Long Time No Blog

I suppose it's not as long of a pause as I have had in the past, but I didn't realize I had missed last week until halfway through the week. I missed yesterday as I was extremely tired and even went to bed around 8:30 pm. Not too much has happened over the past two weeks, though I did go to Nara this last Sunday. It is one of Japan's oldest capitals and is known for its abundance of deer. I went with my student's family. Every Saturday I teach English to four kids. It is nice. This week there is a poster presentation that I worked most of last weekend and this weekend on, so I have been terribly busy. Other than, that most of the week blends together and I can't recall everything I've done even though I know there is more.

Today is Earth Day, so Happy Earth Day! I am very big on environment so I think Earth Day is pretty important. Although, I really think every day should be treated as Earth Day.

I only have two and a half weeks left in Japan. Since that is the case, I am going to give a list of the things I will miss when I return back to Alaska.

1. High-tech toilets. Everyone seems to be terrified by them but they are so convenient. Also, they have pictures on them so I don't understand why people think they are difficult. I mostly just like them for the warm seats and the sound button (makes a flushing sound or nature/birds chirping sound that is louder than you). I absolutely cannot use public restrooms when other people are in there at the same time for fear that someone will hear me. It's irrational but comes with so much anxiety it is stressful. Thank you, Japan. I will greatly miss your innovation to make bathroom time anxiety-free. Honestly though, I'm not sure how Green the warm toilet seat is ... though I know they added the noise button because Japanese girls are apparently like me and would flush the toilet every time just so people couldn't hear them. The sound takes less energy and wastes less than flushing the toilet so ... yeah.
2. Trains. I have a whole blog post on trains about three or four posts back. I love trains.
3. Food. American food sucks. The idea of returning to eating greasy, sugar-pumped, plastic-tasting food makes me cringe and want to weep. Every American needs to get a passport and get the hell out of the U.S. long enough to realize just how awful the food is so that it can change and become healthier. When I return I am going organic only.
4. Being able to walk to places. Five minutes and there is a supermarket ... in Alaska it would take me maybe two hours to walk to the nearest store (I don't know, I live in the outskirts of an already small town that is about fifteen minutes by car and I am a slow walker ... town only has one grocery store ... the bigger city is two hours to drive to ... so ... yeah... goodbye convenience).
5. For the most part, the idea that religion is rather 1. dangerous, or 2. very personal. Even if they want you to convert to their religion, Japanese culture is very passive and respectful. You can always say "I'll think about it ..." which pretty much means "no thanks." and they'll leave you alone. In the U.S. if you are not a Christian you will have people tell you nice things like, "you're going to hell", "you must not be happy", and ... yeah, there is a lot more but I'll leave it at that.
6. Did I mention food? Okonomiyaki ... tacoyaki ...
7. Farewell good internet ... I will miss you. Though apparently some people think that Japanese internet is the best, which is a complete lie. South Korea has the best internet in the world. Japan is ... so-so. Mine likes to shut off occasionally. France's was better.
8. Healthcare. Yeah, after experiencing paying only 1500 yen (15 bucks) for a doctor visit and five different types of medicine, antibiotics included ... I will totally pay taxes for that. I kind of really do not understand how that is a bad thing. Also, it is actually more expensive for a foreigner than it is for the Japanese. I mean, Japan's taxes are only 8%, which isn't like say ... Sweden or Iceland ... 24% and whatnot. Still ... cheap healthcare, cheap schooling ... hmm ... after all, the U.S. comes to about number 37 in the world for healthcare and health outcome. France is pretty high up on the list, I think France may be higher than Japan, though I find Japan to be cheaper. Perhaps in emergency situations France is better since I have heard that the Emergency Room in Japan can get frustrating. It is probably because of paperwork.
9. The history that exists for Japan. It is a very old country and has old religions, old architecture, old everything.
10. I will miss using Celsius and some bits of the metric system. I have gotten used to it since I've been using it for two years (I don't know the metric system too well, but I don't really know the imperial/standard system that well either [I just think it is hilarious that it's called the standard system when the only country that uses it is the U.S., how the hell is that standard]). I suppose I can still use them but Americans get all weird and offended about it. Not that I really care about offending people ...
11. Convenient stores. They are everywhere and have just about everything in them.

Disclaimer: I don't have an opinion of which system is better than the other regarding metric vs. standard. I simply do not care which is better. Use whichever one you want. They both have pros and cons.


Things I will not miss!

1. Pollution. Yeah, it's not as bad as China, blah, blah, blah ... so I guess if something is not the absolute worst that means it is okay? For some reason not being able to see the stars at night, coughing and wheezing all the time, people getting sick and having asthma at higher rates thanks to pollution, and acid rain is okay as long as it's not China!
2. So I have had a lot of experience with different cultures and I have to say that the Japanese, so far, are number one with the excuse of, "But it's our culture!" in order to defend really racist, sexist, and overall, shitty things that are not acceptable to the rest of the developed world.
3. Sexism. It's worse in Japan than in the U.S. and France. It is obviously worse. Also, xenophobia. Unfortunately, Japan's xenophobia is predicted to only get worse, but we will see in the future how that goes.
4.  Too many people.
5. People staring at me.
6. You cannot pay bills online or with a card. It must be cash and it must be at the post office or city hall.
7. Paperwork. Ugh. Just ... yeah ... the amount of paperwork to do anything is completely absurd.

Bonus: This one doesn't really count because Alaska also has this issue ... but why the hell does fax even exist still?


Things I look forward to in Alaska!

1. American food is terrible, however, in Alaska there are a lot more organic choices. I really prefer river fish to ocean fish. Japan mostly does ocean fish while interior Alaska does more of the river types. Also, Alaskan salmon and crab is significantly better. Halibut is so expensive in Japan, it is almost cry-worthy.
2. Nature. Ugh, nature. Except that bad or no internet thing ...
3. Winter. Two years without snow that sticks or real winter is so depressing.
4. Clean air. The city with my university has some air pollution, mostly because of wood burning and car exhaust, but it is nothing compared to Japan or France (in turn is not even compared to China, I guess). Nothing tops my hometown, though. The air is great, except when there are forest fires or strong winds that make dust storms.
5. Wildness. Alaska has a wildness that I don't know if I can explain.
6. I can use the term "below" for temperature without people becoming confused (seems as though most English speakers and the English taught to foreigners is "minus"). I can also use Lower 48 to reference the contiguous United States. "Outside" to reference anything outside of Alaska, "Break-Up Season" to reference spring ... Alaskan slang.
7. No more having to worry about exchange rates.
8. Carefree attitude. Little stress, slow-pace lifestyle. Alaskans usually are pretty difficult to offend compared to Lower 48ers ...


Things I do not look forward to in Alaska!

1. Dryness. Interior Alaska is a subarctic desert.
2. Forest fires.
3. The sun in summer. It "goes down" for maybe an hour, that hour being mostly a dark blue and not really "darkness".
4. I hear that this is a very common issue with people who have travelled abroad and gone places in the world, but I feel like people back home are very uneducated about the world/close minded.
5. American politics and "America only" mindset. American politics are not the only politics in the world. They are not the only messed up politics in the world either. Other countries are worse or better than the U.S. regarding politics.
6. Bread ... France really, really spoiled me in the bread department ...

For now, I will end this blog post. No Writing-Prompt Monday (though it is Tuesday for me ...) today. Since I am getting ready to leave Japan, I will be very busy and a bit stressed out as I try and do things I want to do before leaving.

Until Next Time~

A Full Blog Post

Let's start this blog off with a bang! We'll begin with food. This little fish is called Taiyaki. They are very popular at festivals and are absolutely delicious! It is fried bread (kind of pancake-tasting) with some kind of filling, usually red bean paste ... though I've tried green tea and chocolate too.  This first picture was at Osaka Castle and was chocolate. I actually had that one the most recent.

The second picture (on the top right) was in Sakuranomiya, one of the best places to see the sakura (cherry blossoms) in Osaka. This one was green tea, which I think is my favorite filling so far ... though I did like the red bean paste too.

This last week the cherry blossoms were out and about. They were very beautiful. I think they are kind of like the aurora borealis, you can see all the pictures you want of it, but it really isn't the same as seeing it for yourself.

The picture to the lower right is of my feet, some chocolate I bought, a little branch of cherry blossoms (that I picked up off the ground, picking them from the tree itself is taboo and really a big no-no), and some kind of drink that is actually in the fridge still.

The other photo to the left is of me holding a sakura blossom that had fallen off of its branch.

We're going back a little, the picture to the left is of a sort of candy they eat in Japan. March 3rd was Girl's Day, a day where you celebrate having a daughter. People will show off by putting up little dolls on display. These treats are also given to the girls and is kind of like mochi, pounded rice.
The picture to the right is the only tofu I've liked.

The picture here is of candy. It's just glorified sugar. Same with the Konpeito. The green stuff off to the far right is weird, jello-like, traditional Japanese sweets. I was not fond of it.

 To the left is oysters, the green stuff mayonnaise and some spices and the red being salsa. The right has raw octopus and veggies (raw food at this point means nothing to me. France was also big on raw meat, so I've long been used to it ... raw horse, raw rabbit, raw octopus, raw beef, raw pork, raw fish, raw egg , raw pretty much everything ...)

 Mochi is sweet, pounded rice cake ... it is very gooey and stick, but very delicious. One of my favorite things here. That is what you see on the left, though the mochi is underneath the reddish-brown stuff. That is red bean paste and is a specialty in Shizuoka (Mt. Fuji area). The picture on the right is sashimi/sushi. Tuna.

 This was a fun meal. The little dish to the right are little baby eels. The whole thing. I've already been eating a lot of them, so they're not too strange for me. Off to the left there was some sea urchin, which I wasn't too fond of ... more eels, and more tuna sashimi.

Lastly, what is this? That is a fish skull with its eyeball intact. I asked if the eyeball was edible and I guess that was an invitation for me to try it out. At first I was hesitant, but I pried the eye out of its skull and stared at it until I braved the courage to eat it. The lens was interesting, but what really surprised me was when I bit down it was surprisingly kind of tough.

Though, to be entirely honest ... it was the most delicious part of the meal. Fish eyeballs are really good. The flavor is just perfect.




So, I went to Mt. Fuji this weekend. It was great. I went to an onsen (hot spring) where you could see the mountain as you bathed, it was fantastic. I really love onsen, I think they are very atmospheric, and honestly ... I think it is a bit disappointing that in Alaska you have to go in with a bathing suit. The water feels a lot better naked. They should just do what Japan does, have a women section and a man section and people can go in naked to enjoy the water (though I guess there are onsen in Japan where it is not gender split). Wearing clothes in the hot spring would completely destroy the atmosphere. It feels like you're going into a swimming pool, not into a spring with nice water that has minerals and whatnot. It has an earthiness, a wildness that I wish people were a little less weird about in the U.S.

So, it is writing prompt Monday. I came across this writing prompt "Make me fall in love with the character, and then in the last sentence make me hate them," but as I said ... I went to Mt. Fuji this weekend, which was a whole weekend of driving basically. I am exhausted. So something small will have to do. I found this: http://www.warren-wilson.edu/~creativewriting/Prompts.php ... number 18. In case your internet is slow or you don't want to click a link, the prompt is:

"18) Describe the room of one of the following: a high school student about to drop out; a cashier who has just won the lottery; a faded movie star who still thinks she's famous; a paranoid person, etc (see full list of suggestions in What If? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers). Be as detailed as possible."


I'll do each of them, a few sentences for each ... and maybe you'll have to guess which room belongs to whom? High school student about to drop out, faded movie star, cashier won lottery, a paranoid person?

1. A cozy, yet worn-out recliner took up the far end of the room, its faded color clashing with the dark curtains that were floral print in design. They hadn't been opened in a long while, but they did allow for some light to come through as the fabric was thin. There wasn't much for decoration in the small space. A fold-up bed, a closet that's doors had been broken off long ago, a dresser with a few misplaced photos and the delicate necklace the owner had forgotten to put on for the day, and some tubs filled with random knickknacks. Although a bit bare, there was a small pet bed for an old friend. The plump cat that took up one of the corners always managed to give its owner a peace of mind.

2. It was the type of room that would have the owner denying disorganization by saying they were the "messy organized" kind of person. Clothes piled high no matter how many times the room was cleaned, random socks thrown across the room. There was a stash of junk food in a grocery bag next to the desk, because one never knew when it was snack time. Lost items were everywhere, never to be found thanks to a scatterbrained owner. A bag of chips on the bed, waiting for their master to return and eat them after a long day. The messy room was always full of hope though, the owner always looking around, nodding and telling themselves they'd get around to cleaning. The next clean-up would be the clean-up and the room would never be messy again.

3. The trophies on the wall hadn't always had the odd, cancer-like effect they did now. Before, they lit the room up, making everything appear brighter. Now, the room seemed dim, even with the windows open and curtains rustling in the wind. Trophies weren't the only thing that decorated the walls, photos joined them, smiling faces looming, watching. There were happier things. A ring on the nightstand, new and glistening. Although there was something bright in the room, it couldn't light up the shadows that crawled around, owning the room.

4. It had been out of style for at least fifteen years, but that didn't stop a closet full of bright reds, blues, yellows, and greens. The clothing would definitely come back in style soon. The boudoir was newer, nice mahogany and rich lacquer that made its surface shine. Lit up, the room had more windows than necessary, but the view was worth it. Her kids were embarrassed of the room, but the photos and newspaper clippings that clung to the frequently polished mirror never dampened anyone's spirits.


All right, it is getting late for me so I rushed the last bit. If you want to figure out which room belongs to which person by yourself, read no further ... and once you think you figured it out, come back and read the next paragraph.

Some may be more obvious than others. The first paragraph goes to the paranoid person. A paranoid person is similar to everyone else with their forgetfulness (leaving the necklace behind). They keep their curtains closed, have a few necessities in their room. The cat was to show that often times paranoid folk like to have something close for comfort. The second paragraph was for the cashier. A bit cluttered and stuck in a routine (how we often find ourselves in jobs like cashiers) but with high hopes of eventually getting the room clean (winning the lottery, starting anew). The third paragraph was the drop out. I've met a lot of girls who dropped out to get married, thinking it would be perfect only to get divorced and regret their choices later on. Not to say all do, but this is supposed to reflect the cases that do have the regret. Although marriage seems like the right choice and glitters bright and is full of hope, the rest of the room is shrouded in regret that can only be distracted from for so long before the ring's glitter will die out. Lastly, the fourth one is the faded star. She has her old style, clinging to the past and even her kids think she should jump into the present. However, she is happy the way she is, with her memories (the pictures and newspaper clippings). We shouldn't let go of the happiness our past gave us, but we should make new memories and new happiness (the open windows that allow for a lot of light to come in with a great view = opportunities).

Until next time~

Mondays: Writing Prompts

I've seriously been lacking in the update category for this blog. I do think of it often, but that doesn't please the readers. I was having up to seventy views every now and then but as of late I have just been so busy with school, a bit of melancholia, hobbies (I have to be honest, I get stuck drawing, writing, reading, or playing video games and don't get around to important things), and now I am sick. My lovely friends went to Tokyo and brought back an ugly cold then gave it to me.

I have a terrible head cold, started with the usual sore throat and then made its way to a miserable, stuffy nose ... headache, slight fever, the whole shebang. I took the day off since this week I have a big presentation and wish to be 100% better before then. I forced through the sickness and did things this weekend, even though I really shouldn't have. I'm paying the price now. When sick with a cold, I have such a difficult time sleeping and usually get hit a bit harder than the initial illness. Perhaps I have a weak immune system, I don't know.

Although I have a headache and my eyes are a bit blurry, I can't stand to nap any longer. Sleeping is almost more effort than it is worth since I have to sleep on my back or I can't breathe through my nose. I absolutely cannot stand breathing through my mouth and when I sleep on my back I sometimes get sleep paralysis. In case you don't know what sleep paralysis is, it is really awful.

Anyway, I can't really think memory-wise to update on everything ... just know that the cherry blossoms are happening this week and I'll be going the countryside near Mt. Fuji this weekend.

From now on, I think I'd like to proclaim Mondays as "Writing Prompt Day" since I have been slacking on updates. Next Monday may get a break since I am not sure when I will be back from Mt. Fuji (I'm not going to climb it, that I am aware anyway).

Why a writing prompt? Well, I like to write and I figured writing prompts would be a good way to improve my writing. I've always been a bit hesitant about writing on the internet. Although I have self-published one book (that I am going to pull off the market, I keep saying it but I really am. I look back at it and think of how horrendous it is. I thank everyone for the support, but I wrote that when I was fourteen), I am nervous about people seeing my writings. I'm not worried about criticism; I can handle that.

Maybe it is because I have read one too many bad fanfictions* ... or young writers who litter their work with Mary-Sues* and Weeaboo* characters.

*Quick explanation in case you don't know these terms:
fanfiction basically fan written stories of already published work (example: fanfiction of Harry Potter, Star Wars, Pokémon, et cetera).
Mary-Sue/Marty Stu an original, usually self-insert character that you created in your fanfiction (though I've heard the term used for original work too) that is super perfect and has no flaws; therefore, the character lacks character development and is uninteresting to readers.
Weeaboo people who are really obsessed with Japanese culture/entertainment. Usually to the point they think/pretend they are, or want to be, Japanese and actually know very little about the real culture outside of Japanese animation and comic books. The term is used for real life people, but when I say Weeaboo characters ... I mean characters that are basically Mary-Sue but written by a Weeaboo so have all the Japanese/anime/manga flair to them.

Basically, I have read a lot of fanfictions and original work by writers who fall into the category of, "I am such an awesome writer, my characters are really awesome and totally not Mary-Sue! Please read and I'm going to publish my fanfiction and ........" yeah. Why am I mentioning this? Because maybe I've read too many embarrassing writings on the internet and it makes me feel embarrassed of my own writings. I don't write fanfiction, but I am shy and overly critical of my writing.

Either way, I suppose I'll do what I intended to do with this blog post ... write.
I picked this writing prompt up on Facebook, it was a while back so I can't remember where exactly.

1.Use one, some or all of the following words in a story, scene or poem (I'll attempt all ... since this is just a writing exercise it'll be a bit sloppy. My worst is first person writing, so I will give it a try):

Coffee, star, pen, match, envy

Park, window, fear, strand, frame

Her picture was all that I had left. The frame was dusty and cracked, but the picture itself was well preserved. I gently brushed the dirt away, stumbling my way through the wreckage in order to find an exit. A shattered window made for an excellent escape from the abandoned home, as I no longer wished to stay. Unexpectedly, a wall of rubble blocked any knowable path. Instead of crawling up it with a clunky picture frame, I pried it open and slipped the photo out. The back of the picture was stained yellow from age, but the ink was readable as it appeared to be written in pen. I didn't bother reading it, that wasn't important. The frame was tossed to the ground, picture folded and deposited in a pocket, and then I began my climb. 

It didn't take long to reach the top. I sat down, no longer bothered by the tiredness that hung around me. There was a park in the distance; though, one couldn't tell now. My grandmother used to take me there, drinking her coffee and smoking her cigarettes. I never liked the smell the match would make before she lit one up, but at this point in time I wouldn't mind it. 

Finally, I brought the picture out in its unfolded glory in front of me. Besides the frame I had so callously tossed away, it was all I had in this world. There was a woman in the picture. I did not know her, but she was beautiful and shining. I didn't doubt that she had been a star in many people's lives. Her time was gone; she was lost in a strand of time that I could no longer reach. My envy for her grew. I envied her for after my many years of searching, her picture was all that I could find. Her existence outlasted everyone else's, and I did not know her. But most of all, I envied that she could no longer feel the fear of a dying world where the only thing that existed was her photo.

Ah, well, there is today's writing prompt. I wanted to make it short. It's not a part of anything, so the story is that. It's a bit sloppy, but I didn't get around to actually writing it until about 8:30 pm and I am sick.

Unsure of when I will update next, but until next time~

I love trains.

But seriously.

It's been forever since I've updated, I know. Nearly two months now. The last two months have been stressful and long. To be honest, I've been a bit moody as well. Occasionally I fall into this mood where I have absolutely no motivation, bad anxiety, and kind of just hang out in this odd haze of melancholia. Usually it comes and goes, not lasting more than a week or so, but it's been hanging out more as of these last two months than the norm allows for.

Anyway, not too much happened in February. Went to Osaka castle and looked at the plum blossoms. The castle was a major disappointment, mostly because the inside was modernized with an elevator and everything. Albeit that, the outside was nice. There was a Chicken Ramen Museum field trip, and I received a grant from my university. One of the things that had been contributing to my melancholia was how I would always eat in my room. My host mom would bring my food to me there. It happened for about two-ish months when finally, last week I casually mentioned how eating alone was lonely. I guess it did have something to do with my host father, as she asked if I was okay to eat with him around. Apparently he has weirded out other students. But either way, now I eat with them and it is a lot better.

Other than that, there isn't a lot to update on. My pain has been gradually getting worse, and my pain pills aren't working as well as they used to. I worry about family at home on a daily basis, to the point it intermingles with my already bad case of nightmares. I have them at least three to four times a week, and it is rarely just ever one in one night. Sometimes I have up to four or five during one night. Honestly, I have no idea what to do with my life. I am dried up and out of loan money and I can't take anymore out this year. Besides, I really don't want to because I am already almost $40,000 in debt. So if I don't get a job this summer I can't return to school next semester. I'm pretty desperate for a job, will pretty much do anything. This has been ongoing for a long while, and maybe everything is just catching up with me.

But besides my complaining, I am a bit torn on the melancholia. Sometimes I like it because, honestly, my creativity goes up a lot during this time. On the other hand my motivation drops and I just lie around in "the haze". I feel like I am literally in a haze. My thoughts just kind of waver around and the world around me feels unreal. I escape into fantasy worlds where life is easier and I get stuck there with little to no intentions of getting out.

Well, that's enough of that. Let's return to the title of this entry: I love trains (high-speed rails). There are many reasons why I love trains and why you should love them too:

1. They are convenient.
2. Let's be honest, they are really awesome looking.
3. I enjoy how smooth they are while travelling. Also, I like the sounds of going over the train tracks.
4. They are apparently Green! Yay! Less carbon emission! Save the planet! I'm a hippy!
5. So fast.
6. In case you didn't know why people usually take buses or trains ... in the end, it's because they are cheaper than buying a car and paying for gas. Except buses are really expensive in Japan ... not sure what that's about really ...
7. You can go lots of places! More opportunities!
8. Cozy. Sleep-inducing.
9. People watching!
10. Because they are awesome.

I read this article that talked about how they were looking into a train system that would go through the U.S., up through Canada and Alaska then speed through Russia. I really hope they do something like that, since I recall stops in Fairbanks and Anchorage. I imagine that it would make it easier for Alaskans to leave Alaska, and maybe influence more Alaskans to get passports.

So, for today, that's all I have. Some complaining about melancholia and some train talk. I hope it wasn't terribly boring! I'll leave you with some food photos (all taken by me).

 Just some soba (noodles) with a steamed bun.

 This goes into nabe (hot pot), they are see-through noodles that are kind of slimy but delicious.

 Some kind of cookie-thing. It was delicious.

 Takoyaki (little balls of flour, cabbage, and one other thing ... they also have octopus in it.) They are my second favorite Japanese food.

 Some kind of seaweed food. It has a very nice flavor.

 This was for New Year's. Miso soup with mochi (pounded rice cake) inside.

 This was also for New Year's. Every food in it has some kind of signification (vitality, luck, money, et cetera).

 This is eaten for a holiday where they throw rice outside to scare away bad spirits and demons. It is actually really big.

 Valentine's Day chocolate from my host mom.

 Natto, fermented beans. Really slimy and smells weird. It is one of those foods where people are really hesitant to try it, even some Japanese people don't like it. It wasn't bad.

 Chicken Ramen museum. Made our own ramen. This one was mine c: (haven't eaten it yet).

 Nabe (hotpot)

Just a selection of traditional Japanese food.












Until Next Time~

More Yokai!

Since a few people really seemed to like the yokai that were presented in the last post, I decided to write another post dedicated solely to yokai and obake. Also, it's Sunday and I am in some back pain so have little to do but laze around on painkillers. And I love folkloric beings.

So here are a few more yokai from Japanese folklore!

1. Kappa -

Koopa Troopa
Property of Nintendo

These guys are really well-known. In pottery, I made one and everyone was very surprised/excited that I knew about the Kappa. What are they? They are little duck, watery beings that supposedly inspired the famous Bowser and Koopa Troopas from the Mario universe (the more I read about Kappa the less I think so, but ... Koopas, I understand I guess). Their coloring can range from yellow to blue to green. It is said that they have the stench of fish, have webbed hands and feet, a duck-like bill, and a small indent on the top of their head that holds water. Some of them have hair or leaves that surround the water spot. Even though they like to hang out in ponds and rivers, creeping out Japanese people, it is said that they will go up to the mountains and live it up as a mountain deity occasionally. There are still many shrines dedicated to the Kappa, and sometimes festivals are held during the spring and fall, times when the Kappa would be making their trips to and from the mountains.

Like many of the faerie-like beings of European folklore, the Kappa are highly curious of our human ways and are knowledgeable in the Japanese language. In exchange for things like eggplant, soba (noodles), natto

1836 painting. Not the prettiest little guy.

(fermented soybeans usually eaten for breakfast), kabocha (a type of squash), or cucumbers they will become your BFF. They adore the shit out of cucumbers. But beware, there is one food that they love even more than cucumbers and that is your children. Back in the day, when families wanted to bathe in the waters, parents would get out some cucumbers and write their names and their kids' names on them, throwing them into the bathing area in order to subdue the Kappa and bathe in peace. Because of this, there is a superstition where one should eat cucumbers before swimming. Though, if you have gained BFFdom with a Kappa, they will help you with your farm and other things. It is also believed that they taught humans how to set bones and other medicine-related topics. So, while they're really intelligent and will become BFFs with normal-sized humans, keep your kids away from them. But with the high amount of infanticide in ancient Japan, maybe the Kappa were really just used as an excuse ... though they did other asshole things such as farting in people's faces, looking up ladies' kimono, and stealing your hard-earned crops that you and your other BFF Kappa made together. The part they liked most about children was their blood and livers and taking your shirikodama. Shirikodama is basically your physical, glowy ball-shaped soul that is in your anus (I wish I made this shit up).

Picture Courtesy of ME. I made this little guy myself.
Ceramic Clay.

The water that it holds on its head is like the soft spot on a baby's head; it is its sensitive spot. Unlike a baby (or maybe still like a baby? I don't know much about babies really) the water is the source of its powers and abilities. Depending on the legend, if the water spills, they will become unable to move or perish. Since they were obsessed with being polite (except in farting in people's faces and looking up people's kimono situations I guess), if you bowed, they would bow back, having their water spill. If one were to refill them with water from their home-pond, they would become your eternal BFF. They had one other weakness, and that was their arms. You could literally rip their arm off and slap them with it and it would take little effort to do so. So if you wanted to be a real jerk, you could take their arms and taunt them into giving you stuff in return for their really shitty arms. How did they lift things if their arms came off so easily? Like me, they hate ginger, and unlike me are repelled by iron and sesame.

These guys have seriously a lot of information on them, and there are a lot of pictures if you type into Google images. Those are the basics though.

2. Tanuki -

A Tanuki in Namba. Picture courtesy of moi.

So the Tanuki is an actual animal (raccoon dog in English) and one of the abilities Mario can get in certain games. The real one is kind of like a badger/dog/raccoon/thing. They are really adorable. Like the Kappa, there is a lot of information on these guys so I will try to keep it short. So there is the real Tanuki (raccoon dog) and then there is its mythical, yokai version. They are shape-shifters and can be troublemakers. More modern depictions give them a round belly that they will drum on, a bottle of sake in their hands, and a pair of giant testicles. I am sure you can guess which attribute is the most important to this yokai's folklore.

Edo period painting.
How artistic.

They used to be a lot less benevolent, but over time the Tanuki became a fun-loving creature instead of smothering people to death with their giant, magical ball sacks. Actually, I think even modern folklore still has them doing that. Back in the day, they were much more likely to use mystifying magic to trick unwary travellers and to enchant people with their belly-drum music. In today's world, you can go into most Japanese businesses and will find a small or giant ceramic Tanuki sitting around. I've taken several pictures of them actually. Some of them retain their giant scrotum while others have been hacked of it, probably thanks to the prudish Western culture that has infiltrated Japan.

Real Tanuki. Picture Courtesy of Wikipedia.
Thanks Wikipedia.
Damn these guys are adorable.

Even though it seems like it would be good for us if they were terribly dimwitted and absentminded, they are instead kind of like a bunch of drunk little douchebags. They enjoy transforming into things, which you can reveal as a Tanuki by smacking it in the face with a leaf or bone (whoa, now it makes so much sense why Mario becomes Tanuki Mario with a leaf). They stumble around drunk, their tails wrapping around people's legs. Since they can be invisible, this allows for a good scare while being called mean names and feeling soft fuzziness around your legs when nothing can be seen. Since they are massive jerks, sometimes they will roll boulders down mountains to make loud noises and confuse villagers, or transform into a bundle of sticks. I don't understand why they do that last thing. They can inflate their scrotum to be the size of eight tatami mats (tatami mats are ... well ... floor mats that can be up to 1+ m in length so 3.3+ ft ... meaning that eight of them could probably be used as a form of hyperbole). There is a fun story about how a bunch of people got together on a tatami mat during a rain storm. One guy dropped his cigarette, a Tanuki crying out in pain and everyone realizing they had mistaken its balls for a mat. Sometimes they will use their own scrotum as an umbrella, covering themselves up in the rain.

3. Futakuchi-onna -

Imagine you are the Japanese wife of a poor man in the Edo period (1600's to 1800's about). You don't have a lot to eat and since you're a woman your hair is super important and must be taken care of obsessively. So you do your lady thing, taking care of your beautiful and very long hair, since cutting it was usually only done in shame or in the form of an extreme apology. One day, you begin to hear mean, spiteful things being muttered from behind you, but when you look, there is nothing there. The little food you do have mysteriously begins to go missing and your stomach feels a little bit fuller than usual.

If you looked at this picture you
already knew what was going to happen.
Edo period woodblock painting.

Little do you know, a second mouth has grown on the back of your head and your hair has become sentient, able to move on its own to fill that second mouth. It is two times more ravenous than your regular mouth and when it screams it causes you tremendous pain. The words that come out of it are usually spiteful, cruel, demanding, and obscene. 

Other legends say that this happens when a man is chopping wood and "accidentally" hits his stingy wife in the back of her head, the wound never healing and becoming the contraption mentioned above. A third way suggests that a selfish mother who starved a stepchild to death while feeding only her beloved children would feel its vengeance when its spirit becomes the talking, ravenous mouth on the back of her head. 

4. Harionago/Harionna -

There is some interesting cultural ideas regarding hair, especially women's hair, in many parts of Asia. Japan is no different. This monster, as it is specifically said not to be a ghost or a human, takes the form of a women with very long hair. She is extremely beautiful, men easily falling and chasing after her. Luckily, she is just from the western prefecture of Ehime on the island of Shikoku (one of the major islands of Japan, not too far from Osaka, actually). She wanders around, waiting for a man to approach her. When she laughs at him, she will wait to see if he laughs back, and if he does, her hair will come to life. Her hair is in the shape of razors that are at her complete beck and call. One story tells of how a man got away, running home and closing his door. When he woke in the morning, the entrance was covered in hair.

One shouldn't get too comfortable if they get away from her, she'll wait for you outside your door the next night anyway.

*I can't find any public domain pictures of her, only modern artist representations and it makes me nervous to post any since sometimes artists can be ... weird ... about people reposting their art, even if the sources are cited. So I'm just going to avoid it. There are a lot of pictures of this creature if you type Harionago into Google Images if you really want to know.

5. Bakezori -

Do you remember the Tsukumogami from last entry? Well, if you don't, basically an item that becomes 100 years old and gets its own soul.

This guy is a zori sandal (traditional straw sandal). If you treat your sandal like shit, it will come to life after being 100 years old and run around your house at night screaming. That's all it does, so I'm not sure if there's a real lesson to learn from here. 

*Same issue as with the Harionago. Just type Bakezori into Google Images if you want to know.

6. Kami-Kiri -

What a jerk ... or is he?
1737.

Back to the topic of hair, this guy is a strange, black bear creature that goes around cutting people's hair. Modern depictions turn it into a humanoid with a crow head. Even though he sounds like a huge asshole, he actually is doing you a favor if he chops your hair off. Sometimes, since most yokai can shape-shift, or at least look decently human during the daytime, they like to trick humans into marrying them. If your hair gets chopped off by one of these creatures, chances are, you may want to get to know your fiance(e) a bit better. Since hair was so important, if your hair was cut before a marriage ceremony, the ceremony would be postponed. Marriage between otherworldly beings and humans usually ended kind of shittily, especially for the human, so really he was just performing public services.

Though, it is said he is particularly fond of servant girls' hair. If one wanted to keep the little creeper away there was a spell that could be written on entrances or hair items. 

When they chop your hair off, they like to scream, "mogaaaa!" I don't think that really means anything; I like to think of it as a battle/victory cry. 

7. Nuppepo/Nuppefuho -

So, I have been compiling a bestiary for myself for the last two and a half years. It covers any folkloric being I can find on the internet. Undoubtedly, there are weird beings spread across every culture, but the Japanese seem to have more than others. I wouldn't say that makes them any more or less weird, but it is interesting.

1776 Japanese painting.

This creature is a 1.5 m in height (like 4 feet or something) pile of flesh. It comes with a terrible smell, as if it were decaying. It looks like a pancake made of fat with stubby hands and feet. Thanks to the way its flesh is shaped, it looks like it sort of has a face. It is almost like a giant, humanoid(?) version of blobfish (a real fish, go look it up). Strangely, it doesn't do anything but wander around by itself at night, smelling terrible and looking suspiciously like a giant lump of human skin. They are usually found in graveyards, abandoned temples, or other spooky places around the end of the year. Supposedly there have been sightings of them in groups, but it is rarer than seeing them solitary.

In case you somehow came to the conclusion that you wanted to know how it tasted, you would be granted eternal youth if you took a chomp from it. There are no accounts of what it tastes like, though.

My question is what did the Japanese people see for them to come up with this thing?

8. Nurikabe -

This guy belongs to Nintendo.

Do you like Mario? Since I already may have ruined your thoughts of Tanuki Mario and made Koopas more interesting, let's talk about this guy. This is whomp. He's most famously from Mario 64 and would squish you if you got in his way. Like many of the creatures from the Mario world, he is based off of the Nurikabe.

This creature is a wall. Or like a wall. Either way it acts like a wall. It especially enjoys messing up travellers, ruining their already exhausting day. It can extend itself forever, so no matter how long you travel to get around it, you will never find a way.

This picture is Public Domain. It's from the 1800's.
So technically I don't have to source it.

It's appearance is a bit unknown besides this old painting of one. One story says how a lost traveller watched as a mass of tar came from the ground and surrounded him. It is said that you can peacefully keep going if you knock on the lower left part, making the creature disappear. Like the Whomp, it can fall on and crush you. In one case, someone managed to get away, or so they thought, before it reappeared in front of them before falling onto the terrified traveller. 

Like many creatures from Japanese folklore, this one is sometimes blamed on the Tanuki being it's jerk self and using magic.

9. Onryo -

I was going to post a picture from The Grudge but then after looking at pictures I decided I didn't want to. If you've seen any of The Grudge films, The Ring films, or Scary Movie 3 (which parodies The Ring), you will know what this is. Or you have seen this creature before.

You know the deal, white dress (it is supposed to be a white burial kimono but some of the above listed movies just have them wearing a white dress), black and messy hair, white skin ... a thirst for vengeance that will never be quenched. There's our princess. They never had such a specific look, but they do now thanks to Kabuki theatre (traditional Japanese theatre that was heavily dramatized with dramatic make-up, dramatic poses, dramatic talking voices, dramatic clothes, dramatic weapons, dramatic everything. Seriously, go look it up. It will explain every manga you've read, every anime you've watched or any entertainment related to Japan).

Usually these unfortunate spirits would arise from being powerless or weak in their living life, murdered ruthless or beaten by a man in their life. After dying, they come back almost invincible with their soul purpose being vengeance. However, their vengeance is never satisfied as they will go on to kill entire villages or people who were not involved in her death, sometimes without actually killing the one who did her wrong. Her hair is said to be long and messy and a dark aura hovers over her. If you run into this ghost, it is said that at first she will appear as an unconscious woman, but as you get closer your chest and head will begin to hurt. She will move, usually by levitating while making strange sounds like sobbing or groaning. It is said that their vengeance can even create earthquakes, fires, storms, famine, pestilences, and other natural disasters.

10. Kitsune -

Picture found on Wikipedia. So cute. Much adorable.

Originally, I wasn't going to include the Kitsune, since it is an at-length creature like the Kappa and Tanuki. There's a lot to this thing. But since you made it this far, here we go. Also, it is a staple in Japanese folklore and is all over the place. Kitsune is the Japanese word for fox, but, like the Tanuki, there is a mythical version of the animal. The mystified fox is not special to Japan, Korea and China have their own versions, which is probably where Japan got its folklore from in the first place. The Korean Kumiho/Gumiho is a bit more viscous and sinister than its Japanese counterpart, but today we're focusing on the Japanese one. If you've ever heard of the nine-tailed fox, this is where it comes from.

Like many other Japanese folkloric beings, this one has a few age factors. At age 100, it will grow a new tail. The more tails, the stronger and more powerful the fox will be. Eventually, after it gains its ninth tail, the fox

A nine-tailed fox. Old Chinese text.
Public domain.

will become rather white or gold. Like the Tanuki, it can shape-shift. It especially likes to shape-shift into humans. If you think you might actually be hanging out with a fox, never fear, for their shadows and reflections will still show their true form. Also, their tails will hang around, so if your friend seems obsessed with hiding their ass, you could be a little suspicious. Get them nice and drunk and they'll get careless, showing off their tails. I guess age doesn't always grant wisdom.

The god/goddess (it's hard to tell with Japanese gods since they like to take both forms, we'll go with female for now, though) Inari is often accompanied with kitsune. She is the goddess of foxes, rice, fertility, and a whole bunch more. Often times she is portrayed as a kitsune. But we aren't really here to talk about her specifically, she just deserved to be mentioned. We're here to talk about kitsune. The kitsune who followed her were white, a good omen. Though black foxes and nine-tailed foxes were also considered so. There are two types of kitsune, the zenko who were of celestial origin, and the yako ... more mischievous, trickster-like kitsune. Foxes tend to achieve godhood and there are many shrines in Japan dedicated to them. Inari's kitsune are thought to keep away bad/evil spirits and omens.

The kitsune are supernatural beings. They can use powerful magic, often taking up abandoned homes or occasionally attaching themselves to someone else's house. Since, like most folkloric beings, they do not think the same way we do, they may not help us in ways we find moral. If a kitsune hangs out at your house and brings you money, you should probably be suspicious of where that money came from. But the good side of having a kitsune around is that they will never lie to you. If you do them a favor, they will loyally do whatever they can to pay you back. Though, they tend to pay you back in twigs and leaves disguised as money through illusion (or they stole it as mentioned above). I guess it's not something your BFF Kappa would do, but it's the thought that counts, right? But hey, you know what your BFF Kappa probably wouldn't do (since I couldn't find anywhere that suggested they would)? Offer you eternal protection, impart valuable wisdom, or the gift of longevity. You see, the kitsune don't really do the whole material thing.

Woodblock painting, late 1700's.
Her shadow gives it away as a kitsune.

If the hair cutter mentioned above doesn't get to you before your wedding (though it seems like it only chops off women hair, so if you're a dude, this entry is for you), there is a chance you could end up with a kitsune bride. However, she usually ends up being very devoted and loyal to her husband, so maybe it's not such a bad deal. If caught, she will run away, or the husband will wake up disillusioned, far away from home, dirty, and full of shame. In some cases, your fox wife will have little half fox-human babies, all sporting mystical kitsune powers. If it rains while the sky is clear, it means that a wedding between kitsune is happening. Though, they aren't really fond of uninvited guests and you might end up with a vengeful kitsune couple after you.

They are portrayed as intelligent beings, and as mentioned before, their powers and wisdom increase with age. Specific legends have specific ages, but either way, there are certain ages where the kitsune will gain special powers such as omniscience (usually 900 or some other high age), shape-shifting (100 or 50), flight,

Wood block. Late 1700's.
Inari with a kitsune appear to a warrior.

invisibility, possession, controlling fire or lightning, going into people's dreams, and creating illusions. Similar to the Tanuki, or more like the opposite of the Tanuki, before they can transform, they must place a leaf, reeds, or a skull on their head. They usually prefer to take on the form of a beautiful women, young girls, or elderly men. In some cases, the kitsune can become powerful enough to warp reality, time, and space. They may drive people to insanity or gain the ability to transform into giant trees or a second moon. However, the kitsune has retained a little bit of the sinister aspects of its Korean version. The more trickster-like kitsune prefer to mess with egotistical samurai or greedy merchants instead. Crueler, asshole versions will abuse monks or farmers, their victims usually men since they greatly prefer to possess women instead of just messing with them (explaining their possession of women deserves its own entry really so I won't go into it here). Some kitsune, ones who are a little bit more malevolent, seek out human life sources, dining on human blood or taking their life through sexual contact akin to a succubus. They also can control balls of fire, or will o' the wisps, in order to confuse travellers or create illusions.

And that's the end of it! Maybe I will do more yokai segments in the future, but these ten sum up some of the more important yokai in Japanese folklore.

I hope you enjoyed my list!

~Until Next Time

Toothpaste and are the Japanese 恥ずかし

Happy New Year! I'm a little late to the party, but here it is! I spent most of my Winter Vacation lazing around, watching Youtube videos and studying Japanese. New Year's was spent in Kobe, eating dinner with my host family's extended family. Other than that, nothing terribly exciting has happened. This week was the first week back to classes. There are new students and classes, both of which are exciting. I had studied a lot for the placement test but ended up in the same level, something that has really left me disappointed. I like the teacher and the class, but it makes me feel as though I have not made near the same amount of progress as I had when I was in France. My time in France was a lot more intensive; I rarely ever spoke English. The program here in Japan is a little different and follows a strict curriculum that I think is nearly impossible to jump ahead in. Each level seems to have very specific things that you learn. Either way, I have decided that it's time to stop goofing around and do Japanese. The language wasn't the only reason I came to Japan, but it is one of the major reasons other than learning the culture, meeting people, and tasting food.

I think I have decided on taking a Post-Imperial Japanese History class, a Japanese Culture and Society class, Kaiwa (oral class), and a Movie class specifically on the Miyazaki film Spirited Away. The only one not in Japanese is Post-Imperial Japanese History. I thought about not taking it since I want a more Japanese intensive experience, but the class seems very interesting to me and taught from a unique viewpoint that I'd rather not pass up. 

To end the first week of classes there was a Chinese New Year party. I forgot to take pictures of the food we made, but it was fun and I learned how to say "Happy New Year" in Chinese. 

So that is how events have been going, but the real thing I want to talk about today is toothpaste. I noticed it in France too, but after a while of using French/Japanese toothpaste, my teeth don't feel as clean when I run my tongue over them. They are also not as white as when I use American toothpaste. Someone suggested that maybe it had to do with the food, but when I used American toothpaste in my time between France and Japan my teeth returned to being white and clean feeling/tasting. I've heard other Americans in both countries complain about it too. There's not much I can gather from the situation except that it is strange and kind of irritating. I'd like my teeth to feel clean no matter what kind of toothpaste I get!

Second topic of the day is: Are the Japanese 恥ずかし (Shy)? I hear it a lot, even from the Japanese themselves. My first real experience with the Japanese was the Japan Club at UAF. Everyone was playing a game and I just remember how loud all of the Japanese were. It gave me the impression that they were kind of loud people, but any time I would mention this to someone they'd quickly snap back with, "my [insert relation here] went to Japan and said they are so quiet and shy!" Then when I first came to Japan, many people would say, "Oh, the Japanese are shy and it's hard to get them to talk with you!" and all this other nonsense that even other Japanese people would tell me. 

So, are the Japanese shy? 

A little bit of yes and no, I think. From what I have gathered about the Japanese culture and what it is like to be Japanese, it is hard among themselves to make friends (especially the younger generation). Though I think this is a growing problem worldwide and not just a Japanese one. On the other hand, in my experiences, the Japanese are not as shy as everyone says they are. I've met a lot more Japanese people than I did French people just because they wanted to meet me. In a group setting, they are surprisingly loud to me. When I've gone to events with my host mom, I've had people come up and ask me where I am from and blatantly tell me I am beautiful, which is something I kind of feel like shy people would not do. Almost every time I've gone to the big part of Osaka, someone comes up to me and says something, even if it is a little comment.

Of course, if you enter the trains with only a few people, everyone will be sitting as far away from each other as possible. 

Honestly, this is a difficult topic. It's probably as difficult as explaining that Alaskans are friendly and enjoy helping people but at the same time don't like outsiders and prefer to keep to themselves. Sometimes we are contradictory, so I think it is safe for me to say that the Japanese are maybe shy, but at the same time not really. 

Well, that's all for now, but instead of the usual five or ten facts, I'll give you one and then tell you about three folkloric beings of Japan

1. Evolution and Human-made Global Warming (Climate Change, whatever, same thing except Global Warming ended up with a bad stigma so they changed it) is not even really arguable in most of Europe and Japan. Also, no American scientist denies either of them, and Americans like to brag about how we supposedly have the "best" scientists ... yet, many Americans still argue both topics.

The folkloric beings of Japan are usually called Yokai or Obake/Bakemono or Yurei. There are slight differences between these terms, but for the most part they are ghostly or monster-like beings. Japanese folklore is full of these creatures.

1. Tsukumogami - an inanimate object that gains a soul after it becomes 100 years old. From thrown away straw-sandals to traditional Japanese instruments, they vary in appearance and abilities. Sources say that for the most part, they aren't malevolent, but a torn up umbrella with one eye, a long tongue, and one leg isn't terribly inviting in my opinion.

2. Akaname - a red creature with a long tongue that it uses to slurp up dirt and grim leftover in the bath. There isn't a lot of information on them, but I think it is mostly used as a boogeyman, "clean the bathroom" kind of ghost. Other than licking your bathroom clean and looking scary, it doesn't appear to do anything else.  

3. Bakeneko - Japan has some interesting folklore revolving around cats, and this creature is one of the more well-known Yokai. If you keep your cat until it turns ten, is a little fatty (over eight or nine pounds), or keeps a long tail, it will acquire supernatural abilities and maybe kill you in your sleep. It enjoys making creepy will-'o-the-wisps and walking on its hind-legs, wandering around at night and being a major creeper. It keeps growing and can get up to five feet in length. They are also shape-shifters, and have been known to take on the appearance of its human owner after killing them (and then marrying someone before living the blissful, happy life you didn't get to). Also, don't leave it in a room with a dead body since it can jump over it and turn your passed on family member into a zombie. Apparently they *can* be benevolent, but in my experience, folkloric beings that *can* be benevolent are best left alone. If they are allowed to keep a long tail they will become a Nekomata, our next creature.

4. Nekomata - If a Bakeneko keeps a long tail, it will split into two and become a Pokémon (just kidding, but seriously, Espeon). It does everything a Bakeneko does but there is no room for *possible* benevolence here. There are two different kinds, one that comes from the mountains, coming down every now and then to eat humans. Mm, delicious. But apparently it used to be said that people would catch the "Nekomata" disease, so scholars have come to think maybe it was just an animal that had rabies. The second one is of the domesticated kind that as you keep your cat it will eventually become one (*long tail). They cause a lot of poltergeist activity, along with abducting people and have the ability of necromancy. It is said they are much worse than a Bakeneko and in olden days it was recommended to not keep a cat for too long. The more you treat your cat like shit, the more powerful they'll become after they've gained their wicked powers to get some pretty badass revenge on you. Since they are little cat demon necromancers, they will bring the dead back to taunt you, moving their little paws around like an adorable cat music conductor (or maybe not so small, since Bakeneko are said to grow to be around five feet, so Nekomata probably aren't too different). Japanese superstitions used to be that killing a cat got you cursed for generations, so basically if your cat turned into a cat sorcerer you pretty much were out of luck. Many kittens would have their tails hacked off to prevent this situation from happening in the first place. An old painting showed a Nekomata playing Shamisen, which are often made of cat skin (I guess the one I play is made of dog-skin, but supposedly the sound isn't as good), so I'll let you make up your own assumptions about that.

5. Ittan-Momen - a creature from our first entry. A giant cotton sheet that flies around in the night, landing on you before smothering you or crushing your head to death (okay, apparently some are malevolent). Pictures of them are adorable, and if you "gain its trust" they will be your BFF and you will have the most fashionable ghost scarf ever. Nobody has elaborated on gaining their trust but waving around a sword probably isn't it (as an old story goes, the man ended up with blood on his hand).


Sources: Wikipedia. Some forums and books and talking to people in Japan.

~Until Next Time