2014-05-31

"The Guide Rouge Recommends" again ⑥ !

by Chis.

Blakiston's fish owl is very popular in Hokkaido but I've never seen the one in nature so far.
They are considered as sylvan deities by indigenous people in Hokkaido, Ainu.
This lady is holding her child inside her coat. The title was "Mother and her kid."
Waterworks could be seen between the original building of Hotel TSURUGA and the annex TSURUGA Wings.
The vertical lines of water led us to the world of deities absolutely different from that in the main island of Japan. The sounds made by the small waterfall soothed our nerves and made us forget  the house chores and the conflicts in the business world.  
A couple of wings were beside the water lines. I could imagine the sound of powerful flaps heading to the blue sky.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
The wings were heading to the different directions in the foyer-like space between the building.
Some kinds of art works were exhibited on the wall of the isle and lighted-up.
The photos of beautiful mountains in Akan are could be seen as well.
The annex building had a deck on the third floor where the guests could feel the winds after enjoying the bathing.

To be continued.

"The Guide Rouge Recommends" again ⑤ !

by Chis.

I  stopped by this sculpture of an owl for a while.  What do you feel from the powerful flap of the owl ?

This Blakiston's fish owl grabbed my heart and the title was 「獲」 which means "hunt" in Japanese.
It seemed that the owl had already caught a salmon.
Is this a girl with a coat ?
Please do not think but just feel the wind she is feeling.
Two females seem to split their way but they are still connected by something.
Mother and her kid ?
I felt a plenty of love and comfort in this sculpture.
A female with a hat seemed to be blown by the chilly breeze in the garden of deities, "Kamui Mintara" in the language of indigenous people in Hokkaido, Ainu.
Loneliness in a journey that will never stop ?
The wind is blowing from Akan area of Hokkaido where the deities are romping around..
The title is the same as the one posted above but this is much more realistic.
Raising kids is the theme of Japan including Hokkaido. Matching party should be held more and more particularly in the rural area of Hokkaido !

2014-05-29

Alien ?


by Kazu

Have you ever seen and eaten this creature ?
This is a mantis shrimp, squilla or Oratosquilla oratoria landed on the Port Atsuta where I visited .

Its arms give the fatal attack to the aqua creatures like the scythe of the Grim Reaper.
These reverse scythes can break the sheet glass of small aquarium with the single punch. These arms are folded compactly under its head shell.
I was wondering where is the cerebral part of this shrimp. Only one mantis shrimp can eat up all the fish in the aquarium.
Female mantis shrimps have crisp roe at the center of their belly. I ordered five males and five females but the kind wife of a fisherman added three or four more small ones.
This is the fight of mantis shrimps to survive and stand out from the crowd.
My wife and I prefer much bigger mantis shrimps fried with bread in Thailand or Hong Kong but it was the season of this shell fish.
Please visit Atsuta Area of Ishikari City on the west coast of Hokkaido;)

2014-05-28

Atsuta Area of Ishikari City !


 by Kazu

It was a beautiful day filled with sunshine and the smell of early summer.
I visited Atsuta Area of Ishikari City , former Atsuta Village on my business jaunt.
 After finishing the interview with the secretary general of a certain non-profit organization that worked for public benefit.
I was recommended to pay a visit to seafood shop ran by a fisherman.
I will post the seafood I bought there next time.
The west coast line of Hokkaido Island has many attractive places to visit and see. I could not see the fisherman's boat on the sea but they must have started their operation very early in the morning.  
The hillside beside the road was colored with field mustard or canola. The wind brought the nice aroma to the drivers on the road and inspired so much.
I felt the wind of early summer for the first time this year;)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

2014-05-27

"The Guide Rouge Recommends" again ④ !


by Chis.

This sculpture of an owl has the pattern like crests on its body and wings.
Is it completely symmetry ?
The motif is absolutely "Ezo Shima Fukurou", striped huge owl in Hokkaido but the pattern on the surface is like the crest that shows which family the person who wears the crest belongs to.  
This owl is different from the striped huge owl in Hokkaido and like the smaller owl "Mimizuku".
Two girls seem to be praying for something in the wind.
Every sculpture of female with hair blown by wind might be show the deity of wind, RERA in the language of the indigenous people in Hokkaido, Ainu.
Can you see the freedom of females in these sculptures ?
Praying for the family and feeling the voice of deities may be the role given to the females.
This lady seems to be wear the typical traditional attire of Ainu and the features are like that of Ainu like Caucasian.
Were you impressed by these sculptures ?  

2014-05-26

"The Guide Rouge Recommends" again ③ !


by Chis.

Based on the description on the board, all the wood-carvings were made by Mr. Masamitsu Takiguchi.
The foyer of the hotel was used as the gallery of his works.
Mr. Takiguchi was born in Manchuria in 1941. At the age of three, he lost his hearings when he suffered from the high fever brought by pneumonia.
He graduated from Tokyo University of Education affiliated by Hearing Impaired High School.
He received the Lipreading Award from Tokyo University of Education Professor Emeritus, Dr. Shinichiro Tomonaga.  
Since the age of 28, he took up residence in the Lake Akan Area and he devoted himself to wood engraving. His private exhibitions have been held in cities such us Kushiro, Sapporo, Chiva and Tokyo.
He has donated his wooden relief works to Akanko elementary School, Kushiro City Museum and Lake Akan Visitor Center.
He bore many works titled "A female in northern Country".
This is one of them.

Inspired by the deities and the nature of Akan area, his works impressed me as the works of winds.
"Hat" is the title of this wood-carving.
I felt the freedom of deities romping around the mountains and lakes in Akan area.
What do you feel from these engravings ?

To be continued.

2014-05-25

"The Guide Rouge Recommends" again ②!


by Chis.

We were heading to the spa in the original building of Hotel Tsuruga that has the Lake-View Roof Spa Garden on the top.
I would like to know how much money the resort group spent on the wood-carvings to play upthe culture and atmosphere of the indigenous people of Hokkaido Ainu.
The design of water flows brought us comfort with minus ion.
All the settings were designed to ease the pain brought by the cutting-throat, dog-eat-dog business world.  
The withered wood had aged in the water of the lake for years and is currently exhibited as an object in the display.
This display seemed to be an altar in the cave to worship the deities in Hokkaido.
The souvenir shops were filled with the crafts made by the indigenous people Ainu. Original key-holders made for the guests of Tsuruga Resort.
"Korobockle" is a kind of fairy in the myth of Ainu people. They are considered one of the deities in Hokkaido shaped like small people with Ainu's attire.
These are the typical key-holder with wood-carving of Ainu dolls.
It can be said that these are the symbol of Akan National Park Area including Lake Akan. Yes, these are Marimo
(Cladophora ball, Lake ball, Moss Ball). They float up in daytime and sink in the evening in the lake.

To be continued.