Lost In Translation

Qien

This is Qien, a bar (no charge on the first floor) housed in a Taisho era wood house in between Ebisu and Shirogane near the Ebisu 3 chome crossing. Very cool ambiance.

The Take

I recently decided to watch The Take (2004) (1) since it was about politics and economics in Argentina, a country I visited earlier this year and (2) because Naomi Klein, a globalism journalist I respect, was involved in the project as a writer. It was co-written and directed by Avi Lewis and looked at the phenomena in Argentina where workers were taking back closed factories and running them profitably in a way their former owners were not able or willing to do. I would have like to have seen more context about reforms happening in South America at that time in general and perhaps more of the history of why they decided to follow the IMF, which led to such disastrous results. Also, perhaps more of the why Perons were so revered despite the Dirty War. A fascinaitng look at the process and politics in a intriguing continent.

Aalawai Jerk Chicken & Pork

I've been told by a Jamaican friend that Aalawai Jerk Chicken & Pork is the most authentic jerk chicken in Tokyo and it's about 500 meters from my apartment, and very affordable at ¥850.

Cultures of War: Pearl Harbor/Hiroshima/9-11/Iraq

I have been an admirer of John W. Dower since I read his 1999 masterpiece Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of WWII, which incidentally won both a Pulitzer Prize and Naitonal Book Award. I went back and read War Without Mercy: Race and Power in the Pacific War (1986) as well. I've been meaning to read Cultures of War: Pearl Harbor/Hiroshima/9-11/Iraq (2010) since it came out and decided that it might be an appropriate read before visiting Nagasaki for the first time (which I recently did), which also gets mention in the book. Dower is an excellent researcher and does an excellent job of explaining how and why historical antecedents from WWII were ill applied to present times as well as the irony in using terms like "ground zero" and "Pearl Harbor." First and foremost I found his discussion of the mentality behind using the atomic bombs fascinating since I read several book about the topic a few years earlier for a term paper on the subject for a correspondence class. But all of his writing about Japan is top notch in my estimation--he uses primary and secondary sources effectively to back up his assertions (there are over 100 pages of notes alone). I would go as far to say that his analysis of the Bush administration's foray into war in Afghanistan and Iraq are equally first rate. Then again I thought it was pure folly from the beginning, but I see in the reviews at Amazon that neoconservatives do not exactly see it that way. He suggests that if the Bush administration went to war with Iraq because of suspected weapons of mass destruction they were idiotic and if they went to war to open up the middle east for capitalism they were criminal. I do not see how conservatives can see these policies as successes. Dower does a great job of explaining why this occupation could not work the same way that the occupations of Japan and Germany did. I think looking at the three sections and the subsequent chapter titles will give you an idea of the breath and scope of his analysis:  Part I "Pearl Harbor As Code," 1. Infamy and the Cracked Mirror of History, 2. The Failure of Intelligence, 3. Failure of Imagination, 4. Innocence, Evil, and Amnesia, 5. War of Choice and Strategic Imbecilities, 6. "Pearl Harbor" as Godsend, Part II: "Ground Zero 1945 and Ground Zero 2001," 7. "Hiroshima" as Code, 8. Air War and Terror Bombing in WWII, 9. "The Most Terrible Bomb in the History of the World," 10. The Irresistible Logic of Mass Destruction, 11. Sweetness, Beauty, and Idealistic Annihilation, 12. New Evils in the World: 1945/2001, Part III: "Wars and Occupations," 13. Occupied Japan and Occupied Iraq, 14. Convergence of a Sort: Law, Justice, and Transgression, 15. Nation Building and Market Fundamentalism, Epilogue: "Fools' Errands and Fools' Gold." 

Southern Comfort

A couple of years ago I read this Primer on director Walter Hill, but I just recently got around to seeing Southern Comfort (1981). To begin with three of the leads are Keith Carradine, Powers Boothe, and Fred Ward--three great actors with charisma. The story is pretty interesting as well, a group of National Guardsmen on maneuvers in the Louisiana swamplands tangle with some locals and soon the film resembles John Boorman's Deliverance. That is until it becomes a Vietnam allegory more like Platoon. It also features a great soundtrack with Hill's first collaboration with Ry Cooder.  

Goto Udon

My last meal in Nagasaki was Goto udon (they originate from the Goto Islands). There are two sauces for dipping the thin and soft noodles (they are thicker in traditional udon): dashi with chives and horseradish and a raw egg with soy sauce and katsuobushi (fish flakes).

Central Nagasaki

Shinchi Chinatown

Dejima

Nagasaki Harbor

Sofukuji Temple

Shokakuji Temple

Mount Inasa

I wanted to try shippoku (European, Chinese, and Japanese style cooking), but there was a 40 minute wait. So I thought this "Dutch" ton katsu would do well since Kyushu has the best pork in the country.

I also had some Nagasaki style suigyoza (boiled dumplings) with garlic and nira (Chinese chive) at a Chinese place.

Kagetsu restaurant has a histroical lienage in the Maruyama red light district.

Shrine

Site of former Naka no Chaya teahouse and garden.

Southern Nagasaki

Ooura Catholic Church



Glover Garden







This the statue of Tamaki Miura, Nagasaki born and the woman who inspired Puccini to writethe opera Madame Butterfly.

Old British Embassy near the Dutch Slope.

 On the Dutch Slope.

Nagasaki: Urakami

Atomic Bomb Hypocenter Park

Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum

Heiwa Park

 

Friday Night In Nagasaki

I am visiting Nagasaki in Kyushu for a conference this weekend. I am staying in a hotel in the Shianbashi district--so more Nagasaki posts to come.

 

A favorite Quentin Tarantino film.

I decided to eat Champon, a local noodle dish, since I wasn't so hungry when I arrived. I'm looking forward to exploring more food culture.

 

Would you believe Japanese rum...