The Peace Park

We opened the curtains to find Hiroshima outside this morning.  We had an early start, because the immigration officials were starting work at 7am and we needed to present ourselves in person with our passport when called.  So, we settled at a table and no sooner started breakfast than heard our details called.  Off we went, leaving a half finished breakfast behind with every intention of finishing it.  Oh my, what a task our friends had convincing everyone that yes, we were coming back and no, please don’t take it away!  (Except that, of course, when we resumed our breakfast, they quietly substituted almost everything with an identical plate of fresh food…such incredible service)

So, what did I know about Hiroshima, apart from the obvious?  Well, not a lot, actually.  This was new ground for us and we were eager to see what there is to see here – and yet, I was a little wary.  After all, visiting places such as this is not something to take lightly and although I wanted to come here, felt I ought to visit and learn about the events referred to here as “the devastation”, nevertheless a small part of me wanted to stay in the garden with the blossom and green trees. 

The drive was through a place like any other Japanese city, though.  People cycling along, cute little signs for crossing places and wires everywhere.

Outside the little playgroup, the man was making a delivery in his small, positively cute little van.  He was dressed in overalls and wore a face mask, maybe because of an allergy to the pollen which is rather high here right now.  Or perhaps he had a cold and didn’t want to spread it around?  Just inside the door is a shoe rack and everyone’s outdoor shoes are there, neatly placed and there’s a little cartoon character on the door welcoming visitors.  All is the space of a normal domestic garage.

Along the road, three little girls hurry along behind their Mummy, running to a dance class maybe, or a party?  So cute and pretty!

One feature of Hiroshima is the streetcar and these were creating a little traffic jam right there at the central crossroads.  Our guide, Masa, said that his wife and daughter don’t have the patience to take this route because of them.  We were to learn later that these streetcars were up and running again just three days after the bomb fell and as such, are a symbol of the recovery efforts.

We parked right opposite the dome and by the bridge where the bomb exploded 600m above the ground.  Nearly everything within 2km of the centre was destroyed and thousands of lives were lost as a result.

Now, it’s a serene riverside scene and the sunshine and blue sky added to the sense of peace.  We strolled around, following Masa, taking it all in and capturing the small details with our cameras.

The camellia hedge brightened the scene and brought colour into what could have been a bleak place.

And the street cleaners taking their break were a good reminder the life goes on as normal here.  Though the place itself is a tribute to the devastation, it’s neither gloomy nor maudlin, but respectful and enlightening, rather.

The dome and the structure beneath is is in constant repair to maintain it exactly as it is for the future.  Small cracks are filled with polymers to prevent it crumbling away.

One symbol is everywhere – the origami cranes.

These were hung at the memorial to the Korean people who were working in Hiroshima at the time and also died as a result.

But the real paper crane centre was by the memorial to Sadako, the small girl who began the tradition of folding the cranes for peace.

It’s a serious business here and there was a whole procedure to follow when bringing large numbers of the origami figures to donate.

We’d just walked past the reflecting pool with the upturned hands and the burning flame, when we encountered some other visitors to the memorial.

These small children were visiting with their teachers, bringing armfuls of folded cranes to donate as their contribution to the campaign for peace.  They were beautifully dressed in identical smocks, red caps and stood at their teachers instruction to bid us “konnichiwa” and “Good Morning”.

Into the Museum then, where there were graphic displays of the events themselves, the aftermath and the hope for the future.  Here is the wall size photograph of the devastation.

I’ll admit, I found some parts hard to read, so moving were they.

I lingered in some places, moved quickly through others.  Particularly the human stories make for difficult reading.

There were plenty of these cheerful and very well spoken volunteers around to answer questions and clarify information in the clearest of English.  They had up to date information about nuclear weaponry and statistics and were keen to share it.

The exhibit about Sadako was touching, if a little sentimental, understandably and by the time I reached it the little schoolgroup were there.  I imagine they hear all about Sadako and her battle with leukaemia when they are folding the cranes.

Last of all was a short corridor of desks.  Desks where one might sign a petition against nuclear weapons.  Desks where one could read the Peace Declaration dated August 2012, issued as a result of the tsunami and resultant nuclear power plant accident.  Finally, a desk to complete a feedback form, which with typical Japanese modesty offers merely “satisfactory” as the highest grade. 

We completed what we felt we had to complete, in my case offering the highest grade throughout.  It had been a very thoughtprovoking visit and I am very pleased indeed that I have had the chance to come here.

On to the garden…in the next post.

Bingata…what next?

Ok, remember this?  It’s been drying on my desk for three days and it was time to soak the glutinous rice glue off.  We were given the instructions in Japanese and English and so I followed them to the letter.  Almost

Having ironed the reverse side of the design, I soaked it in lukewarm water for a while.  It seemed to be coming away pretty quickly, so I didn’t leave it for the 3 to 4 hours suggested, but ran it under the tap and watched as it was washed away.

At this stage, there was still a faint rectangle where the glue resist had been (that’s a really difficult phrase for a Japanese speaker to say – “Glue Resist”!) so I swished it around a little more and finally it seemed to have disappeared.

Right now, I’m making good use of the washing line in the bathroom!  I’ll give it a final iron later and will maybe take it to dinner.  Whatever, I feel very proud of my completed bag, which looks rather sweet.  What a nice souvenir of Okinawa!

Bingata

For my textile friends, I’ll share a few of the details of what sets Bingata apart from other, similar resist fabric decoration methods.  This is what I learned yesterday.

The technique has been around since the 14th century and there are descriptions of the methods used dating from the 1600s.  Originally, the rich and powerful wore bingata and more lowly souls permitted to wear it on special occasions only.  These dyed fabrics are used in preference to the heavier, embroidered fabrics in Okinawa because of the weight.  The lighter cottons are more comfortable to wear in the warmer climate.

Miyaki introduced us to our teacher – Sensei – who was a well respected expert in bingata.  She had samples of her work and carefully explained in a mixture of Japanese and English what we were to do.  We could choose from a variety of pre-prepared designs which had been applied to small canvas bags.

The stencilled designs had been applied using “glutinous rice glue” and were dry and ready to go.  I chose my bag and set to work.

The paints were in traditional colours and we were advised to keep the red brush in the red and so on.  The brushes were hard bristle with bamboo handles and the square tips made filling in the detail difficult.

The first step was to lay down an initial  layer of colour.  Each area of the design needed to be covered at this stage.

The heavy canvas was easy to paint on and didn’t soak up the paint too much.  We dried areas from time to time using a hair dryer but even so, the yellow paint bled into the pink, as you can see.  Grrr.

Once all the areas had been covered and dried, a second coat was needed and this time, we were advised to use a gentle scrubbing motion to apply the paint, making sure it went well into the fibre.

For the next stage, I was glad to have the support of another Sensei – a charming young man by the name of Mashi.  Mashi had studied in Oxford and spoke excellent English.  He was also very good at giving lots of positive feedback!

He explained the technique of holding two brushes in one hand for the final painting stage, adding the shading using the darker tones of paint. First, one dips the soft painting brush into the colour of choice.

It’s applied to the outer edges of the area which needs to be shaded

then the harder bristle brush is used to scrub the paint and blend it into the design.

I worked at my two brush technique, getting help and advice from Mashi as I went, and completed my bingata bag in good time.  I dried it with a hair dryer and was pretty pleased with the result.

Now it needs to dry thoroughly for three days, before ironing on the reverse side to set the dye.  There follows a soaking in lukewarm water to dislodge the glutinous rice, which can be further removed under a running tap.  A final press and it will be complete.

I promise to share the end result!

Shuriji Castle

Our next stop was the Shuriji Castle.  We hadn’t begun our tour of Naha until gone 2.30pm so by now, it was just past 5pm.  Dear Miyaki was getting anxious about the closing time and hurried us along.

Once inside the castle grounds, we were treated to Japan in a nutshell.  The immaculately dressed school group who arrived at the same time were delightful, waving “hello” to us.  In each location of the castle, there was a little rubber stamp station, and this little family were collecting them all, so Father helped his little daughter to add to her collection.  The Museum staff greeted us with little bows and smiles and we hurried through, following Miyaki.

The pathway was an interesting construction.

From the first gathering point, we could see a great view of Naha.  The rooftops mostly feature water tanks, which Miyaki told us could hold three day’s of water.  When the typhoon strikes, the water supply is cut and these tanks provide the family with some back up.  I love the modern building in the centre; the slightly pinkish grey one, which is so Japanese, don’t you agree?

In the courtyard, the school group were having a group photo taken, with their serious teachers in the centre.  They were so charming!

Mind you, three of the girls preferred to have their photo taken with a member of our crew!

The elegantly dressed gentleman museum steward thought a little before agreeing to have his picture taken, but smiled and said “hai!” and stood still for a few seconds.  Love his obi sash!

Photographs inside were very restricted, but in the throne room, it was ok.  The sumptuous black and red lacquer furnishings were so photogenic and yet rather difficult to capture effectively.

But the mother-of-pearl throne was highlighted so beautifully against the black background.

And the King’s crown beautifully lit in a little showcase to one side.

As is often the case in Japan, the small details receive as much attention as the main showcase things.  Here, the beautiful bolt which holds together the whole building is shaped like a lotus flower and is painted gold.  Lovely.

But it was nearing six o’clock and closing time for the castle.  The elegant gentlemen were ready for home and began to shoo us out into the courtyard.

Whilst we’d been inside the sun had come out, the clouds (and the crowds) had parted and look what greeted us.

What a beautiful place!  How lucky we were to be able to see it and to learn a little of the Okinawan history.

Returning to the car park, a good humoured gentleman was posing for his picture with two excited young women.  So cute!

Meeting up with my hero when we returned to the ship, we discovered that he too had been to the castle.  Knowing my penchant for collecting Japanese stamps, he’s picked up the brochure in which the little family had been collecting their stamps around the castle.

He knew that it would be exactly my kind of thing and was sorry, but he hadn’t been able to find the stamps.

A good job I’d been collecting them in my notebook then! 

An afternoon in Okinawa

Well, in Naha, to be precise.

The sea was still a bit choppy as we neared the Japanese shore this morning, but there wasn’t the heavy swell of last night, thank goodness.

The pilot came on board and the small tug sailed alongside, tethered by a small rope.  I’m not sure who was pulling whom?  Shortly before this, the Captain had made an announcement about the need to turn the stabilisers off before entering the port, because this would cause the ship to roll.

Well, roll it did, but I have no excuses for this photograph which came as a bit of a surprise when I uploaded the day’s pictures from camera to computer just now.  Really, we didn’t roll that much!

A small dance troupe were preparing to welcome us to the port of Naha, in Okinawa Prefecture and we made our way to the deck to watch their performance.

The smallest member of the dance group won a place in everyone’s heart, of course.

They put on a spirited performance, smiling and waving to the audience who were clearly appreciative as we were for this colourful entertainment.

And yes, you’ve guessed who stole the show!

Whilst this was going on, the man from the Ministry arrived, carrying a bottle of pink stuff.

He supervised the dilution of the pink stuff in a watering can and watched as a crew member watered the carpet at the end of the gangplank with the solution.  Hygiene precautions.  I’m not sure what we might tread off the ship onto the land, though.  Or perhaps it was the other way around?

Actually, the immigration process was quite a lengthy one, but managed very well we thought.  It was a three stage process in that we had to hand in landing cards in return for an official looking document which we were to keep.  This being Japan, it was a curious mix of the old fashioned, traditional red rubber stamp and the high tech QR code.

Whilst we were doing all that, a smiling gentleman in uniform walked along the line, pointed a digital thermometer at each of our foreheads and registered our temperature.  We noted that at both Hong Kong and Macau immigrations, body temperature was scanned as a precaution against infectious diseases, too.

Having been given the all clear from the temperature controllers, we were called to an immigration officer who scanned our passports, recorded two index finger prints and took a photograph.  Those who commented on the excess of this procedure were gently reminded that foreigners entering other countries have exactly the same process to go through and this was by no means unique.

Finally, we collected our tour assignments, and today, my hero and I were going our separate ways.  As he disappeared to explore the highlights of the city, I sat and waited for my own tour to be called.

When I walked down the gangplank, these two delightful chaps were there, waving and smiling.  Oh, how much I was looking forward to being back in Japan, one of my favourite countries (there is a reason…read it here)

As we drove from the port, our guide Miyaki pointed out the cemetery on the right side of the road, suggesting we look out for picnickers there.  It’s an Okinawan custom to visit family graves during March and many take along picnics and spend a happy afternoon there.  No one there today though so we’ll take her word for it!

The bus stopped at a busy intersection – except it’s Sunday and this particular street is closed to traffic on this one day of the week.  Whilst we waited for the stragglers to get off the bus, we spotted a first

The 2013 cherry blossom season has started!  Though we’d seen the blossom in Taiwan, Okinawa sees the first of the Japanese “sakura”; the beginning of Spring.

The pedestrian shopping street was rather quiet and we laughed as Miyuki encouraged us to walk right there in the middle of the road.  “Come on!” she said.  “Go for it!”

Okinawa is a holiday destination, though, and the goods on sale were generally souvenirs of the place rather than everyday things. All of these brightly coloured items are Okinawan and feature some typical products and emblems of the prefecture.  More about them later, because look what’s in the next store…

It’s a T shirt shop for pets!  Well, yes, you can have a matching one, but several stores along the street featured similar displays and it would appear that the doggy T shirt is the hot souvenir here in Naha.

Of course, we hadn’t come to shop but were heading for the arts and crafts centre, where we would learn about the Okinawan textile technique known as Bingata.  Miyuki explained that the method of decorating fabric is a very old one here and came about because the hot climate made the heavy, embroidered fabric known in the rest of Japan very uncomfortable to wear.  Parts of the technique are similar to other resist textile processes, but there are a couple of features which single Bingata out from the rest.

Here’s the example of the design I chose to paint.  For my textile-y friends, I’ll write more in a separate post and for now, I’ll just say how fascinating it was in so many respects.  Firstly, how detailed the technique.  This is not your slop on a bit of paint kind of work, but a precise and measured process which takes time.  There was also the quiet and so very Japanese approach to helping us achieve a pleasing end result – lots of help available and much positive feedback!   Surprisingly, (unsurprisingly?) not everyone was as keen to complete their masterpiece and the shops we’d walked past were proving too much of a temptation.  Those of us who stayed to complete the project were rewarded with one to one tuition.  Hooray!

My completed bag will need to be soaked once we are home, to remove the glutinous rice resist, and hopefully it will look something like the design above.  I’ll post about the technique in more detail later, but for now, we’d got half an hour to make our way back to the meeting point and yes, to have a quick look in the shops.

 

The products local to Okinawa include hot sauce, packaged in a rather familiar style, I thought.

But it was Kukuru Okinawa which drew my attention – textile design studio?  You bet.

The items on sale in here were also aimed at the tourist, though they were traditional Japanese things such as tengui and handkerchiefs.  Small door panels and wall hangings were there too and a few garments.  I was interested in buying a couple of tengui – maybe to use as gift wrapping, perhaps make something from the fabric.  I hadn’t decided.  But these were a great souvenir of our visit and the cherry blossom motif seemed to be a good place to begin.

I had a few more minutes to browse in one of the tourist shops and was interested to see what people take home from here for their friends and co-workers, because of course, the Japanese gift-giving tradition is very strong.  Most things are packaged in multiples as a result and these foodstuffs were aimed at that market.

The purple sweet potato is a speciality of this area of the country and sure enough, they featured in many of the products (there are 140 yen in a pound by the way, if you want to work out the price) .  Long term blog readers might recall that I bought an Okinawan speciality when we were last in Toyko and sure enough, there they were.

Yes, of course I had to get some!

As I returned to the bus, I noticed these signs.

Oh my.  Of course, an island such as this one must take such things very seriously indeed.  We live in such a benign climate, we forget that in some parts of the world, precautions must be taken.  Typhoons are a way of life here, too.

By the side of the sign, the gang of young men were cleaning the pavement of bubble gum.  What a task they had!

So, waiting underneath the monorail for our group to reassemble, we’ll take a break and I’ll meet you in the next post, to go to the Shurijo Castle.  OK?