Spreading the Charms of Fukui to the World! -Visiting Ichijodani Asakura Clan Ruins Part-6-

As I have introduced in our previous blog that I visited Ichijodani Asakura Clan Ruins in June 2017 with the president of the Hotel Riverge Akebono, Mr. Shimizu, the intern of the hotel, Ms. Julia Coslian, the manager of Fukui City Hospitality and Tourism Promotion Office, Mr. Takama and his staff member, Mr. Juancho Santamaria.

 

There are some staff members wearing Kimono standing in front of the restored warrior’s residences, temples, merchant’s houses, craftsman’s houses. If you ask them any questions they’d answer nicely and politely.

 

Usually, the staff members do not walk with visitors, they stay in front of the places in Ichijodani Asakura Clan Ruins but one of the staff members gave us a special guidance. She showed us around and explained about the history and the things were exhibited. She was very kind and nice from the beginning to the end.

 

 

Inside of the restored houses, you can see how people used to live from 1471 to 1573 in the area.

 

 

174 Shogi pieces were found outside of the castle in 1973. It was discovered that they were from 1558 to 1570.

 

 

During the Warring States Period, people were focusing on making lightweight and high performance armor but Asakura clan made people make the heavy and luxurious ones.

 

In side of these restored warrior’s residences, temples, merchant’s houses, craftsman’s houses, you can see how things used to be and how people used to live closely. It is enjoyable to see these things imagining how everything used to be. When you have a chance, how about visiting Ichijodani Asakura Clan Ruins.

 

I’d like to share a video which has been provided by Fukui Prefecture, "Letter of the Fortune: Fukui, home for happiness to come". Ai Takahashi, an actress born in Fukui introduces various places and things including Ichijodani Asakura Clan Ruins. Please enjoy!

 

T.F

 

 

Please enjoy our previous blogs.

Spreading the Charms of Fukui to the World! -Visiting Ichijodani Asakura Clan Ruins Part 1-

Spreading the Charms of Fukui to the World! -Visiting Ichijodani Asakura Clan Ruins Part 2-

Spreading the Charms of Fukui to the World! -Visiting Ichijodani Asakura Clan Ruins Part 3-

Spreading the Charms of Fukui to the World! -Visiting Ichijodani Asakura Clan Ruins Part 4-

Spreading the Charms of Fukui to the World! -Visiting Ichijodani Asakura Clan Ruins Part 5-

 

You can see some tourist attractions and the directions to these places from the webpage, "Hotel Reiverge Akebono, Tourist attractions around our hotel".

Made by Julia during her internship, this webpage has directions that are easy to follow.

She researched these tourist attractions, before visiting them and experiencing

the charms of Fukui herself. As I mentioned in our blog, it can be difficult for tourists

to get to some great places in Fukui, so this map that Julia made will help you

get around easier.

 

There is also a Japanese version of this webpage(only available in Japanese).

However, some of the places which are introduced on the Japanese webpage

are different to the English version that Julia made.

Lecture of Mr.Tetsuro Ikema | Why is Japan loved by Asian countries? What should we learn now?

I attended a lecture of Mr.Tetsuro Ikema held at Phoenix Plaza in Fukui City the other day. Here is his profile. 

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Mr. Ikema was born in Okinawa Prefecture in 1954. He is an active photographer and

a lecturer at Okinawa University. Besides managing a video picture production, he started international cooperation activities in 1987. Currently, he heads a NPO Asia Child Support and supports over ten countries. The activities that he started all by himself but the group has become one of the largest international cooperation groups in Japan and it is highly appreciated. Because he thinks “Loving our country is fundamental for international cooperation”, he continues long-term support against The Great East Japan Earthquake reconstruction and youth development. He hopes that

Japanese people should learn from people trying hard at life of developing countries and

has given lecture at companies, organizations at schools over 3,400 times. 

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I was moved by each topic he talked, caught up and tears filled my eyes. I’m afraid I cannot introduce the details of his lecture but I will write down partially.

Mr. Ikema met a girl at a dump in Philippine.

He asked her “What is your dream?”

She replied “My dream is living to adulthood.”

Can Japanese children of today understand what she said? 

He strongly advised that you must not over-parenting and doting to your children.

Also, he said “Happiness is the strength of heart that you feel happy. Love must be  accompanied by severity. You don’t need to be liked by your children at all.” 

And he said today’s Japan is unusual condition.

According to Sankei Newspaper, from a survey of high school students,

*Do you respect your teachers?

Other country average 85%

Japan                         21%

*Do you respect your parents?

Other country average  90%

Japan                          25%

Have Japanese children forgotten “respect”?

But Ikema said that it wasn’t childrens’ fault, it was the fault of adults. 

The topics at the lecture covered a wide variety such as the state of Asian countries, a lie of the term “the Age of Discovery”, the true state in white colonies, moral education in Japan before the war, the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese soldiers in the operations of Imphal, GHQ, WGIP, justice of the victor countries etc., and I was shocked at the many facts which were not taught in school. I thought that I need to learn more by reading books which review history. (H.S) 

“Don’t worry. I will raise my younger brother.”

It was about twenty years ago, I cannot forget the girl whom I met in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The girl under the age of ten begged her bread having her younger brother in her arms. She came from the border village of Thailand.
Her parents died. She crawled and begged in the street to survive. She protected her younger brother with her little body. Although I was forty at that time, I felt like a child for myself compared to her. Also, I felt the meaning of life and the severity of life. I was ashamed of myself being sloppy.
(Photo and text are from Tetsuro Ikema’s facebook) 

*Interview with Mr. Ikema (only in Japanese)

Lesser pandas and bowl of rice topped with steak in Sabae City

The other day, I had a lunch in Sabae City. After that, I went to Nishiyama Zoo for the first time in quite a while. For lunch, I had a bowl of rice topped with steak (B lunch) at Grill Sepia. Grill Sepia is a kind of old-style restaurant and has been popular for their meat dishes since long before the recent steak boom began. B lunch is served only from Monday to Saturday and it costs 1,000 yen (exclusive of tax). It is hearty and the meat is tender. They serve extra sauce, so you can add it as desired. It’s delicious and very reasonable price.

A mother and a boy sitting at the table behind me ordered the B lunch too and they were saying happily it was very good. I also felt happy to hear that.

Now, my main purpose of the Nishiyama Zoo is lesser pandas. The zoo has succeeded in breeding lesser pandas most in the country. And admission to the park is free. Of course, all lesser pandas were so cute!

There is a newly-built “Lesser pandas’ house” at the rear of existing panda’s house now. The new house keeps the warm wooden feature. And also there is an outdoor space for them, so the many pandas look relaxed. (H.S)

                    The bowl of rice topped with steak (B lunch) at Grill Sepia.

    Female lesser panda Hikari. Hikari is my favorite panda in the Nishiyama Zoo.

                              Look at the cute Hikari's little bright eyes!

                Male lesser panda YanYan gets a snack from a breeding staff.

                                                YanYan can stand!

                                          Male lesser panda Mutan.
                                   After grooming himself, he grabs his tale.

Spreading the Charms of Fukui to the World! Part-5

As I have introduced in our previous blog, I had the opportunity to join a tour visiting Ichijodani Asakura Clan Ruins in June 2017. I went with the president of the Hotel Riverge Akebono, Mr. Shimizu, the intern of the hotel, Ms. Julia Coslian, the manager of Fukui City Hospitality and Tourism Promotion Office, Mr. Takama and his staff member, Mr. Juancho Santamaria.

 

 

At the Ichijodani Asakura Clan Ruins, visitors can experience Kimono Dressing to make them feel as if they have stepped back in time to a Warring States Period.

 

 

It was very hot that day, so wearing Kimono would be hard to do. Mr. Takama volunteered to participate in the Kimono Dressing experience.

 

 

Julia participated as well. For this Kimono Dressing experience they don’t apply the 'shironuri' makeup (white powder mixed with water into paste) or put a wig, so it gives the participant a natural look. Julia looked amazing.

 

 

Before getting dressed up

 

 

After getting dressed up

 

 

As Mr. Takama and Julia finished getting dressed, they walked through a replica of the town from the end of 15th and 16th centuries. They looked as if they were actually from the time of Warning States Period. The Kimono dress that Julia wore was the one that women from that time would wear when they went out. The armor Mr. Takama wore was what men would wear for fighting. *the Kimono and the armor are not exact replicas of what people used to wear.

 

As Mr. Takama and Julia finished getting dressed, they walked through a replica of the town from the end of 15th and 16th centuries. They looked as if they were actually from the time of Warning States Period. The Kimono dress that Julia wore was the one that women from that time would wear when they went out. The armor Mr. Takama wore was what men would wear for fighting. *the Kimono and the armor are not exact replicas of what people used to wear.

 

Julia and Mr. Takama enjoyed walking around in their Kimono and armor as if they were in the time of Warning States Period.

 

 

They looked amazing and they also looked like the people from the time of Waring States Period. The Ichijodani Asakura Clan Ruins is located in an area that is rich in nature. Moreover, the buildings were rebuilt as they used to be as accurately as possible so it made us feel that we were not living in modern times.

 

 

Other visitors were having fun as well.

 

Stay tuned for the next blog!

 

T.F

 

We would like to share a video which is provided by Fukui Prefecture,

"Japan Emotion in Fukui".

Please enjoy!

 

 

You can see some tourist attractions and the directions to these places from the webpage, "Hotel Reiverge Akebono, Tourist attractions around our hotel".

Made by Julia during her internship, this webpage has directions that are easy to follow.

She researched these tourist attractions, before visiting them and experiencing

the charms of Fukui herself. As I mentioned in our blog, it can be difficult for tourists

to get to some great places in Fukui, so this map that Julia made will help you

get around easier.

 

There is also a Japanese version of this webpage(only available in Japanese).

However, some of the places which are introduced on the Japanese webpage

are different to the English version that Julia made.

“Bunna, come down from the tree” written by Tsutomu Mizukami

Although people think “Bunna” is a children’s book, I think that adults also should read it. When Mizukami was alive, he used to say “If there are novels go down to posterity among my books, they will be only ‘Starvation Strait’ and ‘Bunna’.”

Mizukami reportedly wanted to think about war and peace in the world with mothers and children by writing this book. He also wrote “In this world, all living things and they can live equally under the sun. But this world is where the weak are the victims of the strong. I believe that the horrible, sad and beautiful things that Bunna experienced on the tree make children think and develop to establish self in life.”

In fact, the top of the tree Bunna climbed looked like a paradise first was a food storage for kites.

Bunna’s mother said. “Doing good to others is okay. But you must use good judgement for the other. Some people override good intensions.” Her such words, cruelty of human children and miserable small animals bullied by children or bigger animals tell you inner strength to live.

If you have young children and want to read them something, I recommend “Bunna”. When you read it, I am sure that you enter into the world of Bunna. (H.S)

Spreading the Charms of Fukui to the World! - Visiting Ichijodani Asakura Clan Ruins Part-4-

As I introduced in our previous blog, I had the opportunity to join a tour visiting Ichijodani Asakura Clan Ruins in June 2017. I went with the president of the Hotel Riverge Akebono, Mr. Shimizu, the intern of the hotel, Ms. Julia Coslian, the manager of Fukui City Hospitality and Tourism Promotion Office, Mr. Takama and his staff member, Mr. Juancho Santamaria.

 

 

The Ichijodani Asakura Clan Ruins is a large site with a very interesting history. At the information desk, visitors can borrow an iPad to use throughout the area, which shows how things were built during the civil war period in Japan. English versions of the iPads are also available, so visitors from overseas can enjoy this place and its history.

 

 

As soon as we walked into the old town, which was reproduced based on the ruins there, so many interesting things caught our eyes and we felt the atmosphere change.

 

Mr. Shimizu explained to us how and why the town was built in the way they are now. He explained it to us simply so it was very fun and interesting for us to learn about the Ichijodani Asakura Clan Ruins and Japanese history.

 

 

For example, when entering the town from the area where enemies would have entered, you can’t see the end of the street.

 

 

However, from the end of the street where residents would have lived, they could easily see enemies entering the town. Therefore, the residents were able to prepare for battles. Julia was surprised to see the way the town was built for battle.

 

 

Juancho, a Fukui City Hospitality and Tourism Promotion Officer, is fluent in both Japanese and English so he participated in this tour as an interpreter that day. With Juancho and Mr. Shimizu’s explanation in Japanese and English, Julia seemed to enjoy experiencing the Japanese history and knowing about Ichijodani Asakura Clan Ruins.

 

I myself think it is best to visit actual places like this and not simply read from books or watch TV to understand the charms of such places. I also think that the Fukui accent and dialect, which sound relaxing, are an important part of Fukui’s charm.

 

 

More importantly, talking to others with a smile is one of the key values of Japanese “Omotenashi” culture.

 

 

DID YOU KNOW?

Although Ichijodani Asakura Clan Ruins has a rich history as the ruins of a feudal lord during a period of brutal civil war in Japan, it has also found fame as the filming location of a commercial for a popular Japanese cellular phone company.

One of the actresses in the commercial is so famous in Japan that she was too busy to participate in the filming of the commercial at the same time as the other actors and actresses. It is little known but the producers actually used a CGI version of her for the commercial! If you have a chance to watch the commercial, see if you can spot which actress is CGI.

 

Stay tuned for the next blog!

 

T.F

 

 

You can see some tourist attractions and the directions to these places from the webpage, "Hotel Reiverge Akebono, Tourist attractions around our hotel".

Made by Julia during her internship, this webpage has directions that are easy to follow.

She researched these tourist attractions, before visiting them and experiencing

the charms of Fukui herself. As I mentioned in our blog, it can be difficult for tourists

to get to some great places in Fukui, so this map that Julia made will help you

get around easier.

 

There is also a Japanese version of this webpage(only available in Japanese).

However, some of the places which are introduced on the Japanese webpage

are different to the English version that Julia made.

Handmade pouch present

The other day I received a handmade pouch present from a friend of mine.
I am very happy when I get a handmade present. She has been taken by handicraft recently and enjoys making various items.
The pouch looks easy to put things, so I think it’s good for travel.
For me, a cat-friendly person, the cloth is with a cat pattern.
I like the color too.

Well, what should I put in it?
Just thinking about it makes me fun.
She said that it was quite difficult to sew the cloth into the clasp but it was the beautiful finish.
I have done knitting for a little bit but I have not done handicrafts at all
so I really admire her.
I would like to try handicrafts sometime. (H.S)

                                              Inside cloth is good too.

                                    The yellow one is for another friend.
                                    The red one is for herself.