Hiroshima: Reflecting on the Horror of the Atomic Bombing in the Peace Park

Japanese are very aware of seasonal change and have many words to describe these changes. One of these is the word kōyō (紅葉) which signifies the changing colour of the autumn leaves from early to mid-November. Kochia "burning" bushes - also known as "broom grass" - are a harbinger of kōyō and are currently in full bloom. Kochia (hōki-gusa=箒草) are a type of egg-shaped bush with fluffy red leaves that grow approximately 70 cm tall. If you visit Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki - famous for its blue Nemophila in spring - you can currently enjoy 40,000 kochias "painting the entire hillside with a fiery red": check out the pictures here for a taste of autumn in Japan! The colour gradation from September to November shown in the chart below is quite something.

© Hitachi Seaside Park (downloaded from this page)

Last month's blog introduced one of the three most scenic spots in Japan, Miyajima, located in Hiroshima Bay in the Seto Inland Sea. That made me realise that despite 264 posts over 8 years I still haven't covered Hiroshima itself, a city that no tourist, whether Japanese or non-Japanese, should miss. Indeed, the combined "Peaceful Hiroshima & Miyajima UNESCO 1-Day Bus Tour" was ranked by Tripadvisor as the second-best travel experience in the entire world with Hiroshima Peace Park firmly at the centre of that tour.

The Peace Memorial Museum (広島記念資料館) located in the Peace Park, about a 20 minute tram ride from Hiroshima Station, received record numbers of visitors in fiscal 2025, almost a million of which were international tourists (making up over 1/3 of total visitors). In summer, it gets so crowded that an online ticket system is used to reduce congestion. The world's first atomic bomb was dropped on August 6th 1945, with the epicentre just east of the Peace Park, and the museum exhibits about 500 items, including victims' belongings - such as a lunch box, a tricycle, tattered clothing, watches stopped at 8:15 AM, and school uniforms - as well as structural remains, like melted glass, human shadows etched in stone, and many pictures of the devastation from the time. The city estimates roughly 140,000 died within the first four to five months.

Personally, I find the park itself more conducive to reflection, particularly the Children's Peace Monument in the north. This is a monument dedicated to Sadako Sasaki - whose likeness stands atop the structure - and the thousands of children who died from the 1945 atomic bombing. As I have written previously, Sadako, who developed leukemia after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, folded more than 1000 paper cranes in a futile attempt to prolong her life. In Japan, the crane (tsuru) is a mystical creature that is said to live 1000 years; hence, if one makes 1000 folded paper cranes (senbazuru - "sen" meaning 1000 and "ba" the Japanese counter for birds) it is said to bring long life. When Obama visited the Peace Park in May 2016 he donated four paper cranes he had folded himself to the Peace Memorial Museum, a gesture that resonated deeply with the Japanese public. Today millions of colourful paper cranes folded by visiting Japanese school children and tourists surround the Children's Peace Monument, an extremely moving sight.

The other key landmark in the park is the A-Bomb (or genbaku) dome, a brick building that housed the national and municipal government offices. As it was located just 160 meters from the epicenter of the blast, it was mostly destroyed in the explosion, but amazingly was one of the few structures in the area to remain upright. In 1996 it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and today is a visible reminder and symbol of the atomic bombing. When I visited, a survivor was explaining in English and Japanese about their own experiences. The key message throughout, as the name of the park suggests, is peace: the inscription on the cenotaph in the centre of the park reads, "Let all the souls here rest in peace, for we shall not repeat the evil." With wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, the park serves as a necessary reminder of the folly of war.

Visiting the Peace Park can be quite draining both mentally and physically, so after finishing your visit, why not try Hiroshima's local delicacy okonomiyaki (お好み焼き), a kind of savoury pancake contaning a variety of ingredients cooked in front of you on a giant hot plate? While there are variations in Osaka and Tokyo, Hiroshima is widely seen as the birthplace of okonomiyaki and the city itself claims to have more okonomiyaki restaurants per capita than any other region in the country (try Okonomimura a "village" holding 25 counters each boasting its own unique style). Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is always built in layers rather than mixed together, with a thin crepe-like layer of batter topped with a mountain of cabbage, pork, and noodles of your choice, and finished with a fried egg and folded over. See here for a lovely description of the "culinary performance art" that is okonomiyaki, a food that was central to the reconstruction of the city after the horror that was the atomic bombing.  

Miyajima and Itsukushima Shrine: One of the Three Most Scenic Spots in Japan

A sure sign that autumn has come to Japan is the blooming of the Red Spider Lilies (higanbana) - you can read more about the name and superstitions surrounding the "flower of death" in this post. This summer was not the hottest on record but it has certainly been the wettest - and the rain shows no sign of abating. Typhoon Dujuan just passed us dropping record rainfall along the Pacific Coast while in mid-August parts of eastern Japan logged more than three times the rainfall typically seen across the entire month of August in a single 24-to-48-hour window, leading to level-5 emergency warnings and fatal landslides. As of now, Tokyo has experienced 34 consecutive days of rain, a new record - with yet another typhoon approaching! Britishprof even has mushrooms sprouting in his indoor plants! This site details some of the reasons Japan has faced record rainfall this summer, specifically high ocean temperatures connected to global warming. 

Amidst the continuing rainy days the university term has begun in earnest and Britishprof is engaged in what the Japanese call "bicycle operations" (jitensha-sōgyō＝自転車操業) - furiously peddling just to stay afloat and keep up with the workload! Memories of travel earlier in the year keep me going, particularly an amazing trip to Miyajima (宮島), a sacred island in Japan's Seto Inland Sea famous for its giant "floating" vermillion torii gate. Miyajima is known as one of the three most scenic spots in Japan (Nihon sankei=日本三景), alongside Matsushima (松島) in Miyagi and Amanohashidate (天橋立) in Kyoto. 

The best way to get to Miyajima is to take the JR Sanyo Line from Hiroshima Station to Miyajimaguchi Station, a 25 minute trip, and then walk straight to ferry pier for the 10-minute crossing (ferries run non-stop). For those with a little more money to spare there is also a high-speed boat which leaves, very conveniently, from the pier next to the Motoyasu Bridge at Peace Memorial Park. Either way, approaching the island by sea with its towering peaks and the massive vermilion torii gate built over the water (so people would not defile the sacred ground) is an unforgettable sight.

Miyajima can get terribly crowded during the daytime so I strongly recommend staying overnight - we stayed in a place called Iwaso, an historic, luxury hot spring ryokan located at the foot of Mount Misen inside Momijidani Park just minutes from Itsukushima Shrine. The expansive grounds of Itsukushima are interconnected by a 108-room corridor, encompassing various shrines, a noh (能) theatre stage, and music rooms amongst other structures. Miyajima is a different place in the evening once all the tourists have gone, quiet and peaceful, allowing one to really appreciate the beauty of the shrine and torii gate, now gorgeously lit up. Hearing the sound of the waves lapping against the shore as one stares out over the water at night is a truly soothing and unforgettable experience. 

Taking the ropeway to the top of Mount Misen, you can enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of the Seto Inland Sea, surely one of the reasons why Miyajima earned its status as one of Japan’s Three Scenic Views. Note that the ropeway only takes you halfway up; after that, there is a 30-minute (1 km) walk to the summit. The mountain is sacred and has been a popular destination for religious pilgrims since it was visited in 806 by Kukai, a Japanese Buddhist monk, calligrapher, and poet who founded the Japanese branch of Vajrayana Buddhism. Be sure not to miss the eternal flame (消えずの火), the holy fire said to have been started by Kukai over 1,200 years ago and which was used to light the 'Flame of Peace' in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. If you'd like me to cover Hiroshima in the next blog post please let me know in the COMMENTS  section! 

Polka Dots and Pumpkins: The Incredible Work of Yayoi Kusama

August in Japan is a month of searing heat, typhoons, memories of war, fireworks, ghost stories, and returning spirits: in a previous post I referred to it as the month of death. Regarding the latter, the holiday of Obon (お盆), which ran from August 13th to 16th this year, is a Buddhist festival dedicated to remembering, honouring, and welcoming back the spirits of one's ancestors. One of Japan's few guaranteed vacations, many Japanese return to their hometown (furusato =古里・故郷) during this period to visit and clean family graves and reunite with family. As described previously, one interesting custom is that of making vegetable animals with wooden chopsticks for legs and placing them on street corners: the aubergine/eggplant "oxen" (shōryōushi =精霊牛) pictured is said to (slowly) guide the spirits home.

One favourite summer getaway from Tokyo is Hakone, a mountainous area around a lake famous for its hot springs and eggs which turn black when boiled in the volcanic waters. BritishProf took the Odakyu Romance Car reserved-seat limited express service which takes around 90 minutes from Shinjuku. However, this time I decided to avoid both the boiling sulphur springs at Owakudani Valley (the old crater of Mt. Kami) - the ropeway can get very crowded - and also Lake Ashi and the tourist-packed walking trials and pirate galleon. Instead, I headed for the beautiful Hakone Open-Air Museum (箱根彫刻の森美術館) - in Japanese the Hakone Sculpture Forest Art Museum - to escape the crowds. My expectations were not particularly high but I found it quite delightful and thoroughly enjoyed the sprawling grounds which featured a unique blend of world-class art - lots of Henry Moore statues! - coupled with stunning mountain views and impeccably trimmed lawns. There is also an indoor gallery housing an extensive collection of Pablo Picasso's paintings, ceramics, and sculptures. However, the highlight for me was the temporary Yayoi Kusama exhibition housed on the 2nd floor of the cafeteria - all the more poignant since the world-famous artist had died just a few weeks ago, on August 14th, aged 97. 

Kusama is famous as the artist who "filled the world with polka dots", though it was her Instagram friendly infinity mirror installations that saw her named the most popular artist in the world in 2014. She moved to the US in 1957 - she talks about arriving with a suitcase of drawings and some money hidden in her shoe - but moved back to Japan in 1973 and checked herself into a psychiatric ward in Tokyo in 1977 where she lived for the rest of her life. She did, however, continue to produce art, drawing on her hallucinations which had plagued her since she was young. In a country in which talking about mental health is still something of a taboo, she spoke openly about how her condition and neurodivergence informed her creativity. She also spoke eloquently about the importance of peace. For a pictorial overview of her life see the Guardian article here. For those of you in Tokyo, the five-floor Yayoi Kusama Museum is highly recommended.

Kusama is well-known for her pumpkin sculptures, apparently because they remind her of her childhood and provide a comforting, stable presence that helped her cope with her mental health struggles. The most famous of these are probably the yellow and red pumpkins on Naoshima Island in the Seto Inland Sea of Japan but Hakone's Open Air Museum also boasted a couple, a white pumpkin with red polka dots on the 2nd floor of the cafeteria and the famous "I am a Pumpkin" (われは南瓜) granite statue (2013) on permanent display outside. The plaque on the latter describes it as representing the artist's alter ego which continues to send a message of "Love Forever" to the future. One phrase which stuck with me after watching her interviews is when she says if it were not for art, she would have killed herself a long time ago. Having a reason to live (ikigai) and a personal philosophy to follow - in her case love, peace, and the unity of humanity - made me reflect on how treating others with kindness, having meaningful goals, and enjoying a passion for something can help us overcome suffering and drive us forward. What do you think? Let me know in the COMMENTS.

 

Braving the Summer Heat in Japan: Playing Pickleball at Tokyo Tower

Attractions at Haneda Airport: Godzilla, Torii gate with Edo painting, and Tanabata Display

BritishProf has been on his travels, first to the UK, and more recently to Karuizawa, the mountain resort town famous for escaping the summer heat. For the UK, I flew from Haneda Airport, just south of central Tokyo, MUCH more convenient than Narita. Haneda has expanded and developed substantially in recent years, and was recently named the World's Best Domestic Airport and recognised for having the World's Best Accessible Facilities at the World Airport Awards. The new Terminal 1 North Satellite is set to open in September 2026 boasting Japan's first hybrid wood-steel terminal structure and promising to improve passenger flow and reduce bus gate usage for domestic operations. In short, if you're flying to or from Tokyo, domestic or international, Haneda is by far the best option: not to mention it also has interesting displays such as the world's largest indoor Godzilla monument, artworks (the picture features the 17th century Cooling Off or 納涼図屏風 by Kusumi Morikage), and seasonal events (such as the interactive Tanabata festival corner which encouraged travellers to write their hopes and dreams on colorful strips of paper called tanzaku).

 

Japan has certainly heated up considerably since I first flew out from Haneda, and despite temperatures in England reaching record highs, they are nothing in comparison to the consecutive 35 degree plus days and 80% humidity which has become the norm in Japanese summertime. The Cooling Off sketch mentioned above, featuring a family of three enjoying an evening breeze and gazing at the moon, makes one yearn for the end of summer, and the painting itself does indeed hint at the coming autumn with its rising full moon and the ripening gourds growing on the vines on the trells. For now, though there is nothing to do but brave the heat but one can at least enjoy some of the delightful summer blooms such as the water lily, properly known as the Indian/Sacred Lotus (Hasu in Japanese) , with its gorgeous pink flowers.

 

Keeping fit in the dog days of summer is tough, but for a light workout at an interesting venue why not try pickleball at Tokyo Tower? The white and red lattice communications tower was famously inspired by the Eiffel Tower: at 333 metres it is just 3 metres taller than its French rival! It was the tallest tower in Japan and one of Tokyo's main tourist attractions until the opening of the 634 metre Tokyo Skytree in 2012. Tokyo Tower's two observation decks remain popular though: the two-story 150 metre Main Deck (¥1500) and the smaller almost 250 metre Top Deck (¥3500). A final tourist attraction is the five-story base building known as FootTown which houses a number of restaurants, gift shops, and other attractions, including two pickleball courts at the top (RF). Pickleball is unique mix of tennis, badminton, and table tennis and is played with a solid paddle and a perforated plastic ball on a badminton-sized court with a lowered net. While first introduced to Japan only in 2014, it enjoyed a surge in popularity following a 2024 tournament held at Ariake Tennis Park; the Tokyo Tower Pickleball Court opened in July 2025 and in 2026 the two leading organisations in Japan merged to form one governing body, Pickleball Japan. It was my first time playing, but it was easy for beginners to pick up and not too strenuous. The only problem was the wind, with the ball - essentially a light plastic ball with holes - really being affected by the gusts. Maybe playing half way up Tokyo Tower was not a good idea after all! Any experience with interesting or unusual sports inside or outside Japan? Let us know in the COMMENTS!

Japan's Turn to the Right: The Sudden Rise of Anti-Foreigner Populism

Temperatures remain in the mid-twenties here in Japan as the rainy season continues, in contrast to soaring temperatures in London and Paris. For the Japanese, rainy season means gorgeous blue, lilac, and pink hydrangeas (ajisai) blooming everywhere, hardly surprising given that they are a plant that needs a lot of water - hydrangea itself comes from the Greek for "water vessel" - and that thrives in the high humidity and wet soil: apparently, the abundant rainfall prevents them from wilting while intensifying the vividness of their colours. Hydrangea festivals are everywhere: see here for a round-up of ten stunning spots for hydrangea viewing around Tokyo.

Sanseito election ad (Yomiuri 2025)

The end of the rainy season roughly coincides with the end of the ordinary Diet (parliament) session, which will wind up on July 17 this year. Consequenty, the damp weather matches a period of intense late-session parliamentary manoeuvering, budget approvals, and negotiations over major legislation. Japanese politics has changed a lot since the upper house election last July, an election which marked the emergence of an anti-foreigner populism previously absent in Japanese politics. As I mentioned in my final blog post of last year, the rapid rise of Japan's far-right Sanseito Party marked a frightening xenophobic shift in tone in discussions on migration and "foreigners" in Japan. My paper discussing the reasons for the dramatic emergence of a party which many have likened to Reform UK and Germany's AfD is at last out, so at the risk of alienating casual readers I'm going to summarise the key reasons for this seismic shift in Japanese politics. For those masochistic enough to want to read in full the paper check HERE!

Post on X by Kamiya (@jinkamiya) 2025/09/20

Sanseito (参政党) - literally "political participation party" - was founded in 2020 by Sohei Kamiya and others but came to prominence when it secured 14 seats in the House of Councilors election in July 2025 running on a "Japanese First" slogan (shown in the election ad above). Their key stance was opposition to current policies of accepting "too many foreigners" (行き過ぎた外国人受け入れ政策に反対) - explained in the social media post right. The election marked the first time a clearly far-right party had secured more than 10% of the national vote. The question I wrestle with in my paper is why anti-foreigner populism - something previously consigned to fringe groups in Japan and relegated to the periphery - suddenly exploded into the mainstream and why the "foreigner problem" (外国人問題) has now become a significant political issue for voters. 

My answer in a nutshell is not a right-wing political vacuum or economic hardship but a rapid increase in the visibility of "foreigners" - both residents and tourists - creating a threat perception in terms of the loss of their homogeneous identity. The COVID-19 pandemic laid the ground work in terms of upsetting the balance between intergroup contact (which tends to lead to a reduction in prejudice towards migrants) and perceived threat (which can foster anti-immigrant attitudes). And the arrival of "the age of populism" and the "first year of SNS elections" in 2024 - that is, an elite loss of control over the migrant narrative - created a fertile environment for Sanseito to exploit anxieties over rapidly growing numbers of "foreigners." In sum, a visible and rapid increase in "foreigners" has created a feeling that traditional Japanese identity is being challenged or threatened. The result has been a broad and unprecedented shift or change in tone, attitude, and policy towards foreigners, as evidenced by stricter regulations and hardening public opinion. For someone who has lived in Japan for forty years it is heart-breaking to witness the abrupt change of tone in a country in which I have always felt welcome and valued. Thoughts? Drop me a note in the COMMENTS.

Yokosuka City, Navy Curry, and the first Samurai from England

The Golden Week holidays (April 29~May 6th) seem long gone though, like last year, my highlight was probably picking green tea and rolling the leaves myself to make tea leaves. Interestingly, the price of tea has skyrocketed in recent years due to the worldwide popularity of matcha, with exports more than doubling. May 2nd, the 88th day since the start of the spring lunar calendar, marked the official arrival of the season for newly harvested tea. However, since it started getting warm in mid-March, green tea harvesting began much earlier in many places. Now, the heat has suddenly ramped up with 1,000 people reportedly hospitalized with heatstroke in the week through May 17th and one elderly woman dying. In Hita City, Oita, temperatures reached 35℃ on May 18th, the earliest ever that the temperature in the city has surpassed the 35-degree mark. Britain too has seen similar crazy temperatures in May; the big difference though is that almost all Japanese households have air-conditioning while very few (15%?) of UK ones do. 

One potential getaway during the dog days of summer is the Miura Peninsula where the coastal sea breezes make the heat much more bearable than inland. Recently, I stayed in a unique little commune-type town atop a hill overlooking Yokosuka (横須賀), a major port which was famously the landing site where Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in 1853, leading to the opening of Japan. Today, the city is most widely known as the 568-acre home of the largest overseas U.S. Naval installation in the world, which it shares with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). The city boasts a unique, international atmosphere but is probably most famous in Japan for its culinary staple, Navy Curry, which was adapted from the British Royal Navy in the 19th century. A recent article in the Guardian describes how it "conquered hearts" in Japan to become "a national obsession". Interestingly, the JMSDF now has a tradition of eating curry for lunch every Friday which reminded me of the British tradition of eating fish on a Friday (fish and chip shops apparently double their sales on a Friday!).

For those wanting to stay in the area and sample the food - not only curry but amazing sea food too - I recommend On Stay (bookable on airbnb.jp) located in an area called Tsukimidai (月見台=moon viewing terrace), a former municipal housing complex built in 1960 in the hills of Taura in Yokosuka City (B3 on the map). After the last tenants moved out in 2020 all 58 homes became vacant, but a community revitalization project involving the renovation of these buildings began in 2023, restoring the place into a charming new town with some 40 restaurants, cafes, studios, workshops and boutiques. Reborn as a “Nariwai Living Town” - in Japanese, nariwai means “livelihood” or “one’s way of life,” representing a lifestyle where living, working, and creating are seamlessly integrated - it has become a close community where homes double as small businesses, integrating daily life and work. Personally, I loved the vibe of the place and the unique, idiosyncratic individuals who came from all walks of life but had found their ibasho (居場所), a comfortable, welcoming community where everyone was accepted without judgment, far away from the rat race. 

Finally, before I get too misty eyed about future retirement, let me recommend one historical spot to visit in Yokosuka. Many people are familiar with the story of William Adams who became the first Englishman to reach Japan in 1600, some two hundred and fifty years before Perry. Those who have seen or read Shogun will know him as John Blackthorne, the protagonist in James Clavell's novel who was directly inspired by the English navigator. His Japanese name, Miura Anjin ("The Pilot of Miura"=三浦按針), comes from the estate in Miura (present-day Yokosuka) he was given by the Shogun. Until recently, there was some dispute over where he was buried: Hirado, Nagasaki, not too far from where he originally ran ashore, or Tsukayama Park, Yokosuka, matching his final wishes to be laid to rest looking out over Edo Bay. The latter contains the Anjin-zuka (William Adams Monument), two memorial stone towers for him and his wife (pictured). However, in 2020, researchers from the University of Tokyo confirmed that bone fragments in an urn in Hirado belonged to William Adams making the Yokosuka site a cenotaph - a memorial monument containing no remains - rather than a grave. Nevertheless, it is still moving to visit the site where the first samurai from England spent most of his life. Have you read or seen Shogun? Feel free to add a COMMENT!

NOTE: The Yomiuri Japan News carried a special feature on the Tsukimidai Housing Complex (2026/06/24 page 16) - they must be reading my blog! 

Getting Naked in Arima Onsen: One of Japan's Three Oldest and Three Greatest Hot Springs

Spring has well and truly come and Japan is swimming in a cascade of colours from the Yaezakura late blooming cherry trees (fluffy, dense blooms) to bright pink, red, and white azaleas (tsutsuji), from the lilac and lavender wisteria (fuji) to hedgerows of Lady Bank's yellow roses (mokkō-bara). Breathtaking!

Regardless of the season, regular readers may know that one of BritishProf's favourite things about Japan is the bathing culture. Recently, I had the chance to visit Arima Hot Springs (=onsen) in Hyogo Prefecture which has the unique distinction of being BOTH one of Japan's three oldest baths (日本三古湯), together with Dōgo Onsen in Ehime and Nanki-Shirahama Onsen in Wakayama, AND one of Japan's three great hot springs (日本三名泉), alongside Kusatsu Onsen in Gunma and Gero Onsen in Gifu. This means that Arima Onsen is the only hot spring in Japan famous for both its high-quality medicinal properties, specifically its distinct mineral-rich "red/gold" (salt and iron-rich) and "silver" (carbonic/radium) waters, and its history, spanning over 1300 years and mentioned in the 8th century Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan). As an onsen fan I can't believe it's taken me almost 30 years to visit!

Though located in the mountains and boasting a very local, small-town atmosphere, Arima is easily accessible from Kobe (Shinkansen) Station or Sannomiya via a short 30-minute highway bus ride. After a dip in the onsen, it's lovely to don your yukata cotton kimono and stroll around the winding, narrow streets, packed with lots of beautiful buildings including a foot bath to soak your feet in (pictured) and stores selling the famous local treats. The most famous snacks are manju (饅頭), a traditional Japanese steamed bun with red bean paste filling, and senbei, a sweet, crispy cracker. Both boast a tansan variety which are made using the local carbonated spring water - highly recommended to nibble as you explore the town! 

My favourite area was probably the temple neighbourhood (寺田町界隈), a quiet area situated on a hill to the north of the historic resort. Dotted with yusen shrines (shrines dedicated to hot springs), temples, and retro-style ryokan inns, I enjoyed the charming atmosphere, rather different from the bustle of the main hot spring district. Tosen Shrine (湯泉神社), at the top of a long flight of stairs overlooking the town, was particularly impressive - it came as no surprise to discover that it is famous as a spiritual power spot (video here). An interesting feature of the neighbourhood was the placing of Oni-gawara (鬼瓦) roof tiles bearing the face of a demon or gargoyle on street corners, acting as amulets to keep away evil spirits. 

One final point of etiquette about public hot springs in Japan: it's taboo to wear any kind of clothing in the bath, including swimming costumes. This is of course traditional, but also for hygiene purposes: clothing can introduce fabric-borne dirt and bacteria (and onsen, unlike swimming pools, are never chlorinated). This can be particularly hard for British people. Compared to the Japanese - and even Northern Europeans - Brits tend to be "spectacularly bad at being naked": one survey found that 59% of British people - women significantly more than men - were either out-and-out uncomfortable naked, preferred not to say, or were unsure. Perhaps these fears are compounded by the uncertainty over whether public bathing is properly segregated. Before going to Arima, I reassured my British friends that traditional, mixed bathing (konyoku) is very rare today, thanks to shocked Western visitors and diplomats from the Meiji era who found the practice uncivilized, lewd, and un-Christian. Today, aside from a few "traditional" rural onsen, all public hot springs are strictly segregated. Imagine my surprise then, on entering the onsen at our Japanese inn in Arima (here) and discovering that there was only a low wall separating the men and women's baths, making it necessary to crouch down when leaving and entering to avoid being seen! Thoughts? Let us know in the COMMENTS!
 

Chanko Sumo Hotpot, Live Wrestling, and Public Humiliation

Temperatures hit a high of 21℃ today which is perfect for hanami (花見) or cherry blossom viewing - picnics under the sakura trees! Tokyo is approaching full bloom right now (map here) with March 28th-April 4th given as the best viewing window, surprisingly earlier than Kyoto or even Fukuoka, which are further south. As I wrote in an earlier post, despite the image of sakura as being deeply symbolic for the Japanese, people attending hanami parties are usually more interested in eating and (especially!) drinking than admiring the blossoms. This is captured in the phrase hana yori dango - literally "(sweet) dumplings over flowers," carrying the general meaning that practical things are more important than aesthetics!

Thanks to S & N for the photo

Cherry blossom season brings hordes of tourists and some might have been lucky enough to catch the end of the Osaka Grand Sumo Tournament (honbasho=本場所), one of six held each year, which ended on March 22nd (pictured). But for those here for the sakura and still yearning to see some live sumo, but who cannot wait for the start of the next basho at Tokyo's Kokugikan (starting May 10th), there is another option: the newly opened Sumo Live Restaurant Hirakuza Ginza Tokyo (Hirakuza Ginza), a unique restaurant with a professional sumo-size dohyo ring where you can watch live sumo bouts featuring veteran wrestlers accompanied by English commentary while enjoying traditional kaiseki cuisine. There is also a sake bar which offers a selection of high-quality sake. See this article in the Yomiuri Japan News for a good overview. 

The venue itself is impressive, with around 150 stepped seats arranged around three sides of the dohyo and a giant screen at the back. While the flashy sound, lighting, and visual effects were a little too gaudy for this Brit - perhaps more in keeping with the entertainment that that one sees at American sporting events - the audience of (almost all?) tourists seemed to be enjoying it. Personally though, I wanted them to tone it down a bit to reflect that sumo is not just a sport but a sacred, spiritual culture rooted in Japanese values such as respect, discipline, humility, and dignity. The show itself though was certainly entertaining, featuring a drum performance during the meal and then introducing sumo principles, exercises (such as the ceremonial leg raising and stomping known as shiko=四股), training, throwing techniques, and rules before some mock bouts. 

The food, as mentioned above, was kaiseki (懐石), traditional Japanese cuisine featuring a number of courses that aims to balance the taste, texture, appearance, and colours of food using seasonal (shun=旬) ingredients. The hassun (八寸) for example, an appetizer to set the seasonal theme, featured an artistic assortment of three bite-sized delicacies (picture bottom) comprised of dried fruits with a creamy tofu and sesame puree (left), grilled millet gluten with sweet miso glaze and poppy seeds (centre), and spinach and chrysanthemum petals steeped in savoury dashi (right). The importance Japanese place on seasonal foods, even today when supermarkets sell foods from all over the world, stands out for me as a key difference between Japanese and British in terms of attitudes towards food. In contrast, the hot pot in the top right is a year round staple, a protein filled stew of fish, meat, and vegetables traditionally served to wrestlers​ to bulk them up known as chanko-nabe.

At the end of the show, there was a lottery for audience members who wanted to ascend to the dohyo, don a sumo fat suit, and try their hand at wrestling with one of the wrestlers. Much to the embarrassment of his companions, British Prof's named was pulled out of the hat! The video below shows British Prof's futile attempts to grab the leg of his opponent before being unceremoniously picked up and dumped outside the ring. Think I need to eat a bit more chanko stew and work on my throwing techniques! Feel free to comment upon my humiliation or share your own in the COMMENTS below. 

Snow, Plum Trees, and the Tokyo Comedy Bar

Much of Japan, including Tokyo, experienced heavy snowfall in early February, a rarity for the capital. This coincided with the general election held on February 8th undoubtedly affecting turnout (around 56%). But despite the snow, spring is definitely in the air, with plum blossoms coming out now - this article describes the Mito Plum Festival (水戸の梅まつり), running February 11th to March 22nd, at Kairakuen Gardens in Mito, Ibaraki, one of Japan’s three great gardens (日本三名園): the other two are Kenrokuen in Kanazawa and Korakuen in Okayama. The plum blossoms are a precursor to the cherry blossoms - first bloom is expected around March 18–24 here in Tokyo!

Tourists coming to see the cherry blossoms in Tokyo will no doubt visit Shibuya with its famous scramble crossing - said to be the busiest pedestrian intersection in the world, with up to 3,000 people crossing during a single green light cycle - as well as the well-known Hachiko statue. But there is actually another attraction very popular with tourists in Shibuya - the Tokyo Comedy Bar! Billed as the only English stand-up comedy club in Japan it offers shows in both English every night, plus some Japanese sessions, comedy classes, and even open mic (for those interested in Japanese comedy see the older blog post here). Anyway, Britishprof has always been intrigued by stand-up (my day job at times does not seem that different) so I headed over to see what all the fuss was about.

The Tokyo Comedy Bar is located just a stone's throw from Hachiko, taking up a tiny space on the 3rd floor of the Renga Building. Renga means "brick" in Japanese and since Japanese houses are not built from brick, renga conjures up a strong image of Europe - and especially the UK - for the Japanese. As point of fact, Japanese houses are primarily built from timber (wood), using a post-and-beam construction method designed to withstand earthquakes and manage high humidity. What this means is that the average lifespan of a house in Japan is relatively short, with many homes demolished after only 30 to 35 years. While traditional, older, or well-maintained homes can last longer, the market trend is to treat houses as disposable assets, with their value often depreciating to near zero within 20-30 years (longer for steel-concrete structures). This is very different from the UK, where brick houses last for hundreds of years and increase in value as they get older!

Inside, there are two small rooms, a tiny bar boasting a big selection of craft beers on tap and an adjoining stage, perhaps big enough for 20-30 customers. When I visited on Tuesday - tickets can be bought in advance for ¥3,000 - there was a stand-up comedy showcase from 7:30 to 9:00 featuring local stars plus one international visitor followed by an open-mic session where fifteen amateurs were each given 4 minutes to show off their skills. The first segment was definitely tourist heavy with a lot of visitors from various countries while for the second segment the amateurs seemed to be mostly locals who had brought a friend or two for moral support. My New Year's resolution was to give open mic a try - what do you think, loyal readers? Should Britishprof give it a go despite the potential humiliation? Or should I stick to my day job? Let me know in the COMMENTS!

Exam Fatigue and Malatang: Japan's Spicy Sichuan Noodle Boom

January in Japan features the most important test for high school students hoping to get into university, a test used by all public and some private universities, known as the Common Test for University Admission (共通テスト). This year, 496,237 people applied for the exam, which was held simultaneously across the nation on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th, with 813 universities and other educational institutions planning to use the results in their admission processes. Saturday featured geography, history and civics; Japanese language; and foreign languages (including an English listening component) while the subjects tested on Sunday were information (a new subject introduced last year); the natural sciences; and maths. Any mishaps or problems are quickly picked up by the media, so those of us supervising the exams, like Britishprof, have to carefully wade through hundreds of pages of detailed instructions and videos, which cover every eventuality from earthquakes and cheating to projectile vomiting. Test questions and answers appear in major newspapers in full on Monday (pictured)!

After a weekend of mind-numbing invigilation, some comfort food was definitely in order so I went to try Japan's new food craze, malatang (麻辣湯＝マーラータン), a spicy but creamy Chinese street food dish that has taken Japan (and Korea) by storm. High school girls seem to be driving this craze - like many other trends in Japan - and when I went, I was the only guy in the place! A key reason for its popularity is the fun of customisation: you can choose how spicy you want it, what kind of broth to go for, toppings, and, most importantly, the kind of ingredients you want to include. I visited Tokyo Panda Maratan (東京パンダマーラーラン) in Tachikawa: let me walk you through the ordering steps below.

 

1. Take a bowl and tongs and line up (they will make sure you have a seat before starting). When you get to the front choose from a huge variety of ingredients such as meat, seafood, dumplings, vegetables, and tofu - the choice is overwhelming! I would personally recommend the quail eggs, boiled dumplings (gyōza), shrimp, lamb, crab balls, dried bean curd (yuba), and the various mushrooms (enoki, shiitake, and the white, gelatinous, frond-like mushroom known as snow fungus=白木耳). I also noticed they had spam (!) which seemed a bit out of place, despite the fact that it has become an integral part of Okinawan cuisine (here). Warning: take less than you think you want - they expand later in the broth!

2. After piling the ingredients into your bowl - don't take too much! - move over to the cashier who will weigh it. The price depends on the weight: Panda charged ¥400 for 100g (so my 307g cost ¥1228). A bonus is that if it weighs more than 250g they will add 80g of noodles of your choice in your bowl for free, as explained in the orange poster pictured. Once you've paid, the final step is to confirm broth type (usually the standard malatang) and spice level (from 0 for kids to 5 for those with a death-wish). Be careful, this is Sichuan spice and it hits hard so I would definitely recommend starting with level 1 - Britishprof likes spicy food but level one is plenty hot enough!

3. Finally, go back to your seat and wait while they prepare your malatang - they'll bring it to you once it's cooked in the broth, usually just 5 minutes. While you're waiting pick up chopsticks and a spoon, an apron to prevent splashing, and, most importantly, a glass of water. Once your bowl arrives, you can choose from a variety of toppings (pictured), such as garlic, sesame seeds, black vinegar, chopped spring onion, sugar, or chili oil (ラー油). Itadakimasu! If you have any thoughts on Japanese food or requests for covering a particular dish, let me know in the COMMENTS!