Shikoku Road Trip!!! すごい!!

I’ve been horrible at keeping up to date. So I want to go back in time a little to a road trip that I took with my boss and a bunch of students. We rented a camper van and headed south to the sunny and warm island of Shikoku. We journeyed into a prefecture called Kagawa-ken. Kagawa is famous for its sanuki Udon. This is a type of thick noodle that is famous in Japan. We started this kick-ass road trip at 5 am, yes that’s right, the sun had yet to come up and I had to look photo worthy. Once everyone was in we headed on our way. It was a 5-6 hour drive to get there. We passed over the famous Seto-Ohashi bridge which links Okayama to Shikoku. And of course went straight to a famous Udon shop for our first of many Udonya’s. After that...well, then we went to another Udon shop. My students were really serious about the Udon. They had pre-researched all the best places to go. Thank Buddha for the GPS system that gave us directions to all the shops. Then we went to a famous shrine and mountain in Kotohira, called Kompira-san. The shrine is located on the top of a mountain. The only way up is to climb the 1368 steps to the top. And well, of course those 1368 steps are the only way down as well. My calves were definitely feeling the trek, that and the 5am wake-up call were making me chotto nemui (little sleepy). The temple is dedicated to the Gardian or Mariners. The picture below is the large Asahino Yashiro (Shrine of the Rising Sun) built in 1837. The climb was not easy, but totally worth the view at the top. And it was a beautiful and sunny day.

Then we took the fairy across to a smaller island called Shodo-Shima, where we would be staying in a youth hostel for the night. The hostel was a traditional type. Which means your bed is inconveniently hidden in the closet and you have to pull it out and dress it and then sleep uncomfortably on the hard floor all night. I put a duvet and blankets under me just to try to add some extra cushioning. And of course you have to love the team bath. There weren’t any showers, but only a “bath room” where you are expected to bath with others, taking turns using the room (and bath water) with the men. It isn’t as bad as I just described, in fact it is lovely. You shower first and then climb into hot hot water. A nice end to a long day.

The next day we headed for adventures on the island. First we went to see a traditional Kabuki play house. It was all closed up, but we could peep between the windows and saw a cool scene, and a revolving stage. It would be quite the sight to see a play in person. Then we headed to a huge standing up Buddha. We were able to go inside and get the royal tour. A monk blessed us and then we listened to him chant for a while. Then he let us take the elevator up to the Buddha’s chest. The whole while commenting on the random foreigner (me) who was traveling with a group of Japanese people.

Next we headed for this sight on the shore called ‘Lovers Road’. During low tide a curved road is created, but at high tide it was covered. That’s the group shot below.

Then we took the fairy back to the main island and headed for yet another Udonya for a brilliant lunch with Udon, and sushi, and tempura. Oishi!! おいし!! Then we went to a Temple called Zensuji. It is one of the sacred 88 temples that people doing pilgrimages will pass through. It is also basically the largest one. One temple on the ground was very special because it had sand from all the other temples scattered around it, there by visiting this one temple, you can spiritually visit them all.

The drive home was a very long one. My students and boss tried to speak English when they could, but most of the time it was quick Japanese. This can be isolating at times. But it also gave me an opportunity I don’t have in class, which is to learn Japanese from my students. So it was a really good trip, tiring and packed with Udon, but great. It is very convenient to travel with people who actually speak the language, they aren’t strangers in a strange land like me.

snowy flowers, and fire festivals...

Realizing that i haven't written in over a month, i have decided to simply hit the key board. So i apologize to all who are reading this, it will probably just be me rambling about random things that have happened over the last little while.
Let's start with winter snow. Although over January and February there were occasional snow falls, these beautiful flowers that my neighbour has never died. They seemed to thrive in the snowy cold weather. I didn't mind the snow I experienced in Japan. My experience of the Japanese winter differed greatly from my experiences with the harsh and freezing Canadian winters. The only time i cursed the snow was when i had decided to drag myself out of bed to go to the gym before work. Before fully waking up, i would always pull back my curtain to check if going is actually a realistic option. Sometimes, i would open the curtain and be faced with huge snowflakes falling from the sky. This would be fine to normal people with cars, but when your bike is your only mode of transportation, snow is evil. But i can officially and finally say, WINTER is over. Now the rain is my only obstacle from physical activity.

The shrine at the technical university close to me.

Meena and myself at Karaoke. We went to a new place called 'Big Echo'. Good times, but my Nova friends were dearly missed. Songs and lyrics threw me back in time.

We also went to a Fire Festival in Katsuyama, a town 40 minutes from my city. We went too early for the large fire aspect, but got to see some traditional 'Taiko' drumming, and singing. That day was super snowy, and there were many the wet feet walking around. We bought umbrellas just to stay dry. We also ate delishious and fatty crepes, yum!

Japanese people are very serious about New Years traditions. They always put up good luck charms on there doors or garages to ward off evil spirts etc. BUT they can't just throw them away after, Or reuse them the next year. The decorations must always be burned in a spiritual way. Hence the matsuri festival. The picture below is a man adding his stuff to the big pile that will be in flames later on that night.

i have a stalker....

So, I have a stalker. I’m not talking about someone hiding in the bushes, or spying on me through the window. But the other kind, the kind that somehow acquired my number through someone else (ELAINE!), and keeps on calling/ text messaging me. It all started last weekend when we went to Bears Bar to say sayonara to Srakeal. He has gone back to Canada for a visit, and is then going to work near Tokyo. I had two cancellations for my last two classes. So I was able to take the last bus into town and meet up with my Japanese friend Misato. We shared a couple beverages at a local restaurant and then headed to Bears to meet everyone else. There we met Srakeal, and a couple other people, I’m assuming his friends. Returned Bear to his home in the bathroom, hahaha. We had a good night, and Sraks and Misato stayed over after. Surprising how many beds can fit on my little floor.

Then next day I had to wake up and meet up with Yoshino at 12:30 to go to a Valentines party. It was held by the International Club. We were supposed to make chocolate and meet other people from all over the world. All I knew was, I WAS HUNGOVER. All I wanted was delicious fried chicken from the convenience store, or real food....NOT chocolate. But the day was quite pleasant. We made chocolate and ate chocolate fondue. But I was very ready to go home when 5:30 rolled around. THEN came the call......The only way I recognized this guy was by his Scottish accent. He claimed he got my number from a mutual friend, and wanted to see me again. Geeezzzzz....the first of many stalker’ish moves. I mean, he was a nice enough guy, but I don’t react well to being tracked down or called out of the blue. This is the thing with cell phones. Don’t get me wrong, I love mine, but really...if you don’t have one, this shit can’t happen. I barely remember talking to this guy, or even what he looks like. But I do know if I didn’t hit on him, therefore he must not have been good looking. Loads of texts and phone calls have persisted all week.....i’ve answered very few.....anyways....

The next day I went to Hip Hop again. I think I’m getting a little more coordinated. But I have to miss the next class because it was moved to Tuesday due to a holiday on Monday.

Recently I have been thinking about my parents visit in May. AND it is stressing me out. They are visiting during what Japan calls Golden Week. Every person in Japan has this week off from work. This means the planes, trains, and hotels will be solidly booked. What does this mean to me you might ask.....stressssss!!!!!! People will be everywhere, especially tourist spots, which is exactly where I want to take my parents. I don’t mind planning and booking in advance, however I don’t want their experience of Japan to be tainted by the crowds of annoying people. Every web site and guide book says in bold letters to avoid traveling during this one week. But it is my goal to research this weekend where we should go, and in what order, and then book next week, only four months in advance.

My plans this weekend only involve breaking the news to my stalker that I’m not interested, and of course going to the gym, and studying Japanese. And my friend asked me to proof read the abstract of his masters thesis. Not sure I know the language of advanced computer science, but it has to be in English, so I’m needed.

That's all for now.

Watashi wa ashi ga itai desu :(

I found out yesterday that an old acquaintance of mine had just died in a motorcycle accident in Chaing Mai Thailand. I wasn't best friends with this kid, but he was a pretty good guy. I worked with him at Clevelands House, and also went to the same university as him. I found out through facebook that he had died. There was also a link to his blog page. http://lifeofbeatty.blogspot.com
In his blog he talks all about how fast he rides on his motorcycle, and how it is uncool it is to wear a helmet. Here is a quote "I admit that I probably drive too fast on the thing. Generally I drive faster than most Thais do on their own motorbikes .... One wrong turn, one abnormal bump, one collision with one of the multitude of animals which inhabit the maze of streets in Chiang Mai could drastically shorten my motorcycling campaign. Really it's just a bit of luck with a bit of defensive driving, but in retrospect, likely more luck"(CB, 2007)
And now he is gone, the luck ran out. It was like he almost foreshadowed his death my discussing it so much. Now he's tickets, no more life to explore, to live. He was the same age as me, 23. I'm very troubled by this. And by experiencing a death so close to home always causes one to question ones own mortality and the lives of the people they love. I think about my friends and family often, as traveling alone will do that to a person. But seriously, to all those (and you know who you are), i couldn't have been luckier in this lifetime to have met you.

On a brighter and completely different note. Things in my life are going swimmingly great. Work has been going smoothly since returning in January from my mini break. The classes and students are the same each week. I have never had a full time job for this long before, and have discovered that banal repetition is not my best friend, although not an enemy either. The weather is really cold at the moment. Usually i am unaffected by this, unless it starts to snow heavily and i have trouble riding my bike to the gym. I am going to the gym almost everyday. The strange horse riding saddle and vibrating machines that puzzled me before have become slightly less puzzling. I once asked a girl what muscles the saddle machine actually worked. She had no idea. I told her in Canada they did not have such machines. Her response was that Cameron Dias rode a mechanical bull in Charlies Angels 2, so therefore all foreigners must ride them. Hmmmmmmmmm, Japanese people often take the movies literally. I haven't been able to nab a picture yet, as i would feel strange violating some sort of unspoken rule, but i will soon. It is too funny watching them ride. I have also been swimming at the gym. Again an odd occurrence. The pool has a window leading out to an eating area. Yes that's right, someone sipping there latte can watch you walk by in a bikini, seriously people... And you have to wear a swim cap.
I've also been to a couple Yoga classes this month. I love them. Of course i don't understand a word the instructor says, except 'cobra' and 'jump' (apparently those two translate into Japanese), i just follow what everyone else is doing. The yoga is held on the pool deck where you can hear the water trickle into the pool and look out to the mini jungle. Did i mention the man made jungle on the pool deck? However the downside is that i pulled a leg muscle at the end of last class and have been in pain ever since.
I am also on a mission to make new Gaigin friends. I had coffee with my friend Meena at Doutour. She is a JET (meaning she works for the government of Japan). The other day she invited me to go to a hip hop class with her. And of course i jumped at the chance. And it was.......amazzzzzzzzzzzziing. I am sooooooooo gangster. The instructor is a really talented dancer, and the class moved quickly, but i caught on soon enough. The class is half Japanese people, and half foreigners. The teacher is also Japanese, so i didn't understand him, but again, just followed along. I am very excited for the next class. Although this time I won’t have pre-game drinks with Meena and eat a large bowl of pasta. I thought two advil and a rum and coke before the class would improve my performance and help my pulled leg muscle. It did neither.

This weekend i am going to a Valentines party where we are going to make chocolate, and apparently eat it all :), you know, a girls only type of thing.

That's all for now.

Hat temple hops and walks the streets of Gion....

Kyoto
I spent the morning in Hiroshima at the contemporary art museum where I saw the famous Ukiyo- e woodblock prints of the famous Hokusai and Hiroshige. Hokusai is most famous for his 36 views of Mt Fuji. The ubiquitous crashing wave in the foreground, and Mt Fuji peaking through the middle. After the museum I took a rail car to the station. There I purchased a very expensive Shinkansen ticket to Kyoto. The lady at the ticket counter said the train would be busy, but I figured I had 40 minuets to line up on the platform and wait, so I’d be first on the train. Boy was I in for a shock 40 mins later when the mecha mecha expensive train pulled up already filled to the brim with disgruntled looking Japanese people. I squeezed my way in (literally) and found a place to stand! Yes that’s right stand....i was going to be standing for the next few hours it takes to go from Hiroshima to Kyoto. Hence my original thoughts of the Shinkansen being the shit-kansen. By the time I got off the train all I wanted to do was find a spot to sit down in the station and rip off my overheated non-breathable rain boots. After composing myself I headed to the lockers to find a place to stash my irritating backpack. Then I made my way to the information desk because clearly I was a little fish, make that tiny fish, in a huge ocean I call Kyoto station. They told me how to get to the right subway train that would take me to Inari stop. I made my way to the ticket machine and successfully bought a ticket. However when I looked at the board to find where I was going I must have looked like a lost puppy, and granted probably on the verge of ‘I’m lost tears’, some man stopped and asked if I needed any help. Thank Buddha!!! He directed me to the right train and all was well :) However when it was time to get off the train....guess who came along. Yes, so now I was in a strange place with a tag-along guide. An unwanted guide at that. So I went to the bathroom, mainly because I had to go, but also because I wanted to shake my new friend. Well he was waiting patiently when I got out. Anyways when I told him I was going for a two hour hike up the mountain where the shrine Fushimi Inari was (Inariyama) he decided to accept my dismissal. Phewf, I was alone at last to take in the atmosphere.

Fushimi Inari shrine is famous for it’s hundreds of red tori gates that lead up and down the mountain. It was dedicated to the gods of rice and sake in the 8th century.

It was not an easy hike (4k up the mountain), and was busy with many tourists, but was nice at the top where not too many climbed. I also got to see a beautiful sunset over Kyoto city. The mountain is lined with fox statues symbolizing the god of cereal grains. The Japanese also see the fox as scared, having mysterious powers.

After that I found my hostel. This time I was in a room with five other girls from Taiwan/ they live in New Zealand. Good thing for ear plugs... and being incredibly tired enough to drown out their chatting. But first I wondered around Kyoto at night attempting to look for a good place to eat. It is kind of lonely eating by yourself. I tried to sit by some good-looking foreigners, but I’m pretty sure they were speaking German. Eh, can’t win them all.

I woke up early and rented a bicycle from the front desk. Armed with three different maps of the city, I had a set goal, and many places I wanted to visit. I set off following the river to Northwest Kyoto. Thank goodness it was another beautifully sunny day, I have been lucky this trip. I passed Nijo palace, but didn’t go in. I wanted to achieve my goals first, and then do extra things. With no troubles I found my first stop, Kinkakuji Temple.

It has a famous Golden Temple that was originally built in 1397, but reconstructed in 1955. The lake in front of it was like glass, and acted as a perfect mirror.

Then I road my bike to Ryoanji Temple. I rode past a museum I originally wanted to go to, but on a clear blue sunny day like this all I wanted to do was be outside. Ryoan-ji is famous for its garden arranged in the kare-sansui style. This means dry landscape style. It is a collection of 15 rocks placed in a sea of sand and small pebbles. It is said that from no matter where you stand you can always only see 14 rocks.

Then I road onwards to Ninni-ji. This was a large complex of several temples. I especially like the five story pagoda dating from the 17th century. Then I rode to another complex called Myoshinji. However this one was confusing, and like a maze where I often got lost and came to dead ends. But the houses were nice, and gardens very serine and calm. It was almost like I was in old school Japan. Then I stopped at good old Lawsons for lunch. Yum, convenience store food!! Hahaha, maybe not the best, but indeed convenient.

It was getting to be a little late in the afternoon, so I decided I would make my way back to the river I followed in the morning, and visit the streets of Gion. If anyone has read ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’, this is the spot. The streets are small, and lined with tiny wooden houses all connected. I really felt like this is real Japan. I even spotted some Geisha, or Maiko walking the streets maybe on the way to an appointment. There were also many hidden shrines and of course, my fav, a five story pagoda! Hahah. Yasaka Pagoda stands at the top of a hill tucked away in Gion.

Shrine in Gion.

Geisha.

As the sun was setting I felt like it had been a beautiful day of Temples and Shrines, and it was time to think about getting the train home to Fukui. I rode my bike back to the hostel, got my belongings and went to the station. After a 3 hour local train ride, I arrived in Fukui just in time to take the last bus home. As the train was nearing Fukui, I looked out the window to see the snow outside building. So it was a great trip, and it definitely regenerated my spirit to be able to endure the many months of teaching ahead of me.

Hat climbs Mt. Misen

Miyajima
So, we awoke after a warm sleep in our hostel bunk-beds. Today we planned on going to Miyajima Island. It is famous for it’s red/orange floating torii gate that leads to Itsukushima-jinja. Jill and I took the bus to the train station where we purchased oishi bagels from a bakery. Up until this point we had had an unblemished record for not getting lost or taking the wrong trains etc. So when we were munching on our bagels happily we didn’t notice the train was going in the opposite direction we wanted it to be going. Oh well, it only made a 25 minute ride, an hour, hahah.
When we reached Miyajima we caught a ferry across to the island. Once on island we walked down the main road where there were yummy vendors everywhere (again). Miyajima’s specialty is oysters, and little maple leaves with cream in the middle. We passed by the largest rice spoon in Japan. The rice spoon apparently originated in Miyajima.

Then we went to see the floating torrii, which during the day isn’t so much floating, but amazing non-the-less. Itsukushima-Jinja dates back to the 6th century. This is one of the three most beautiful spots in Japan (according to lonely planet!). This island is so sacred that women are not allowed to give birth on the island. There were also deer EVERYWHERE, they follow you around in hopes you will feed them. Their horns are mostly cut off for your protection, but some higher on the mountain are in their natural state. They are also very cubby, hahah.

There is also a neat five story pagoda. I loved the pagoda’s this trip. They stand so tall and proud with their pointy Asian architectural designs. It dates back to 1407. Jill and I successfully tried the inverse peace sign which turned out great…soooo different form the regular peace symbol, hahah.

Then we headed up the mountain to the garden Momiji-dani, and various other shrines. We had also decided to go to the very top of the mountain. This required us to either hike, or take a ropeway to the top. So we cruised up to the ticket window and asked for a one-way ticket to the top….all he said was “Where you from?”, hahah, apparently he wanted to show us that to get down took 1-2 hours at a good pace. Annnnd since it was winter, it would be mighty cold, and possibly dangerous. So we opted for the return ticket, and thank Buddha we did because the rope-way took long enough, and was incredibly high. This is a picture of me being really excited about the ropeway trip. Every time we got into a rope-way cart (there were two), the Japanese people who had to take it with us were terrified of Jill and I, you’d think they had never seen two blond girls together before.

When we got to the top, we were in for a great surprise! Monkey’s were everywhere!!!!!!! Little ones and big ones, and breastfeeding babies. They were sooooooooo cute, but also kind of scary. There were lots of warning signs to not look at them in the eyes, or to touch them.

After the ropeway ‘close’ to the top, you were on your own to make it the rest of the way. This next picture is a picture from where we started, and if you look across to the next huge hill, THAT is where we ended up. NOT an easy hike to say the least. It was hard stuff, first downhill, and then uphill. Jill and I had to encourage each other the whole way, hahaha.
This is me barely making it! But so worth it when you get to the top, and see the snow and deer and view of the surrounding islands. We had conquered Mt Misen!!! Then of course we had to go back, which was mostly downhill, phewf!

There was also a cool shrine on the mountain which had a cauldron that Buddhist saint Kobo Diashi lit in around 835, which has been kept simmering ever since. The picture didn’t turn out great.

And then sadly we had to leave the island as the sun was setting, and Jill had to get back to Osaka that night. But it was a great day, possibly one of the coolest places I had been in Japan.

But of course I cannot forget the Oyster story. As embarrassing as it may be, it was funny. So all day Jill and I had been hitting the food stands to try the local cuisine. At the end of the day Jill had to try the famous Oysters before we left. So she ordered regular oysters and I ordered deep fried ones. The guy pointed to the pile in front of the window, so naturally I thought he had indicated that I take form the pile, AND since this is what we did in Chinatown the day before, I thought nothing of it. Yes they were cold, but still quite delicious....so we were eating away when a guy rushed out and took it from me, and said no, no. Jill and I burst out laughing knowing that I had just started to eat the ‘sample’ oyster which had probably been out since early that morning. Because Japanese people think anything remotely embarrassing is entirely mortifying they quickly came out with not one, but two orders of the hot deep fried oysters. So yes it was a little embarrassing, but I did score us some extra famous oysters, hahaha. Although I was a little scared of getting food poisoning, I was totally fine :)

It was very sad saying goodbye to Jill, my travel buddy, but we had to part ways. I was left to fend for myself. It is a totally different experience traveling on your own, but also a very rewarding and reflective one. With my i-pod as my only friend I headed back to the hostel for a good ‘team’ bath, and warm sleep. I say team bath because the hostel only had a public bath and a high school just happened to be staying at the hostel that night too. So basically I had to get naked with a bunch of giggling teenage girls, and bathe. At this point in my life though I am very comfortable with myself, and could not have cared less. Squeaky clean I headed for my book, and bunk bed.

Next stop.....kyoto!

Hat rides the Shit-kansen... cough cough

Kobe-Hiroshima

So Jill and I arose mighty early on Thursday morning to get our trip to Hiroshima started. We began by taking a local train to Kobe, a city not far from Osaka. Kobe is famous for Kobe beef. It is also famous for the major earthquake that occurred in the 90s (I think). We first decided to buy our ticket to Hiroshima, you know get it out of the way. We were quoted for a regular train $50 and 5 hours long…or the super fast Shinkansen which would take only one hour and cost $95. Well, time not being on our side, we bit the bullet and paid the big bucks for the famous Japanese Shinkansen. We then left the station and headed for Kobe’s Chinatown called Nankinmachi. A colorful and eclectic street filled with vendors selling all kinds of yummy food. After pigging out there, we headed for the harbor front. It was a beautiful sunny day. The only thing holding me back was my extremely heavy backpack and cursed umbrella (I would have thrown away the umbrella, but it is a really good one, and in my town you need this friend, hence hanging onto the stupid umbrella throughout the whole trip even though it didn’t rain a single day).

After some water front action, we headed back to catch the Shinkansen to Hiroshima......Jill and I were waiting on the platform and we heard 6...5...4....and we whipped out our cameras expecting the train to come speeding in......hahahah, no no, it was no countdown at all, but we think we overly get excited when we hear countdowns because the New Years countdown was such a blur. One time in Miyajima we asked a guy to take our picture in front of a shrine. All was going well until he started a countdown in Jap-english and all hell broke loose, we were both on the verge of tears because the countdown made us laugh. We look way too excited in the picture…I think we did a re-do minus the countdown…just a simple cheesue. Anyways, we got onto the Shinkansen, and could only find seats in…wait for it… the dreaded smoking section. YES that’s right, people can smoke on any train, even when you pay $100 for a one-way hour trip. So needless to say we smelt great when we got off.....Thus I have re-named the train the Shit-kansen. Thank Buddha it was fast though.

When we got to Hiroshima, we immediately took the street car to the central bus station and ditched our bags in a locker. Then we found our way to the A-Dome. This is a UNESCO World Heritage site, deemed important because it is one of the only buildings left after the atomic bomb ‘little boy’ was dropped in 1945. The building stands like a skeleton out of the rubble. It is also lit by dim lighting at night to add to the dramatic aura surrounding the site.
Close to the A-Dome was the Children’s Peace Memorial Park. There we saw the monument to Sadako. Sadako was a little girl who survived the atomic bomb when she was 2 years old, but then died from Leukemia as a result of the effects at age 12. But before she died she started making paper cranes in her efforts to make a wish. There is a legend that says if a person folds 1000 paper cranes they can have a wish. Sadako wanted to run again. But sadly she died before she finished. But now there is a monument to her in the park, and people from all over the world send and make paper cranes in her honor, and to honor the other children who died in the bomb. The colorful picture is one of many bunches of paper cranes that people have made for her.

Then we went to the Peace Memorial Park. We had to pass by The Flame of Peace. The university lit the flame and will only extinguish it when all atomic bombs are destroyed. We also passed the Cenotaph. Then we went into the Peace Memorial Museum. Here we saw disturbing pictures and items of war. They had a huge diagram of the city pre-and post bombing. They also had watches on display that had stopped at the exact second the bomb exploded above Hiroshima.
Cranes
After all that we had worked up a serious appetite and decided to go to the Okonomiyaki village. Okinomiyaki is my favorite dish in Japan, so you can imagine my excitement. And Hiroshima has a unique way of crafting this mecha mecha oishi meal. Then we had delicious crapes….always welcome in my books. Since it was dark and we were tired we headed back to the bus station to find our hostel. Our hostel was in the middle of nowhere, and a mighty hard hike up a hill to get to…but they had free green tea in the common area, and warm beds.
Hiroshima Castle

Museum

Next day.........Miyajima!!!!!!!!

The next pictures are of Hiroshima castle tower, and Hiroshima Contemporary Art museum, where I saw an amazing exhibition on Japanese Edo period wood block painters. UKIYOE à la carte: The World of HOKUSAI, HIROSHIGE, KUNISADA, KUNIYOSHI, and Others.