The End of an Era.

It has not been a good day. The day began at 5:00AM, being wrenched into consciousness by two alarms. Sarah's flight left at 11:10, about 2 hours ago, and tomorrow I'll be joining her in the sky. After a week of aftershocks, I never want to feel the ground shake beneath my feet ever again. the sensation that, when first felt in February, filled me with excitement and fascination, now does nothing but raises my heart-rate in fear.

The bus trip to the airport was a depressing one. I passed by many parts of Tokyo I had yet to see or explore. It reminded me of things I've fell in love with, and grown accustomed to, that will abruptly stop very soon. Before I came here, I had heard of places like the Ghibli Museum, Akihabara, Nakano, and Shinjuku. I held them all in a sort of Dreamlike unreachable place. They perched there without any real convictions of future travel. They where out of mind, flowing in now and then only to fill a gap in my thoughts. And in a few days, that's where they'll be again, on the fringes of possible travel, too far to be considerable. Being here and experiencing these places, I feel a twinge of regret. I feel like I was preparing to part ways with them since I first came here, but my remaining time spent in these locations has been wrenched from me, victims of circumstance. I think of Akihabara, in all it's lights and sounds. It's so close. I can hop on a train and be at the start of a Geeky adventure. But that ends tomorrow. These places go back to being intangible, shackled once more by distance and financial obligation.

I want to also take this time to honor the Fukushima 50. The plant is withering and circling the drain. The possibility of catastrophic meltdown is ever reaching a peak. the only thing standing in the way of total collapse, is a collection of 50 technicians.

50 nameless, faceless technicians who have chosen to stay at the plant and do everything they can to prevent the total meltdown of the nuclear reactors. These men and women have devoted themselves completely to protecting their home, their families, and the millions of people that hang in the balance.

They will most likely not survive.

It is a sentiment that nearly brings me to tears every time I think of it. These people are giving everything they can for strangers, up until the very end. In times like this we can all learn to be stronger people. I'm going to try as hard as I can to embody that same sense of selflessness, that same sense of courage, in my own life.

Much like Akihabara and the places of my dreams, for many Americans the distance from this disaster makes it seem intangible, and somehow detached from their lives. It is a terrible thing, but it remains on the fringes of one's mind, safe behind a barrier of daily life issues.

Tomorrow I'll be on my way home, and within days, I'm sure I will slip this disaster behind that same barrier. But for right now, I cannot allow myself to do that. I can't drift off to Narita, unaffected by the sorrow, and the death, and the selfless bravery of people in the face of utter hopelessness. I ask that everyone reading this keeps those families and technicians in their thoughts. We all have our own problems, and it's easy to float by events that have no direct effect on our lives, but if nothing else,

I ask that you remember what happened here.

-FINAL POST-
~Zachary Urtes.

The Tsunami and Earthquake.

In light of....er.... recent events, I have held off on the 2nd and 3rd parts of the Kyoto trip for the time being. for the sake of chronology, however, these filler posts will have to suffice.

I'm a little bit jumpier than usual.

I suppose being on the 8th floor of a business hotel during several Aftershocks can have that effect on someone. I'm keeping my cool, and keeping a level head. (For the time being at least.) Me and Sarah have been lying low for the last two or three days. I haven't experienced a blackout yet, and people tell me that it's because the good people of Tokyo are being conservative enough with the power that it is unnecessary. it speaks volumes about Japan that it's people can rise to the occasion when it comes to unifying through these events. The Tsunami and Earthquake where the worst the world has seen in over 150 years.

And I was less than 300 miles from the carnage.

It's hard to imagine just how incredibly destructive the disaster was. The death-toll has reached 10,000, and Japan is forever changed. I don't know how it can pull itself from the ashes, but I trust that it will find a way. Radiation levels in the plants continue to rise, and from time to time the ground continues to shake, like the restless kicks and twitches of a sleeping child after a tantrum. The Government says that Tokyo is not in danger of contamination, but if it gets worse, than you might be seeing me back home sooner than you thought. I don't want to leave. This country has given me so much growth and perspective. I would hate to abandon it when the going gets tough.

All the semantics aside though, safety comes first, end of story. If things go downhill, I'll jump-ship without a second thought. No need to worry about a sense of "honor" endangering my well being. I am going to stick it out for the time being though, as things are fairly safe here in Tokyo. The biggest things I've noticed is that Convenience stores are stripped bare, and I'd wager about a fourth of most public establishments (I.E. Arcades, stores, restaurants) are closed for the time being. Most convenience stores operate with the lights off to conserve power. From the emails I've received, every TUJ student is accounted for, safe and sound, and uninjured.

I have a lot of real world work ahead of me, like building my resume, portfolio, and applications for internships, so for at least the next week and a half, I'll probably be getting that out of the way. I'm going to stay inside as much as possible, wear a face-mask, and for the most part, hunker down and play it safe. I wouldn't worry too much, as I'm not stranded, nor do I intend to be. Keep me in your thoughts, but not your worries! It's too much energy. Trust me, I'm pretty exhausted right about now. I'll try to keep you all informed, and who knows, maybe I'll even finish the Kyoto trip posts! Anyway, I'm safe, Sarah is safe, and right now the situation is fairly stable. I'd crack a joke at about this point in the post, but I think in light of the thousands of lives lost, I will just say best wishes, and I can't wait to see you all soon.
~Zach

Filler Post 3

Filler Post 3

Kyoto Trip Part 3

-To be filled in Later-

Kyoto Trip Part 2

--To be filled in Later--

Western Japan Pt 1: Hiroshima and Miyajima.

This weekend I went on one of the best trips of my entire life.

No I did not eat a pound of hallucinogenic Mushrooms. I went on a trip to west Japan! It was terrific. Up until now all I had was a grasp on Tokyo. This trip has given me a little cross-section of western Japan. I saw loads of things, took hundreds of pictures and dozens of videos. I completely filled my 4 gig memory card. It was the trip of a lifetime. Nothing but non-stop moving, walking, and hopping from city to city. It was an extremely fast-paced trip, seeing as I barely had time to so much as breath before we where somewhere new. But I suppose I'll start at the beginning.

After an ill-advised Alcoholic beverage, I found my way to the bus stop in Tokyo. Ahead of us was an all-night bus. 12 hours to Hiroshima. It was miserable, but thankfully, the seats where pretty sweet. They had their own light shades!

I actually slept fairly well through the whole trip, as most of it is a blur of rest stop hydration and snacks, and sleep. We stumbled out of the bus Thursday morning and took it in. Hiroshima. The surroundings looked pretty much like your normal city. It didn't look all that much different than Tokyo, aside from the charming street cars.

They reminded me of the lightrail back in Baltimore. We took one to a stop near the middle of Hiroshima. We got off, walked around a corner, and there it was, staring us dead in the face.

As if it had ambushed us from behind the street car stop, it came into sobering view. The closest still standing building to the hyper-center of the terrible explosion, the atomic bomb dome, sat somberly on the edge of the memorial Peace Park. We approached it and regrouped. We set off to walk through one of the most powerful museums I've ever visited. This museum was every bit as emotional as the Holocaust museum.

These people, families of men, women, and children, where enjoying their day, when a 15 kiloton explosion changed and ended hundreds of thousands of lives forever. You can talk the “why” until the cows come home. You can say “It was the right thing to do,” or “it was necessary to end the war,” or even “it saved Japanese lives,” I've heard it all.

When your standing in the middle of that park, and viewing the charred remains of lunchboxes and clumps of hair, and the photographs of families burned, uprooted and destroyed by a brutal act of war, none of the Justification bullshit really means anything at all. There is never a “good,” act of war, and there's no such thing as “righteous genocide.” It is true and pure suffering, and of the innocent civilians no less. It wasn't a question of who was in the right and who was in the wrong, it was a simple answer of everyone. Everyone was in the wrong, and this is the proof. It was an incredibly sobering morning.

They had displays of what the hyper-center looked like before the bomb, and after, as well as a panoramic photo of the leveled city. After the Museum we where given a tour of the peace park by various people that where either survivors or lived through the event.





It was incredibly moving, and beautiful. The Abolition of Nuclear Weapons is definitely something I could get behind.

After that it was time for a lunch of Okonomayaki, a staple dish of Hiroshima. Part fried noodle, part seafood, part omelet and all delicious.

We stuffed our faces, and then, after a brief break, made our way back to the rail station where we walked to a ferry in the river. It was a relaxing 40 minute ferry ride to Miyajima, I took a power nap. Being on a boat again felt good. It felt like home. As we finally breached the city limits, and exited the river and entered the bay, an Island much like the scenery from Jurassic Park. It's mountains extended high about and where coated in a thick layer of trees.

From our ferry we could see the Tori in the water. Thankfully, unlike Jurassic Park, the island wasn't full of scaly predators with razor-sharp teeth. No, the inhabitants of Miyajima were a little more... fuzzy.

There where deer ALL OVER THE PLACE. I was so excited. They were very friendly, and would walk right up to you.

I was on a gorgeous Island Paradise, surrounded by wildlife and culture, how could my day possibly get any better?

The Temple of course.

The Shrine at Miyajima was mesmerizing. It was a series of platforms that allowed one to view the distant torii gate from a platform. I got a bunch of great photos.

We stayed at a Ryo-kon and it was excellent.

They brought us all dinner in our rooms, and there was SO MUCH FOOD. They brought out a single tray, which I assumed the four people where sharing. But we ALL got our own tray.

It was delicious. As was breakfast the next morning. After that it was a shuffle to the ferry and then a Shinkansen Ride to Historic Kyoto...

Continued in Part 2.

also there's this.

GENTLEMEN! I GIVE YOU DEER!!!

The Ghibli Museum

Alright, it's about high time for a blog post. last weekend, I have to put honestly,

Rocked ASS!

Last Sunday I did what I had fantasized about doing for so many years. I went to the Ghibli Museum. I was bristling with anticipation. Forget about Dora, Blues Clues or The Wiggles, my kids are growing up on the inspirational genius of Hayao Miyazake. For those of you who don't know, Miyazake is responsible for producing some of my favorite films ever. Castle in the Sky, Mononoke Hime, and Howl's Moving Castle to name a few. These films, while animated, are far from the norm of anime canon. They reach a wider audience than I ever thought possible. With their young aspiring protagonists and fun fantastical characters, they appeal to children as young as preschool. Yet when one matures, so do their understanding of the film. Mononoke Hime is a dark and powerful epic, and Nausicaa Valley of the Winds explores the deep struggles between man and that which we view as dangerous or vile. The Villains are as complex as the protagonists, from Lady Aboshi and her benevolent rule over an industrial village, to the villain in Nausicaa doing whats best for her country. They provoke deep thought, and are among the highest echelon of video entertainment. Even if animation isn't really your thing, I STRONGLY urge all who read this to give one of his films a watch. You will not be disappointed.

So saying I like the work of Studio Ghibli would be the understatement of the century Sunday I went to an entire museum devoted to the magic. So how was it? UNBELIEVABLE!

As me and Benji got dropped off the Ghibli Bus I looked over to see a place that looked almost as whimsical as one of the very films it showcased.

It poked out of the foliage, as if it was just on the edge of the forest, clinging to Tokyo, else it might fall into a world all it's own. As we got closer I took a surveying glance to the top of the Museum and took a gasp. There on the roof, silhouetted by the bright blue sky, was a life size mechanical protector from Laputa, the Castle in the Sky.

It stood above the museum, ever vigilant, guarding the wonderful treasures that lie inside.
We took a quick walk around to the front to see our good friend Totoro at a fake Ticket Booth.
We got in line and I pulled our tickets out of my bag. We handed them to the women at the front and went inside. The interior was breathtaking. Most of it was designed by Miyazaki himself, and it showed. It was lively, and full of secret passageways and little corners for the children to play in.

The first room we entered was very exciting. Flashing lights and different archaic methods of animation lined the walls. It was a room dedicated to how animation worked. They had a display that had clay models of many frames of motion that spun very fast, and with the help of a strobe light, made it seem as though the characters where actually moving. After the delightful tour with the animation dioramas, it was time to explore the upstairs. In this room was the heart and soul of what me and Benji wanted. We were baffled by how many drawings, watercolor sketches and background paintings coated the walls. There was concept art from every major Ghibli Film. It was simply jaw dropping. I have pages upon pages of sketches and can't wait to go back in a month. It had so many figurative studies, and reference material. I could have spent all day in those two rooms. Questions flooded my head, and once again the language barrier prevented me from asking them. We then went and saw one of Miyazaki's short films. They are films exclusive to the museum, and they are all magical. Find one online, I dare you. Seriously, it's not possible. They are exclusive to the museum. They added an exhibition for their newest Shortfilm. It included several life-size models of the characters.

It was simply magnificent. After that, just before the sun had set, we made our way to the rooftop garden where my ever vigilant guardian was waiting for us.

And Ethan, as I promised, the gaggle of people waiting to take pictures with the Robot

It was an incredible day and while I couldn't take any photos inside, it is a place of wonder and artistic brilliance that will stay with me for years and years to come. If you ever find yourself in Tokyo, it is simply a must see for anyone who enjoys a sense of childlike awe. But get your tickets 2 weeks or more in advance, I imagine more so for more travel-intensive seasons.

We happened upon a Korean barbecue place and ended the perfect day with a delicious dinner. It was honestly one of the best days of the trip so far. Looking forward to the Shinjuku art museum trip tomorrow. Maybe I'll do a post on that too. Until next time,

~Zach