EXCITING YAMANASHI AND MORE

In the middle of the Jomon period 5,500~4,500 years ago, the Nagano and Yamanashi areas are said to be the most flourished and there were a lot of villages. Located almost in the middle of the Honshu island, the southwestern regions at the foot of the Yatsugatake Mountain Range, were called the Central Highlands. The areas were also located close to the major obsidian mining sites; obsidian was used to make arrowheads, knife blades, and other sharp tools. There were more than 3,000 Jomon ruins in the areas. (https://jomon.co/en/story/)

The Jomon-Ten, the Exhibition of the Jomon potteries and clay figures, has been held at the Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art in the city of Kofu in Yamanashi Prefecture during September 10 to November 6, 2022. The artifacts collected in the Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Archaeology, the Shakado Museum of Jomon Culture and the following regional Boards of Education, South Alps-city, Hokuto-city, Nirasaki-city, Koshu-city, and Fuefuki-city have been displayed.

(https://www.art-museum.pref.yamanashi.jp/) (https://www.art-museum.pref.yamanashi.jp/exhibition/2022/650.html) (https://www.art-museum.pref.yamanashi.jp/exhibition/jomon_DM.pdf) (https://www.art-museum.pref.yamanashi.jp/exhibition/r4.9.10.l1.pdf)

Unfolded pictures of the patterns of the Jomon potteries taken by Tadahiro Ogawa are displayed in the last section.

FYI: https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/jomo/hd_jomo.htm

An exhibition titled “Mishiranu Mori (unknown woods)” by Takahiro Yoshino has been held at The Yatsugatake Kogen (highland) Lodge in the village of Minamimaki in Nagano Prefecture from September 17 to 30, 2022.

(In Japanese) Takahiro Yoshino: https://www7b.biglobe.ne.jp/~pekori/work.html; Yatsugatake Kogen Lodge: https://www.yatsugatake.co.jp/

It is misty and chilly here in the Uminokuchi area in the village of Minamimaki in Nagano Prefecture. There are The Yatsugatake Kogen (highland) Lodge and The Yatsugatake Kogen Ongakudo (the Hall of Chamber Music) nearby.

Yatsugatake Kogen Lodge: https://www.yatsugatake.co.jp/ongakudo; https://www.yatsugatake.co.jp/

The idiom, East meets West, is sometimes used to describe things that blend aspects of eastern and western culture.

In “Modern Japanese Literature,” Donald Keene, an American-born Japanese scholar of Japanese literature and culture, presents a unique product of the meeting of East and West: the product of the traditional Japan, which goes back to 1300 years, and the western-influenced Japan, first introduced to Japan about 150 years ago. Before him, the most well-known book in Japanese culture may be “The Chrysanthemum and the Sword: Patterns of Japanese Culture” by Ruth Benedict, although the book was resulted from Benedict’s wartime research.

Last month, I heard the idiom on the radio. A renowned Japanese fashion designer, Hanae Mori has died at the age of 96. She was known for her butterfly motifs and her designs themed on harmonizing the Japanese culture and the western culture. In 1965, she presented her first overseas collection in New York. It was highly acclaimed and dubbed “East Meets West.”

Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022. She was succeeded by her eldest son, who will rule as King Charles III. The state funeral of Elizabeth II will be held on Monday, September 19, at Westminster Abbey in London.

BBC WORLD NEWS

September 15, 2022. Queen Elizabeth II lies in state at Westminster Hall. State funeral to take place at neighboring Westminster Abbey on Monday. Public can view late monarch’s coffin until Monday. Hall open to public 24 hours a day until Monday morning.

I had an opportunity to learn about the harassment in the workplace.

According to Impactly (https://www.getimpactly.com/), there are 11 types of harassment that needs to be stopped:

1. Discriminatory Harassment: racial harassment, gender harassment, religious harassment, disability-based harassment

2. Personal Harassment

3. Physical Harassment

4. Power Harassment

5. Psychological Harassment

6. Cyber-bullying

7. Retaliation Harassment

8. Sexual Harassment

9. Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment

10. Third-Party Harassment

11. Verbal Harassment

(https://www.getimpactly.com/post/types-of-harassment)

Not only the government division, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, but also each prefecture government’s employment equal opportunity office provides the information and guidelines for several types of harassment. Nowadays, even customer harassment is getting prominent.

(https://www.no-harassment.mhlw.go.jp/) (https://www.no-harassment.mhlw.go.jp/foreign_workers_en) (https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/koyou_roudou/koyoukintou/index.html) (https://www.mhlw.go.jp/bunya/koyoukintou/pamphlet/pdf/funso_jp.pdf) (http://www.msoffice.jp/files-usr/file_57c7674d2dd1f.pdf) (https://www.mhlw.go.jp/kouseiroudoushou/shozaiannai/roudoukyoku/index.html)

A little obon was set up putting some offerings on a table as a special altar.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bon_(festival)

The Hokuto City Akeno Sunflower Festival has been held this year as well in the town of Akeno, the city of Hokuto, in Yamanashi Prefecture during 7/23－8/21, 2022 (https://www.city.hokuto.yamanashi.jp/docs/sunflowerfes.html). Approximately 300,000 common hybrid sunflowers and 4,000 sunfinity sunflowers have been grown in the fields.