KIYOSU PARADE

Today was the 400th anniversary of the Big Shift, when the castle town of Kiyosu was mostly abandoned, and the town of Nagoya became the main castle town in this area. To celebrate, as part of a TV Aichi program, I joined the celebrations, and a team of walkers making the 8.7Km trip back to Kiyosu.
We followed the old Misoji Route, a mostly straight road direct to Kiyosu. TV Aichi announcer Tagaki was wearing a jinbaori traditional Samurai war surcoat and eboshi cap, as well as traditional straw sandals on his feet. He was also carrying a walk-a-meter to find out how many steps to Kiyosu...
Just outside of Kiyosu City, we joined a large group ready to take place in the 4 Km main parade through the streets of Kiyosu...
The parade was a re-enactment of the Big Move from Kiyosu to Nagoya 400 years ago...

Interviewing one of the parade organisers, dressed in period Samurai costume....

KIYOSU 2

Taking part in the parade with TV Aichi announcer Tagaki. The road to the castle was lined with thousands of onlookers....
Part of the parade included the hauling of an original stone from the castle walls, wighing a few hundred kilos...

...and we were "roped" in to helping drag it along...

...until finally reaching our goal, Kiyosu Castle... 8.7 Km later,...whew!

kKIYOSU 3

DOCTOR FASHION

Today's fashion is,...10th Doctor style! Above, Dr. Who number 10 in his brown pinstripe...
...And me in my brown Italian pin stripe and similar shirt, however I have a helicopter motif necktie! Unfortunately I couldn't find a cute blond to fill in Billie Piper's role...

U-STREAM PROJECT

Oct. 22, at the G-Factory studios for a meeting regarding the latest project, a U-Stream TV show....
...and pre-recording a few voice liners and opening credits for the new program,...details soon!

MAGAZINE CLIPS

Fashion, lifestyle and culture magazine, Hiroto Magazine is out for October...

Inside is...Taaa Daaa! ME!! at Yoshida Castle site in Toyohashi. I'll be doing a talk show for the energy corporation, Sala Group Nov. 20, and this interview is part of the promotion....

NAGOYA FESTIVAL PARADE 2

After I'd finished my part of the parade, I got out of my armour, and in kimono and hakama ran back to catch the last bit of the parade and the Three Unifiers...

First the War Lord Oda Nobunaga...

Then Toyotomi Hideyoshi...

...And finally the Great Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu. All three came from the Nagoya area, all three unified Japan to various degrees, the ultimate victor being Ieyasu! After all these years of watching the parade, and thinking how great it is that Nagoya has a long history and deep culture, and that history and culture comes alive every October. At last, I was able to take part, 25 years after first hearing about it, and for the 400th anniversary of Nagoya too!

NAGOYA FESTIVAL PARADE 1

25 years ago, when I was an exchange student, my host father's friend in Nagoya took part in the Nagoya Festival Heroes Of The Civil War parade. That friend sent a special booklet made about his experience in the parade, ...I loved it, and was given it later. I still treasure it even today. It was my dream from that time to be part of the parade myself. 25 years later, in the parade marking the 400th anniversary of Nagoya, I got to take part, in my own armour too!
The parade wound it's way along the city streets of central Nagoya. The crowds were up to 10 rows deep. I rode one of the floats with Tokai Radio announcer Jinno Mie, Nagoya's image character Hachi Maru and an announcer.

With the parade organising staff prior to the parade....

SUPERHERO SODA

Strike the pose! Yes, it's Japanese superhero, Ultraman in a can! Ultra Cola! On sale now! Drink enough and you too can become a superhero! .... At least the pose is pretty spot on!

GEISHA SHOW AND SAMURAI SHOOT

Mon Oct 18. Beautiful day in Nagoya City central! Once again in my Samurai armor for yet another location shoot, this time for a Japan arts promotional video....
Using the window of the Mitsukoshi Department store while I re-write my lines prior to the shoot. The shoot plan had changed, and some new lines inserted, so I made a cheat sheet of the important words...
After the outdoor shoot, it was off to a traditional theater for various entertainments, including this Oiran geisha show...

SAMURAI SWORD OIL

Oiling my sword prior to making a 25 year long dream come true,...more details and pics later!

80.7 FM AICHI RECORDING

At FM Aichi for the latest recordings of my current Saturday programme, Love & Peace...

NAGOYA CASTLE TALK SHOW

At Nagoya Castle again for a talk show regarding the new Nagoya Castle Palace restoration work. Prior to taking to the stage, the other guests and I visited the Palace entrance way, still under construction hence requiring a hard hat. Don't know why though, I have a hard head! Quite a jaunty angle, don't you think?
On stage at the castle with Professor of Castle architecture, Dr. Miura (centre) and Japanese calligraphy expert, Takeda Soryu, talking about castles, and the secrets behind Nagoya Castle...
Takeda Soryu made a performance of traditional calligraphy, writing a highly stylised and creative character "YUME" or "dream"

After the event with Takeda San and Miura Sensei. Takeda San lives in Kumamoto, while Dr. Miura lives in Nagoya, but works for Hiroshima University. Looking forward to meeting both again soon!

NAGOYA MUSEUM DISPLAY

At the Nagoya Museum there's a display of Momoyama Period (C1450~1600) painted screens and old maps, Warlord utensils etc. The art of the period is highly detailed, colorful and rich.
The display is fantastic, and the book outlining and explaining the exhibition is great too. I wish I'd read it first, THEN been to the display, as the details are lost in the gorgeousness of the works of art on show,...think I'll be going again next week, when the display changes!

TV AD SHOOT

Oct. 13. On location during a TV commercial shoot for a very high profile advertiser in the Central Japan area, playing a foreign reporter. The commercials go to air in November. More pics regarding the shoot and On Air details later!

AUSSIE BEEF!

Wednesday, Oct 13. Today's lunch, Steak House chain, Bronco Billy, for Aussie Beef (not shown in photograph)

GREEN COP!

Nagoya Tower lit up in green! This month, Nagoya is host to the international environmental and ecological COP10 convention, and to celebrate the tower in Central Park, just 30 seconds from home, is lit up in green! The tower is silver by day, and lit up in a golden orange at night... it's quite a surprising image change!

NAGOYA TEA CEREMONY

Oct 4. A beautiful holiday Monday. Visiting Nagoya Castle for probably the 2ooth time since coming to Nagoya 17 years ago!
This time it wasn't so much for the castle, but for one of the many events celebrating the castle's 400th anniversary. In the grounds of the castles inner 3rd Citadel were a number of various Tea Ceremony stalls. You could watch the tea being made while you munched on a piece of cake, before enjoying your tea...
Enjoying the sunshine, the fresh air and a steaming hot bowl of thick, green tea....
One of the Tea Ceremony pavilions had a Samurai theme, with this rather poor copy of a set of armour on display. The helmet was OK it was old, but the body armour was a fair copy, in shabby condition.
No matter how many times you see it, Nagoya Castle is a work of art! The castle and it's prized palace and other turrets and buildings were burned down in 1945 during an American air raid, and the main keeps were rebuilt in 1959. Right now, the Palace restoration project is underway, and the first part is to be opened to the public later this month,

NAGOYA CASTLE MOAT BOAT CRUISE

As part of the 400th anniversary, Nagoya Castle is offering special moat boat tours!
As part of my regular Tuesday program on TV Aichi, I got the chance to look at parts of the moat not usually accessible, and the northern face stonework up close.... First we were led down a rampart not open to the public...
From there, the punt boats were moored in a spot that once served as an escape route for residents of the castle's 2nd Citadel should Nagoya ever be attacked. All aboard,...
With camera crew in tow, we climbed aboard for a 40 minute moat boat tour, complete with guide!
Not quite the Disney Jungle Cruise, but just as interesting... It was quite relaxing, and I'm hoping to go again privately so I can take some more photos up-close of an area usually only seen from outside the Northern Moat... Might even take a fishing rod with me next time too...