Thomas lays down a solo

Make the summer solstice($B2F;j(Jgeshi) meaningful

Though the vernal and autumnal equinoxes have been designated national holidays in Japan(it is around these days that it is custumary to visit and clean the family graves),the winter and especially the summer solstices usually go by without any notice. Those with this year's Japanese calender might notice the characters 夏至(geshi,The summer solstice)on the square marking June 21st,　and that is about it.This contrasts sharply with the countries of Europe(especially the northern ones), which host a variety of festivals and ceremonies marking the day with the longest daylight hours of the year. This situation seems curious indeed for a country and a nation which pays such close attention to the flow of the seasons and the progression of natural phenomena.
One reason for this might be that the GESHI falls smack in the middle of the rainy season(梅雨,tsuyu),and is marred almost every year by gloomy ,overcast weather. In fact, though there is almost a five hour difference in the length of daytime between the GESHI and the 冬至(touji,winter solstice) in the Tsukuba area,the sun SHINES unobscured for many more hours on average on the shortest day of the year!
There is now a way,however, to make your summer solstice MEANINGFUL, and certainly more fun than it has ever been for you in Japan before. For several years a movement has been growing which promotes the turning the summer solstice into CANDLE NIGHT. As a way to promote energy conservation and environmental awareness, people around the world are asked to refrain from using electricity between 8 and 10pm.There are many ways life can be enjoyed with The Tokoyo Electic Power Company.You should try it!
For more information and plenty of ideas check out :
www.candle-night.org/english/
Of course you should conserve energy EVERY DAY ! This festive way of living without electricity for a view hours is a good place to start, especially for giving awareness to kids.
Have a happy 夏至.Enjoy the daylight! IT ONLY GETS SHORTER FROM TOMORROW!

Talking about no electricity,I remember being in one of Tsukuba University`s
buidings,six floors,with lights,refrigerators and computers usually on in every room.
That day there was an electricity check and suddenly all the
juice was turned off. The effect of all the white noise, being abruptly removed was rivetting.
it was like entering another dimension.it makes you think
about how our eardrums and bodies in general are continually subject to immersion in electrical
environments,whatever that might be.

Avi Landau

Tsukuba`s Distinctive Summer Smell

It might hit you while you are out for a stroll or riding in a car with the window rolled down. It might come upon you during the day or even more so at night. It is a thick, damp and sultry smell — for the Japanese it often suggests the erotic– it is the musky perfume of chestnut blossoms (kuri no hana), and in Tsukuba in June there is no avoiding it. This is because Ibaraki Prefecture is the number one chestnut producer in Japan.It seems as if almost every undeveloped lot, if it is not planted with turf grass, has a chestnut grove on it! One reason for this preponderance is that farmers who want to keep their land cultivated for tax purposes (agricultural land is taxed at a different rate) find that kuri batake (chestnut groves) require less maintenance than other potential crops.
The chestnut flowers themselves are just as strange as their smell. They look like feathery, white, pipe-cleaners, which will eventually turn brown and wither before the chestnuts ripen in autumn. Ibaraki's kuri (栗) are large and extremely tasty. They are eaten in many ways, but most commonly as chestnut rice (kuri gohan).
By the way, chestnut cultivation does not have a very long history in this area as it was always too cold to grow them. My neighbor, who now has a couple of hundred trees, told me that in his grandparent's day, they would go to mountainous areas in winter to gather the fallen leaves of mountain kuri (yamaguri)which were to be used as fertilizer or for heating. While doing this they would sometimes rake up a chestnut which had been buried away by crows.However, any attempt to introduce the chestnut vairieties cultivated in warmer parts of Japan ended in failure due to frost.
With plenty of perseverence farmers were able to breed the hardy mountain chestnut, which was resistant to this prefecture's colder climate, eventually making it possible for Ibaraki to become the number one producer of kuri.
Now you will know what it is when it hits your nose. It's the kuri no hana. And in the future, whenever you catch a whiff of its distinctive scent, one thought will pop into your head — SUMMER IN TSUKUBA.

The TenGooz are practicing and recording. Thomas and I will be in studio to work on CHATTER. The scent of chestnut in the air will surely give us inspiration!

Tsukuba`s Distinctive Summer smell

The TenGooz Hard at Practice

No Miss Guitars at East of Eden

Lots of MUSIC

June 7th was a great day for the TenGooz!We celebrated Michael`s birthday with a big barbcue party and then went on to do a gig at Hot Stuff in Tsukuba.All in all it was an extremely festive day.
Thomas Mayers played his first real TenGooz gig with us and he certainly passed his trial by fire with flying colors, sometimes eliciting spontanious squeals and shouts from the female members
of the audience with his CRAZED guitar playing.

Wednesday was practice.We have alot of work to do return to the level we used to be at. We have to expand our set list (I know you all rememberur 50 song no intermission marathons of the past ) and work on our dynamics (changes of volume) .

Michael, Thomas and I recieved some inspiration on Thursday night. We had been planning on recording, and I had thought everything was set for Thursday.I guess Takumi (our engineer) heard my Thursday as SAZDAY, which is easilly confused by Japanese with SADADAY or Saturday, and when we arrived we found out that we had arrived two days too early.

Everyday has its little miracles, however, and what looked like a wasted evening turned out to be an eye-opening musical encounter as we decided to head for East Of Eden, one of our old haunts. Though it was a weekday there was a gig on that night-a dou from Kyushu who call themselves No Miss Guitars. Their mastery of their instruments, interesting compostions and lyrics and passionate love for what they do simply riveted us, as well as the rest of the small audience. They really showed us that we need to get to work, especially on our dynamics.
I hope that that eye-opening show has a big impact on the next TenGooz LIVE

See you then and there

Avi Landau

A trip to Sawara, and lots of TenGooz practice

Sawara,in Chiba Prefecture is always a great place to visit, with its old shops, willow lined river, sake breweries and Katori Grand Shrine.The first week in June is always extra-special as the irises are in bloom.
We drove to the aquatic plant park, a few kilometers from the old town and were disappointed to find that only a small portion of the flowers were blossoming. We could still enjoy watching a traditional, pole-propelled boat loaded with musicians, cranking out the Sawara-Bayashi,which is the towns festival music.
We have started some serious rehearsing and were together until 11pm last night getting ready for this Saturdays Gig. Thomas Mayers will be playing with us and he has been putting in extra effort learning all our old material.

Hope to see you there this weekend

Avi Landau

Irises in Sawara

Sawara-Bayashi Musicians

The View From Behind

Putting oneself through physical and/or mental hardship as a way of achieving spiritual growth has long been associated with Buddhism in Japan.
That was why ,when I arrived at The National Museum in Ueno on a sweltering spring morning, I did not find it inappropriate to have to wait outside in the sun for 90 minutes to get in to see the current exhibition - The Treasures of Yakushi-Ji Temple.
Of course, upon first catching site of the impossibly long line, a winding python made up of thousands of senior citizens, I thought about heading for less crowded quarters.But I had had my heart strongly set on seeing this exhibition before it closed on June 8th, and anyway had certainly been made to wait even longer at this very museum many times before.It had almost always been worth it.

I imagined that most of the Buddhist art enthusiasts patiently waiting in line with me had already been to Nara and visited Yakushiji itself.I also came to the realization that if I had gotten on the shinkansen it would not take very much longer to reach the temple than it would to finally reach the entrance of the museum (though it would have been a BIT more expensive).
What the large crowds had been gathering for, every day for weeks already, was a look from behind. A look at the back sides of 3 great Buddhist images whose backs are usually covered by ornate, body length, gilded halos or auras.For this exhibition, these figures, most famously the bronze Bodhisatvas Nikko and Gakko, were separated from their back stand halos allowing their elegantly molded posteriors to be gazed upon by anyone with a ticket and tough enough to endure the lines.

In addition to this rare chance to PEEK BEHIND THE SCENES, the exhibition featured reasures which were never all displayed at once.

Each visitor seemed to be in heat enduced daze by the time they reached the over-airconditioned exhibition hall. Then things got difficult.
All the pent up energy and bridled excitement seemed to burst forth in my elderly fellow museum-goers and it took strength and cunning to jockey myself into a position in we I could see any of the works on display.

This might sound like a nightmare, or a Buddhist version of hell, but it was in fact fascinating and highly rewarding in many ways. For me observing the visitors and overhearing their comments was what probably sticks in my mind most. Since this was an exhibition of Buddhist works, and not just ART,it seemed to me that most of the visitors were trying their best to have a spiritual experience.their GAZE was special, like that reserved for cherry blossom viewing or funerals. A typical exclamation that I heard was among the crowds viewing the 3 meter tall Boddhisatvas was. They really DO make me feel calm. (yappari miru to iyashi ni naru).

In terms of the works on display themselves, I was more impressed (in terms of beauty) by the three small figures(39cm) of the Hachiman Triad. I prefer them because they are carved
from wood and I have always felt that the Japanese sculptors often showed great genius when working in wood.When such skillfully carved pieces are aged more that a thousand years, the effect is mysterious and mesmerizing.
It is also of interest to note how Shinto Gods were early adopted into Buddhism, with Hachiman having early on becoming a protector of the New, imported faith.
I can go ON and ON about each piece I saw. By why should you waste your time reading when you still have a few more days to see and experience for yourself.

I left the museum and its bookstore with a heavy bag and feet and a light head and wallet. I really did feel serene reviewing what I had just seen in the excellent catalogue of the show.

Dont let the lines deter you. I guess that in the west we only have the notion of growth through hardship-you know NO PAIN, NO GAIN.

The exhibition will be on until June 8
at the National Museum in Ueno

Avi Landau

Nikko and Gakko

A View From Behind

A-Chan on Drums

Back In Business!

Im happy to anounce that The TenGooz are back in business!
Michael is back from the PI and finally, after our longest hiatus EVER we in the studio recording on Thursday night and then again, rehearsing and working on new material last night. Hase G is exploding with new ideas and I also had an idea which we played around with.
After practice Michael, Thomas and I head off for a major night cap at Findlagen,Tsukuba`s best whiskey bar. Michael and I might have overdone it, sampling the tea-ceremony-master-like
barman`s superb collection of Whiskeys, Scotches and Bourbons.
Thomas, unfortunately with car, had to suffice with Ginger Ale. The joint was jumpin' and TenGooz fans were there in abundance.

The recording of CHATTER will continue next week. As Ive said this song will be strongly political, my cry out againt the ravages of 8 years of Bush adminstration on the state of human rights,human dignity, and culture in general.

First lines

There tryin` to go through all our Chatter
NSA computers siftin` through the data
email and phone calls are all fair game
and we`ve gotta show ID just to get on the train

There trying` to go through all our CHATTER
nightime helicopters flyin` pitter-patter
the ones theyve been hunting are still at large
while thousands are held without being charged

Im no longer sold
these days when Im told
that we`re living in the land of the free.......

Avi Landau

Ibaraki's Poppies

Where Have All The Flowers Gone?!Problem POPS up at Shimotsuma Poppy festival!

Its a fun-filled and very colorful event held every year on June 1st at the Shimotsuma Flower Park, just to the North-West of Tsukuba City.The hundreds of thousands of poppies which spring up each spring along the Kokai River(小貝川,kokaigawa) are literally free for the pickin, as families, couples, and any anyone else who would like to, can help themselves to as many flowers as they care for.

If ,like me, you were planning to go this year, you are in for a big disappointment!Im sorry to have to break the news. ALL the poppies have been MOWED DOWN AND BURNED!
Apparently someone noticed a preponderance of violet colored poppies when they are usually mostly red,white and pink.Experts were consulted, specimens examined ,and to everyones surprise it was determined that the banks of the kokai river was covered with hundreds of
thousands of OPIUM POPPIES ,which as you can imagine are highly illegal. Authorities were at a loss what to do, and in the end just went ahead with the simplest solution -they destroyed
the whole lot -legal poppies and all.
As of now the police think the incident was the result of an accidental seed mix-up,but of course they are still looking into the matter. Hopefully next year we can enjoy picking the poppies(雛罌粟,hinageshi) once again.

There are several ways that poppies can be referred to in Japanese: The easiest to remember is simply popi (ポピー). The non-narcotic type of poppy which is usually enjoyed in spring is thehinageshi(雛罌粟). From chinese literature there is the term gubijinsou (虞美人草), which is also the title of a novel by the novelist Natume Soseki.

The Japanese also use two words derived from European languages to refer to poppies-
amapora(アマポーラ) from　the Spanish and kokuriko(コクリコ）from the French.

The poetess Yosano Akiko(1878-1942) has left us this poem-

ああ皐月仏蘭西の野は火の色す君もコクリコわれもコクりこ。

AA satsuki furansu no no wa hi no iro su kimi mo kokuriko ware mo kokuriko

Aah! the fields of France in May, the color of a flame!
Both you and I - poppies!

Avi Landau

Peony

Stop and Smell the Roses

Stop and Smell the Roses(and other flower royalty)

My friends and I had long been planning and looking forward to visiting the Tsukuba Botan-En(つくば牡丹園), the nationally renowned peony garden located in Kukizaki own.Unfortunately,
the weather kept putting us off. One day in early May,we actually drove out to it and walked up to the front gate, but decided that it was too cold and wet of day to spend strolling in a garden (especially with an 800 entrance fee!)

Spring had nearly passed when finally the perfect opportunity arose. A few free hours and weather that was just right. The only worry was - would there be any peonies(牡丹、botan) still in bloom?

This time when we got out of our cars at the gardens parking lot, we stretched our arms out ,taking in the warm fragrant air,then exhaled with satisfied aaahs. Conditions could not have been better. But when we checked the IN BLOSSOM BOARD posted at the front gate we were disappointed to find that only a couple of dozen botan(peonies) were in bloom, all of these being indoors in the COOL HOUSE.

There was no cause for consternation ,however, because the information board also showed that thousands of shakuyaku(芍薬), a smaller type of peony,and hundreds of roses were at their best on that day!

We drawn in by the color and fragrance we could glimpse from out side, we paid our entrance fee and picked up our maps of the grounds. My Japanese friends stamped their stamp books with commemorative seals (just as pilgrims in earlier ages in Japan would have their books
stamped,providing both a unique momento and offical proof that a temple had been visited. A precursor of the kinen shashin or commemorative snapshot).

The cool house is located about 50 meters from the front gate, and inside we were treated to a fine selection of impressive botan, the KING OF ORIENTAL FLOWERS. These large yet delicately petaled flowers were originally introduced to Japan from China in the Nara Period(710-794)as a medicinal plant.
On the continent the peony had not only been important for its pain killing and anti-convulsion powers, but also as a subject of painting and poetry and as a popular decorative motif.
It was actually adopted as national flower of Ching China. They were also very much enjoyed as a garden flower.

In Japan, the peony never achieved such high status as it did in China, but it has certainly thrived here. it was especially popular during the Edo Period(1600-1868)when many new varieties were cultivated.

We spent about 30 minutes in the dimly lit and chilled room. Numerous visitors passed through. In fact,we were interupted as a bus load of tourists from Saitama Prefecture breezed through, cell phones snapping away with their artificial click.

The grounds of the garden are extensive and lie at the foot of the ruins of the local castle.The large trees abound are now fresh with new leaves.There are also ponds, a red bridge and
a rustic deck for viewing the scenery.

The thousands of shakuyaku in bloom now are overwhelming in number and variety. These flowers were also imported from China as medicine(as was tea)and have been given the nickname Prime Minister of flowers. They are also famed for their beauty, which they have come to symbolize.

If you mention botan or shakuyaku to a Japanese, they often will repeat a popular idiom used to describe a beautiful women- Tateba botan, suwareba shakuyaku, aruku sugata wa yuri no hana (standing she is a botan,sitting a shakyaku, when she walks she is a lilly.

Keep in mind the TenGooz song- Almost Out of Time. Stop and appreciate the bounty of nature.
Savor every moment but keep GROUNDED IN GROOVE

Avi Landau

Egret Rookery Under Assault

Egret nesting area

Egret Rookery Threatened!

Whenever I head towards Tsuchiura by car or bus, I always look forward to catching a glimpse of the large flock of egrets(shirasagi,白鷺)which use the small grove of trees on the eastern bank of the Sakura River as their rookery.
Especially in the breeding season(April and May)it is thrilling to see all the frenetic activity of the colony, even if for the briefest moment, as you drive by on the Tsuchiura Gakuen Road(look to the north when you get on the bridge just past the route 6 underpass).
I always worry about this egret grove(sagi no mori) in October, as the launching point for the famous and extremly crowded and noisy Tsuchiura Fireworks Competition is just a couple of hundred meters to the south.

This year I have been concerned since spring, with this year`s breeding season being plagued by exceptionally unfavorable weather for the chicks.There have been week long strings of cold, wet and VERY WINDY days,undoubtably resulting in the death of many young egrets.

To check up on how they were making out I asked a friend to stop and put on the parking lights as I had a longer than usual look at the birds. Much to my consternation, I saw a bulldozer
and construction team working just next to the grove.

These are very shy and sensitive birds and usually flee when they are spotted from a hundred
yards. Unfortunately, I could not go down(I had no time) to inquire as to what is going on. If someone can fill me in please do. Anyway, I will try to find out what is going on.

Havent these beautiful creatures been hounded enough. For centuries they have inspired artists (in Japan and on the continent), painters and choreogrphers, dancers, musicians and laywrights.

With loss of habitat due to development and especially the use of agricultural chemicals, the once UBIQUITOUS sagi no mori are a mere shadow of what they used to be.

Please go check on the birds yourself. but remember they are very sensitive so try to keep your
distance.

Avi Landau

Chez Michael!

Home Cookin'

Chez Michael !

He never ceases to amaze! We have long been aware of Michael Frei`s musical and scientific talents, but last night our eyes (or more correctly, mouths) were opened to a new, hitherto unknown side of our lanky sax player-his love of cooking!
Drummer A-chan and I were treated to a traditional South German meal which Michael hipped up - completely from scratch.

The mood of the evening was prodded a little higher by liberal doses of MOONSHINE, home-made schapps, lovingly prepared by Michael`s father back on the farm in Germany.

We also got to hear Michael new alto sax which he will probably be using for this weeks recording sessions.

If you are interested in Michaels recipes-please contact us.

Grounded in GROOVE

Avi Landau

Doudou gets the crowd up!

Michael is back but misses out on Doudou !

TenGooz` popular sax player Michael Frei is back in
Tsukuba and chomping at the bit to do some recording and
gigging. He was in Okinawa and then The Philippines as part of his
continuing exploration of the world of rice and its cultivation.
Hopefully he will post some pictures of his journeys on these blog
pages along with some stories of adventure.

Michael returned a few days too late to catch Sabar and
djambe legend Doudou N`diaye and his percussion orchestra.
Since long before joining the TenGooz, our saxist has been
deeply involved with African music, having actually lived
and played in west Africa himself and then being part of the
Bang Boys of Germany whose music is highly influenced by
sub-saharan rhythm and harmonies.

It had been a long time since I had shouted out so spontaneously and
with such excitement as I did at the end of Doudou N`diaye Rose
Percussion Orchestra`s first offering last wednesday night.
If the concert had ended right there after just 15 or 20 minutes,
I would have cosidered it one of the greatest musical experiences I had ever had.
Starting out with nine drummers beating out an intro,
the number of percussionists gradually grew as they came out onto the stage
addinng new layers of rythm and exploding with the energy of life.
It just kept building and bulding going beyond 10 in terms of
intensity.

Unfortunately, it was a bit of a let down after that
with the rest of the show never living up to the first 20
minutes.One problem was that it was too loud,numbing really.
Also there was not enough variety of tone color.
Seeing this ensemble doing one or two pieces as part of a festival would be perfect
but 2 hours of them was like an overly long folk-lore show
for tourists with the volume turned up too loud.

Still the first moments were well,well worth being there for,and
I imagined they will remain seered on my soul(and my eardrums!)
for the rest of my life.

Avi Landau

Before a big scene!

On Location at Tsukuba Center

Hi,TenGooz fans!
We are almost ready to start laying down the vocals for our popular in concert, and very political funk song CHATTER. I will keep you posted on our progress. In the meantime, have a look at one of my recent postings on Tsukublog-

On days when the light is just right and there is very little chance of rain, you might get lucky and find a colorful collection of super heroes and monsters battling it out at Tsukuba Center. For many years TV production companies have been using the Lion Pit between The Okura Hotel and The Right-On Building as an unearthly-looking set (which more importantly for the producers is free of charge!) for shooting Sunday morning kids` programs. Like me, you will probably have to ask one of the moms with toddlers who are excitedly watching the proceeding to find out the name of the show they are filming.
Today I watched the cast and crew of the popular channel 10 show Go-On-Ja(ゴオンジャ) which often uses the Tsukuba Center location. It is interesting (especially if you have small kids to bring along) to watch the actors get warmed-up, rehearse and shoot the individual shots, then get half out of costume and enjoy a cigarette break. Sometimes small explosions startle the onlookers who ring the set and are treated very politely (remember, the space is being used for free!)

The professional way Japanese film crews go about their business is impressive to watch and should be eye-opening for those who can only picture the age-old racist parody of a Japanese tv director as shown in the very popular (and perpetuator of old stereotypes) Lost In Tranlation.

For me, the bold poses taken by each character when they identify themselves or challenge each other, is reminiscent of the mudra positions introduced to Japan by Buddhist monks, most otably Saicho and Kukai more than 1000 years ago. This may sound far-fetched, but please look closely at both and you might see the connection.

No-one can predict when there will be filming at The center. But as I said earlier, there is a good chance it will be happening when the weather is favorable.

Lights,Cameras,Action!

Revellers Assembling

Asakusa's Sanja Matsuri at 10am

Small Shop Selling Festival Wear

Sanja Matsuri

There is only one place to be one the 3rd weekend in May for those who love a good RAVE- Asakusa, in the heart of the shita-machi (the old Edo townsmans distict). It is there that the great Sanja Matsuri Festival is held for 3 days and the whole district seems to transform into one big Tengooz concert. The local residents spend 3 drunken, Baccanalian days, dressed in their colorful festival wear (each neighborhood has its own), shake rattle and roll with their portable shrines (omikoshi), which are extremely heavy and a very painful burden to shoulder. Getting in tune with the mesmerizing din created by their groups drummers and flute players the bearers withstand the pain by passionately chanting out Washoi,Washoi, building up a huge sweat and working the mood into a frenzied trance.
This years festivities were a little toned down as the biggest omikoshi were banned this year, apparently because some over enthusiasic Yakuza (gangsters) climbed a top of these sacred carts and showed off their fine tatood buts to the crowd.
I got up early in the morning to get there before the crowd became unmanageable. I watched the different groups gather, get ready and go into action. Things were pretty wild by 10:30 am and were quite raucus by noon.
The rythms, melodies and general spirit of passionate joy will hopefully inspire future TenGooz recordings and LIVES.

Avi landau

The Crowd Waiting For Sonny Rollins

Sonny Rollins Still Rollin` !

Though his legs are getting wobbly and his back bending with nearly 80 years under his belt, Sonny Rollins seemed to transform before our very eyes as he brought his instrument to his lips and began to blow. With his sax almost reaching to the floor, the legendary jazzman shook up the house, giving us samples of a whole range of the sax`s tonal and rythmic possibilities. The band that he has with him for this tour includes african percussion and trombone which gave the opening number a distinctly Tengooz-like sound.
It was good fortune that put me in the 7th row last night at the Tokyo International Forum, as I had been upset that Iwouldnt be able to take advantage of Sonny playing so nearby. But at about 2pm on the day of the show i found out that my meeting at the university had been cancelled. It seemed fated that I hop on TX and try to get a ticket. Amazingly I got what was nearly the best seat in the house.

I have to say that it was a bit tedious to sit through some a the other band members solos (after last night I really appreciate Kenya`s amazing trombone sound and his stage presence) but sonny really gave it his ALL and treated the huge crowd which ranged from young adults to extreme seniors to as much of his soloing as we could have imagined.

It was a truly satisfying evening of music.

Avi Landau

A boy poses on Tango no Sekku

Mio up in Arms!

Putting on YOROI at an old samurai residence

Up In Arms! Wearing Samurai Armour In Sakura,Chiba

Childrens Day(kodomo no hi) has come and gone. We celebrated the festival to the fullest, eating chimaki and kashiwamochi and displaying our go-gatsu ningyo dolls and carp streamers ( see my last entry for details).

What made our holiday extra-special, though, was a day trip to Sakura（佐倉）, a small city about 90 minutes from Tsukuba by car, in Chiba prefecture. I always like to going there for its excellent National History Museum, which I can never get enough of, and its serene, season displaying park on the site of its castle ruins.On Tango no Sekku,however, there is always a special event held which is to good to pass up.

In Sakura there are 3 excellently preserved samurai residences (buke yashiki) each of different design and dimension, to match the previous owners rank in the strict warrior hierarchy of the Edo Period.

On may fifth, there is an event in which traditional soup is served and anyone who would like to can be dressed up in traditional armour (yoroi).

It is not a very well publicized event and only about 30 lucky people showed up on that day.

The atmoshere was truly festive and the staff very kind,helpful and patient.

We also recieved free polaroid snapshots (I didnt know those were still around!) of ourselves dressed in full samurai regalia!

It was also interesting to see the old Sakura High school building, which is an amazing early showa edifice. The baseball super-legend Nagashima attended that school.

Nearby we could also stop by for some bird-watching at Lake Inba (Inba Numa).

I know you werent there this time, but you should try to make it next year!

Avi Landau

Tango no Sekku at Avi's house

Miniature koi

Iris and mugwort(菖蒲と蓬)on roof

Doll,chimaki and kashiwamochi

The Transformation over the ages of Tango no Sekku

When looking into the origins of various elements of Japanese culture, one often finds dual or multiple roots. Even beginning students of Japanese language must deal with these many faces
when they first learn that there are two or more ways of reading kanji characters. There are even two ways of counting, the more purely Japanese way- hitotsu, futatsu, mitsu... and then the one based on the Chinese, ichi, ni, san.
It is especially interesting to keep this in mind when discussing Japan`s calendar of traditional annual events. This month`s standout special day is Childrens Day (子供の日, kodomo no hi) which has come to involve a fantastic array of festive decorations and foods. Most noticably, there are the carp streamers (鯉のぼり), which can be seen proudly flapping in the wind ( in this part of Japan,we are lucky to be able to see especially large and elaborate ones) or displayed at shops and shrines. Inside peoples homes, or at restaurants and hotels we can see the armor or warrior dolls (Go-gatsu ningyo) which have been put on display. Now less commonly you can see iris (菖蒲, shobu) stems on sale for use in the bath and even more rarely in this part of Japan (though I saw it yesterday), placed on rooves, along with some mugwort (蓬,yomogi). At wagashi (Japanese sweet shops) and convenience stores, kashiwamochi and chimaki are on sale, as the special sweets of the season.
What does all this have to do with Childrens Day?
First let me say something about Japanese festive days in general. Certain days were recognized by the ancient Chinese as being pivotal seasonal markers. These came to be known as sekku (節句) when adopted by the Japanese. To mark the seasonal changes, each sekku involved eating certain foods and displaying certain decorations. In those times the significance of these was usually one of keeping away bad luck or ritual protection.
The major sekku which are still widely celebrated in Japan are: January 7, Nanakusa (seven herbs) no Sekku, March 3, Momo(peach) no Sekku, May 5, Tango no Sekku, or Shobu(iris) no Sekku, July 7,Tanabata, and September 9, Kiku(chrysanthemum) no Sekku.
It now being May, this month`s festive day is of course, Tango no Sekku, which is now known as the national holiday, Childrens Day.
However, since this day has been recognized as being special in ancient times, there have been many meanings connected to it which have changed over the generations.

If you ask a Japanese friend about the significance of Chidrens Day, they will explain that it is a day to celebrate boys and for families with boys to pray for their healthy growth and success. This goes in tandem with March`s Momo no Sekku which is a celebration of girls. They will also explain that carp streamers symbolize strength and perseverence.
The story of Tango no Sekku, however, is much more complicated than this and its history and the origin of its customs are now unfamiliar even to most Japanese.
In ancient Japan (and still today), this is the season for planting rice. To pray for abundant crops and fertility in general and remove impurities from the village young women (早乙女,saotome) would spend a day isolated in a special womens huts called onna no ie(女の家). This hut would be covered with irises and mugwort, which in ancient china were believed to have purifying powers (because of their strong smells).
In the Nara Period(710-794), the Japanese would decorate themselves with garlands of iris and later in the Heian Period it was common (and still is) to decorate homes with these protective plants. At this time tall poles would also be set up by rice fields to welcome the God of Fertility.
Later when Japan came under military rule, the Japanese word for iris, shobu, came to held significant for its homonym, 尚武, shobu, which means reverence for martial arts. Thus, the iris remained a mainstay of Tango no Sekku throughout the generations and many Japanese still use it in their baths on this day for driving away evil and fortifying the body.
It was during the years of military rule that Tango no Sekku came to be associated with boys. One possible explanation for this can be that it had originally been a day to isolate women, and that left the boys to be celebrated!

Kashiwamochi is a pounded rice cake wrapped in the leaf of a Japanese oak. Eating this sweet in this season is an original Japanese custom and signifies the connection between generations, as these trees dont lose their leaves until fresh leaves appear!

Eating chimaki, a conically shapped paste wrapped tighty in leaves, is a custom which originates in China. May 5th in China, is the memorial day of the great warrior 屈原kutsugen, who was famed for his loyalty. On the 5th day of the 5th month men would throw offerings into rivers (he drowned in one) in his honor. At one point, many men at different locations dreamed that it would be better to wrapp these offerings in purifying leaves. This became standard practice, and is now common today in Japan.

Raising carp streamers probably is a continuation of the native practice of setting up poles near the rice fields to welcome the rice god. Since Tango no Sekku came to be a day of celebrating boys, Japanese in the Edo Period (1600-1868) adopted the carp, as a symbol of success. This is because of the ancient Chinese story of the carp struggling upriver and transforming into a dragon.

This custom spread throughout Japan and can especially be enjoyed in Ibaraki where farmers often display fantastic and very expensive koi nobori sets to celebrate their male offspring.
For those who live in smaller abodes there are appropriately sized streamers and even tiny origami or cloth carp.

Finally, there are the dolls and armour which are displayed. Grandparents often spend thousands of dollars on a display for their grandsons, though if you want some dolls for yourself you can get the same exact dolls for a song at second hand shops (since many Japanese would not buy or are even afraid of used dolls!) . These dolls became popular in the late Edo Period as emulating the Samurai class was all the rage for the merchants and then farmers. These dolls and armour are displayed to pray for boys success and health and can be found in a myriad of forms.

There are many other, more obscure decoration for this season, but I have written too much already, so go search then out for yourselves.
Happy Children`s Day!

Decorations for Childrens Day(Tango no Sekku)

Ten days later

Before I went to NY

Cherry Blossom viewing in old Edo

From Cherry Blossom Showers to Waterworld

April is surely the time of greatest change, both social and environmental, here in Japan. There are school and company entrance ceremonies and friends might suddenly disappear as they are tranferred to another branch office. The dull winter landscape gives way to a succession of blossoms, most famously the sakura, or cherry blossoms. The dramatic changes that take place at this time of year were more evident than usual to me, since I was away in New York for 10 days.
On my way to the airport the ground was covered with a delicate pink carpet of sakura petals and gusts of wind brought down the remaining petals in bursts of flower shower. When I returned, it was as if I had come to a different country, looking out of the airplane window, I saw a veritable water-world of flooded rice fields glistening in the sun. Driving back to Tsukuba the azalea (tsutsuji) lined the road and extravagant carp-streamers (koi nobori) flapped about in the yards of house-holds celebrating their male off-spring.
Now as a re-acclimatize to Japan-time, the farmers are busy transplanting the rice seedlings in the flooded fields, that being the original reason for having the many holidays which make up Golden Week.
At night I was glad to hear a familiar sound, the thunderous chorus of frogs which inhabit the paddy fields around my house, it gets so noisy that sometimes I can't have a phone conversation.
The fact that cherry blossoms bloom just before rice transplanting begins is one of the reasons for its great importance in Japanese culture.
One theory for the etymology of the word sakura is- where the God of the fields dwell. It was believed that the god manifested itself in spring to make agriculture possible, and that is why farmers have cherry blossom viewing parties-to honor the Gods!
Of course another reason for the Cherry-Viewing parties is that the Emperor Saga was fond of them, and the Japanese have always strived to emulate the ways of the Heian aristocrats.

Chimes used in Rain Falls...

Chimes used in Rain Falls...

Rain Falls... is The TenGooz latest release and will surprise many of our long time fans in many ways. The song is built around Hase G`s haunting bass phrases and the melody line for the A pattern came to me on my first hearing. The chorus melody evolved after many practice sessions. I first imagined the lyrics to be about the suffering of the water birds caught in the nets put up by the lotus root farmers around lake Kasumigauara, Tsuchiura City, and had a working title Puppets on a String.
The songs lyrics were changed (forever maybe) as we got involved with the Ki No Ballad project which was a multi-media production based on a concept by artist Elizabeth Robless.

Since Tsukuba`s great songstress Jenny would be singing in the show and needed appropiate material, we decided to adapt the lyrics to fit the shows themes.
The present poem came to me at one shot, though some changes were being made, while first teaching the melody to Jenny at Elizbeths studio late one night.

On the recording, of course we have Jenny. Another point of departure for the TenGooz was the input of artist musician Thomas Mayer who put down all of the guitars and helped with the other effects.

Many listeners have commented on the densness of the arrangement (some finding it too busy).
One of the additions to the sound was a set of chimes from my collection of ethnic instruments. We also used them on stage for the live versions. Here is a picture of them as they hang outside my window.

Give the song a listen and tell us what you think.

www.jamendo.com/en/album/22590

Avi Landau

TenGooz scattered for spring!

In the middle of very fruitful recording sessions the TenGooz have temporarily dispersed as Michael is in Okinawa for research and Avi(me) is in New York for 10 days.

Here in The Big Apple spring is in full swing and flowers and blossoms are exploding with color everywhere. I've been exploring little known parts of The City, especially the outer burroughs (New york City has 5 burroughs: Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, The Bronx and Staten Island). Bird-watching in Jamaica Bay, Queens, cherry blossom viewing with the various hassidic sects at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, and relaxing on the spectacular estate at wave hill in the Bronx, overlooking the Hudson River Valley.

We should be back together next week doing some recording.

Rin used in SMILE

Watching You Smile

Two questions I'm often asked about our recent song watching You smile are: Avi, are you satisfied with the vocals?
and:What is that ringing sound that can be heard throughout the song?

Well,let me answer both questions.
First,no.The vocals will be redone and we will probably also do a version with Jenny singing.
next, the instrument used in the song is a rin, a Buddhist bell found at temples and at peoples home altars.
While thinking about the song and its theme of sudden pure inspiration, I had the idea of using such a sound.
I went into the first buddhist altar shop I found and tried out the sonorities of each one they had.
The one i finally selected was the most unusual in shape, and the most expensive!I knew that it was just right for the song, so i just took out the money and smiled!
We also used it to good effect at the ballad in Wood Show to which we created the music.

Avi Landau

Old,peeling E-Ma painting of Kishibojin

Hand-drawn Jizo signs

Kishibojin Shrine

Thomas shows Avi the Kishibojin Shrine

It is sometimes annoying when The Japanese insist on their uniqueness, but you have got to admit that in many ways their is no culture like theirs.
In what other country can you see such excitement built up by the media about the northward progress of cherry blossoms,or in other words, the cherry blossom front. Where else can you find such such enthusiasm and intention in the process of blossom viewing?
Leaving the throng of revellers at the famous local viewing point, Hojo oike, behind,thomas said that he wanted to show me a special place that he had been led to a few years ago by a girl whom he had met by chance on the road and offered to show him a'very beautiful place.
Just a little ways up a narrow and winding mountain road past an old graveyard demarcated by creepy, hand-drawn jizo candleboards, we came to the spot, so perfect on that day, bursting in full-bloom.
The shrine itself was also of great interest, being dedicated to Kishibojin, a goddess who aids in fertility, easy delivery and marital harmony. She also has a very interesting story. The loving mother of a thousand children, she feeds them all off the flesh of other people children whom she kills.
When Sakyamuni, the Buddha, hears of this woman, he decides that he must teach her a lesson, and promptly abducts one of her kids. She becomes frantic and begins a desperate search for her child. After deciding that his point had been made, the Buddha returns her son safely and after sermonizing her realizes that she has come to understand the suffering she has inflicted on other mothers. She has been taught to care about the feelings of others. She is usually depicted holding a pomegranite(zakuro), which is a symbol of fertility because of its abundant seeds.

full bloom

Thomas and Avi Enkatain at Cherry Blossom Festival !

Tsukuba has burst into color, mainly in shades of pink, as the cherry blossom front has swept upon us right on schedule. I had been asked a few weeks earlier if The TenGooz could play at a Festival held at the Hojo Oike, a small pond surrounded by sakura trees.
I could only answer with a `we`ll see', as our appearance seemed to be contingent on our performing an enka song(a genre of sentimental Japanese songs popular with older folks), and I knew that Hase G would be strongly against it. I was right about that,of course, and when I tried to subtly suggest the idea to our bassist, he responded with a firm and emotional-NO WAY!

Thomas lives very near the pond, in an area accessed by ancient roads which have hardly changed since the feudal period. We decided that we would go ahead,just the two of us, and perform the requested song as voice accompanied by acoustic guitar.
We got together on Thursday night(the event was on Saturday) and played through the song a few times, repeatedly listening to the cassette I had been given.

The day of the festival was glorious,in terms of metereorological conditions and it felt great to be alive.

Most of the audeince at the festival were extra grateful for being present on that perfect day, as they were mostly in their 80`s and 90`s. It was quite possible that there was a centenarian or 2 , as well. They certainly seemed glad to be there for another cherry blossom viewing.

The green room (the room in which performers wait before going on-stage)experience at the festival, was also quite unique. We shared it with a troupe of Japanese dancers, singers and toad- oil salesmen.

Thomas and I ended up doing 3 songs and making a quick break for it, in order to avoid the throngs of rabid , autograph seeking seniors. Then, our great day had just begun.....to be continued

Avi Landau

Kashiwa-mochi

Domyoji

Sakura-mochi

To Eat The Leaf Or Not To Eat The Leaf,That Is The Question

Eating sweets sounds like a simple pleasure.And though partaking of wagashi(和菓子),or traditional Japanese snacks ,is certainly enjoyable,it is a far from simple field.
As it is now the cherry blossom viewing season, I stopped by one of the wagashi counters at Seibu and asked for some sakura-mochi(桜餅), cherry rice cakes, which I had thought would be the apropriate sweet for slowly noshing on under the full-blooming trees.
I was surprised however, when the woman behind the counter told me that the season for sakura-mochi had already passed with the month of March.She explained that the wagashi called sakura-mochi was eaten from the Doll Festival on March 3rd (because of its being a pretty pink), up until the end of the month. I confirmed this later by going to all the wagashi shops I knew of in Tsukuba and was told the same story.Sorry,no sakura-mochi.

Sakura-mochi is a flattened piece of pounded rice,dyed pink, which is filled with sweet bean paste, rolled into a crepe, and then partially wrapped with a salted cherry leaf.It was invented by a wagashi shop(Yamamoto-Ya),still located along the banks of the Sumida River, in the early 19th century.They became the craze of old Edo, then spead throughout the country and have become a standard part of spring in Japan.

In the Kansai region(Kyoto,Osaka...)however,cofectioners had their own take on the idea and while still using the salted cherry leaf and sweet beat paste, they used a different type of dough(one in which the individual grains of rice remained recognizable) and gave the cakes a different shape,something very close to a ball. It was also given a different named domyoji(道明寺).

It is domyoji,originally from Kansai, which have become the sweet to enjoy in April, especially during the cherry blossom season. and you might very well be served this tasty little morsel
this month by Japanese friends or colleagues.

If you are fortunate enough for that to occur, the next, inevitable question arises. Do you eat the leaf or not? Well...,the leaf is edible and in my opinion delicious.
However, its a matter of personal taste. In this area most people eat the leaf, though it seems that in Kyoto many people just savor the leafs aroma.

One more point to remember. Do not confuse sakura-mochi or domyoji with the Mays sweet kashiwa-mochi(柏餅). This is a similar sweet-bean filled rice cake wrapped with the leaf of a Japanese oak. It is associated with Childrens Day(May 5), because these leaves do not fall from the tree until the tree starts budding, which for the Japanese symbolizes a harmonious flow from one generation to the next.

When eating Kashiwa-mochi you should DEFINITELY NOT EAT THE LEAF, as it is not edible. There is a story I heard about the Show a Emperor upsertting his stomach by not following that rule(the Emperor it seems should not leave anything on his plate).

Its a beautiful season, so why not go to one of Tsukuba`s wagashi shops and enjoy its special flavors!!!

Avi Landau

Twice in a year chance

Changing of the Gods-Mt Tsukuba`s Onzawari Ceremony

At 877 meters it is not very high or majestic.But for those of us who live on the vast(by Japanese standards, of course!)plain to its south, the slightly crushed M figure of Mt Tsukuba is like a trusty old friend, always reassuring us of where we are and helping us get our bearings when we are lost. Its forested slopes put Japan`s seasons on display while on the flatlands below the greenery has been disappearing at a frightening pace and snow accumulation become almost a most rare occurence.
For the Japanese, Mt Tsukuba has also been a sacred mountain, since time immemorial. Its peaks are where the ancestral Gods of the Japan, Izanagi and Izanami, are enshrined.
The mountain has attracted many holy men over the years and during the Edo Period(1600-1867) a temple was built half-way up its southern slope to protect Edo castle from the unlucky North-Eastern quadrant, and this temple, then Chuzen-Ji, was generously endowed and supported by Japans long-ruling clan,The Tokugawa.
In 1868 Japan underwent revolutionary reforms and the Emperor was restored(again?) to supreme power(in name only, most say). The Meiji goverment also carried out a probably ill-advised(though not as ill advised as some other policies set in those days!) policy of separating Buddhism(a foreign import) from the pure , native belief which came to be called Shinto.
Thus Chuzen-Ji is now Mt Tsukuba Shrine, popular as a place to pray for marital happiness.
The priests of this shrine, together with the assistance of local residents continue to perform the most important of the mountains ancient rituals- Onzagawari(御座替り）which can also be pronounced Ozagawari. This ceremony takes place twice a year, on April and November 1.
The ceremony at first appears to be a typical Japanese Mountain God festival in which the deities are brought down to the fields in spring to bring abundant harvests, and are then escorted back up to their mountain abodes for the winter.
Mt Tsukuba`s spring and autumn rituals seem at first glance to be of this pattern, but there is a twist. Since the ancestral couple are enshrined on its peaks and the shrine half-way up the mountain is dedicated to family harmony, instead of focusing on agriculture the Onzagawari emphasizes love and protection of children.
Yesterday, despite vicious winds, a small omikoshi(portable shrine9 carried the child god up the mountain, where it is cool and high above the sweltering lowlands and the parent gods were carried down to the center of the mountain.
The positions of the parents and child will switch back again in autumn.
The ceremony began early in the morning and continued till late afternoon as carriers bore the omikoshis up and down the mountain(they used the cable car for some of the way!), battling the ferocious and unrelenting gusts.
Maybe the most special thing that a visitor can do on these ceremony days is to cross the sacred bridge(a red, wooden,covered bridge of rare design) which is only open on the first day of April and November.
I know that most of you missed it yesterday, but maybe I will see there in autumn.

Avi Landau

Ancient Stairway

Kokage Shrine

Offerings for abundant cocoons

Ancient Custom Hanging on by a (Silk) Thread

Long before Japan was exporting Toyotas and Sonies,its most important foreign exchange earner was silk. Until about fifty years ago most farmers in the Kanto area supplimented their incomes by raising silk worms. Ten years ago I was still able to find the huts where these plump
caterpillars were grown and the sound of their loud munching on mulberry leaves still rings in my ears whenever I think about the times I came upon them. Now, even the mulberry groves which were a typical part of the Tsukuba landscape have all but disappeared.

Today,March 28th, I braved thunder and lightning to negotiate the steps up to Kokage Shrine and join the priests and 3 older, local gentlemen to give offerings for abundant rice crops and silk production and think back upon the heyday of Japans fling with the worms and their precious cocoons.
Kokage Shrine is yet another Tsukuba superlative. It is the oldest shrine in Japan dedicated exclusively to sericulture and once attracted thousands of worshipers, many from the textile
towns of Nagano and Gunma.
Located in the beautifully rustic Kangori(神郡) district of Tsukuba,the shrine is reached ascending ancient and uneven stone steps through an even more ancient sacred grove. It is said that the sea once reached this site and that an Indian princess who had set sail for Japan was dead upon arrival. Her ship was made of mulberry wood, and the locals imagined that she came from a land of abundant silkworms. They buit a casket for her and filled it with mulberry leaves.
To the right of the shrines main hall ,under an enclosure I found an undated E-ma painting depicting this scene.
I had a chance to chat with the Kanshushis(Shinto priests) as they were setting up the offerings on the altar. They were actually sent by The Tsukuba-San Shrine, as the Kokage Shrine has nearly been forgotten with the pricipitous decline in sericulture in Japan over the past few decades.
Now there are priests at the shrine only 2 days a year, March 28th for the spring offerings, and then November 23rd for the shrines festival. They explained to me how special the silkworms(kaiko) were to the Japanese, as they were the only domestic animal actually raised in peoples homes.They are also the only animals which normally are referred to using an honorific - O Kaiko-Sama, though the local people usual shorten this to O Ko-Sama.
As the time came to commence the ceremony only 3 old men had battled the stairs and settled inside the shrine for the ceremony.
This being a mere shadow of the crowds who would be there in former days.
First,a purification rite was carried out, and then offerings of cocoons, fruit and sacred sakaki leaves were made. O-miki(sake) was then drunk, and commemorative towels given to the few of us present. After the ceremony, we clambered down the steps as the local men reminisced about the shrines glory days.
Now the wooden buidings which would have been used by numerous vendors on this day were virtually falling apart. One man mentioned that a movie had been shot on this staircase, though he could not recall the title. Another man mentioned how just the other day the Emperor and Emperess performed a similar ritual for silkworms, which he had seen broadcast on TV(the Imperial Couple raises rice and silkworms for ritual purposes).
We reached the bottom of the stairway huffing and puffing. We entered the dilapidated old shop which once served the throngs of pilgrims who would flock here. They still sold a special souvenir- Kokage Yokan(beanpaste).
As a breeze entered the shop it gently lifted the paper displaying the price of the yokan. I noticed that for that day they had raised the price by 100 yen, taking advantage of the ceremony. Unfortunately,only 3 locals and I had shown up.
Times change, things change, and this ancient rite is certainly hanging on by a VERY thin thread.
　　

Bitter herbs in this season`s sweet

In Tsukuba, as the days get longer,here and there,slim shafts of greenery begin pushing up out from the snowless,brown, gray and straw-colored winterscape, giving us relieved assurance that once again, spring has come.It is in this time of year that many Japanese can be seen scouring the roadside, field edges or riverbank, as if looking for a lost object.
In fact, they are in search of yomogi(蓬), a wild herb which is gathered to make this season`s sweet - kusamochi(草餅), a distinctly green hued(perfect for St Paddy`s Day!) mochi-rice cake, sometimes filled with anko-sweet bean paste, or covered with kinako-soy bean powder.
Since yomogi(mugwort in English, though that word does NOT sound very appetizing), becomes inediblly tough quite soon after sprouting up, it has to be gathered when still very small ,young and fresh.
(I remember doing this years ago, for the first time, in the field behind the Tsukuba Central Police Station!)The herb is then boiled to make it less bitter, and then mixed into mochi(pounded rice cakes) and molded into small roundish patties.
　　This gives the mochi a slightly bitter and grassy taste.
It is because of this flavor that the custom began in the first place in ancient China,
where bitter grasses were believed to be effective in expelling
impurities and evil spirits. This notion was imported to Japan in the Heian Period(794-1192)
though a different type of herb was the most common ingredient(母子草 hahakogusa or gogyou).
It was only in the Edo Period (1601-1868)the yomogi became the commonly used ingredient.Yomogi is also an important component og the heated acupuncture called moxabustion. This English term derives from the Japanese word mogusa, which is the dried
mugwort used for this traditional medical treatment.
These days kusamochi is also available at most convenient stores in this season and can of course be found at wagashiya(Japanese sweet shops).
I had one today. Why dont you enjoy the season and the tradition and try it for yourself!

Avi Landau

Jenny belts it out