Sojo Universiy ad

Another print ad I found on the streetcar, using a manga character to promote Sojo University.
"You will submit. Your homework on time."

Tanuki Keitai Strap

I mentioned some time back that one of my English students had been cleaning out her closest, and found an old electronic film camera that she'd decided to loan to me. I'm trying to relearn how to shoot on film, and I'd bought a roll of ISO 100 because it was cheaper than ISO 400. Unfortunately, that meant I was pretty much stuck to shooting on days with clear, bright skies, which have become really rare. Anyway, I finished off the first roll, and it cost close to $20 to develop 27 photos. Sigh. The only one that turned out well enough to justify scanning and putting on the blog was this cellphone strap raccoon I found lying on the sidewalk in front of a restaurant near Amu Plaza. I propped it up on a bench in front of the door, and took a test shot. The whites are a bit too washed out, but I like the contrast with the near-black shadows.

Kewpie and Bumblebee

Here's something you'll probably never see anywhere else - a tie-up between the new Transformers Bumblebee movie and Kewpie mayonnaise. You can buy Kewpie-bee keyholders. If you want.

Construction Anime Ad

I found this print ad on the streetcar recently. I'm not sure, but I think it's for a trade school. It's showing each of the construction trades as having an anime-style representative character. Yet another thing you'll never find in the U.S.

Conan Escape Game Poster

There's going to be a Case Closed-themed escape game this coming weekend. I don't do escape games in Japanese, so I'll skip this one. Funny enough, these ad posters are almost impossible to find on the streets. I don't know, maybe they're relying more on TV ads (I don't have a TV, so I can't tell.) Or, part of the challenge is to figure out how to get INTO the escape game so you can then get back out...

Dec. 8-9

Illuminations


Not one of the busiest weekends, but there still was a fair amount going on. I just wasn't in a position to see most of it.



First up: illuminations. LED light displays are a big thing in Kagoshima. The people here like having a lot of light outside when it gets dark. For the most part, though, it's really not specific to anything (like Christmas). Instead, the point is just to have lights on stuff. And, the shops down by the Yamakataya department store are no exception. They staged a "Berg Plaza Illumination" event Saturday. I caught a bit of the preparations on my way in to the English school Saturday afternoon.



Actually, I had a 3 hour break between lessons this time, so during the break I did some shopping and returned home. I'd had 2 lessons scheduled for the evening, but the 7 PM lesson got cancelled the day before. I headed out of the apartment early for the 6 PM one, and at that point the lanterns were on full display.



I think they're created by school students. The thing is, they're generally hung in front of the shops along the walkways. I'm assuming that a Shinto priest performed a blessing ritual on them earlier in the day, and that they'll be put into place in front of the shops in a day or two. After that, they won't come down until maybe Feb. or March.



A school girl, and Sakurajima as an active, erupting volcano.



Various shrine scenes, and the Tokara bose mask from the Akusekijima travel promotion event a week ago.



A girl with a fish, and a more peaceful view of Sakurajima.

Giant Stomp


I first learned about the Giant Stomp puppets at the Amami Marugoto Fest about a week ago. Since then, I've seen them mentioned as appearing at several other events. Initially, though, I'd only seen the red one. When I took the above photos of the illuminations Saturday afternoon, I noticed the two puppeteers helping each other put on their rigs, at the back of the exhibit space.





Amu Christmas Market


Anyway, I get in to the school, and the owner tells me my 6 PM student had also cancelled at the last minute. Actually, he'd sent me a text message saying this at 5:15 PM, but I hadn't noticed it until after I was at the school. So, I turned around and walked the mile and a half to Amu Plaza, where their Christmas Market was under way.



On Friday, the big musical guest was a guy named John Lucas, who is apparently based in Japan, and who fronts the JL Gospel Family. I'd actually caught a bit of their rehearsal a few days earlier at Berg Plaza when I was on my way to the school. The singers looked to be all Japanese, and I'm not a big gospel fan, plus I didn't have much time before my lesson, so I didn't hang around to listen to them practice. Lucas performed Friday at the Market at 7:30 PM, when I was having dinner at home. On Saturday, when I did arrive at 6:20 PM after the lesson cancelled, all the live music was already done for the day. Instead, I bought a 3D wood puzzle at the Kinokuniya bookstore, and played with that in Seattle's Best Coffee for a bit before going home for dinner.



Nothing says "holidays" like overpriced shochu-based cocktails.



There was nothing in the way of live music on Sunday until 4 PM. And that turned out to be an a capella group from Kagoshima University. They were ok, but I was in the middle of shopping for the week, and only had a few minutes to take a couple photos before moving on. I had to go to a birthday party dinner at 6 PM, so I missed the Holsteins (a cow-themed J-pop trio) at 5 PM.



Amu Plaza has really scaled back on the free live music, not having a Halloween party this year, and hosting a fraction of the musical groups from the last couple years. For the Christmas Market, there's nothing during the week now, and most of the live music on the weekends ends early, except for the planned performances for the 23rd and 24th. I'd been told previously that the management at the Solaria hotel across from Amu had complained about the music in the evening, forcing Amu to end events by 8 PM. While this may have some relation to the 2018 Christmas Market, I'm thinking that the food and crafts sellers hate all the crowds that come in to listen to the songs but never buy anything. Sigh.

Anyway, the only group I have any interest in (other than the Irish-themed punk band, The Pints, who won't be here this year), Bon DX, will be playing the 23rd and 24th at Amu, and the 22nd at Tenmonkan. I have to work the 22nd (unless my evening lessons get cancelled again, hope, hope), so I'm crossing my fingers on being able to see them at Amu. We'll see.

Georgia Gold Dragonball Figures Series

This has to be at least the third series of Dragonball figures to be packaged along with cans of Georgia coffee (there's a new DBZ movie coming out this month, which may be the reason for this one). With the first series, I managed to get a figure on the first try, but never again. On the second series, I gave up after 10 unsuccessful tries. So, when I started seeing advertising on the Coca Cola vending machines for this new series, I pretty much decided that I wouldn't even bother this time. But, I was walking to an English lesson one morning and I was really tired. I needed something to wake me up before I met with the student, and the machine I found had the cans for 100 yen each. I bought a can, but no luck.



The next day, same problem, so I bought a second can. This time, I got lucky. This is Future Trunks. The can tops are part of the office supplies holder type, and this one is designed to hold a cutter knife (no idea why this was considered a useful thing). Other can tops hold earbuds, and smartphones.



Trunks is highly detailed, and about 2" tall, maybe. He's made of something like hard rubber, so he won't quite exactly kill you if you accidentally step on him at night.