Category Archives: The Mikan

Chuyo’s Top Ten Shrines

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misc. Banner 1 (Ten Jinja, Masaki) Anyone in Ehime knows that there is no shortage of nature here, and no shortage of things to find off the beaten path. From the big to the small, the famous and the unknown, after spending the greater part of the last year performing jinja-meguri (神社巡り, “shrine pilgrimage”) I’m proud to announce what I consider to be the top ten shrines in all of the Chuyo region. 10. Koudono #10: Kodono Shrine and the Golden Torii in Kumakogen (久万高原町高殿神社) No. of torii: 4 Access: 300m south from Kodonomiya bus stop (高殿宮), 1 hour from JR Matsuyama. (Location on Google Maps)

Kodono Shrine is famous for its unusual golden torii with its unique design and dimensions. Quite how truly famous it is is up to interpretation, but in conversations with coworkers no one’s told me I’m wrong in calling it “the legendary golden torii of Kumakogen” yet.

The torii gate itself is the myojin style, but looks like it’s stretched vertically. The central gakuzuka plate features a circular, metal emblem of indiscernible meaning where emblems are seldom placed, but the color is its most drawing feature. Where torii are usually either concrete gray, wooden brown, or red to symbolize Japan’s Rising Sun, Kodono’s main torii is a striking gold. Whether this is simply a provocative design choice or representative of a deeper meaning is unclear. 9. Mishima #9: Mishima Shrine in Futami, Iyo (伊予市双海町三島神社) No. of torii: 3 Access: 700m south-west from JR Iyo-Kaminada Station on Route 378. Marked by the concrete torii guarding a long staircase. (Location on Google Maps)

On Route 378 is a stone torii in front of a plain, innocuous staircase that watches over the sea. This is the entrance to Mishima Shrine, but if you blinked for a second you’d miss it.

When you enter Mishima you ascend to a higher plane — in a literal geometric sense. With each step of the grand staircase you climb up the side of the hill you receive a gradually greater and greater view of the sea and valleys that surround you as if you’re no longer bound to the worldly surface. Before the main grounds is one final pole torii inscribed Meiji 13 (1880) with an obsolete, rare style of script carved into each pillar. Hollowed out, twisted and gored husks of dead trees pepper the scene.

The main hall is a standard hirairi-zukuri style building. To the right is a second hall in the nagare-zukuri style, newly constructed in searing white and light brown. The original, dark brown house nearing black, weathered by rainfall of a dozen score of years, used to be this bright color too.

There are two different shrines in Futami called “Mishima Jinja.” Make sure to go to the one near the ocean. 8. Shinonome #8: Shinonome Shrine in Matsuyama (松山市東雲神社) No. of torii: 4 Access: 500m north from Okaido city tram station along Ropeway Street, immediately after the Ropeway platform building. (Location on Google Maps)

Shinonome is located on the Eastern slope of Matsuyama Castle Hill, just north of the Ropeway chairlift. This location is a great example of a shrine immersed in nature despite being inside a major city.

Instead of the normal haiden, heiden, and honden combination of buildings that most shrines comprise, Shinonome Shrine has a unique architectural style I haven’t been able to identify. Fully surrounded by a fence, the front gate is open to poke your head through but you cannot enter. Inside is a wall-less haiden main hall supported only by four pillars with the honden unobstructed in the rear.

Shinonome Shrine is said to house Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun and universe in the Shinto creation myth. 7. Tsubaki #7: Tsubaki Shrine in Matsuyama (松山市椿神社) No. of torii: 3 Access: 2.1km directly east from JR Ichitsubo Station. Contains parking lot. Bus stop Tsubaki Jinja-Mae (椿神社前) also served by Iyotetsu Bus. (Location on Google Maps)

Tsubaki Shrine’s Tsubaki-san Festival in February is a popular attraction throughout Ehime. 1.5km of bustling street fairs, shoulder to shoulder traffic and more varieties of food than you can eat make the affair a must-see for those in Ehime. 2017’s hit debut snack was lightbulb soda.

Tsubaki’s giant, red, domineering torii may be the largest anyone new to Japan will first see. Pass through the three-story grand gate into the plaza, up the short stairs and you are in front of Tsubaki’s grand hall, possibly the largest such structure in Ehime.

The West torii famously appears to be smashing into a neighboring apartment building window. Take a funny picture and surprise your unsuspecting friends.

You can take a virtual tour of one of Tsubaki’s festivals via Google Maps Street View here. 6. Ten-Ichi #6: Ten-Ichi Inari Shrine in Futami, Iyo (伊予市双海町天一稲荷神社) No. of torii: 8 Access: 1km northeast from JR Iyo-Kaminada, just after crossing the Kaminada River. Marked by two torii rising up the hill facing the sea. Contains parking lot. (Location on Google Maps)

Ten-Ichi Inari is the main shrine that serves Futami in Iyo. Its history stretches back to 1330 when Yunami-Honzon Castle was used to garrison soldiers in Kaminada. In 1691, with the castle’s abandonment, the shrine was moved to its current location near the sea.

Despite this shrine’s small and ordinary main hall, it makes up for it with an atmosphere as a testament to its age. Ancient grandfather trees rip up the ground and tear through concrete with their roots. Five red torii guard the final ascent to the raised inner sanctum where at just the right angle they act together as one giant aperture into the sky as if a runway to Heaven.

The view from Ten-Ichi Inari lets you see all of Kaminada Port Town, other side of the river valley to the South, fishing trawlers at sea to the West, and Matsuyama all the way to the North.

You can follow the old path up Honzon Mountain to the former site of Yunami-Honzon Castle where you can still see ruins of the old castle walls. 5. Agari1 #5: Agari Shrine and the Kusu-no-kiin Toon (東温市揚神社とクスノキ) No. of torii: 2 Access: 3.5km east of Iyotetsu Yokogawara Station. Narrow roadside parking only (Location on Google Maps)

Agari Shrine is located in east Toon, past the end of the Iyotetsu line, north of the Kawakami neighborhood.

On an unnamed road in a small hamlet of maybe ten houses stands another old stone torii dated Meiji 13. Follow the path shearing through the rice paddies toward the thick bundling of trees and you enter the shrine.

The main hall is a less common tsumeiri-zukuri style building with a bright green roof, but you can’t avoid seeing the famous Kusu-no-ki, or the Agari camphorwood tree. Legend says that the first man to try to cut down the tree saw blood flowing from the trunk and he fell into a coma for more than ten days. The second man to try to cut down the tree experienced a sudden pain in his stomach and died on the spot. At a height of 36 meters the tree now towers over everything in sight. 4. Iyo #4: Iyo Shrine in Masaki (松前町伊豫神社) No. of torii: 4 Access: Take Route 214 3km east from Emifull until you reach a Y-intersection facing a Family Mart. The shrine is the forested area immediately behind it. Conbini parking lot and roadside shrine parking available. (Location on Google Maps)

A pair of torii, partially hidden by drooping branches, beckon your attention at the side of a small road. Poke your head through the first and Iyo Shrine will come into view. You can only see it at a specific angle on the road, as it will disappear if you don’t look in time.

The shrine building is in the common hirairi-zukuri style with an extra gable projecting from the forward roof face. An elderly tree adorned with Shinto shide paper streamers grows dangerously close to its side, cracking the concrete foundation with its roots. Perhaps it was never taken down for being related to the Kusu-no-ki.

Around the back and to the right is a set of four rough gorintō stone pagodas about a meter tall each, guarded by a weathered pole torii. The third son of Emperor Kōrei, the seventh Emperor of Japan, is said to live in this shrine after achieving godliness.

There are two shrines both called “Iyo Jinja” 2 kilometers north and south of one another. Masaki Iyo Shrine is the one to the North. 3. Iyo Okahachiman #3: Iyo Okahachiman Shrine in Iyo (伊予市伊豫岡八幡神社) No. of torii: 6 Access: 1.2km east from JR Iyoshi Station. Shrine grounds are an elevated, thickly forested hill you can’t miss. Contains parking lot. (Location on Google Maps)

There are bodies in this shrine. The exact number unknown, but it’s not quite as sinister as it sounds. Before the buildings existed, the hill was the site for burial mounds in the late Kofun Period. As you visit the shrines around the plaza you’ll be stepping over bodies beneath you.

In addition to the main hall at least six other shrines dot the grounds, ranging from comically small to standard, standalone size.

Beware of mosquitoes here. As far as nature is concerned you’ll be stung appropriately if not prepared, but getting stung to the point of discomfort is all part of the true Japanese experience, so heed this as you will. 2. Shouichi-i Iyo Inari #2: Shouichi-i Iyo Inari Shrine in Iyo (伊予市正一位伊豫稲荷神社) No. of torii: 43 Access: 2km south from JR Iyoshi. Pass through the giant pink torii and follow the road. You can’t miss it. Contains parking lot (follow the signs). (Location on Google Maps)

Iyo has its own Fushimi Inari in its backyard. Shouichi-i Iyo Inari features possibly the largest and most ornate hirairi-zukuri style hall in all of Chuyo. However, this shrine’s main attraction is its hillside walkway lined by 36 red torii, leading to a small, walk-in shrine at the top. It’s not quite as long as Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari Shrine, but Shouichi-i Iyo Inari provides its own simulation for those looking for the experience without the hassle of traveling to Kyoto.

Can you find all 43 torii? There’s one large Taisho 8 torii placed in a strange location most people will overlook. Anyone who manages to find them all can claim not only my highest praise, but a prize as well. 1. Isaniwa #1: Isaniwa Shrine in Matsuyama (松山市伊佐爾波神社) No. of torii: 2 Access: 300m directly east from Dogo Onsen city tram station. Follow the large concrete torii standing over the road. You can see the front of the main hall from the station plaza. (Location on Google Maps)

Matsuyama’s Isaniwa Shrine, located near the famous Dogo Onsen, is striking from the moment you see it. From its old-style stone staircase to its dazzling red and white paint job once you reach the top, Isaniwa doesn’t look like any other shrine on this list.

Isaniwa is constructed in the rare hachiman-zukuri style where the curved roofs of the haiden and honden buildings come together to form a half-pipe shape in the center. Around the central hall is a decorated covered hallway running the perimeter of the complex, filled with Meiji and Edo Period artwork and other historical artifacts.

The entire complex has been designated Important Cultural Properties by the Japanese government.

At the turn of the new year, a massively popular festival is held on the grounds starting at midnight where the line of visitors stretches down the staircase and wraps around the street. Visitors can view sermons, pray to the god Hachiman and receive mochi cakes and fortunes. Festival days or not, Isaniwa Shrine provides not only a snapshot into Japan’s past, but also a prime example of Japan’s traditions as they live today.

Written by Tim Alley, a JET Program ALT living in Iyo-Futami, Ehime from Eugene, Oregon; searching the Japanese countryside for torii gates on his bicycle.


Ehime Roadster

The Mikan

Jen uses some colorful language in this month’s post, so if you find swearing offensive, look away now. 

I named her Pig, as a joke. I bought her almost a year ago, even going through the pain of raising my credit limit to get her. She is beautiful, in her own way, though I wish she were bigger. Her shiny black coat catches the last of daylight.

The weather is better now, so I can take her out for rides more often. I sweep the dust and spider webs off her. This is the part that I hate the most. My throat dries out and my awareness sharpens. I hope that I don’t find any arachnids hiding near the engine, under the splashguards, or in the wires that connect to the handles. God forbid that one crawls on my bare hands when I’m going almost twice the speed limit and there’s another car less than three feet to my right. As I continue inspecting, I have a flashback to last summer when I found a spider larger than my palm hiding in the cup holder. I peek in, my goose bumps feeling as though they are bulging, and see only an old leaf that fell last winter.

Enough of this. My boyfriend is waiting. I turn her on and roll down the steep hill to the main road. I look both ways and rev the engine twice, not because I need to, but because I like to pretend I’m riding a motorcycle. Instead of the powerful rumble that comes from my friend’s Harley, my scooter lets out a whiny death rattle. How embarrassing.

I zip down 197, still pretending I’m on a motorcycle and going twenty over the scooter limit, but I am soon passed by cars going ten over theirs. My fantasy is ruined. Instead, I pass the time by humming, trying to match pitch with my engine, accelerating to find the higher notes and decelerating to match with the lower ones.

I can feel the moisture in the air; it will rain soon. I can smell the blooming yellow trees higher in the mountain: their disgusting, empty, wet, seminal odor descending into the valley, filling it. I hate this smell. It’s been like this for almost a month.

Then, there it is: the tunnel. The first tunnel I’ve scooted through, almost a year ago. The first time, it was only my third or fourth ride on Pig and I wobbled through it, speeding up and slowing down as my nerves dictated. Every car that gained on me seemed to want to kill me, and I didn’t have the confidence to stay on the edge of the road without losing my balance and getting run over by the van next to me or breaking my spine on the curb. Yes, I was that person. The one everybody hates when they drive their cars. On my 50cc scooter, I took up half of the lane so nobody could pass—and potentially kill me—unless the next lane was empty.

But I’ve long since become accustomed to riding in tunnels. For the most part. I stay in my place, riding along the outer edge of the road while cars pass me, some without their headlights on. But then there is silence. I look behind me. There is something in the distance. Perhaps I could get out of the tunnel before it catches up to me. Then I hear a rumble. A light must have turned green somewhere up the road. Cars come quickly from the other direction. And I realize the thing behind me is a semi.

Holy shit.

It is gaining on me quickly, and I’m not getting to the end of the tunnel at the same rate. It catches up with me, my heart rate peaks, the monster in the dark slows down, its engine scoffing. The combustion of the pistons and cylinders is a hot breath on my neck.

I finally get out, dipping at the seam where road meets tunnel, and ride down the shoulder knowing that if the semi doesn’t pass me quickly enough, the little potholes in the road might throw me off balance. I begin chanting to calm myself:

Don’t shit yourself.

Don’t shit yourself.

Don’t shit yourself.

Don’t shit yourself.

I let off the accelerator and feel relief flood my extremities, getting a little high as the truck slowly passes. That’s the worst of it.

The cold nips at me through the rest of my ride, the tunnels providing a cocoon of polluted warmth. My hand, constantly keeping my speed steady, seems to suddenly become aware of its position on the accelerator and feels uncomfortable. I try to shift it without slowing down too much. My back, I notice, is tense. I lengthen my spine and lower my shoulders. Breathe in, breathe out.

I always intend to meditate while riding. Think about nothing. Clear my head. Cleanse my soul. Instead, I think of silly jokes, try to sing with my engine, and contemplate my next big move while picturing what my CrossFit body would look like if I actually had the time. Would I have a six-pack of even squares, or the kind that zig zags?

Twenty minutes of this ridiculousness if I’m speeding. Twenty-five if I’m not, or if there’s traffic. Finally, I get to his house.

That’ll do, Pig. That’ll do.

Jennifer Cerna is an American ALT and personal trainer from the Midwest who has lived in Japan for a total of six and a half years. In her free time, she likes to pursue creative hobbies, watch movies, travel, exercise, cook, and #ridefree.

Disclaimer: The Mikan and Ehime AJET do not condone or encourage breaking the speed limit, in Japan or elsewhere. Stay safe kids.

My Japan Bucket List

The Mikan

I love lists. I write to-do lists every morning detailing what I need to accomplish that day. I write items on the list that I`ve already finished just so I can cross them off. Anyone else do this? No, just me? Okay, good talk.

In any case, lists help me focus and prioritize. And while I think travelling should be a more meaningful experience than simply ticking something off a list, having a travel bucket list can really help, especially in a country as richly varied as Japan. Or if you`re anything like me, by the time you`ve reached the ripe old age of 25, you`re prone to forget things unless you write them down immediately.

Disclaimer: this is my own personal bucket list, including suggestions from friends both within and outside of Japan, as well as from the Facebook group JET-setters (a great group by the way). It`s a combination of nature, culture, food, and activities that, for me, encompass the diverse range of experiences Japan has to offer. There are so many other options! I cannot express this enough – I had to limit myself to 15 because otherwise you would be reading this post forever and I`d be writing several hundred bucket list items. Are there any that you want to add? Let me know – I`d love to hear what other people recommend.

 

So, without further ado, let me introduce Japan`s finest fifteen (in my humble opinion):

 

  1. Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima – Okay, this maybe isn`t very original, but it`s one of the most visited places in Japan for a good reason. It is of such religious significance that no births or deaths are permitted near it, so the shrine retains its purity. The famed floating torii gate is classified as one of Japan`s top 3 views, along with Matsushima Bay and Amanohashidate.
  2. Hiking Yakushima – This came up the most when I appealed to JET setters for bucket list items. Located off the coast of Kagoshima, the island is home to some of Japan`s oldest trees – many over 1000 years old – and is said to be the inspiration for the backdrop of Studio Ghibli`s “Princess Mononoke”.
  3. Shimanami Kaido bike ride – Often cited as one of the best cycle routes in Japan, and even the world. Also, I had to include an Ehime one! My next goal is to cycle there and back over two days. Shameless plug, but looking forward to seeing lots of you at the AJET event later this month!
  4. Climb Mt. Fuji – It is said that there are two types of fools in the world; those who climb Mt. Fuji more than once and those who don`t climb it at all. Whatever you do, don`t be the latter. I climbed Mt. Fuji a few years ago and witnessed the best sunrise I have ever seen in my life. I`m a fool so I may climb it again.
  5. Lake Ashiko, Hakone – If you don`t feel like climbing Mt. Fuji, how about just viewing her instead? Hakone, with its variety of hot springs, museums and views of Fuji-san, is a hugely popular destination – helped by its proximity to Tokyo. Lake Ashiko is one of the best places to view Japan`s tallest mountain, and even if she alludes you, Hakone Shrine, the pirate ships and natural beauty around the lake are sure to make up for it.
  6. Yuki Matsuri, Sapporo – Best booked well in advance before flights and hotels sell out　(book now for February 2018), the Yuki Matsuri remains one of my top bucket list items. More than 2 million visitors descend on Hokkaido`s biggest city every year to see the incredible snow and ice sculptures that will put your best snowman-making efforts to shame.
  7. Watch sumo – Another まだ for me. I`ve tried to attend sumo matches twice this year alone, but was unable to get tickets (admittedly, I was trying to go for the cheapest tickets on Saturdays). This year is particularly important as it is the first time a Japanese born wrestler has reached the highest sumo rank of yokozuna since 1998 (the sport has been dominated by Mongolian wrestlers in recent years). If it proves impossible to get tickets for a tournament, another option is to visit a sumo stable and watch morning practices.
  8. Stay in a temple, Mt. Koya – One of Japan`s most sacred places, Koya-san is the start and end point of the Shikoku`s 88-temple pilgrimage. It is the place where Kobo Daishi is said to be in eternal meditation awaiting the arrival of the Buddha of the Future and is also home to Japan`s largest graveyard, which has been described as both solemn and haunting. I can think of no better place to experience a temple stay.
  9. Eat wanko soba, Iwate – The name originating from the small bowls in which the noodles are served (minds out the gutter, people), wanko soba is Japan`s ultimate all-you-can-eat challenge. The aim: consume as many bowls as you can. With 8-15 “wanko” bowls equaling a normal-sized soba serving, women apparently consume an average of 50, and men an average of 60. But why stop there? Some restaurants offer commemorative plaques for those who reach 100.
  10. Tsukiji market, Tokyo – Famous for its live Bluefin tuna auctions every morning, Tsukiji is the biggest fish and seafood market in the world. While witnessing the auctions is often one of the top picks for Tokyo, relations between tourists and buyers/sellers are strained (the market is first and foremost a business, not a tourist attraction). Instead, you`re best off heading to Tsukiji at around 9am to watch the fish being prepared at different shops and restaurants. Indulge in a fresher-than-fresh seafood breakfast – it`ll be the best sushi you ever try. Visit before the inner market is relocated (although the moving date is still uncertain).
  11. Watch Awa Odori, Tokushima – “The dancers are fools / The watchers are fools / Both are fools alike, so / Why not dance?” I personally believe this statement to be 100% true, so the Awa Odori (The Dance of Fools) sounds like my kind of festival. It is said that Tokushima city, descended upon by 1.3 million festival revelers, resounds with the sound of taiko drums and song from August 12th to 15th.
  12. Bathe in onsen, Beppu –　Onsen should be an item on any Japan bucket list, and the country is blessed with so many popular hot springs spots and quaint (and not-so-quaint) resort towns. The most famous of these is Beppu, which produces more hot spring water than any other resort – over 83,000 litres a minute! Beppu also boasts sand, steam and mud bathing options in addition to normal hot water baths. Take a tour of Beppu`s “Hells” if you`re feeling brave enough (not scary, just a little tacky?). Keep your eyes on Beppu to see if the mayor comes through on his promise to build the world`s first “Spamusement park”, where – you guessed it – visitors will be able to ride rollercoasters and other attractions while soaking in the best hot spring water Japan has to offer.
  13. Bamboo grove, Arashiyama – Setting foot in Arashiyama`s bamboo grove feels like you`ve fallen right into an old Japanese woodblock painting. It`s one of Kyoto`s top sightseeing spots, but somehow walking through the emerald grove never seems to induce the same stress levels as walking through crowds at some of Kyoto`s other top attractions. Prepare your camera (no selfie sticks, please – don`t be that person) but be warned; photos just can`t capture the magic of the place (or maybe that`s just my poor photography skills).
  14. Lavender fields, Furano – Think about Hokkaido – what springs to mind? Skiing and snowboarding, Yuki Matsuri, winter is coming? But Japan`s northernmost island holds very different charms in summer, when the stark white landscape is transformed into a carpet of colours by lavender fields (other flowers are available). At the very least, summer in Hokkaido provides a welcome respite from the humidity and stickiness that smothers the rest of the country.
  15. Try taiko drumming – There`s something about the beat of drums, the most primitive of instruments, that instantly raises energy and excitement levels. Taiko drumming has not only an infectious beat, but also provides a pretty effective workout. Get those arms you`ve always dreamed of AND make great music? Sounds like a winner to me.

 

Although I`ve fully enjoyed my time in Japan so far, I haven`t experienced all the country has to offer – not by any stretch of the imagination. But you have to save something for the next visit, right? Here`s to whatever adventures the next two months (and beyond) will bring!

 Anna Tattersall is a 3rd year Saijo ALT getting ready to head back to the UK in August. She enjoys travelling, Yosakoi dance and running, and has an unhealthy addiction to Earl Grey tea.

 

Ralph Duffy-McGhie Reviews: Shimanami Kaido

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The Shimanami Kaido is undoubtedly one of Ehime Prefecture’s primary attractions. Not just for cyclists, but for any tourist visiting the area. The series of bridges spanning across six islands in the Seto Inland Sea make for a stunning experience by car, but arguably even more so by bike. By cycling the route, you are taken off the expressway and down into the islands themselves. You experience firsthand the beauty of the tree covered mountains and bluffs, the winding local roads through the islands small towns and villages. Continue reading →

In Gourds We Trust

The Mikan

In Gourds We Trust

Miriam Hemstock

At age 20, just beginning my final year of university and one of the most tumultuous periods of my life, my mother took me out for a day in London. As usual we visited one of our favorite museums, the Tate Modern, without much thought as to what we would see. At the time, a retrospective of Yayoi Kusama’s work was being exhibited. Her obsessively repetitive and mesmerizing work had a resounding effect on me, immediately hypnotizing me with its back story of her 1970s ‘happenings’ and mental health difficulties. Her narrative and her pumpkins then proceeded to shape my developing interest in Japanese art and culture. Continue reading →

The Mikan — Mikans and Money: The Ehime AJET Scholarship

The Mikan

Mikans and Money: The Ehime AJET Scholarship

Anna Tattersall

I feel I am very lucky to come from the UK. I have always taken for granted how close I am to other European countries and the ample opportunities to travel and work abroad (not so much anymore — I’m still pissed off about the whole Brexit thing). Since my first journey outside of the UK at the age of 6 months, various family holidays, school trips, and travels with friends have taken me to approximately 20 countries around the world, and I have had the opportunity to encounter festivals, events, languages, cuisines, and cultures that I certainly would not have if I’d stayed home in my quiet corner of the English countryside.  Continue reading →

The Mikan — 365 Days in Japan

The Mikan

365 Days in Japan

Bronwyn O’Neill

One of my last memories of England before coming to Japan was sitting quietly with my parents, eating poached eggs at an airport cafe and looking bemusedly at my suitcase. We’d just wrapped the suitcase in clingfilm at an overpriced machine to keep my worldly possessions safe inside. At this point, the centre of the suitcase finally buckled under the pressure of the plastic wrap and contorted into an hourglass shape. The suitcase was red, and I smiled at the thought that I would be lugging around something very Jessica Rabbit-esque to my first graduate job. Maybe I should have interpreted it as a portent of the time trials to come, and not just the Mario Kart variety. Continue reading →

The Mikan — Pirates, Monks, and Inakamono: Ehime in Contemporary Media

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Pirates, Monks, and Inakamono: Ehime in Contemporary Media

John Wheeler

Tokyo is the center of Japan’s media industry, the place where a majority of production and marketing happens. The capital’s gravity is felt in everything from films to manga to advertising. Tokyo is modern Japan, and everywhere else assumes an outside position relative to the center.

There are extremes. Hokkaido is the frontier, making it a reasonable stand-in for southern Kansas in Lee Sang-il’s remake of Clint Eastwood’s “Unforgiven” and for Norfolk in the Studio Ghibli reimagining of “When Marnie was There.” Okinawa represents both relaxation and danger in the Japanese consciousness. Characters may go to Okinawa to vacation, but often enough they go to buy guns or drugs, as in Takeshi Kitano’s “Boiling Point.” In the extreme case of the cult anime short film “Blood: The Last Vampire,” a young warrior poses as a schoolgirl to kill demons. Both films take place on or around the American military bases.

In between these two geographical outliers is the countryside, the signs of which are nearly universal and coded to create nostalgia even in people whose only experience of the pastoral is through media. Much Japanese media set outside of Tokyo emphasizes the divide between tokai and inaka. When city folk trek to the inaka, they may encounter mystery or horror rooted in local traditions (see the film “Shikoku”), find spiritual healing (“Departures”), or become wrapped up in a comedy of manners. Films and novels set in the inaka without this “visiting protagonist” may be about attempts to make the country more like the city through economic revitalization plans (“Hula Girls”) or material consumption (“Kamikaze Girls”).These rural settings have defining characteristics such as local landmarks and dialects, but they are reduced to places we want to go because they are different from the alienating crush of city life.

With all of this in mind, what images does Ehime conjure in the Japanese imagination? Using the Ehime film section at my local Tsutaya, Wikipedia, and a website cataloguing location shoots across Japan, I’ve compiled a list of media (mostly films) set in Ehime. One quality of Japanese media that frustrates this kind of research is the intentional ambiguity of settings outside of Tokyo. Many films and dramas with scenes shot in Ehime take place in anonymous seaside towns.

It goes without saying that the most famous work set in Ehime is Natsume Soseki’s “Botchan,” a gentle satire of country folk from the perspective of a city boy. The novel has been embraced by the targets of its humor, who have named everything from a stadium to clinics to parking lots after the novel. As a part of the literary canon, “Botchan” is an extraordinary example, but there are very few contemporary works explicitly set in Ehime. The ones I found fit the patterns discussed above. The settings have qualities specific to Ehime that make them curious to outsiders and familiar to locals, but thematically they serve mainly to create a contrast between the city and the country. The most common imagery in these works is of healthy, tanned seafarers and pilgrims in white, and Ehime is accordingly associated with summer. The following is a list of works that engage with the Ehime setting in different ways.

“Crying Out Love in the Center of the World” (2001)

(Also known as “Socrates in Love”)

世界の中心で、愛をさけぶ

By some measures one of the ten best-selling books of all time in Japan, this soapy teenage romance by Kyoichi Katayama is set in his hometown of Uwajima and features many of the city’s landmarks. The film version (2004), directed by Isao Yukisada (who also made “Go,” the smash hit about a Korean-Japanese teenager) was largely shot in Shikoku and features the Ehime Prefectural Office doubling as a hospital. An 11-episode TV drama aired from July 2–Sept. 10, 2004.

“The Daughter of the Murakami Pirates” (2013)

村上海賊の娘

The winner of the 2014 Japan Booksellers’ Award was this work of historical fiction about Kyo, the wild daughter of the last great pirate lord of the Seto Inland Sea. She gets wrapped up in the conflict between Oda Nobunaga and Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple. In reality, nothing is known about Murakami Takeyoshi’s daughter except for her name, which author Ryo Wada took to create a selfish, insecure, but inevitably good-hearted protagonist who idolizes another legendary ocean princess: Tsuruhime. It was recently adapted into a manga, a medium more suitable for the story’s exaggerated characters and often contemporary themes. For anyone interested in these seafaring clans, I recommend the Murakami Suigun Museum on Oshima Island.

“I am a Monk.” (2015)

僕は坊さん。

Based on a collection of autobiographical essays by Missei Shirakawa, the head priest of Eifuku-ji Temple in Imabari, this film was shot largely on location. Like many contemporary Japanese films, it is more episodic than narrative-driven. The protagonist is a monk who becomes head priest at age 26. While the film is cheesy and at times even amateurish, it captures the temple inside and out. “I am a Monk” also documents daily life at the temple, including scenes of visits from traveling salesmen, meetings with disgruntled parishioners, and monks getting blackout drunk.

“Tora-san Meets His Lordship” (1977)

男はつらいよ　寅次郎と殿様

Released twice a year for over 20 years and almost all directed by Yoji Yamada, the beloved Tora-san films (officially “It’s Tough Being a Man” in English) are a testament to the Japanese love of formula. Over the 46 films in the Tora-san series, the eponymous protagonist visited every prefecture in Japan except Kochi, Saitama, and Toyama. The 19th installment features a visit to Ozu and opens with the hero daydreaming while waiting for a train at Shimonada Station. Tora-san is a perpetual fish out of water, a traveling salesman with a rough Tokyo-Shitamachi accent and manner. He is kind and unlucky in love. This film’s core is a friendship between him and the wealthy descendant of Ozu’s domain lord. It features many scenes shot in Ozu and on Gogoshima.

“Godzilla vs. Destoroyah” (1995)

ゴジラVSデストロイア

While not entirely set in Ehime, this installment of the long-running film series features a close call between the big lizard and the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant. This imagery is uncomfortable in the wake of the Fukushima disaster, though the scene is silly in spite of itself: a high-tech fighter jet applies a soothing lotion to the monster’s burning nuclear rash. I don’t have much experience with these movies, though I learned some from Youtube explanations and rankings while watching this highly acclaimed installment.

Other films set in Ehime available at Tsutaya:

“Samurai Pirates” (2013)

Like a G-rated version of “The Daughter of the Murakami Pirates.”

“Shodo Girls” (2010)  A “big competition” film set in Shikokuchuo and based on a true story.

More than “Crying Out Love” and even “Botchan,” the specific settings of “I am a Monk.” or “The Daughter of the Murakami Pirates,” rooted in real life and history, can’t be swapped out with any other place in Japan. We can enjoy most works set or shot in Ehime because we live here and our connection to the setting is different than for films set in other inaka, but I wonder what impression they have on viewers from Tokyo. Do images of our prefecture convey specific qualities, or does it merely become part of the larger dialogue between inaka and tokai? I can’t say, but I hope to see more novels and films that engage with Ehime (and Shikoku) on a deep level.

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The Mikan — Anime and Manga Update

The Mikan

Anime and Manga Update

Leiso Edwards

I’m a big fan of anime and manga and, if you let me, I would never shut up  about it. However, it’s sometimes better to be brief. Instead of talking excessively of how great anime and manga is, I’ll just get to the point.

Firstly, I have two recommendations for new anime that are currently airing.

1) “Mayoiga” (English: “The Lost Village.” 12 episodes)

This is an intriguing mystery anime with a lot of characters that you can’t wait to seedie… and they probably will.  The screenwriter is the same one behind “AnoHana”, “Toradora” and other great works. Plus, there is almost no evidence of an absolute original source material (i.e. a manga/light novel), meaning that the trolls and spoilers will stay in their caves.

2) “Koutetsujou no Kabaneri” (English: “Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress.” 12 episodes)

Another anime original, this could be the love child of “Attack on Titan,” “High-school ofthe Dead,” “Princess Mononoke” and… “Rail Wars”…? The director is Tetsurou Araki, meaning it’s basically anime nobility. I admit it’s too similar to some of Araki’s more popular (and largely aforementioned) works to be called smashingly original, yet the show has wicked potential, and could be one of the best ones this year if they don’t screw it up.

In a similar vein, I’ll just recommend a few manga series that I enjoy(ed), and maybe expose people to something new.

My first recommendation is “Psyren” (2007; 16 volumes). “Psyren” is an underappreciated shounen, horror, supernatural, mystery, romance, adventure series with an engaging plot, characters you’ll like, and a main character who isn’t full of crap.

I also recommend “Mahou Tsukai No Yome” (English: “The Ancient Magus Bride.” 2014; 5 Japanese volumes; 3 English volumes), a supernatural/romance shoujo series (directed at girls/young women). The manga is  stuck somewhere between old shoujo , where everybody messed with everybody else’s mind and occasionally tried to kill each other, and modern shoujo, where everything is so innocent and sweet you run the risk of becoming diabetic.

The series is getting a home video release in summer for those  who prefer anime.

Finally, I recommend “Nana to Kaoru” (2008; 16 volumes). I admit I’ve only read some parts of this manga(*wink wink*) as I’m not really into… what Nana and Kaoru are into. However, I have had a largely enjoyable time with this manga (*grins). The title characters have doubts and problems that could belong to any one of us and are really endearing. I left out the genres because I’m entertained by the idea of you finding out for yourself.

Finally, some anime-related news. Easily the best thing I’ve seen so far (outside the Summer 2016 anime line-up, of course) is the fact that “Ghost In The Shell” is getting an actual live action release. AND that they’ve started filming. AND that the release date has been set, meaning… this is happening!

My hopes for the movie are that they stick to the original material but explore a different story arc than the original movies and the various series; that they tone it down enough that a wider audience can understand the plot but not so much so that you leave the theatre dumber than you entered; and that they keep the atmosphere mature and not make it family-friendly.

I have already seen controversy around Hollywood whitewashing the cast. However, I find that no different from Japan Asian-washing the “Attack on Titan” movie. I honestly don’t mind if they use big-name actors that will deliver a performance and rake in the bucks. What I would mind is if they change characters’ names and backstories to fit their new lighter complexions. For a series with such complicated characters as GITS, that would be disrespectful to the original story and ensure that the movie shares only the name with the original and nothing else beneath (if you’ll pardon the pun) the skin. Continue reading →