The Yonezawa Textile Museum

Inside the Yonezawa Textile Museum, a photo by dtk_guy on Flickr.

I was first introduced to Yonezawa's textile legacy...I don't remember exactly when. Sorry for the jest but now that I think about it I'm not sure when I first was made aware of it. Nonetheless, the creation of the textile industry here was a part of the restoration of the city's fortunes in the late 18th century.

Based on a friend's recollections I presume the old weaving and dyeing shops and factories were active in large numbers up until about 35 years ago. She told of how, as a child, she always heard the sound of the looms clacking away all day and how the river was coloured by dyes discharged by the shops. She was a bit surprised as an adult to find that the natural colour of the water was not the hue she remembered as a child. I'm guessing those small factories and shops were superseded by modern facilities around that time frame. Either that or they modernized their equipment and methods of dealing with effluent.

One thing which surprised me was the location of the museum. It's only a couple of blocks from my home and I've passed the building many times in the past year without being aware of its occupants. The reason why I had checked to find the location of the textile museum was because a friend and his family were visiting from Canada and I was looking for sites to take them to. So it was a pleasant surprise to find the place was "In front of [my] eyes and nose", as some Japanese might say.

Preserving Obon Odori

Obon Odori Musicians Playing and Singing a video by dtk_guy on Flickr.

The video clip for this entry shows members of the Yonezawa Obon Odori Preservation Society performing in the Machi no Hiroba (trans.: open space town square). This was very interesting to me as it featured traditional Japanese musical instruments (shamisen, flute and taiko drums) and a couple of vocalists. Back home in Canada we had the more standard single drummer on a stand in the centre of the rings of dancers with recorded music played over a PA system. I suppose that arrangement can be found in numerous communities in Japan too.

This particular Obon odori was different in that the dances were mixed in with other elements such as ensemble taiko drumming and a recording of an old song played over the PA (with lyrics wondering about what the world would be like in 31 years when the 21st century begins). There was only 1 "yatai"/foodstand unlike the many which can be found at other festivals. As such this event was more about a community association showing what odon odori was like in the days prior to PA systems and recorded music. My co-worker friend who didn't seem to be aware this event was organized by an Obon odori preservation society wasn't impressed by it. I suppose he hasn't been exposed to the modern version.

All in all I found this to be an intriguing event. It was Obon odori with a different agenda: its purpose not just to serve as a means for citizens to go out and have fun but also to educate. While its aims aren't that much different from the Obon odori I've attended in Canada and the USA, the atmosphere of the event was quite different. It wasn't about the descendents of Japanese emigrants abroad laying claim to their ancestral culture, it felt more like the Japanese trying to reach back into their past and make it relevant. In my eyes the ideals and goals are similar but the context was very different.

Showing the knot I tied...

Showing the knot I tied..., a photo by dtk_guy on Flickr.

..No I'm not going to show the front view shot. Let's just say I'm not 100% sure about the expression on my face at the time the photo was taken.

Nonetheless, I'll be taking this ensemble out for a spin tonight. An acquaintance has asked me to hang out at the Yonezawa Joshien beer garden tonight. Supposedly there's a decent selection of food items at the beer garden so it might be safe to just munch there rather than making dinner before going.

I'll also be wearing my yukata when I head out to catch the fireworks on Monday. The reason why the fireworks display is on Monday is because it's always held on July 30th. Supposedly it's an hour long pyrotechnical display with a much earlier start time than the fireworks events back home in Vancouver (7:30pm start here as opposed to 10pm back in Vancouver).

Now if we could only do something about the over 30˚C heat...

The full set

The full set, a photo by dtk_guy on Flickr.

I got my new made to order yukata last Sunday. Right now it's still in the paper wrapping it was delivered in. One can't see the pattern of small crosses in the fabric until the photo is viewed in its highest resolution.

I got a quick lesson on how to tie the obi last night. Fundamentally it's not a difficult task but there are plenty of details which must be attended to for the final result to look right. I suppose I ought to be practicing nightly but right now I just want to toss myself back onto the sofa and relax. I guess practice can wait until tomorrow...

Obi and geta

Obi and geta, a photo by dtk_guy on Flickr.

These are the elements of my yukata ensemble which I picked up this week. How I got to here is a bit of tedious story so I'll spare my audience the details. Anyways, I now have a yukata on order from a local kimono and yukata making shop. It was interesting going through the process of picking out a fabric, picking out a matching obi (sash) and geta (wooden clogs) to my liking. I went with the bright light blue obi because it will be in contrast with my navy blue yukata. I could've gone with something a bit more staid but I figured I'd go with a colour which stands out.

One thing I found myself doing when picking out the fabric for my future yukata was that I was consciously using a set of rules I had learned when picking out Western style clothing. So in a way I found myself thinking that perhaps I ought to not go by those rules. After all a yukata is a bathrobe which over time has evolved into a form of outdoor casual wear for the summer months. It's humble beginnings are a few steps away from the kind of price I'll be paying for its distant offspring in the second millennium.

I expecting to receive my new yukata sometime close to the end of this month. So it will be a while before I post a photo of it here.

日本酒

日本酒, a photo by dtk_guy on Flickr.

I have no idea if the Tencho-san at Odaidokoro decided to serve sake in wine glasses or if he got the idea from somewhere else. Anyways, it was a brew (I read somewhere that sake is technically a beer and not a wine) and it went down well with the appetizer (which is referred to as "o-toshi") which came with my meal. I didn't order that much that night. Just this sake, kara-age octopus and deep fried Camembert cheese balls.

A Bit Out of Place

A Bit Out of Place, a photo by dtk_guy on Flickr.

This is a record of one of those pure dumb luck moments in life. I had wandered over to take a photo of a mural painting on a shutter door to a building which is going to be demolished. I took the photo, turned to my right and there smack dab in my field of view was a Maryland licence plate. I hadn't noticed it when walking over to take the photo so I was quite surprised to see it there.

There's one thing I do which I've started to take more notice of recently: I often turn the hot water handle on a faucet without remembering that it takes a good two or three minutes for warm (not hot) water to come out. This is a far cry from back in Canada where hot water could be trusted to come out in under a minute (or so I recall). The point is that turning on and running water from the hot water side engages the water heater which uses gas. So running water through the heater and turning it off before the water gets hot is a waste of fuel. It may not be much but it's something I can conserve during the summer months. The winter months are another story unto themselves.

One last thing.... Back in February when I visited Kyoto with my mother and a group from the Vancouver Buddhist Temple I was asked to read and write a short article about the English translation of book "The Buddha's Wish for the World" by the Gomonshu-sama. The article was to be published in the Hongwanji monthly newspaper. It took me a little longer than I had expected to get that done but apparently some people were pleased with the results. The publishers of the book, the American Buddhist Study Center, have asked my permission to post an abridged version of the article on their web site. It's not a big deal but I'm kind of tickled pink. I guess all those years of writing COBOL code and requirements documents didn't completely damage my English writing abilities.