Evangelion (Art) Exhibition 2014 at the Sogo Art Museum, Yokohama

I'm back... mostly! My computer is here and operational, and I have it speaking to me mostly in English instead of Japanese! I've installed pretty much all of the programs I need and I'm working on my data now. I've also got a back-log of emails to attend to...

Evangelion is massive. What started as a 24-episode series has spawned several movies, multiple trading card sets, plenty of merchandising goods, and recently, even an art exhibition.

 The art on display was directly related to the show and movies, though there were a few items from outside that universe. There were plenty of storyboard sequences and some cells from the original anime.

 A large portion of the exhibit had character sketches and pieces related to the main protagonists.

 Of course, art relating to the EVA machines and settings were also viewable, including a large 3D map of sorts showing the Evangelion "world" and the main locations within. They included a few video screens showing the animation for running EVA units, and a short looping clip from one of the movies.

The gift shop was well stocked with anything you could imagine, with some exclusive goods. Prices were unsurprisingly high, and being on a budget, I was limited to buying just a small set of stickers. There were books with most of the works included inside, exclusive figurines, omiyage souvenirs (snacks in custom packaging), clothes, and more.

I have watched only one Evangelion episode all the way through - the pilot episode in Japanese - so I don't know most of the actual story, but I've become quite familiar with the series. Along the way, I've collected a good amount of Evangelion figurines and other goods. And what little I've seen of the show just makes me want to watch the rest.

Admission was 1000 yen, and given the amount of art on display, it was well worth it. I was hoping for some more "fan" art or works not directly taken from the show and movies. Of course, photography wasn't allowed inside, but there were four large statues scattered throughout the mall for which photos were permitted:

 EVA Unit. These are pretty cool looking.

 Here's the main protagonist, Shinji. I just saw online that you can buy life-size figurines like these for about $5000 each. Pocket change!

 Here's Rei, one of the two main females on the show. She's calm and cool, much like her hair.

And the red fireball, with a personality to match, is Asuka. She's part German, and my favorite character on the show right now.

The exhibition was held at the Sogo Museum of Art, ending last weekend. It's the first of its kind, apparently, though an Evangelion art exhibition toured a few cities in Australia in 2013. A cursory search online didn't bring up any other exhibitions. There is an Evangelion store in Hakone (near Mt. Fuji - where the series and movies take place) and in Tokyo (Ikebukuro, reopening in early October).

Artwork images were found online, and come from materials related to the exhibition.

2014 Koshigaya Summer Street Festival Dates

I'm sure the dates were announced well in advance, but the advertising just recently went up that the Koshigaya Awa-Odori festival will be held August 22, 23, and 24. They had a preview of sorts on the 27th.

August 22nd, events take place 19:00-21:00. August 23rd and 24th, there are events starting around 14:00. Details for the event and a few photos from prior years are on the website (Japanese). There are plenty of stalls set up in the streets selling food and there are some carnival games.

I'm planning on attending in the evening; I have to work all three days but I should be able to see a little of the festival each day.

A Hanshin Tigers Game at Koshien Stadium

 Originally built to host the national high school baseball tournaments, Koshien Stadium opened in 1924, making it one of the oldest in the nation.

 Now, of course, it's the home of the Hanshin Tigers, one of the oldest teams in Japanese baseball. They have called Koshien their home since 1936, and high school tournaments and the championships are still played here. In fact, the high school games have scheduling priority over the Tigers games, so tournaments can cause rescheduling of Hanshin games.

 There are several plaques on the outside wall near the plaza area on the first base side. Here's one for the Tigers winning a championship of some kind. I didn't see any information about it but those who know more about NPB history can probably date this. I'm guessing its from the 1985 Japan Series.

 This one is of the stadium itself, prior to repairs completed in the past decade or so. The Great Hanshin earthquake of 1995 (known as the Kobe Earthquake) did some damage to the stadium, and it took about a decade before good plans were created; the improvements and repairs were completed in 2010. The ivy was preserved, the infield is still dirt, and the grass is still natural. But they changed the roof and reduced seating capacity, in addition to repairing the damage from the earthquake.

Also outside are several plaques honoring retired Tigers:

 Out in the plaza, not attached to the stadium, are two larger plaques. One of them commemorates Babe Ruth's appearance at the stadium in 1934, during one of the MLB tours of Japan.

There's a Koshien Stadium Museum, which is certainly worth checking out. Unfortunately, I didn't. That makes at least two museums I've missed, including the Sadaharu Oh Museum in Fukuoka.

 The stadium is beautiful, though, especially following an afternoon rainshower.

 Afternoon rainshowers also bring rainbows!

 Another shot. Koshien is the golden stadium, I suppose. The end of the rainbow is almost at home plate.

 This gives you a view of the scoreboard and outfield seating. The seats are wider since the renovation, but there are no backs here. I spent almost all of the game in the seats, enjoying the game itself. I didn't really get out and explore, though I'm not sure how much is possible. The renovations might have made the stadium more accessible, but Japan has proven to be quite strict when it comes to moving around inside many of the ballparks.

I must have gone on an off-day. Yes, the stadium was packed, and the fans were quite into the game. But it wasn't as crazy and violent as others have said, and the cheering at other stadiums on busy days has been just as exciting. In fact, the Carp fans were more into the game in Hiroshima than the Tigers fans on my visit to Koshien, believe it or not. And last year's Golden Eagles game had a really great crowd.

Access is quite simple; take a Hanshin Main Line train to Koshien Station. Coming from Umeda Station (essentially Osaka's main station) express trains take only 12 minutes and local trains take 22 minutes. From there, it's a couple minute walk south; the stadium is literally just past the expressway overpass, which runs within meters of the stadium. Be sure to buy your return train ticket before leaving the station, because lines will be long on the way home. Or use a Suica or other pre-paid train fare card. Tickets should be bought well before the game, especially for weekend and holiday games, but same-day tickets are usually available on weekdays. Remember that you can buy tickets at convenience stores all over Japan, though you'll probably need assistance from a Japanese speaker. Employees have been willing to help when they aren't busy.

Summer Festivals in Japan: A Quick Primer

Once the rainy season officially ends, Japanese people dress up in kimonos and costumes and celebrate the season with a bunch of local festivals. Last year, I took a bunch of pictures of the Koshigaya festival. It takes place over two days in front of the Minamikoshigaya/Shinkoshigaya Station complex.

 A large stage is set up in the taxi stand where performers dance and drummers bang on taiko drums. Meanwhile, a massive parade winds its way through the streets all around the station. I'm not really sure how big it actually is, but it takes over large area around the station (not just on this side!).

 Generally, the parade and stage performances are very similar. The dance is fairly simple at its most basic, basically involving stepping/walking while posing arms.

 There are dozens of groups participating in the parade with their own colors and styles of costumes, but they all do similar dances. I'm guessing there are differences to people in the know.

 Usually, groups are all women or all men.

 Sometimes kids are in on it. You can see a basic crossover step that seems to be common in all the dances, along with a bowed/hunched posture.

 There are drummers for each group and chanting.

 The hats and costumes are certainly worth seeing!

And finally, as with any event in Japan, there are stands set up selling goods. Some stands sell toys or have carnival-style games for kids, while plenty of stands sell food or drinks. And despite there being hundreds of stands there always seem to be long lines. But just as good as the costumes are the yukatas. It's pretty cool seeing all the ladies (and some of the guys) wearing yukatas - the women wear very bright, colorful yukatas and frequently wear flowers in their hair.

This year's festival is still about a month away, but now that I know what to expect I'll enjoy it even more and probably be able to learn more about it! But even without any knowledge of what's going on, visitors to Japan should try to see a festival while they're here.

Busy busy busy.

It's been kind of hectic around my place since I it back from Taiwan. I've had lots to do at work, plus I've been working on some projects at home. There have been a couple (welcome) social commitments, such as an all-night karaoke marathon with Akiko. And right now I'm headed for dinner with Amanda.

I have plenty to post about as far as trip reports go. In depth looks at my Kyushu and Taiwan vacations. Random foods and adventures. Etcetera.

This weekend was the summer festival in my current hometown, Koshigaya. I watched a little bit of the stage dancing and processions this evening. Here are a few pictures. Enjoy!