Aomori Museum of Art and ELM Mall

Sunday, October 10

Hayao Miyazaki Advert

It’s a pity I live in a country where I cannot read the official language, because if I could, I would have saved my family time and money (¥2400 entrance for two adults, not to mention petro fuel and over ¥2000 in road tolls). Having been to the Ghibri Museum in Tokyo, I WAS initially excited when I picked up the advert for Hayao Miyazaki’s limited-run exhibition at Aomori Museum of Art. I thought they would have a more diverse, kid-friendly, collection borrowed from the museum – sculptures, cell art, etc. While the hundreds of sketches were impressive, after a few minutes, I found myself bored looking into a sea of drawings that blended together. Unlike the robot exhibit, my toddler son paid little attention to the exhibit. Perhaps the most exciting aspect for him was posing with the Tottoro floor image. Museum visitors can draw an image onto stickers and place them on a wall of a special room.

Posing with the Ponyo backdrop

Decorated elevators, Tottoro

Decorated elevators, Spirited Away

Decorated elevators, Kiki's Delivery Service

Stickers drawn by me

Jumping to ensure proper placement

Starbucks in Aomori Prefecture

After the museum, we decided to take a side trip to the ELM Mall in Goshogowara City. To our surprise, Starbucks, I think the only one in Aomori prefecture, existed there. My husband patiently waited in line almost 30 minutes to purchase his coffees and desserts. Before heading back home, the line was considerably shorter, and he purchased more coffee for the road.

ELM Mall in Goshogawara City

ELM Shops, 1st floor

ELM Shops, 2nd floor

Aomori Museum of Art

Saturday, August 14

One of the many reason I love my husband is because of our common interest in art. He knows that I have a strange attraction to the macabre and he aroused my curiosity to magazines such as Juxtapoz and Hi-Fructose. Anyway, we were at an aquarium and he picked up a flyer for a limited-run exhibition on robots (another favorite Japanese icon of mine). Needless to say, I excitedly agreed to venture to Aomori City with kids in tow to see the exhibit.

There are two costs for the museum, the permanent collection (¥500) and the temporary exhibit (¥1,100). If both are viewed on the same day, there is a ¥200 discount, which is what we did.

Unfortunately, the museum prohibits the photography of any kind (even without flash) inside the museum L.

I would have relished the opportunity to take capture some of the images … a wooden and leather chair shaped in the form of a robot on one knee, old television and stereos reused to form a robot, the original humanoid corpse of Astro Boy, to name a few. Robots in the exhibit included both pre-war and post-war images. Original animated work, magna, and countless action figures of Gundam, Transformers, Tetsujin, Ultraman, Astro Boy and others fill the over five exhibition rooms.

Another exhibition that appealed to me was by Yoshitomo Nara, from Hirosaki City, is a prefectural native. Most of his work centers on children with eyes filled with sorrow. The museum manages over 150 pieces of paintings, drawings, and two installations.

The museum also commissioned Yoshitomo Nara to build two things, one of which is Aomori-ken, an 8.5m tall white dog outside the museum. Onlookers can see the statue from Exhibition Space F the inside the museum or from outside the museum. Outside viewing is not accessible for those in wheelchairs or with strollers because of the lack of elevators. To get to Aomori-ken dog, one would walk up one flight of stairs, walk across the building, then down two flights of stairs.

From October 9, 2009 through January 10, 2010, Studio Ghibli will appear as the museum’s next featured exhibit. If you are a fan of Hayao Miyazaki’s animated movies (Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, and Spirited Away) and do not get a chance to go to Tokyo’s Ghibli Museum, I suggest that you take the time to see this exhibition.

Aomori Museum of Art Hours: 09:30 – 17:00

Closed: Every 2^nd and 4^th Monday, December 27-31

Phone: 017-783-3000; Website: http://www.aomori-museum.jp/en/

First of all, I’d like to say, be weary of the directions provided by the museum’s web site because they are COMPLETELY not to scale. If you are already in the city center, it appears you can take Namidate-dori to the museum, which you can, but it will meander through residential streets with very few English signs. From personal experience, taking Route 44 or 120 southbound onto Route 7 west are better alternatives.

Aomori Museum of Art getting there from Misawa AFB

http://traveling-tengco.blogspot.com/2010/08/aomori-city-maps.html

Follow driving directions numbers 1 - 15 from my Aug 2010 blog: Aomori City Directions and Maps.

Get in the left lanes for Route 7 toward Aomori Airport. Continue along Route 7 passing Routes 103, 120, and 44 – all of which lead you to Aomori City Center.

Do not fret if you cannot locate road signs for Aomori Museum of Art. Most road signs will read Route 7: Hirosaki and Fujisaki. In addition, follow signs for Sannai-Maruyama Site, as it is next to the museum.

Look for the Sannai-Maruyama Site and Aomori Museum of Art exit on the left side.

Turn right at the bottom of the hill. Follow signs to the museum. There are two parking lost. This first one is disable-accessible. The second parking lot is the main one.

Japan: June 2007

In June 2007, (when I was five months pregnant with my son) I briefly visited a friend and her family stationed at Naval Air Facility Atsugi. Pictures on this post from that trip show a few places around Tokyo, Kamakura, and Chiba.

From July 1997 through 2000, I worked as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) for the JET Programme in Kisarazu City, Chiba Prefecture. I traveled quite a bit, visited eight of the 11 UNESCO World Heritage sites in Japan, observed different types of festivals, and took many photos. I'd like to eventually post some of those photos on this blog but it's a painstaking process to transfer film negatives over to digital ones.

Sanrio Puroland

http://www.puroland.jp/english/

Sanrio Puroland is a small, indoor amusement park in Tama New Town, Tokyo. It features a few rides, Sanrio characters, and, of course, many character products. Almost everything (directions, shows, games, rides, etc.) at the park is in Japanese. If you get the chance, check out the bathrooms because each one is decorated with a different theme. There is also a larger outdoor Sanrio theme park titled Harmonyland in Hiji-machi, Hajama-gun, Oita-ken.

Sanrio entrance

Character photo opportunities

Cute bathroom

Kamakua Daibutsu and Hase Kannon

http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/rtg/pdf/pg-307.pdf

Kamakura lies between Tokyo and Yokosuka, and is noted for its historic sites and Great Buddha (Daibutsu) made from bronze. Be ready to spend at least half a day in Kamakura visiting different shines, temples, and shops.

Don't be a loud, disrespectful foreigner

Cleanse your hands before entering

Make a wish (or prayer)

Read and familiarize yourself with Japanese history and culture

Go inside the Great Buddha's head

Take pictures of your experience

Take time to relax and enjoy the view

Support the local economy and purchase souvenirs

Mitsuzawa Stadium, Yokohama

Watching the Yokohama F Marino soccer game was quite exciting. Japanese fans continuously cheered in unison for their team. Unfortunately, I cannot remember how we got there. All I do remember was walking A LOT to get to the arena, being bitten by mosquitoes, and paying about 5,500 yen (about US $55) for our tickets.

Ghibli Museum

http://www.ghibli-museum.jp/

Known for such feature animations such as Totoro and Spirited Away, Hayao Miyazaki designed the Ghibli Museum as a place of wonder. Although small, it offers visitors a glimpse into one of Japan's leading animators thought process, a place for children to place, a look at short clips, and and a store for fans to purchase many souvenirs. Photography and video recording inside the museum are strictly prohibited. Tickets (for specific dates and time) are unavailable at the entrance door and can only be purchased at Lawson convenience stores in Japan. Try to get there early because you have to wait in a line and only small groups of people are let in at a time. A bus from Mitaka train station will take you directly to the Museum.

Conspicuous Ghibli bus

Rooftop Robot Soldier (Laputa Castle in the Sky)

Surrounding Inokashira Park

Meguro Parasitological Museum

http://kiseichu.org/english.aspx

Meguro Parasitological Museum is free (small) museum and the only museum in the world on parasites. It exhibits various specimens, studies and photos of parasites that leave your skin feeling itchy after you leave. Getting there: 15-min. walk from Meguro Sta. on JR, Mita and Nanboku Line, or 3-min. walk from Otori-Jinja Bus Stop by Tokyu Bus from Meguro, is . Open: 10:00-17:00. Closed: Mon. (the following day when Mon. falls on a national holiday) and New Year’s holiday. Tel: 03-3716-1264.

Different parasites found throughout the body

An infested hamster stomach

Infected turtle eye

Be weary of sushi and sashimi

Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea

http://www.tokyodisneyresort.co.jp/index_e.html

Tokyo Disney resorts are actually located about one hour by train, southeast of Tokyo, in Maihama City, Chiba Prefecture. The resort also contains a Cirque Du Soleil permanent theatre. Not much to say except that both parks remind me of a cross between Anaheim, California's Disneyland and California Adventure.

Disney monorail

Wall mural

Walt, Mickey,and Sleeping Beauty's castle

Disney Sea entrance

Disney Sea Harbour

Crepes

Though not created equally, crepes can be found almost everywhere in Japan. Bakers fill them with fruits, ice cream, custards, sweets or strange meats, prices range from 300 yen to 500 yen. Hopefully, you'll get a chance to taste one of these delectable treats.

Freshly cooked ones are the best

Plastic options