Reading Arthur Binard

Arthur Binard is an American poet, who was born in Michigan in 1967.

He came to Japan upon graduating university, and started writing poetry and translation. He received the Chuya Nakahara Prize for his first anthology. After that, he received many other prizes. Now he lives in Hiroshima City, appears on TV and radio and energetically gives lectures across Japan.

Actually, his lecture was held in July here in Fukui City too, but I couldn’t go.

My dead friend used to say about him, so I have always wanted to read his books and read his two essays only recently.  

He writes that he is often asked “What is your most favorite Japanese words?” and

it is very hard to answer because he has so many. I sometimes see the same question to foreign people on TV shows. If I am asked “What is your most favorite English words?”, I cannot answer quickly either because I have so many ones too.  

Also, it is interesting that he has gaps between English in Japan and his sense as an American. For example, in the 2008 U.S. presidential election, in Obama City, Fukui Prefecture, they supported Obama and the supporters’ logo mark showed “FIGHT OBAMA”. The term makes sense in Japanese but in English, it has totally the opposite meaning.

Afterwards, someone pointed it out and it changed to I LOVE OBAMA. Even so,

he felt a gap but it matched well with the farce of presidential race. 

By the way, the Japanese words that he wants to export to the United States

is “hanafubuki” (blowing snow-like fluttery petals). In Michigan, his hometown, when petals are are falling, they only compare it to cottons. 

I recommend books of Arthur Binard, especially for English learners and translators. I am sure that you can discover a lot. (H.S) 

Here is an article about his lecture in Fukui City in July.

(from Daily Kenmin Fukui on July 4^th, 2017)

An acquaintance who listened to his lecture said “It was good one than I expected and so happy. I was almost crying. I have never met any American like him who tells the truth. ” His topics ranged from the attack on Pearl Harbor to Daigo Fukuryu Maru.

Mike Mansfield Globe

Fukui International Activities Plaza is located near Yokokan Garden, where is well known as an excellent Japanese garden, is in Fukui City. It is familiar facility to not only foreign citizens who live in Fukui but also the prefecture’s residents for the purpose of passport application and various events. By the way, did you know that there is such a big globe directly inside the entrance?

The globe was donated by late Kei Wakaizumi in 1988, a Japanese scholar of international politics who negotiated with the United States for the reversion of Okinawa to Japan as a secret envoy of then prime minister Eisaku Sato. He donated the globe in the hope of fostering dreams about the world and the earth among young people. The globe was later named the Mike Mansfield Globe, Mr. Mike Mansfield, former U.S. ambassador to Japan, who visited Wakaizumi and the plaza. (H.S)

The Mike Mansfield Globe

   You can spin the globe with the switch. 

         When you look closer the Japanese archipelago, you could find FUKUI and    SABAE. Although Wakaizumi was born in the present Echizen City,

             he lived in Sabae City in his later years. 

                     Kei Wakaizumi when he was sitll alive. (photo kept at NHK)

At last , this year, “Kei Wakaizumi Honoring Assocaiton” was established by volunteers. NHK Fukui reported on Wakaizumi and the association on June 27th. 

          

The 64th Fukui Phoenix Festival Fireworks Display-Fireworks (Hanabi) Festival in Fukui 2017, Part 2-

In Fukui City, we have a festival for 3days ever year and it’s called “Fukui Phoenix Festival”. 　It was held from August 4th to 6th this year. For the opening event on the first day, “Fukui Phoenix Festival Fireworks Display” is held at Asuwa River Bank upper Kida Bridge. Many people came to the venue and other areas around it, so everywhere in the center of Fukui City was crowded.

Based on the theme “twinkling”, “sparkling”, “dancing”, “thinking of someone/something”, “dreaming” and “flying” were expressed through the fireworks.

According to Fireworks display 2017, Fukui Phoenix Festival Fireworks Display has been ranked 6th in Fukui’s fireworks popularity. （https://sp.jorudan.co.jp/hanabi/rank_fukui.html） *only available in Japanese

It is great to see the fireworks closely at the venue. Since this firework display is held in the center of the City, there are many restaurants, buildings and houses where people can enjoy eating and drinking, and seeing the fireworks at the same time.
Please enjoy our video, "The 62nd Fukui Phoenix Fireworks Display on July 31st, 2015"!

If you have a chance to see the Fukui Phoenix Festival Fireworks Display, please enjoy it!
T.F

Official Website for Fukui Phoenix Festival Fireworks Display
*only available in Japanese

How do cats beat the heat in Japanese summer?

It’s the middle of August now and the heat has let up. But humans are not only ones taking the heat. For example, my cats have been beating the heat in their own way.

Cats don’t perspire other than paw pads. Even more, they are hairy all over, so they maybe feel higher the temperature than humans. I often remove their loose hair and renew water. They take naps in cool places in my house. (H.S)

                                   Had a stretch as far as it can do.

                        Had her feet out even from the top of the cat tower.

                              It’s an ironing board but now it’s Gil’s bed.

                                              Are you still a girl, Miiko?

                                       Every cat likes carboard boxes.

                 Gil on tatami mats (In summer, I do think that tatami is great)

                          He likes huddling on a newspaper too.
                          And, it has a protecting color for the table, doesn’t it?

The 37th Mikuni Fireworks -Fireworks (Hanabi) Festival in Fukui 2017, Part 1-

Today (Aug. 11th, 2017), Mikuni Fireworks will be held at Mikuni Sunset Beach in Mikuni-cho, Sakai City, Fukui Prefecture. The highlight of this fireworks festival is water fireworks. The pyrotechnician throws fireworks directly into the ocean.

Other than the water fireworks, there will be 1-shaku-dama (round fireworks with a circumference of about 12-inch/30cm shells) fireworks which create an illumination 12,598-inch / 320 meters in diameter on the ocean, 2-shaku-dama (round fireworks with a circumference of about 24-inch / 60cm shells) fireworks which create an illumination 17,716-inch / 450 meters in diameter on the ocean and several other kinds of fireworks. For about one hour, about 10,000 of fireworks exploding will light up the sky splendidly.

I would like to share the video of Mikuni fireworks which one of our co-workers went see last year and took. Please enjoy it! T.F

Official Website for Mikuni Fireworks:The 37th Mikuni Fireworks

Here are our previous blogs about fireworks. Enjoy!
Fireworks / The Highlights of the Japanese Summer
Fireworks / The Highlights of the Japanese Summer part-2 / Mikuni Fireworks Display
Fireworks / The Highlights of the Japanese Summer part-3 / Pyrotechnicians
Fireworks / The Highlights of the Japanese Summer part-4 / Shout!!
Fireworks / The Highlights of the Japanese Summer part-5 / Origin of Fireworks
Fireworks / Fireworks / The Highlights of the Japanese Summer part-6 / Final Episode

Recommendation of lunch buffet at a hotel in Fukui City “Bonheur”

Having delicious lunch over chatting may be one of the greatest pleasures for women. When you want to enjoy lunch leisurely with a friend you see after so long, I recommend lunch at hotels. Because it is quiet, you can have the feeling of luxury a little and receive quality service.

In Fukui, I recommend a French Restaurant “Bonheur” on the third floor of Yours Hotel Fukui in front of JR Fukui Station, which is familiar to people in Fukui.

All of their lunch menus has salad buffet and dessert buffet, so you can eat many kinds in small portions. Lately, they also serve now popular super food such as quinoa. 

*Examples of their lunch menus

Monthly special  Bonheur lunch  2,500 yen

Daily special     March lunch       1,500 yen (limited number)

Pasta lunch                       　　  1,340 yen

Beef in red wine sauce               1,890 yen

Seafood lunch                      　  1,890 yen

Wakasa Beef humburger steak   1,890 yen

They open from 11:00 – 14:30 for lunch(weekends and holidays 11:00 – 16:00), so you can take your time to enjoy lunch and dessert too. I think it’s better to reserve a table. You can meet friends on the lobby of the third floor, so it’s convenient. 

Parking available. The hotel’s underground car park is for only hotel guests but you can park Fukui Station West Gate underground car park and the hotel will give you

a free parking ticket for an hour. 

For your information, I also recommend their girls’ night out dinner plan.

If you make a reservation it via the Internet, you receive special privileges. (H.S)  

　　　　　　The day I had the March lunch. Its main dish was pork saute with orange sauce. 

　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　

Typhoon Noru, the biggest typhoon in Japan since 1998!!!

*This is the video of river levels rising in Asuwa River in Fukui City with Typhoon Noru.

The typhoon season has arrived in Japan.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency,summer is the typhoon season in japan,

especially August is the month with the most typhoons.

 

The information below is the average number of typhoons

which occurred in Japan from 1981 to 2010.

 

January0.3 February0.1 March0.3 April0.6 May1.1 June1.7

July3.6 August5.9 September4.8 October3.6 November2.3 December1.2

Yearly25.6

*Reference from Japan Meteorological Agency’s website

 

Typhoon Noru as seen from the International Space Station on August 1, 2017.

Randy Bresnik/NASA/Twitter

 

Typhoon Noru as seen from the International Space Station on August 1, 2017.

Sergey Ryazansky/Roscosmos/Twitter

 

Speaking of having the most typhoons in August in Japan, Typhoon Noru,

the fifth storm of the season has struck Japan and

it is the biggest typhoon Japan has seen since 1998.

It occurred on July 21st, 2017 around Minami-torishima island

which is located about 1,860 kilometers southeast of Tokyo and

it is slowly moving through the main island of Japan and

heading toward northern Japan.

 

The photographs above are the photographs of Typhoon Noru.

It is so big that it is visible from space.

 

The Asuwa river which flows through Fukui City has risen.

In Japan, next one or two days,

we expect heavy rain and strong wind so please take care.

It’s the best idea to stay indoors out of the danger’s way.

T.F

"Walls in Kyoto" written by Dr. Takeshi Yoro

An anatomist, Dr. Takeshi Yoro gave a lecture at a lecture meeting by Bhutan Museum in Fukui City, last year. In fact, his father was from Ono City, Fukui Prefecture, so he has a connection with Fukui. We took its video and posted it on our website and our YouTube channel. I subtitled it in Japanese and English spending a long time, so now I feel an affinity with him.

Here is the video.    
　　　↓
　
Speaking of Dr. Yoro, his big bestselling book called “The Wall of Fools” is famous, but he is also well-known as a bug lover. And, he likes Bhutan, so he has visited Bhutan many times. But, why Kyoto now? It is because he became the first director of Kyoto International Manga Museum and served the position until this spring.

Dr. Yoro is interested in “cities”. When he sees Kyoto as a city, he says that the most unique thing is there is no castle in Kyoto. Although the title of the book is “Walls in Kyoto”, he said there is no wall in Kyoto first so I was surprised. According to him, instead, Japan made “Emotional wall” as a ritual boundary.

I smiled when I read about dogs in Bhutan as he said at the lecture last year. Moreover, when I read about his cat “Maru”, it was irresistible because Maru is so cute and its photobook was even published!

"Dr. Yoro and his cat Maru" 　
Dr. Yoro wrote that in Kyoto, there are values which are different from money. For example, Kyoto values students and learning, culture and traditions. It is said that the wall in Kyoto is high but it is a little lower for university professors and students. So students seem to have gathered from across the country.

Tracking back the history, the reason for capital relocation was probably due to resources, he said. It was abundant in groundwater and Heian Period lasted for such long time, which means it was a fairly wise choice. However, abundant groundwater makes so cold in winter and hot in summer, because once the groundwater warms up, it’s hard to cool down, and in winter, it freezes as the groundwater gets cold. I thought vaguely that Kyoto is a basin so it’s hot in summer and cold in winter but actually it was due to the groundwater. Indeed, the heat from the ground surface in Kyoto, it is quite different from the heat in hot and humid Fukui.

Meanwhile, he wrote that cities where develop to a high degree flourish centering on a river like Paris and the Seine, and Kamo-gawa River equals to the Seine. Indeed, I cannot imagine Paris and Kyoto without the Seine and Kamo-gawa River neither.

According to him, “You can learn the attraction of Kyoto only by visiting there. So I guess people visit Kyoto including me. Even if there is the wall of Kyoto there.” Maybe because there is such an invisible wall, its mystique has born, intriguing and a culture of its own has accumulated.

When I finished reading the book, I wanted to walk around Kyoto again.
After it gets much cooler…(H.S)