Pat's Blog

The Yashima area has taken a business/art initiative to promote artists and artisans in the area with Yashima as the central theme.
The Seto Inland Sea Triennale will be here in the summer, and given the runaway success of the first event in 2010, we expect this one to be even bigger and more popular.
http://setouchi-artfest.jp/en/

I covered it in 2010 for the city’s art pages and wrote it up for some foreign media, and I’m looking forward to the same privilege with my pal Cathy Hirano (Cathy’s blog) http://cathy.ashita-sanuki.jp/e273179.html this year too.
We had a lot of fun in the summer of 2010



The current movement in Yashima is a kind of warm-up event and a group of the residents started projects such as ‘Yashima souvenirs’ all designed with Mt. Yashima & the Inland Sea as direct motifs or the mountain as an abstract theme for many of the articles themselves.



The art goods are all now available in the Kitahama Alley area of the Takamatsu Port.
http://www.kitahama-alley.jp
http://www.city.takamatsu.kagawa.jp/english/sightseeing/eats/kitahama-alley.html
If you check through my past blog 2010/7/29, you’ll find the one on this remarkable old part of town. Now gentrified and at the same time keeping the atmosphere and ambience of the past. It’s a special place in Takamatsu.
http://pat.ashita-sanuki.jp/d2010-07.html


Another group involved with the project is from Kagawa University. They’ll hold coffee shops and concerts for the festival in the summer.



Another feature will be night tours of Yashima, and if you’re travelling to Japan then Takamatsu should be on the itinerary as we’re easy to access by train, plane or ferry from Osaka, or anywhere on Honshu (the main island).
The first Yashima night tour will be held on the 26th of July and there will be three in total.



The tours will run from 5:30~9:00 pm and will cost ￥1,000 which will include and ‘obento’ lunch box and this is a reasonable fee indeed ...
Kagawa University can be contacted on this number for information about these tours.
087-832-1000


So I’ll post a few more pictures here of the Kitahama Alley shops and their display of some of the art works available. At the bottom are two links to help you know where we are and what a great place this is to visit.
http://wikitravel.org/en/Takamatsu
http://www.city.takamatsu.kagawa.jp/english/
See you then and until next month, please stay warm. And remember Spring is coming soon.

  

Of course this is a wonderful age (sigh …) and it makes my heart happy to see the Japanese youth of today in full bloom.





I wish we’d had something like this custom when I was 20. We marked the age as 21 in those days and the only significant thing I remember was getting a cake in the shape of a key. The rather ham-fisted symbolism was of course; friends and I now had the key to life. Not very likely I’m afraid. Oh, and the right to drink alcohol and marry should we so desire.





“May you grow up to be righteous, may you grow up to be true. May you always know the truth and see the lights surrounding you. May you always be courageous, stand upright and be strong. May you stay forever young.” Bob Dylan





In Takamatsu as in every other city, the local government organizes festivities including large ceremonies in halls & auditoriums with speeches by dignitaries to help these young men and women realize they have become adults and I think this is very sensible and a wonderful custom.





The young men & woman dress up to the 9s and above for this event. Some in men’s traditional hakamas, the women almost always in colorful kimonos. Some amazing hairstyles too, for both sexes, it’s quite a sight …





I couldn’t help but notice the drinking in public, which of course is now something they can all do.




I also couldn’t help but notice the empty beer cans outside the high-powered Lamborghinis a couple of them were driving.





The ceremony is over for the year but of course it will be back on the second Monday in January next year should visitors wish to see it.


I wish them all well and every success in the future. I left the ceremony feeling wistful for all things we take for granted in youth. The good health, unbounded energy levels, innocence,

Bob Dylan described it best, so I hope you all stay forever young. I’ll be back with another blog for the city very soon. Until then, stay warm, well, influenza free and see you soon …