans

Favourite sushi box - left, roll with seaweed and egg and stuff, middle, adzuki bean rice, right, pockets of sweet tofu with rice inside. YUM

Beautiful packaging

Cold (very sweet) coffee - actually the best way to drink coffee, the hot stuff is much worse

Banana cake thing, has a layer of banana paste stuff in the middle. Quite good

Daifuku mochi - mochi are rice cakes made from glutunous rice - this one is filled with sweetened adzuki bean paste. Devine.

This is plain mochi but grilled and has a sweet sauce on it. I didn´t like this as much though...

Think this is a pack for making sukiyaki - like a hotpot. We got it on reduction from the supermarket to try - it has lots of things cooked together, usually with a sauce made with sake.

Okonomiyaki - pancake thing with a variety of things inside cooked on a grill, has a special sauce a bit like barbeque

Anman - hot bready rice thing with adzuki bean paste inside - they make different varieties like meat, curry, pizza...yum. Great small hot snack.

And there is so much more... even just the traditional set meal, rice, miso, maybe tofu, pickles and a main thing like chicken or something. It is such a great way to eat and seems to make sense, you have a little of everything to enjoy.

More to come...

Kurama & Kibune

I took a cycle ride up to Kurama recently. This is only about 6km from where I´m based but all uphill (benefit, coming home is downhill). Again this is a fantastic place to visit in this season - the autumn colours are amazing. The last time I was in Kurama, it was at night for a fire festival. Seeing the same place in the daytime was quite distinct.

View on the way up

There is a walk over Mount Kurama you can do which leads you to Kibune on the other side. This starts at the temple and has various shrines and small temples along the way. It is quite a climb but lovely to do (except from the inevitable fact that it is full of other people doing the same).

Entrance to temple complex with sandals

Way up

Small shrine with offerings of sake and eggs. Not sure what this is for, why these things are offered. In some of the others it was like a supermarket - all types of snacks, even a bag of yogurt drink supplements.

Nifty crazy head key-chain selling booth. (but a bit of a rip-off at 400 yen...)

On the other side, Kibune has many restaurants, lovely looking and then it is quite a long walk (I went the wrong way first) down to the train to get back to Kurama (I left my bike there, not thought out so well...)

But back in Kurama and I had a visit to the onsen there - outside with lovely views of the hills and the trees. Cold outside but water so hot, perfect after a long day cycling and hiking.

Strange river ornamental thing