It must be early November because they are starting to put the Christmas decorations up in Yokohama. I took this picture at the escalator going into the train station today. We don't have Thanksgiving so it really isn't possible to use that as a cue to put up the decorations or start the Christmas advertisements.
Actually, there are very few Christians in Japan (less than 2%) - so why are we decorating at all? Because it is a holiday and a chance to sell merchandise of course!
This brings me to the central theme of today's blog. Japan is a very interesting dichotomy. On the one hand it is very Japanesey (less than 2% foreigners) and very traditional. On the other hand it has assimilated all sorts of things from other cultures including writing (China), words (a huge proportion of English words as well as Chinese), technology, arts, holidays, you name it.
I took the title of today's blog off of a store window I saw as I was walking through Yokohama: "Wood & Pecker" - take a look at the pictures behind Yebisu if you don't believe me. The store was an upscale clothing shop. Now I am guessing that the person that named it had an understanding of English and a sense of humor but with the Japanese you never can tell. English, especially in advertising, is rampant and frequently nonsensical. It is as if words were pulled randomly from a dictionary (but this one has both comic and sexual innuendo that is almost impossible to think is random).
Anyway, the "Wood & Pecker" had a Christmas tree in the window. Then I started noticing Christmas decorations everywhere. I guess I'd better start shopping. By the way, the Chinese zodiac animal for next year is the dog so all sorts of calendars and doo-dads with dogs are starting to show up. Just when I was getting used to the chicken - out with the chicken and in with the dog!
And now for something entirely different. I have to put in a plug for Google Earth. This is the coolest Web Software I have ever used. If you like maps and geography you have to try it. The resolution in some places is astounding. Here is the link:
http://earth.google.com/V = 5164
How many sumo can you get in a Volkswagon? I am not sure, but I don't think you can get much more than 3 into a Japanese taxi.
This is the Atomic Dome in Hiroshima which was just below the the atomic bomb when it went off. I have seen pictures of it many times but it is of course so powerful to see it. You can't help but want to avoid war after being here.
Here we are at "Carp Castle" in Hiroshima for which the mighty Carp baseball team is named. The castle is in an area that had many fish. It is near a river that along with moats helped form it's defenses. Although I looked, I couldn't see any carp on the day I was there.
It must be early November because they are starting to put the Christmas decorations up in Yokohama. I took this picture at the escalator going into the train station today. We don't have Thanksgiving so it really isn't possible to use that as a cue to put up the decorations or start the Christmas advertisements.
