Aokigahara

I usually do relatively positive posts on this blog, however this post is very morbid. Just a warning. I often read scary stories and read of places like this, but the stories I read are fiction. They’re for the enjoyment of others and not at all factual accounting of any events (as much as the story itself may beg to differ). However, this place that I’m going to tell you about soon is very real. There have been many sightings of ghosts there, and based on what happens in this place, it would make sense. I’m not a huge believer in ghosts or anything paranormal, but if there ghosts anywhere they’d be here. Ghosts, as I’ve been told, are tortured souls in purgatory left to roam the realm of the living, or more commonly known as people with unfinished business they need to conclude before they pass over to the other side. Either way, ghosts make great stories and can be terrifying.

The place I’m talking about is called Aokigahara. Located at the base of Mt. Fuji, Aokigahara is known as the “Suicide Forest” in Japan. The kanji for Aokigahara, 青木ヶ原, literally means “Sea of Trees.” Many people can get lost in this forest very easily. The trees create a very thick canopy and are very difficult to see through. The deeper you go into the forest, the darker it gets. There are many winding paths in Aokigahara that are easy to get lost on. If you go off the path, you are very likely to get lost because the trees are very similar and it’s hard to find your way around. There are also many vines and roots that can be easily tripped over, so you need to watch your footing in the forest. While you're looking down and looking for better footing, it's easy to lose your way.

Many people go to Aoikigahara to do what  the forest is named after. The Suicide Forest has the highest suicide rate in all of Japan. There are more suicides per year in the forest than any other place in Japan. The most common age range for suicides in the forest is 20-35, mostly office workers that are stressed out from their job. In Japan, people sleeping on the job is considered a sign of your hard work. The more you over exert yourself and the more stress you put on your body, the more highly you're regarded in Japan as a hard worker. This is such a huge problem that there is actually a word for death by over work. That's right, people actually die from working too hard and it's a very popular cause of death in Japan.

Aokigahara is the site of many ghost stories and legends because of its nature. There is said to be many lost souls and ghosts roaming around the forest. These are the souls of the people who killed themselves and regretted it. Now, they're "doomed to haunt the forest" according to one scary story. Whether or not there are ghosts, there have been reports of the forest having a very eerie feeling to it.

Karoshi

Karōshi (過労死), which can be translated literally as "overwork death" in Japanese, means death by working too hard. Every year, hundreds of over stressed Japanese workers succumb to heart attack, stroke or suicide due to a lack of work-life balance. The problem, which first rose to prominence in the 1980s, has become so bad it even has its own name: karoshi. Death by overwork. Last week, a British expat living in Tokyo going by the handle ‘Stu in Japan’ posted a video on YouTube titled ‘A week in the life of a Tokyo salary man’.

The video diary documented a typical 80-hour week during his financial services company’s “busy season” from January to March — 13-hour days for six days a week, leaving the office after 11pm every night, with barely time to squeeze in dinner.

“There are definitely people in Tokyo who do this all year round in order to support their families,” he wrote. “I couldn’t imagine having to do this if I had those kinds of responsibilities as well.”

Late last year, the Japanese government finally decided to do something about the endemic culture of overwork, which has been blamed not just on a growing number of deaths, but also the country’s critically low birth rate and declining productivity.

Although Japan is notorious for hard work, it’s equally known for inefficiency and bureaucracy. Workers sit around in the name of team spirit, despite questionable performance.

Younger workers feel uncomfortable going home before their bosses do. Working overtime for free, called “sah-bee-soo zahn-gyo”, or “service overtime”, is prevalent.

Nijojo

The Nijo Castle was built in 1601 by Tokugawa and it is located in Kyoto, Japan. Tokugawa constructed this castle as his residence. A little bit of structure from Fushimi Castle was added in 1623 by Iemitsu, the grand son of Tokugawa. The castle covers an area of approximately 8000 square meters, of which the buildings occupy the major part. The castle consists of huge stone walls and heavy gates and it is said to be a perfect example to display the architecture of that time.

In the year 1601, the feudal lords were asked donations for the construction of Nijo Castle by Tokugawa at that time. During the reign of Iemitsu, the grandson of Tokugawa, the construction of the castle was completed in 1626. Some parts of the main tower, Kara Gate, and Fushimi Castle are included in the castle. In the year 1788, a fire in the city struck, causing the inner part of the palace to be destroyed. The place stayed vacant up to 1893 when it was changed into an imperial palace.

The castle consists of two fortifications, one is known as the inner walls and the other is the outer walls. Honmaru palace is situated within the inner walls, along with its garden. The Ninomaru Palace, the gardens, the kitchens, and guard house are situated between the two main fortifications.

The Ninomaru Palace comprises of five buildings with an architecture that includes furniture and gold leaf. The architecture not only impresses the visitors, but also show the pride and honor of the kings. This castle is a fine example of arts and architecture at that time. The palace also consists of several reception rooms and quarters. The palace called Honmaru Palace also belongs to the castle. It covers an area about 1600 square meters. The palace has been divided into four parts. There is a living quarters inside where the Shoguns used to live, and recreation areas are provided. The present body of the palace is said to be Katsura place. There is also a large pond at the garden.

Makeup in Japan

Makeup is one of the most popular items purchased in Japan. Its main audience is women, and billions of products are sold per year. About 50 years ago, Japanese women wouldn't wear makeup (or wear minimal makeup) to work. Now, however, a more professional look needs to be obtained. A huge part of makeup for Japanese women is to subtly enhance certain features.

In Japan, many cosmetics shops have employees and staff members that specialize in makeup. They help you out and suggest many different types of makeup depending on your eye shape and face shape. For example, close set eyes should have dark eyeliner in the corners to make it seem like they're farther apart, and wide set eyes should have black eyeliner on the outside creases of the eyes. When I went to Japan, I went to a large mall in Tokyo with many floors. One of the floors had a huge makeup department. Very similar to American stores, the store was organized by different types of makeup. Eye makeup was in a different place than face washes, and nail polish was in a different place than perfume, etc. At each section an employee was stationed to help customers. These employees dished out free samples and suggested the best products for their customers.

Makeup in Japan was very expensive, but it was worth it. Japanese makeup is usually very high quality. When I tried to find information about this post, the first page on Google was full of "Top 10 best Japanese makeup you HAVE to try" lists. Japanese makeup is known for being extra long-lasting, extra smoothing, or just overall a better product depending on what it is. For example, there is a foundation called BB cream that is especially popular. BB stands for Blemish Balm and it was originally made for women with skin issues such as acne or scarring on their face. BB cream was originally made by surgeons, but now it's sold at general stores. The "best" BB cream is a Korean brand that's extremely popular in Japan.

Makeup is very popular with teenagers and women of all ages. Many women want smooth, blemish free skin, big eyes, and very subtle blush to look young.

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Lolita Fashion

Clothing sizes in Japan are completely different than those in America. American clothes are about 3 sizes larger than sizes in Japan. In fact, so are fashion trends. Generally Japanese people tend to want to wear things that are less flashy, while Americans aren't afraid to wear bold makeup (dark blue lipstick and a smokey style eye shadow look, for example).  There are many different types of fashion in Japan.

For example, there is the idol type, which tries to be as cute and childlike as possible. Upon further inspection, there seems to be a correlation between the Lolita effect (men lusting after young girls, or teenage girls wanting to seem younger than they are because it's a trend) in Japan and this type of fashion. This style is even sometimes called Lolita, or Loli for short. This style centers around pastel clothing. It has puffy dresses, cute, pastel wigs that are often curled and long, and knee-high socks. Lolitas love lace and frilly things. Also, big plastic hair pieces or buttons, or really anything to make them appear more childlike is popular. This style also features lots of layers. Often there will be a lace undershirt or cute bra, then a small, flowy tanktop, then the dress (which has many layers by itself) and a cute jacket (depending on the weather). Often Lolitas also carry parasols to keep their skin youthful and free of burns from the sun. Often, famous Lolis are in the sun for a very long time for photo shoots, so it's actually smart that they carry parasols.

As for makeup, Lolitas usually wear large contacts to make their eyes look bigger. They might use glue to make their eyes seem double lidded. Usually Lolis wear lots of dark black eyeliner or brown eyeliner/eye shadow. The pictures I've seen (the professional Lolis) seem like they have their makeup professionally done. They use many makeup tricks (such as lining the eye with black or brown under the actual waterline to make the eyes appear bigger, or lining the bottom waterline with white eyeliner) to make their eyes stand out. Often, the difference between a Lolita and more contemporary Tokyo fashion is that the Lolitas spend much more time doing their makeup and trying to look like a living porcelain doll.

You read that right, they really are trying to look like porcelain dolls. If your face could be painted on, wouldn't that be the definition of flawless? That's the ideology behind Lolita fashion. Besides, you know, the whole slight fetishization of children. Usually I'm all for explaining a social justice topic, however right now I don't have the energy nor the resources to completely explain the Lolita Effect. However, there is a book by that title that summarizes it quite nicely, I think.

Usually these things take time to explain. I guess I could try, if you really want me to. You do? Perfect. I'll go off on a slight tangent, but I'll tie it all together in the end. Basically, society creates these rolls for us to follow. By society, I mean huge corporations trying to sell us (the general public) stuff. Often this type of thing doesn't have a very negative effect, right? They're just trying to sell stuff. WRONG. The more money they make, the happier they are. The more loyal customers they have, the more money they are for sure going to make. These companies are happiest when they have definite sources of income. Isn't every business? So they advertise their name as a small company, then that small company grows. And grows. And the customer base grows exponentially and more and more locations of that business start appearing and the CEO has been making an eight figure salary for a while now. And the reason they grew is customer loyalty. The one thing they need is loyal customers. For a while, McDonald's drive through intro the employees were trained to say was "Welcome back to McDonald's. How can I help you?" One of the largest selling type of product is makeup to women. If companies photoshop models, and tell girls when they're really, really little that only makeup can make them beautiful, that they are born flawed, that acne and fat is disgusting but makeup is the cure, they will start to believe all of it.

With the Lolita effect in Japan, companies have advertised being young as attractive, and teenagers and women followed suit. I noticed that people I talked to in Japan were some of the most sexist people I'd ever met. But that's a post for another day, and it's a generalization I don't have enough facts to talk about. At this point the thing we should probably ask ourselves is who are we trying to be beautiful for? Should you really follow the norms in a society that feeds off your self-hatred? But hey, being little is cute, right?

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Whaling

Whaling is a real thing in Japan.












While being outlawed in the U.S., whaling still happens in Japan. Whaling is when whales are hunted for meat or their blubber. Whaling is very inhumane, since the whales are killed by a harpoon being shot into them, and it’s usually a very slow and painful death. Humans don’t even need any part of whales, but it’s considered a delicacy in some places, and the whale parts can be sold for huge amounts of money. Activist groups such as PETA would like whaling to be outlawed worldwide.

Ramen

Originally, ramen was brought over to Japan from China. The hard, dry noodles kept well for travel and was very useful for a quick snack. Because the noodles could be softened quickly, they were also much more time efficient than a stew or soup. Ramen also kept travelers warm during winter, as it could be a cheap hot meal.

Instant ramen today is usually freeze-dried or dehydrated noodles that are packaged with pre-prepared seasoning, and sometimes dehydrated vegetables. It's popular today because it's a very cheap hot meal. This instant ramen has become popular in America, Japan, China, and many other countries.

In Japan, however, ramen is a traditional meal. When ramen came over to Japan from China, it became integrated into their culture as a common meal. Ramen in Japan is made with fresh ingredients and homemade noodles. Sometimes the stock for ramen is boiled for days to create many layers of flavor. There are many types of Japanese ramen, such as shoyu (soy sauce) or shio (salt). Soy sauce ramen has soy sauce in the broth, and salt ramen has a base without soy sauce. Some ramen also has pork, chicken, or beef broth.

Usually ramen also has many different ingredients besides noodles and broth. A typical ramen dish has some type of meat, usually beef or pork on top. Ramen also has many vegetables. It can have green onions, daikon (radish), turnip, and mushroom. Ramen is a very forgiving dish, so you can really put anything in it and it will still taste good due to the strong broth.


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Tokyo Tower

Tokyo Tower is a famous tower in Japan. It's a traditionally very romantic spot for tourists and Japanese people alike. Tokyo Tower is an Eiffel Tower-like structure that towers over Tokyo metropolis. At night the tower lights up with a bright yellow glow that makes it quite the spectacle. The tower is originally used as a hub for communication, but the height grants a great view as well. The Japanese word for Tokyo Tower written, 東京タワー, is pronounced 'To-kyo Tah-wah.' The word タワー (tawaa) is written in katakana. Katakana is a Japanese written language that is primarily used with foreign words integrated into the language. That word comes from the English word "tower" so it's usually easy for foreigners who speak English to understand.

When I was in Japan, I met many very friendly people. One of them was named Ashimoto, and he was in basketball club. In Japan, school clubs are taken very seriously so he was always practicing very hard. When he had breaks from club and time after school, we would talk. I talked to him about many things, such as the difference between Japanese and American music, and similar pop songs we both liked. He even showed me songs popular in America that I'd never heard before. One day after class, we were talking a lot and he asked me if I knew of Tokyo Tower. Then he asked me on a date to go with him. I was very surprised, but I had to leave Japan soon so I turned him down.


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Nara

Nara is my favorite place in all of Japan. Nara is a place in Kyoto. There are restaurants, shops, and many other things just like any other normal city. However, there is one thing that sets Nara apart from other places in Japan. Wild deer live in the public parks in Nara. These deer are very tame and will allow you pet them. They have been trained to recognize their food comes from humans, and humans are friendly. You can buy a pack of 6 rice crackers for them (made specially with nutrients and ingredients deer like and need for a healthy diet) for only 150 yen. That's less than $1.50 with the current inflation rates taken into account.

Nara also has temples and a museum. There are gift shops everywhere where you can buy deer-themed everything. Deer plushies, deer wallets, deer post cards, deer washitsu (folding fans), deer keychains, deer everything. Nara has 7 temples, but I only went to one. The most popular temple in Nara is called Todai-ji. Todai-ji means the “Great Eastern Temple” and it’s one of Japan’s most significant temples.

When I went to Nara, I was so excited. I had heard about the deer before coming to Japan, and it's the place I was looking forward to going the most. The Nara deer were so friendly, however there was one buck that was very aggressive. He would use his horns to try to hit you or your hand to knock the food you were holding to the ground. He followed one person from our group all around, and even ate food right out of his lap. It was absolutely hilarious because we took pictures while this was happening. One of the pictures that was taken looks rather questionable, and it became an inside joke between us the whole trip.

I was amazed at how the deer were so calm with humans. Many people were petting the deer. Some deer sleeping close to the sidewalk were surrounded by people petting them and they hardly stirred. The deer were curious and came up to any new people. Since Nara is a popular tourist destination, there are hundreds of new people every day. Someone who hadn't been to Nara before squealed as the deer surrounded him and pushed at each other for the food he had. Many people laughed, and I was amazed. There was so much respect and trust between the deer and the people: people allowed the deer to come close too. Small children squealed as they chased the deer in packs. Slightly alarmed, the deer would trot (or run, if needed) away before the kids got too close. Parents of the children watched calmly from behind a loose wooden fence created more for an appearance of a barrier than a functional one. People all around were taking pictures of the deer, posing and quickly snapping pictures before the deer moved away or blurred the shot.

The trip to Nara was the first time I've ever touched a deer, let alone take selfies with one. The deer had very coarse fur. Each strand of hair was thick and long, so thick it was hard to bend the strands compared to normal hair. Their eyes were big and glassy, and they had long eyelashes that reminded me of cow's' eyes. Their long snouts ended in a cute purple nose, and they moved toward us eagerly awaiting food. Their hooves were dark black and layered, and their coarse fur covered their legs only to stop at the hooves. Their bushy white tails flicked back and forth as they lightly scratched the sandy ground with their hooves. Their ears twitched away flies in the Japanese summer heat. I was surprised with how big they were. I'd only seen deer from a distance as they darted in and out of woods on the side of the road. Their wide torsos expanded as they snorted expectantly for more food. They were powerful and graceful. As I watched an albino stag delicately rise from the ground and proudly parade into the sunlight, I understood why deer were sometimes revered as gods.

Kinkakuji

Kinkakuji (金閣寺) is a famous Japanese temple in Kyoto. The kanji for kinkakuji means “Golden Pavilion.” It was originally named Rokuonji (鹿苑寺) which means “Deer Garden Temple” Kyoto has a place called Nara in it, which is very famous for its wild deer that live among the park. The deer are tame and you can pet them, among other things. Kinkakuji is a zen Buddhist temple. This temple is surrounded by water and trees. In spring, many of the Cherry Blossom trees bloom and create a gorgeous pink wall surrounding kinkakuji.

I never visited Kinkakuji but if I ever go back to Japan I’d love to go!

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I bought a model of kinkakuji and assembled it for fun. The model was made of gold-colored metal and very small when I finished it. However, it was very detailed so it was difficult to assemble. Despite being difficult, it was fun to make!

The picture below isn’t mine, but it’s the same make and model as the one I assembled. I’m just too lazy to take a picture of the one I assembled (lol)

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Nagoya

Nagoya's main industry is automotive. Many companies are based out of Nagoya. Toyota's luxury brand Lexus, Denso, Aisin Seiki Co., Toyota Industries, JTEKT and Toyota Boshoku have their headquarters in or near Nagoya. Mitsubishi Motors has an R & D division in the suburb of Okazaki. Major component suppliers such as Magna International and PPG also have a strong presence here. Spark plug maker NGK and Nippon Sharyo, known for manufacturing rolling stock including the Shinkansen are headquartered there.

The aviation history has historically been of importance since the industrialization. During the war the Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter was constructed in Nagoya. The aviation tradition continues with Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation headquartered in the Nagoya Airfield's terminal building in Komaki. The Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) aircraft is produced at a factory adjacent to the airport.The MRJ is a partnership between majority owner Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Toyot with design assistance from Toyota affiliate Fuji Heavy Industries, already a manufacturer of aircraft. It is the first airliner designed and produced in Japan since the NAMC YS-11 of the 1960s. The MRJ's first flight was on November 11, 201

JR Central, which operates Tōkaidō Shinkansen, has its headquarters in Nagoya, as does the regional Meitetsu railway company.
Nagoya lies north of Ise Bay on the Nōbi Plain. The city was built on low-level plateaus to ward off floodwaters. The plain is one of the nation's most fertile areas. The Kiso River flows to the west along the city border, and the Shōnai River comes from the northeast and turns south towards the bay at Nishi Ward. The man-made Hori River was constructed as a canal in 1610. It flows from north to south, as part of the Shōnai River system. The rivers allowed for trade with the hinterland. The Tempaku River feeds from a number of smaller river in the east, flows briefly south at Nonami and then west at Ōdaka into the bay.

The city's location and its position in the centre of Japan allowed it to develop economically and politically.

Fushimi-Inari

Fushimi-inari-taisha (伏見稲荷大社) is a shrine in Kyoto, Japan. It has 5000 gates all lined up along a path. These gates date back to 711 A.D., and as a foreigner with only a 250 year old country, 1300 years old is an age I can’t even fathom.

In addition to age, these grounds are said to hold over 10,000 Torii gates. Experiencing these numerous and well-preserved gates at Fushimi Inari Shrine are like touching a piece of human history; if only we could see all that they have seen over the years.
To give a little background, a Torii gate is seen as an entrance to a sacred shrine in the Shinto religion. They mark the pathway to shrines across Asia, and I’m sure you’ve come to know them as a symbol of Japan.
What is unique about the Torii gates at Inari Fushimi, though, is their background. Each gate has been donated by a company or organization giving thanks for their prosperity and in hope of good fortune in the future. I only wished I could read all of the names engraved on each gate, but for now it remains to be beautiful artwork representing Japan’s past.
The significance of the shrines located at Fushimi Inari is to honor Inari (稲荷), the Shinto god of rice. You will also see foxes places throughout these grounds, as they are said to be messengers for Inari.

But, if you’re more interested in sightseeing than knowing the history, you can still enjoy the Fushimi Inari shrine just as much. As you enter the large main Torii gate you will see multiple shrines and neat shops for souvenirs. Then you will start to make your way up the stairs on the journey through the 10,000 Torii gates. The varying sizes and faded colors surprised me the most. Since pictures don’t do it justice, you have to see all of it for yourself in person.

While taking the long hike through the gates and up the hill, you will see even more shops for souvenirs and food. This is all leading up to the top of the hill, which overlooks beautiful Kyoto. But be warned, this trek up the mountain is longer than you expect. To get to the top and return again to the bottom would take 3-4 hours; if you don’t stop to enjoy the food, that is.

Thankfully, you don’t have to walk the entire path, though. You can enjoy as much or little as you want, then make your way back down through the gates to enjoy the scenery and Torii gates all over again.
As for the crowds, there really were none. I don’t know if it’s the fact that my definition of “crowd” has changed since moving from a town of 2,000 people in Virginia to a Japanese city of 400,000, but it really seemed very pleasant. And as usual, the Japanese visitors were just as much tourists as we were, taking pictures and standing in awe at all the history and sights the grounds had to offer. I’ve heard New Year’s day is a little more crowded, though; with almost 3 million visitors in only 3 days. But hey, one man’s crowd is another man’s adventure, right?


After finishing our hike and picture taking, I noticed a side street to the right as you exit the shrine. I can’t find it on any tourist information websites, but it turned out to be the best place to find souvenirs and food at the shrine. It looks like a permanent market set up along the street, with family-owned shops that have probably been there for years. Just another great reason to see the lovely Fushimi Inari Torii gates.


When you visit Kyoto, don’t forget about this attraction that will give a whole new meaning to “Japanese history and culture."



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