Rice Cooker 炊飯器

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I have completely broken my pledge to everyday blogging, and for that I apologize. We only have a few more days left before we move back to the U.S., and during the last week of IUC hanging out with friends was top priority, followed closely by the many tasks involved with moving. As I begin to think about the many boxes of belongings that await my return, I've been thinking alot about the many kitchen appliances that I have missed over the past two years, and the one kitchen appliance that has gained a spot in my heart while in Japan, my rice cooker. We eat rice on a daily basis here, and I have come to love the perfectly cooked grains that are produced by a quality rice cooker. When we lived in Ono, and before we purchased a rice cooker, we had a friend over for dinner and cooked rice on a pot on top of the stove. I will never forget the look of astonishment on her face when she saw how we were cooking rice, and now that I have used a proper cooker for nearly two years I understand where that look came from. Simply put, rice cooker rice is just better. In Lawrence we had a cheap under $20 cooker that always burnt the rice on the bottom layer, an appliance that I fully plan to jettison when we return and replace with a more upscale model (I'm thinking about this one). Here, we generally purchase a 5 kilo bag of unwashed short grain white rice, which lasts us about a month. Above is our copper pot with the small rice strainer that allows us to drain the rice easily when washing it, below I am draining the rice. While I prefer brown rice for health and taste reasons, white rice is the prefered grain here, so the brown variety is generally more expensive and a bit more difficult to find.

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The rice cooker at the end of the cooking cycle, which generally takes about 35 minutes for two cups, enough to make two large rice-bowl meals or two sides of rice with leftovers.

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Tomioka Silk Mill 富岡製糸場

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Today I gave my final presentation for the IUC, a 15 minute public presentation in Japanese on the research project I've been working on for the past three months.

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Above and below are two examples of the late 19th century images that I examined for my project.

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The abstract of my paper that appeared in the program for the final presentations:

明治時代日本女性は社会で新しい役割を務め、産業界にも活動的な 生産者として参加しました。しかし、同時に女性は基本的な政治権力と自由は否定されていました。この発表では富岡製糸場を取りあげ明治時代女性のイメージがどのように１８７０年代と１８８０年代の社会の価値観を映しているか見ていきます。
富岡製糸場のイメージとして富岡の技術を称えた錦絵や富岡に昭憲皇太后の富岡行啓を描いた日本画があります。明治時代の文化コンテクストの中で富岡製糸場を題材とした視覚資料を調査することによってこの発表には明治政府が女性の役割をどう考えていたかを示します。

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And in English:
During the early Meiji period Japanese women assumed new societal roles and acted as active producers in Japan’s rapidly developing industrial economy, yet they were simultaneously denied basic political freedoms and rights. Using the Tomioka Silk Mill as a point of departure, this paper examines how images of Meiji women reflected Japanese societal values and concerns of the 1870s and 1880s.
Images of the Tomioka Silk Mill range from multi-color woodblock prints that celebrate the technological achievements of the mill to softly painted Nihonga representing the Meiji Empress’ visit to the site. By investigating the breadth of visual material referencing the Tomioka Silk Mill in the cultural context of the late nineteenth century this paper will shed light on Meiji period women’s roles as they were condoned and promoted by the government.

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As part of my research, a few weeks ago I took a day trip out to the Tomioka Silk Mill in Gunma prefecture, about three hours away by local train.
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The train from Takasaki to Tomioka was a true inaka (rural) train, departing once an hour. Tickets were stamped by hand, not machine. I purchased the combination train and site visit ticket.

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The slow and rickety train to Tomioka.

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The walking route from the Tomioka train station to the silk mill was marked by a green line along the road with occasional signs indicating the distance to the mill.

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The entry gate to the mill.

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Above and below are photos of the silk spinning building, where thread was taken from the silk cocoons after dipping them into hot water to kill the worm. These weren't the original 19th century machines, but I'm not sure when they date from. The factory was in operation until about 1985, so they were from sometime in the 20th century.
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The building where the cocoons were processed and sorted. The architectural style is a combination of traditional Japanese methods in the wood framing, and 19th century European methods in the brick construction.

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The mill was run by the Japanese government from 1873 to 1893 with assistance from overseas workers. Paul Brunat, the first foreign manager, lived in this house. The conditions experienced by the teenage women who worked at the mill were considerably less luxurious.

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The view from the cliff that the silk mill sits atop.

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Back at Tomioka Station, 125.2 km to Tokyo Station, 20.2 km to Takasaki Station.

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The newspaper stand at the station was on the honor system.

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Catching the train back to Takasaki.

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Hydrangeas アジサイ

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We spent a lovely Sunday afternoon with our friend Lola strolling around the grounds at Hasedera in Kamakura viewing the many varieties of hydrangeas in bloom.

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The hillside was covered with blossoms, and the breeze from the nearby seaside was lovely.

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A view of the temple buildings from the hillside.
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Hydrangeas and Jizo.

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More temple buildings.

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Temple gardens at the base of the hillside.

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Inside the cave that is dedicated to Benzaiten.

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More cave interior...

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... and the Benzaiten area of the cave. People can purchase the tiny devotional sculptures and place them in this room devoted to the deity.
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和みっこ (wamiko?). Hasedera is known for the many Jizo that are located there (I posted photos of these from our last visit in fall of 2008- click here), but I'm not sure what this particular version of Jizo does. Generally Jizo will rescue people from hell and is a patron of children and the unborn who pass away too soon, as well as travelers and pilgrims.

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To get to Hasedera we transfer to the Enoshima Dentetsu at Kamakura Station. The Enoden is a funky little toy train that runs along the coast near Kamakura, and has its own special Hello Kitty, complete with a surfboard.

Inageya いなげや

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Today started with an amazing optional bonus class- Offensive Expressions for Japanese Interaction, a play on the title of one of our textbooks (Formal Expressions for Japanese Interaction). Indeed, we learned how to swear! While I don' t plan on using these expressions myself, I'm happy to be able to understand them if anyone uses them in my vacinity. The afternoon consisted of errands including the post office, ward office, and the grocery store. There are three grocery stores near our apartment, but the biggest one is Inageya, about a half mile away. The Yokohamaya has slightly better prices on veggies, but they don't have much selection in other goods, and My Basket is only two blocks away, but is relatively small so we mostly go there for quick pick ups. Above is the store, located on the first floor of a large apartment building. A yakitori cart (grilled chicken) is usually parked out front, and a small post box is at the left foreground.

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Above is the produce section, below some cabbage, lotus root, daikon and carrots.
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Eggplant and goya.
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Our basket just before bagging in eco bags.

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Sengakuji 泉岳寺

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After another presentation practice session this morning, some friends and I set out for Tokyo with the goal of exploring Sengakuji.

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The temple, founded in 1612, was tucked into a hillside in the middle of the city. Above is the temple gate and main courtyard, below is the gate from the interior.

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Near the Hondo (main hall) was a vending machine for incense.

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Aaron lighting incense with the accompanying lighter, complete with a lotus blossom atop the flame.

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Ti infront of the Hondo.

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The bronze statue of Sawaki Kodo Roshi, a 20th century Zen master.

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The true reason for visiting Sengakuji was to see the graves of the 47 ronin.

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The story of the 47 ronin is told in the Chushingura, one of Japan's best known works of literature. Below is the grave of Asano, the feudal lord whose death was avenged by his loyal retainers, the 47 ronin (for a synopsis click here).

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Next to Asano's grave are the graves of the 47 ronin, buried here in 1703.

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The graves in the foreground, Tokyo cityscape in the background.

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A Kannon sculpture near the back of the gravesites.

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The 47 ronin are immortalized as Hello Kitty cell phone straps! Amazingly, there are actually 47 different versions of kitty dressed in different costumes.

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Aaron, Michael and Sara taking a refreshment break before heading back to Yokohama where a few of us spent the early evening at the More's department store roof top beer garden.

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