Photographs from a small group of islands
It’s not necessarily unusual to read or hear it reported that a large number of Japanese fathers have, despite living in the same lodgings, a remote at best relationship with their offspring — long working hours and a culture that largely expects the lady of house to care for the kids apparently by far the biggest factors.
A situation that if true is a sorry state of affairs indeed, although like everything one hears or reads, it might not be entirely true.
Maybe.
As a foreigner, just like it is for many Japanese to be fair, visiting Yasukuni Shrine is a little awkward to say the least, the place of worship’s heady mix of patriotism, politics and the past making it controversial all over the continent let alone just in Japan. An area where a vast array of visitors congregate, if sometimes uncomfortably, to pay homage to certain people or indeed postulations. And it’s a situation that’s possibly even more strained on Showa Day, when the pictures below were taken, as its purpose is purportedly to ‘reflect on Japan’s Showa period when recovery was made after turbulent days, and to think of the country’s future’.
So, with all that reflecting going on, there was inevitably no shortage of nationalists knocking about.
Their speaker equipped vans standing by to take them around the capital bellowing out bile to a population that’s mostly mystified rather than mesmerised by their message.
However, along with the right-wingers was a sensationally turned out singer,Â
a snippet of whose singing can be heard here.
Plus, of course, there were plenty of people praying, including those who are paid to,Â
along with plenty more at an age when memories may have more weight than meaning.
And yet among the pensioners were some who appeared almost as out of place as the person taking their picture,Â
and a young girl understandably more interested in Mickey Mouse rather than memorials.
Yet Yasukuni being Yasukuni, a visit couldn’t be complete without the contrast of an old man who appeared unforgiving but yet was friendly,Â
and another whose fury at either my foreignness, or indeed this photo, was phenomenal.
Japanese festivities, whatever their form, always boast phenomenal amounts of food as well as a considerable collection of time-honoured togs and even tattoos. Entertainment on the other hand can vary wildly, all the way from horseback heroics to massive, erm, members. Plus, for those after some recreation as retro as their raiment, there may also be some monkey-based merriment to marvel at.
A practice that fortunately allows the performing primates in their pants to be just as pleased as the people who pay to watch them.
Perhaps.
With this year’s cherry blossom now beginning to bloom, Tokyo’s disciplined deportment will take a brief but well earned break from the weekend, and the city will abound with outdoor boozing, bellowing and bawdiness.
But for now at least, it’s mostly tea and toddler-based tranquility.
Riding around on Tokyo’s trains and taking note of the countenance of many commuters would probably lead one to conclude that the average salary man’s lot largely doesn’t include a lot of laughs.
Those involved in more traditional trades on the other hand are not only more colourfully kitted out,
but seemingly more satisfied.
Even if society may not necessarily see what they do as successful.
Or indeed sartorial.
