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Hello, internet-travelers!!!!... and dare I say, possible time-travelers? Oh, I hope I hope I hope. It's been a while since I've written anything for my "Living in Japan" series, but then again, it's also been a while since I've had anything worthy of writing about. Life in Northern Japan doesn't seem to be all that much different from life in Southern Japan...
... except for the fact that I'm freezing my tentacles off here!!! Wait, did I grow tentacles? Dammit, Japan... look at what you've done to me!!! But yeah, I knew Japan wasn't so big on the whole insulation thing inside homes and buildings, and it wasn't such a huge deal living in Okayama since even in the winter nights, the temps would only just touch upon freezing. But in the North, in the mountains, no less, it is damn cold. It's colder INSIDE my apartment than it is outside. The only thing keeping me warm is my space heater, my winter coat, and my winter hat.
Yes, I am wearing a winter hat inside my home... and it's keeping me alive. You don't see THAT in too many anime.
Anyway... because of my survival-dependant need to escape the cold, and my desire to explore this wonderous country, I decided to spend my holiday season traveling. My destination this time around was Nagoya, the capital of Aichi Prefecture located between Osaka and Tokyo. I didn't have any particular reason for visiting Nagoya since there were no major attractions there, but I mean, there's gotta be SOME things to do in one of Japan's most populous cities... even if it's just for an endless stream of restaurants and stores.
So what did I find... let's see.
#01: Sendai City Pageant of Starlight Festival... the whole street is decorated like this.
I had to start in Sendai to catch the overnight JR Highway Bus. For 9,000 yen, the bus took me on a 10-hour ride in which I got to (attempt to) sleep. It really isn't easy sleeping on these damn things, especially when the people around you are being annoying. And they say the Japanese are extra-sensitive about manners and keeping to themselves. Sheesh. Hey buddy, if you wanna use your iPod with its bright screen on a pitch-dark bus, fine, whatever... but don't keep turning the screen toward me! It's annoying!!
For those who missed it in the front page story, the end-of-year holidays are split between Christmas and New Year's Eve, much like in the rest of the world. Only here, the importance of the two is reversed: Christmas is the day of fun and celebration, while New Year's (Hatsumode, Jan 1st to Jan 3rd) is the time of quiet reflection and family gathering. So while Christmas and its icons exist, it's more for just the internationalism appeal. "Santa-san" may bring a gift or two, and house-decorating is a way of being flashy for a short period of the year, but it's New Year's that everyone looks forward to.
Most importantly, the Asians see New Year's as their chance of "starting over." This is a view seen in other cultures, too. A brand new year = fresh slate. You go to shrine, pray for good luck, health, wealth, and happiness, attend a few "bonenkai" (end-of-year parties), and catch up with family and friends. A wonderous time of year... if you have family and friends to spend it with. Me? I'm a single traveler, roaming the world alone with just my camera at my side. How will I fare on the road during this hectic week?
