My day began late. Eric left for his conference at 8, and there was no reason to wake up. When I left our hotel room, it was after midday. The weather was much warmer than yesterday, but still pleasant and sunny. I found the closest Starbucks and had a good cappuccino to start my day. I was close to Odori park, and already the beer gardens were full. The streets of Sapporo were even busier than at night, everyone with places to go and things to do. My first destination was the clock tower, Sapporo's signature landmark, originally part of the agriculture university started by Americans in 1878. I paid the entrance fee, but could not read the Japanese explanations, which were effusive and covered almost all surfaces. I found many Japanese tourists taking pictures, and evidently appreciating what they saw.
Akarenga is a red brick neo baroque old government building, apparently much loved by the locals. It is open to visitors and has several exhibits about the building, about the northern islands that were once part of Japan and are now in Russian hands. Japanese inhabitants were forced to leave after the Second World War, when Russia took possession of the islands, and the Japanese have been disputing ownership since that time. There is an 'international art festival' happening in Sapporo, and at the Akarenga, two local artists are featured; Akira Ifukube was a musician who wrote music for Godzilla and other films, and also wrote music incorporating the local Ainu fold traditions. Genichiro Kakegawa was a photographer who also had an interest in the Ainu, and took photos of their daily lives and ceremonies.
I found another exhibit associated with the art festival when I was walking toward the university. A small park with a wooden building which once housed important representatives of the Meiji government in the 1800's was used to show an interesting set of wind powered devices which turned on lights and rang a bell, all associated with the wind from a fan in the middle of the room. It think that the artist was explaining his art to the people visiting. I understood nothing, but found the art whimsical and entertaining.
I wanted to know more about the Ainu, and found a museum devoted to their culture near thte botanical gardens. It was on the seventh floor of a gleaming steel office building, and I would never have found it had I not asked. The Ainu were the inhabitants of the island before the Japanese came to colonize in the 1800's. The indigenous are originally from central Asia, and have more in common with Russians than Japanese. They fought valiantly against the Japanese and lost, and were treated abominably but their conquerers, a typical indigenous experience. They are now trying to reclaim their language and customs, but are few in number, poor and discriminated against, and three hundred years from their former preeminence on the island. Their art is definitely different than that of the Japanese, and they have little in common genetically. However, the Jomon cultures, which predated the Japanese in all of the islands, have commonalities with the Ainu. The Japanese came over from China and Korea long after the island was settled by the original inhabitants.
By the time I finished visiting the Ainu, the botanical gardens were closed. I believed that Eric was at the University, so I walked further. I was also interested in seeing the university, because my father had spent six months doing a sabbatical there in the early eighties, and I had learned that the university and started as an agricultural college. The campus is huge, full of students on bikes milling about. Biking is definitely the best mode of transport around here, but I am hesitant to bike because of the driving on the wrong side of the road. I would simply be too confused to be careful enough. The university museum was closing as I arrived, so I walked about the campus, sitting on a bench with a view of lily pads, when a Japanes man sat near me to practice his English. He loved American movies and music, so asked me about whether I liked Paul Newman, Robert Redford, SteveMcQueen, Dustin Hoffman, Faye Dunaway. When I nodded, he sang old songs, by Judy Collins and the Monkees and Neil Diamond and again, when I agreed to enjoying ht e songs, he became more and more animated and excited. When I asked if he knew where the conference center was, he took me in the opposite direction, asked at the student international office, and walked back with me to the Nanotechnology conference at the university convention center. We all decided that the Sapporo Convention Center was likely the location of the Neuroethology conference, so I left my friendly movie lover behind and walked back to Odori Park. Again, the crowds were drinking their beer and eaten snack food.
Japanese here love their beer. My Japanese friend told me that normally he is very shy, but had been drinking beer with his buddy before talking to me, and the beer had loosened his tongue and he dared to speak his broken English with me, all of which he had learned by watching movies. There are dozens and dozens of restaurants and bars everywhere here, and people seem particularly relaxed and comfortable. I read that many Japanese leave the big cities to start new lives here, so the population appears young and energetic, but the energy is relaxed and fun loving.
I like that everyone is polite, says hello, goodbye, thank you multiple times, and that everyone bows in respect. I like that life feels very organized, that the streets are numbered and make sense, and I can find things on the map. I am confused that there is not more English signage, and am lost when I try to read instructions or explanations at the museums. They must not have many foreign tourists, otherwise there would be more translations. At Akarenga and the art festival exhibitions, there were English version instructions, which I was thankful for. They appear to be very keen on documenting everything.
I believe I have seen what is to be seen here in Sapporo. I wonder what my mother and sister did here for the six months that they lived here. My mother came home with all sorts of Japanese dishes and recipes and for a while delighted in cooking Japanese, but not for long. There is a shrine outside the city, so I will try and find my way there tomorrow. There are hot springs all over the island, so if it is easy to travel to an 'onsen', that may be a good option.
Akarenga is a red brick neo baroque old government building, apparently much loved by the locals. It is open to visitors and has several exhibits about the building, about the northern islands that were once part of Japan and are now in Russian hands. Japanese inhabitants were forced to leave after the Second World War, when Russia took possession of the islands, and the Japanese have been disputing ownership since that time. There is an 'international art festival' happening in Sapporo, and at the Akarenga, two local artists are featured; Akira Ifukube was a musician who wrote music for Godzilla and other films, and also wrote music incorporating the local Ainu fold traditions. Genichiro Kakegawa was a photographer who also had an interest in the Ainu, and took photos of their daily lives and ceremonies.
I found another exhibit associated with the art festival when I was walking toward the university. A small park with a wooden building which once housed important representatives of the Meiji government in the 1800's was used to show an interesting set of wind powered devices which turned on lights and rang a bell, all associated with the wind from a fan in the middle of the room. It think that the artist was explaining his art to the people visiting. I understood nothing, but found the art whimsical and entertaining.
I wanted to know more about the Ainu, and found a museum devoted to their culture near thte botanical gardens. It was on the seventh floor of a gleaming steel office building, and I would never have found it had I not asked. The Ainu were the inhabitants of the island before the Japanese came to colonize in the 1800's. The indigenous are originally from central Asia, and have more in common with Russians than Japanese. They fought valiantly against the Japanese and lost, and were treated abominably but their conquerers, a typical indigenous experience. They are now trying to reclaim their language and customs, but are few in number, poor and discriminated against, and three hundred years from their former preeminence on the island. Their art is definitely different than that of the Japanese, and they have little in common genetically. However, the Jomon cultures, which predated the Japanese in all of the islands, have commonalities with the Ainu. The Japanese came over from China and Korea long after the island was settled by the original inhabitants.
By the time I finished visiting the Ainu, the botanical gardens were closed. I believed that Eric was at the University, so I walked further. I was also interested in seeing the university, because my father had spent six months doing a sabbatical there in the early eighties, and I had learned that the university and started as an agricultural college. The campus is huge, full of students on bikes milling about. Biking is definitely the best mode of transport around here, but I am hesitant to bike because of the driving on the wrong side of the road. I would simply be too confused to be careful enough. The university museum was closing as I arrived, so I walked about the campus, sitting on a bench with a view of lily pads, when a Japanes man sat near me to practice his English. He loved American movies and music, so asked me about whether I liked Paul Newman, Robert Redford, SteveMcQueen, Dustin Hoffman, Faye Dunaway. When I nodded, he sang old songs, by Judy Collins and the Monkees and Neil Diamond and again, when I agreed to enjoying ht e songs, he became more and more animated and excited. When I asked if he knew where the conference center was, he took me in the opposite direction, asked at the student international office, and walked back with me to the Nanotechnology conference at the university convention center. We all decided that the Sapporo Convention Center was likely the location of the Neuroethology conference, so I left my friendly movie lover behind and walked back to Odori Park. Again, the crowds were drinking their beer and eaten snack food.
Japanese here love their beer. My Japanese friend told me that normally he is very shy, but had been drinking beer with his buddy before talking to me, and the beer had loosened his tongue and he dared to speak his broken English with me, all of which he had learned by watching movies. There are dozens and dozens of restaurants and bars everywhere here, and people seem particularly relaxed and comfortable. I read that many Japanese leave the big cities to start new lives here, so the population appears young and energetic, but the energy is relaxed and fun loving.
I like that everyone is polite, says hello, goodbye, thank you multiple times, and that everyone bows in respect. I like that life feels very organized, that the streets are numbered and make sense, and I can find things on the map. I am confused that there is not more English signage, and am lost when I try to read instructions or explanations at the museums. They must not have many foreign tourists, otherwise there would be more translations. At Akarenga and the art festival exhibitions, there were English version instructions, which I was thankful for. They appear to be very keen on documenting everything.
I believe I have seen what is to be seen here in Sapporo. I wonder what my mother and sister did here for the six months that they lived here. My mother came home with all sorts of Japanese dishes and recipes and for a while delighted in cooking Japanese, but not for long. There is a shrine outside the city, so I will try and find my way there tomorrow. There are hot springs all over the island, so if it is easy to travel to an 'onsen', that may be a good option.
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