Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Ern's Monthly Page Turners (June 2009)

*一部日本語は書き込んでます

It's the end of the month which means it is time once again for my monthly book reviews. As you know, our computer was in the shop for about two weeks. And my neighborhood DVD rental shop didn't feature any half-price campaigns so I found myself reading more books than usual this month. It sure beats the heck out of anything on tv. Ah, you can never read too many books.



90 CLASSICS BOOKS FOR PEOPLE IN A HURRY by Henrik Lange - This is a great title for book lovers. Of the 90 titles listed, I've read 32 of the titles and seen movie adaptations of at least two. The term classics may be a bit of a misnomer as some of the books included are Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" and Alan Moore's "Watchmen", but it’s still a diverse list. I love the summary on the back cover

THIS IS A BOOK ABOUT THE GREATEST BOOKS IN THE WORLD. IN FOUR ILLUSTRATED SQUARES WITH SHORT, WITTY TEXTS. WE GIVE YOU THE LOWDOWN ON EVERY CLASSIC BOOK YOU SHOULD HAVE READ. SORT OF LIKE A DISTILLED NOVEL.

GREAT FOR PEOPLE IN A HURRY OR JUST ANYONE WHO LIKES BOOKS


I had to laugh when I saw the blurb for Charles Bukowski's "Factotum" - Henry Chinaski drinks. And sleeps with whores. It's the Bukowski way of life. Or how about Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice"? - Trouble brews when English young bachelors, Bingley and Darcy, move into the village of Meryton. Darcy proposes to Elizabeth and she refuses because he is a pompous English ass. But Elizabeth discovers that Darcy isn't such a bad guy after all and agrees to marry him. And a whole genre is started to give Hugh Grant work.

My preacher friend might enjoy the short blurb for the Bible - In the beginning God created the whole shebang (no holiday). Fast forward. God's son Jesus is born (holiday!) and died on a cross for our sins (holiday). And in the end we're all probably going to hell.

And one last example that's just right for the times with the whole swine flu scare. H. G. Wells' "The War of the Worlds" - Some Martians land and start killing humans. The aliens start kicking ass and people run for their lives. But the invincible Martians are defeated by germs and it takes them a while to learn about a hand sanitizer.

How can you not love this book? And the illustrations that go with the text are just as entertaining. It almost makes me want to read some of the real classics such as "Moby Dick" and "The Great Gatsby".


WILLIAM EGGLESTON'S GUIDE by William Eggleston - Photography book by Eggleston featuring his home town of Memphis and Tallahatchie County, Mississippi in a series of color pictures taken in the early seventies. The only unpleasant aspect of the book was the forward written by John Szarkowski who was just too erudite for his own good.







LITTLE PEOPLE IN THE CITY: THE STREET ART OF SLINKACHU by Slinkachu - Here is an entertaining and original photo / art book. Street-artist Slinkachu uses miniatures of people and places them around the city to fend for themselves. He sets them up in different scenarios and takes their picture, but leaves the art as is. Witty titles are added to the pictures make this a most enjoyable book. It reminds me of an artist who said he used to do the same things and would leave miniature art pieces in places like the Louvre or Metropolitan Museum of Art. Refreshing.


イメクラ IMAGE CLUB by 都築鉱 (Kyoichi Tsuzuki) - A portable photography book from Aspect Publishing featuring those naughty rooms to indulge your wildest sexual fantasies (without pictures of employees of course), because then it would become pornographic. I've written about other photography books on the same and related subject - namely, the "Love Hotels" as well. Whereas the love hotels are used mostly by couples, the image clubs are more like regulated brothels. You can choose a woman, pick an outfit for her to wear (school-girl, nurse, office lady, etc.) and then choose a room to fulfill your fantasy (rooms set up to resemble a train carriage, a doctor's office, a classroom, an elevator, etc.). It would make an excellent conversation piece as you can tell your friends about Japan's little known world of perversity. It can be your companion piece to 「ラブホテル Satellite of Love」, also published by Aspect (the Japanese character translates to Love Hotel by the way).

アスペクトから出てる小さな写真集です。内容がタイトル通り、イメクラ(イメージクラブ)で使われてる部屋(従業員抜きで)。以前にもこうゆう様な本を紹介した事もありますが、「ラブホテル」の本とか。ラブホテルはだいたいカップルで使用する所ですが、イメクラは風俗店なものですよ。女性を選び、彼女がどうゆう服を着せるか(ナース、学生制服、等)、それで部屋も自分好みのイメージが選べる、例えば、電車の車両(痴漢プレイの為)、とか。他に社長室、学校のクラスルーム、病院の診察室、なんでもありって感じですね。アスペクトが出してる「ラブホテル」のコンパニオン本でも良いじゃないですか。こうゆうあんまり知られてない日本なら、外国人も興味あるのは違いない。


GREAT AMERICAN BEER: 50 BRANDS THAT SHAPED THE 20TH CENTURY by Christopher B. O'Hara - After reading the delightful tour of America's Craft Brewery (or Microbrew if you prefer) scene via Brian Yaeger's "Red, White, and Brew: An American Beer Odyssey", I decided to read about the major brands we grew up with in America (even if you never touched the stuff - like my Dad). It's pretty sad to think that there are currently only three brewing giants in America (two of them merged and they were both bought by foreign companies) so in reality there are no brewing giants of America (Thank God for the microbrew scene!). Anyway, this book will remind us of those beers you couldn't miss even if you tried - Budweiser, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Miller (these were the big three - Anheuser-Busch Brewing Company which made Budweiser, Pabst Brewing Company, and the Miller Brewing Company). Japan's beer industry is also dominated by their big three (Sapporo, Asahi, and Kirin). I was pleased that the author included Seattle's Rainier Brewing Company and Olympia's Olympia Brewing (It's the Water!). Not that I was a big fan of either. I usually had a Henry Weindhardt's Private Reserve, but that's another story. I also took a friend of mine from Japan to the Rainier Brewery Tour only to find that the employees were on strike. However, the tasting room was open so we drank a few beers for free! And my Pabst story is about a bar in downtown Grand Forks, North Dakota where you can order it in a 20oz. glass! I also became a fan of Coors when it was first introduced to the Northwest. Maybe I should indulge in a Bud to see why my Japanese uncles loved it so much.


GHOST TRAIN TO THE EASTERN STAR: ON THE TRACKS OF "THE GREAT RAILWAY BAZAAR" by Paul Theroux - In 1973, Paul Theroux wrote about riding on trains from London to India and other points in Asia. Now, after thirty-three years, he has decided to retrace his step as close as he can to that long ago journey, after which his book "The Great Railway Bazaar" made him a household name in the field of travel literature. However, some paths were impossible to travel, such as Iran that denied him a visa or Afghanistan which was still a hotspot. And he took this trip when the U.S. was threatening war with Iraq (the second Gulf War). At times, Theroux would take an alternate route which took him through the countries of Georgie, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan (when the mega maniacal President for Life was still in power). As I plan on featuring this title on my friend's "Asia by the Book" blog, I shall keep my summary here to a bare minimum. Once again with a starting point of London, on through Istanbul, through Central Asia and parts of China to all points in India and Southeast Asia, to Japan where he hangs out with fellow writer and traveler Pico Iyer, then to Vladivostok, Russia to Moscow before returning to London and his current home in Hawaii. One exciting book. A must have for any lover of armchair traveling.


THE MAKING OF A CHEF: MASTERING HEAT AT THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA by Michael Ruhlman - Ruhlman is first and foremost a writer. But he is also a foodie as well. With the advent of celebrity chefs, Ruhlman decides to see for himself what it is like to become a chef and to write about the experience by enrolling in the U.S.'s most prestigious cooking school - the Culinary Institute of America. Starting from the very bottom of the class in Skills One where he learns the basics of basics - keeping your station cleaned and organized (the mise-on-place), making mirepoix, tomato concasse, sachet, and minced onion, working his way through making stock and roux. Then on to the next block consisting of hot foods, seafood, American regional, Asian cuisine. Next, he learns about breakfast foods, lunch foods, and garde manger. For regular students, the next 18 weeks would be spent at an externship. After coming back, Ruhlman lears the art of baking bread and working in a patisserie, followed by restaurant management where student cooks are required to work bussing tables, taking orders, and etc. And finally in their last block, to cook for a banquet and also cook for paying customers at restaurants that are sponsored by the CIA. Rulhman manages to complete the course and when he's through he goes to his Skills One teacher and says, "Chef, I want to thanks you. I know I'm a writer and not a cook, but I wouldn't be able to do what I'm doing had I not started in your Skills class". To which his teacher replied, "Hey Michael, You're a cook. If you're working the grill station at American Bounty on a Saturday afternoon, you're a cook". American Bounty being one of the busiest restaurants where advanced students cook for the public. High praise from someone who once said to Ruhlman, "You're not our kind" - mean not really a cook. A writer dabbling in what it's like to be a cook. High praise indeed and also some excellent reading!


BORN ON A BLUE DAY by Daniel Tammet - This is the fascinating true story, written in Tammet's own words about his childhood epilepsy and living with Asperger's syndrome and synaesthesia (simply put, Tammet sees numbers as shapes and colors). He is an independent and highly functioning "Rain Man". He is aware that he has savant syndrome (he learned Icelandic in one week and holds the European record for reciting pi from memory to 22, 514 digits in a little over five hours). He currently claims to know eleven languages - English, Lithuanian, Finnish, Estonian, German, Spanish, Romanian, Welsh, Esperanto, and the previously mentioned Icelandic. A documentary of Tammet's life called "Brain Man", a play on the Dustin Hoffman film "Rain Man" which at first he was not comfortable with but got used to. Tammet's happiest moment was describing his meeting with Kim Peek (the model for the "Rain Man" film) while touring the U.S. promoting the documentary. Reading this book might make you want to watch "Rain Man" again as well or the lesser known "Mozart and the Whale" that starred Josh Hartnett and Radha Mitchell, a love story about two people with Asperger's Syndrome who try to make a go at it as a couple. Excellent reading.


lastnightsparty by Merlin Bronques - Apparently, the man to be photographed by in New York City's club scene. I'm sorry, but most of the people who look like their having a good time, also look like a bunch of skanks! Then again, I'm not the kind of person to frequent clubs or raves or whatever. However, looking at this photography book, I can tell you it's a lot tamer than an event I used to go to occasionally called "Department H". Now, that was a crazy scene. The event would start at midnight and last until the first trains started running in the mornings and featured cross-dressers, S/M dominatrices, scantily clad women, people in rubber suits, etc. If there was a photography book of that event, now that would be something!



CINEMA TABLE シネマテーブル [映画の中のレシピ] edited by the staff of Cinevine - Here's an interesting and original concept. A photography book featuring the cuisines and foods that were eaten in various blockbuster films. The staff of Cinevine recreated dishes from some of their favorite films and divided the book into five chapters - featuring breakfast, outdoor, birthday cake, dinner, and country. Films represented were mostly American ("Kramer vs. Kramer", "Pieces of April", "Spitfire Grill", "On Golden Pond", "Witness", "Moonstruck" to name a few) as well as films from Sweden ("Kitchen Stories", "Lotta Pa Brakmakargatan", "Mer Om Oss Barn I Bullerbyn"), France/Belgium ("Since Otar Left"), and Iran (Baran). Ooh, viewing the book, then writing about it is making me hungry so I'm going to go find me something to eat.

こちらもまた変わった写真集です。Cinevineのスタッフが考えた作品です。有名な映画に出てくる料理を再現し、食べながら、その映画を思い出す。本の作りは五つのテーマに分かれて:朝食、アウトドアー、バースディケーキ、夕食、とカントリー。選んだ映画もいろいろ、アメリカから「クレマー、クレマー」、「アプリルの七面鳥」、「この森で、天使はバスを降りた」、「刑事ジョン・ブック 目撃者」、「月の輝く夜に」など、スエーデンから「キッチン・ストーリー」、「ロッタちゃんと赤い自転車」、「やかまし村の春・夏・秋・冬」、フランスとベルギの「優しい嘘」、とイランの「少女の髪どめ」。本をご覧になって、また本の感想を書くと、なんだか、お腹が空いたで、なんか食べ物を求めて、この場から去る。



THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS by John Boyne - Written on the back of this book is a short summary of what you will experience - "If you start to read this book, you will go on a journey with a nine-year-old boy named Bruno. (Though this isn't a book for nine-year-olds.) And sooner or later you will arrive with Bruno at a fence. Fences like this exist all over the world. We hope you never have to encounter one." The setting is 1940 - Berlin, Nazi Germany. Bruno's father has just been promoted to Commandant by "The Fury" (the author never once writes the Fuhrer), and his new assignment takes him to a small town called "Out-with". He moves the entire family with him to "Out-with" against the wishes of Bruno and his sister. But to make "the best of a bad situation", Bruno takes it upon himself to go exploring, although he is not allowed near the fenced-in town of "Out-with" he has seen it from his second floor room window and noticed that all the people are wearing the same clothes. Although he wants to ask his father about them, he never has the courage to do so. One day, as he goes exploring, he meets a boy who lives on the other side of the fence. His name is Shmuel. The author deliberately does not tell us that the fenced in town is Auschwitz or that "the Fury" is Adolf Hitler, and hopes the reader will apply the heart of the story to other places of horror that currently still exist - Darfur in the Sudan, northern Sri Lanka, the Karens in Myanmar, the Kurds in Iraq and Turkey, etc. I read a passage that said it all (referring to the line "Never Again!"). The writer said it should be written as "Again and Again!". Sad but true state of affairs. By the way, this novel was also adapted for the silver screen which is why I deliberately did not mention what becomes of the relation between Bruno and Shmuel. If you have kids, you should make them read this book, even if you don't have kids, you should read this book. It will tear at your heart and make you think.



BOOKS V. CIGARETTES: Great Ideas Volume 57 by George Orwell - A collection of essays written by Orwell between 1936 and 1947. I mostly enjoyed the essays concerning books, book selling, and writing book reviews. Being in the book business myself for over twenty years, I could relate to what Orwell was saying, although his essays were written more than sixty years ago. The essays related to politics and war are timely now as it was then, seeing how our country is still fighting on two fronts - Afghanistan and Iraq. Oh, and the education about higher learning prior to 1914 was a fascinating glimpse into the hierarchical world of such institutions. The first essay which is the title of this book was spawned by a friend of Orwell's who was fire-watching with some factory workers and the discussion turned to newspapers, which almost all of them read. When asked about the literary section, one worker responded by saying "You don't suppose we read that stuff, do you? Why, half the time you're talking about books that cost twelve and sixpence. Chaps like us couldn't spend twelve and sixpence on a book." Orwell responds by saying "these same men, thought nothing of spending several pounds a day trip to Blackpool (where factory workers of Northern England took their holidays: Wikipedia). But I most enjoyed the essay about working in a used book shop. I started in a small book shop myself and am aware of the quirky regulars and irrational inquiries we sometimes get. My favorite being a phone customer who called as asked if we sold padlocks. The co-worker who took the call asked, "Who wrote it?" Or there was the call I took, asking if we had some classic in stock - I think it was either an F. Scott Fitzgerald or Jane Austen or one of those authors along those lines. I replied, "Yes, we have it in stock". The next question took me by surprise though when our caller asked, "Do you sell it?" I answered slowly, "Uh....yes, we are a book store!" And finally Orwell's essay about his early schooling. All one need to do is read Robert Cormier's "The Chocolate War" or peruse the Japanese manga "Hana Yori Dango" where it doesn't matter how hard you try but who and how rich your parents are that will guarantee your success in life.



DORK DIARIES: TALES FROM A NOT-SO-FABULOUS LIFE by Rachel Renee Russell - There seems to be a new trend in juvenile fiction where the author will take on the personality of its subject and write a diary in free hand of said subject while adding pictures to make their story visually exciting as well. Personally, I don't have a problem with this new format - as long as the stories are fun and exciting. I think the trend must have started with Jim Benton's "Dear Dumb Diary" which I haven't gotten around to reading, followed by Jeff Kinney's "Diary of a Wimpy Kid". And now we have "The Dork Diaries". Our protagonist is 8th grader Nikki Maxwell who's starting school at a prestigious middle school where most of the students are cool and their parents are rich. Nikki's father is an bug exterminator who has a contract with the school, which is why, Nikki is able to afford to go there. But she feels so out of a place, in fact, she feels like a dork! But hey, she seems like a nicer person than Greg (from the "Wimpy Kid" diary books. The pictures are great as well. Damn, I just love kid's books sometimes!



CHUCK KLOSTERMAN IV by Chuck Klosterman - From the man who gained fame by writing a book about loving heavy metal in rural North Dakota ("Fargo Rock City" if you're interested). He's probably the second best thing to come out of ND. The first? That would be these two sisters who were originally from Washington, but that's my own personal opinion. The book is a collection of his articles and essays spanning from his career at an Akron, Ohio newspaper, to Spin and Esquire magazine. I thoroughly enjoyed the Spin pieces as they were subjects I could relate to - Britney Spears, Robert Plant and a bunch of other well known artists. The Esquire pieces I found to be a little condescending, but entertaining nonetheless. And I find his excessive use of the A - B premise very A) annoying and B) it ruins the smoothness of the sentence, but hey, that's just me. However, some of the articles I couldn't relate to at all, and this is A) not the fault of Klosterman but B) my own, as I haven’t been living in the U.S. for almost fifteen years and I don’t keep up with American Pop Culture.



ALICE WATERS AND CHEZ PANISSE: THE ROMANTIC, IMPRACTICAL, OFTEN ECCENTRIC, ULTIMATELY BRILLIANT MAKING OF A FOOD REVOLUTION by Thomas McNamee - A friend of mine recently called me a "foodie", a term that Alice Waters does not particularly like. Now, I don't mind it, in fact, I've used it quite a few times describing myself. But before we get carried away with the lexicon of language, let me tell you about Alice Waters and the restaurant she created - Chez Panisse. All Waters wanted was a nice little place where she could relax, eat and cook great food, and hang out with a bunch of people with similar interests. She was inspired by a cafe featured in a French film by Marcel Pagnol and also named her restaurant after a character in the film - Honore Panisse. But little did we know that Alice Waters would be the star of a major food revolution. Long before the Slow Food movement came into being, Waters was already advocating the use of fresh vegetables in season, using animals that were brought up humanely, and to serve simple but delicious meals. Waters in not a graduate from any cooking school, she had absolutely no experience in the food industry, and yet, she was determined to make her dream a reality. And now she’s a household word when it comes to Slow Food, organic vegetables, etc. She started the Edible Schoolyard project to get schools to serve better meals and refuses to make her restaurant a global industry a la Wolfgang Puck or Joel Robuchon. If you want to experience the cuisine of Chez Panisse, you will have to make the trip to Berkeley, California.




THE LEMONADE WAR by Jacqueline Davies – More light reading. Evan is about to start the fourth grade. His sister, Jessie, who was in the second grade is also going to be starting the fourth grade as well. She’s one of those bright students who gets to skip a grade. Jessie is excited about being in the same class with her brother, who she believes will help her fit in. But Evan wants no part of it. He can’t believe his younger sister is going to be in the same class with him. And with that, Evan treats his sister badly. Even going as far as saying he hates her. He doesn’t, but he’s insecure about himself, thinking his classmates will all call him the “dumb one”. This lack of communication sets of the sibling rivalry of who can sell the most lemonade in a week. The goal is to be the first to make at least one hundred dollars. How they learn to deal with each other makes this an excellent read.



THE HOUSEKEEPER AND THE PROFESSOR by Yoko Ogawa – If it wasn’t for my friend Janet’s blog, “Asia by the Book”, I may not have realized this book was published in English. As I was reading said review, I had realized I had seen a movie that was based on this book. The Japanese title is “Hakase ga Aishta Sushiki”. It had the International English title of “The Professor and His Beloved Equation”. For a complete review, please check out my friend’s blog. For the short version – a housekeeper takes a job looking after a professor of mathematics. But the professor, having been in an auto accident, suffers mild brain damage. He remembers everything up to the accident, but after that, his memory lasts only eighty minutes.

原題: 「博士が愛した数式」 著者:小川洋子




THE DIVING POOL by Yoko Ogawa – After enjoying Ogawa’s “The Housekeeper and the Professor”, I decided to give this book a shot as well. The book is actually a collection of three novellas. “The Diving Pool”, “The Birth Diary”, and “The Dormitory”. The stories are kind of bleak and the characters are kind of strange. But as these are novellas, I find the endings to be kind of abrupt. The first story is about a girl who lives in an orphanage which her parents run. And because she cannot leave the orphanage, which makes her angry so she releases her ire by being cruel to a helpless toddler. The second story is about a woman who keeps a diary about her younger sister’s pregnancy – and the changes that take place with said sister. The third and last story, which I enjoyed the most, was about a woman who’s cousin was coming to Tokyo to go to college and was wondering if the woman can help him find a place to stay. She recommends the dormitory that she used to live, which is run by a triple amputee who’s only good limb is his left leg. Weird! Sorry, but I coundn't find the original title for this book.


I hope you enjoyed my literary tour. Currently reading another young adult book and a non-fiction title about global organized crime. And even snuck in a short book about Scooby-Doo, but I will save those for next month.

HAPPY READING!!

Monday, June 29, 2009

A Walk around Ryogoku (Part 2) / 両国の散歩 (パート2)

How can I go to Ryogoku and not feature the Ryogoku Kokugikan. So without further ado, here it is.

両国まで行って両国国技館を紹介しなきゃいきませんね。それだは。


There was no National Suma bouts today, but there was a competition of some kind. I don't think it was open to the public though.

今日は有名な相撲の大会はありませんでしが、何かの大会はありました。でも一般人が入るがどうかが分からなかった。


I remember my mother taking me to a Sumo tournament when I was still in elementary school, but as that would have been in the early '70s, it wouldn't have been at this building. We most likely saw the tournament at the Kuramae Kokugikan. I remember seeing Jesse and losing my little plastic bag that had a goldfish in it.

小学校時代に一度自分のあ母さんが相撲に連れてたこと覚えてます。でも昭和40年代だったので、こちの国技館じゃなくって、蔵前国技館だったんでしょう。当時ハワイ出身の高見山が人気だった。


Mikako and I also stumbled across one other place that turned out to be very interesting. It was the former Yasuda Garden.

僕と美香子がもう一ヶ所両国に発見しました。場所の名前は旧安田庭園。美しい所でした。


Isn't it a relaxing atmosphere?

良い雰囲気でしょう?



I can imagine myself sitting here with a good book and enjoying the peace and quiet.

ここで風景を見ながら読書をするのも良いかも。

So who is Yasuda? Fortunately, there was a sign in Japanese and English giving a little history of the area.

安田って誰でしょう?良かったことにここの庭園の説明は日本語と英語で書かれてました。


And because this is Ryogoku - home of Sumo wrestling and Chanko nabe, you will find little statuettes of sumo wrestlers displayed along the street.

両国は相撲の本土なので、通りのあちこちに力士の像が並んでます。ちゃんこ鍋の店も多いですね。








Until next time...


でわまた。。。

Sunday, June 28, 2009

A Walk around Ryogoku (Part 1) / 両国の散歩 (パート1)

Although the Edo Tokyo Museum is located in Ryogoku, it wasn't my main reason for walking around the neighborhood. Ryogoku is also home to the Ryogoku Kokugikan - the major building for Japan's supreme sport, sumo. But even the Ryogoku Kokugikan wasn't the reason for our walk around this neighborhood. No, last month I read a book that mentioned a park just north of the Ryogoku Kokugikan where there is a couple of monuments dedicated to those people who lost their lives in the Great Kanto Earthquake and Fire of 1923 and to the American Firebombing of Tokyo between 1942 and 1945. I went looking for the monuments and found that in a place called Yokoamicho Park. I'm sure most people are familiar with the Great Kanto Earthquake but I think few Americans are familiar with the huge loss of lives suffered by the Japanese from the American firebombing. I don't even recall studying this in my history class at school. Maybe it's because the American government knew they were in the wrong by bombing the city and killing hundreds or thousands of women and children!! It reminded of the movie "Best Wishes for Tomorrow", where 18 members of the Japanese Imperial Army were put on trial because the American government said the Japanese didn't follow the "Rules of Engagement" and yet, it was the American government who dropped bombs on areas that were not even considered military targets. Hmm? So, who exactly is not following those "Rules of Engagement"?

江戸東京初物館は両国にありますが、博物館の為に両国に来た訳ではございません。両国が有名なのはやっぱり両国国技館。相撲の名所です。でも相撲か力士に会うために両国に来た訳ではない。じゃなぜここに散歩したかったって?先月ある一冊の本を読んで、両国国技館のちょっと北にある公園に関東大震災と世界第二大戦で犠牲になれた人々の記念碑があると書いてあった。僕はどうしてもそこに行ってみたかったです。探してみたら、横編町公園にたどり着いた。皆は関東大震災の話を良く知ってると思いますが、アメリカ兵が第二大戦に日本本土空襲を実行してた。アメリカ政府によると、狙いは日本の軍事施設と説明しましたが、それは真赤の嘘です。たどの日本市民の殺し合いだったっと僕が思う。僕が学生時代にもちろん原爆の話は教えますが、日本本土空襲のことは全然教えてもらった覚えはありません。それはアメリカ政府が自分たちが悪いことをしたと知ってたんじゃないかと思う。だって大勢で犠牲になったのは女性と子供ばっかり。「明日への遺言」の映画を観た時もやっぱりアメリカ政府の対応はおかしいと思った。罪のない人間を犠牲にして、捕まったアメリカ兵を死刑にされたこと、アメリカ政府が許せなかったことは変の思いませんか?


This is where the bones and ashes of the victims of the Great Kanto Earthquake and American Firebombing are kept.

扉の前に書いてるあるサインを読むと:この場所には関東大震災・都内戦災遭難者のご遺骨が納骨されています。


This is the monument dedicated to the children lost in the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923.

この記念碑は関東大震災で犠牲になった子供たちの為に建てられた。


"Dwelling of Remembrance" / 「記憶の場所」

Monument in Memory of of Victims of the Tokyo Air Raids and in the Pursuit of Peace.

東京空襲犠牲者を追追悼し平和を祈念する碑

This monument was dedicated to the Koreans living Japan who lost their lives in the Great Kanto Earthquake.

こちらの記念碑は日本在住の朝鮮人の為に建てられたものです。


Yokoami Open Gallery / 横編町公園復興記念館




Unfortunately the gallery was closed by the time we walked around the park.

残念ながら、公園に来た時、復興記念館はもう閉店でした。

But there was quite a few items on display outside.

でも震災記念野外ギャラリーのものいろいろ見れました。



Melted metal off a building from the Great Kanto Earthquake and Fire of 1923.


Mass of Melted Iron Pillar / 鉄柱の溶かたまり


Mass of Melted Nails / 釘の溶塊


Burnt Torpedo / 魚形水雷


Broken Main Water Pipe / 破壊した大鉄管


Wreckage of a Concrete Pillar / 鉄筋コンクリート柱


Broken Torii Pillar / 鳥居の柱


Burnt Electro-Motor / 百馬力電動機


Burnt Printing Machine / 印刷機


Remains of a Burnt Car / 自動車の焼骸



There are a few more places I want to introduce you to that are located in Ryogoku but as they have nothing to do with war and disaster, I thought I would write about them on a separate post.

まだ両国で紹介した場所がありますが、戦争や遭難とは関係ないので別のポストで書きます。

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Edo Tokyo Museum (Part 3) / 江戸東京博物館 (パート3)

This is the third and final post about our trip to the Edo Tokyo Museum. As I mentioned last time, we would be checking out modern Tokyo - the Meiji and Showa eras. But first, a model of Mitsui Echigoya which became the Mitsukoshi Department store. According to the book I bought about the museum, the Mitsui Echigoya was the first business in Japan to have set prices for their products.

今日は江戸東京博物館の最終ネタ。これから江戸時代から明治と昭和時代のものをみる。でもその前に、三井越後屋のモデル。この店は三越デパートメントの始まりだ。博物館で買った本によると、この店は日本のビジネスが初めて上代価格設定の形でものを売りました。






Oh, and we mustn't forget Edo Era entertainment featuring a Kabuki Theater and Kabuki actors.

あっ、江戸時代のエンターテインメントも忘れずに。博物館の中に歌舞伎座も再現されてる。



















There were also "hands on" displays in this area as well.

こちらにも触れる展示もありました。



I think you need good balance to ride one of these.



こうゆう自転車を乗るなら、バランスが大事ですね。







You can still enjoy riding on a rickshaw in Asakusa or Kamakura.



浅草や鎌倉に人力車は現在でも体験出来ます。






Now we will start to see Japan's industrial revolution. Check out this car - the first Japanese "light car" - a Subaru 360.

昭和時代の始まりだ、この車をご覧下さい。日本初の軽自動車 ‐ スバル 360



The following is a Datsun truck G222 made in 1960.

次はダットサントラック G222型。昭和35年


What's so special about this balloon?

この風船の秘密分かりますか?


I actually read a book about these balloons. During World War 2, Japan sent off the first of 9000 of these balloons from the Japan. These were "balloon bombs" that floated along the jet stream and found there way to the shores of the U.S. About a thousand of them made it but the government kept these incidents a secret. I was amazed when I learned about them.

僕は以前にこうゆう風船の話は本で初めて知った。世界第二大戦に日本が作られた”風船爆弾”。千個位がアメリカにたどり着いたこともありましたが、アメリカ政府はそのことに関しての報道は禁じられてた。自分が知ってびっくりしました。



Showa era room.

昭和時代の部屋








This looks like some kind of ancient torture device, but is actually one of the first machines for a permanent. Just check out the picture along the wall.

見た目はなんか古代拷問の機械な感じですね。これはパーマをかけるものでした。壁に貼ってあるポスターを見ると分かるかもしりません。




What's a 1931 Ford Model-A doing in Tokyo? It's a taxi!

なぜ1931年(昭和6)のフォードA型・4ドアセダンが東京にあったの?タクシーでした。


Check out the price - only 1 yen! These Ford Model-As were known as "One Yen Taxis".


値段を見て -たったの一円! 当時円タクと呼ばれたそうです。




Model of the Ryounkaku or "Twelve Stories" building. It was the symbol of Asakusa and also featured Japan's first elevator. Unfortunately it was destroyed in the Great Kanto Earthquake and Fire of 1923.

凌雲閣(りょううんかく)のレプリカ。明治期から大正末期まで浅草にあった12階建ての塔。日本初の電動式エレベーターが設置されたビルです。残念ながら、関東大震災で解体された。

Telephone booth - looks like a little lighthouse.

電話ボクス ‐ なんか灯台みたいですね。


And lastly, a few more cool models.

最後に面白いモデルを。







And that concludes our tour through the Edo Tokyo Museum. I hope you were as entertained as I was.

江戸東京博物館のツアーはいかがだったでしょうか?