And Things that Go Bump in the Night

I’m pretty nostalgic for home this week, and its all because of Halloween.

Halloween is probably one of my absolute favorite holidays, and one that is, unfortunately, not widely celebrated in Japan. It seems like something they would absolutely love here, seeing as costumes are mandatory, but it is one western activity they have not appropriated. Yes, I have been wearing a costume to work all week, and teaching Japanese kids the joys of free candy, but its not quite the same aura of the macabre and atmosphere of celebration as home. And I find myself missing it.

So I’ve been trying to get into the holiday spirit, so to say, by planning a costume for Saturday night, listening to creepy The Decembrists’s songs, and skimming entertainment and pop culture blogs for news of the season.

But during my internet travels, I’ve run across an innumerable amount of articles about how vampires are the new “cool” thing. Seriously, every entertainment or news site has something written about it like it’s a brand new cultural phenomenon. Maybe its because it’s the close to beginning of the new TV season, maybe its because (apparently) the new twilight movie is coming out late fall, or maybe its because Halloween is literally right around the corner. Either way, the popularity of several franchises with a premise surrounding vampires have gotten all the media and entertainment blogs buzzing, trying to dissect the fascination, as if such a thing is new.

I almost want to ask where the hell they’ve been.

Now as someone who was a not so secret fan of the late 90s cult favorite, Buffy the Vampire the Slayer, I know that the vampire premise is fascinating, and the supernatural gave the writers license to explore real life issues in a fun and entertaining way. And while I found Twilight inanely stupid (I have to agree with my Aunt’s comments that the movie didn’t have enough blood or killing; I also found the lead more creepy stalker than romantic hero), the insane popularity just speaks to the interest that the genre holds.

But I repeat, this is not new.

Since Bram Stoker first put his pen to paper, Vampire stories have become its own genre in Western Literature. Bram shook up Victorian sensibilities by humanizing and, in fact, sexualizing the Vampire mythos, but that same interpretation has been a facet of fiction since then. And after Anne Rice, the mythology has evolved the vampire into, literally, a human with fangs. Someone who is inherently human, but uninhibited by the trappings of morality or self control.

So of course its appealing.

But who am I to really dissect why? I will never understand the appeal of the neutered, sparkly vampires of Twilight. But I do know that Buffy will always have a special place in my DVD collection. And that once I actually gave in to several instigators and watched it, True Blood has become one of my new favorite shows. (It truly is, as Alan Ball the creator, described it, “popcorn TV for smart people.”) So my attempt is not to explain, but merely balk at the media outlets surprise at the fact that vampires are cool.

I thought that was a well established fact?

So my musings turned into haphazard research, in which I discovered several interesting facts about vampires. So in honor of Halloween (and because I seriously love lists), I would like to share my findings, which I have comprised into a tiny list entitled:

Things You (Probably) Didn’t Know About Vampires

1. The original vampires of folklore were not the pale, gaunt, sinisterly attractive creatures of modern times. In traditional tales, vampires are described as bloated creatures with ruddy or purplish skin, with blood seeping from their mouth and nose. Very sexy.

2. Every language has its own word for it, but our word Vampire comes from the German Vampir, which in turn was adopted from the Serbian word вампир/vampir.

3. Indeed, as with the word, every culture all over the world for the last millennia has some form of vampire myth. Though our popular modern interpretation originates from the 18th century Southeastern European tradition, there are myths from every country throughout time. For example:

- The Persians were the first civilization to have tales of blood drinking demons, as depicted on ancient pottery shards.
- Ancient Babylonians believed in the Lilitu, a demon who lived on the blood of babies. (This is actually where Lilith of Hebrew folklore originates, but she was less picky about whose blood she subsisted on.)
- The Greeks and Romans believed in the empusae, a demonic bronze footed creature. She would transform into a young woman and seduce men, drinking their blood as they slept.
- In the Hindi tradition, India has the vetala, ghouls that inhabit corpses, drink blood, and constantly outwit their captors.
- In West Africa, the Ashani people believe in the asanbosom, vampiric creatures with iron teeth and claws that attack from above.
- In the Philippines, there are tales of the mandurugo, or “blood sucker.” It takes the form of an attractive girl by day, developing wings and a long, hollow threadlike tongue at night. Kind of like a really killer mosquito.
- In Chinese folklore, there is the Jiang Shi, reanimated corpses that hop around, killing people to absorb their life essences. They are created when an animal leaps over a corpse.

4. No matter the country, Vampires have OCD. In most folk beliefs, if they come across small grains, they have to impulsively count each and every one. In Europe, this meant poppy seeds or millet, in China and India it was sacks of rice.

5. According to legend, the most foolproof method for finding a vampire’s grave is leading a virgin boy through a graveyard on a virgin stallion. The horse would balk at the grave.

6. Vampire hunting societies still exist, though largely for social reasons. ( Of course, I am hard pressed to imagine what those reasons may be.)

7. The most recently recorded case of suspected vampirism in America was in 1892 in Exeter, Rhode Island. When 19-year-old Mercy Brown died, her father removed her from her tomb two months after death, cut out her heart, and burned it.

8. One of the most recent highly publicized cases of vampire activity was in 1970 in London, England. Two young men claimed a vampire lived in Highgate cemetery, and spurned a massive hunt by amateur “vampire hunters.” (Though perhaps they were all there for the social reasons.)

9. It is believed by some that belief in Vampires come from the attempts by pre-industrial societies to explain the natural, but them to seemingly unnatural, process of decomposition. Corpses swell with gas, and blood can ooze from the mouth. This makes them appear “plump” and “well-fed,” and as if they were in fact feasting upon blood. The skin and gums retract, making it appear as if their teeth, hair, and nails “grew.” And when a corpse was staked, the release of the previous mentioned gases could cause a groan-like sound, as if the “creature” was dying.

10. No folkloric tradition ever expressly states that vampires are either immortal or harmed by sunlight. Both suppositions are purely based on subsequent vampire literature.

11. The modern incarnation of the vampire as an aristocrat is believed to actually be a socio-political criticism of the Ancien Régime. A count alone in his castle, only emerging to feed on his peasantry, is symbolic of the parasitic nature of the old European ruling class. In 1979, filmmaker Werner Herzog took this political interpretation one step further, by having the young estate agent become the next vampire after Dracula. In other words, the capitalist bourgeois is the next parasitic class after the demise of the peerage system. (Now imagine him explaining all this in an esoteric rant with his self-possessed tone and surprisingly lilting accent. The thought makes me giggle.)

12. The charismatic and sophisticated aristocratic vampire did not actually begin with Bram Stoker. Though Dracula spawned the modern literary genre, the first vampire with these characteristics appeared in 1819 in a book called The Vampyre by John Polidori. Polidori was the personal physician of Lord Byron, and his vampire, Lord Ruthven, was based on his illustrious patient.

13. Varney the Vampire, a Victorian penny dreadful published in 1847 (so called because it was both inexpensive and grisly in content), solidified many tropes of vampire mythology we have today. He had fangs which left two puncture wounds, hypnotic powers, and superhuman strength. But most importantly, he was the first example of the archetype of the “sympathetic vampire.” In other words, a vampire who detests his condition; a victim of fate who is nonetheless a slave to it. It was the first instance of the tragic anti-hero that the vampire is today.

14. Dracula is a major character in more movies than any other character but Sherlock Holmes.

I lay full blame at the feet of Joseph Campbell for the compilation of the above list, as well as inspiring my interest in connecting worldwide folklore and tracing the mythos of an archetype through literature. But what can I say? Vampires are cool. Everyone is saying so nowadays. And researching them was a hell of a lot of fun. I just hope you enjoyed reading this even half as much as I enjoyed researching it.

Happy Halloween :)

Out with the Old, in with the New

So summer is officially over.



You will take a glance at the date I am posting this and think I am slightly insane for seemingly declaring the obvious. But if you have not lived in Japan before, you will not understand my reluctance to declare summer over. Because up until the two weeks ago, it was still disgustingly sticky and hot.



I laugh at anyone who wants to declare Japan a four season country. I know four seasons- I lived it for 18 years in New Jersey. It is characterized by temperate seasons with reasonable highs in July/August, reasonable lows in January, with a moderate decline and fall of temperature in between. The best I could classify the weather here is as two very distinct seasons of oppressive heat and a bitter chill with nice little transitional periods of temperate weather that bleed into each other. Because best I can tell, Summer here lasted from the first week of May till about October 4.



Especially in Nagoya.



Tajimi, located about 40 minutes by train outside the city in Gifu, besides being famous for ceramics, also has the dubious distinction of being known as the hottest place in Japan. So much so that national news services descend every summer to document it. This just illustrates the heat of the Chubu region in which I reside. And its not the heat that characterized the summer, but the amazing humidity. Humidity with a strength I had never experienced before. I had trouble breathing at times it was so heavy on my skin. Climbing stairs outside had me gasping like I was 70. I never didn’t sweat. I think I lost about 10 pounds from sweating alone.



A charming picture.



But as the first chill finally rolls into Nagoya, and I can finally wear more than a tank top at night again, I find myself reminiscing about the summer. It was hot, yes, but when I stopped complaining like a cranky old woman, there was lots to enjoy. So thinking back, I’ve composed a list of the things I will miss about my first summer in Japan.



1. BBQs
BBQs in Japan are vastly different from the hot dog and hamburger fests that I’m used to. Yes, there is the coolers of beer and soda, inane conversations about the heat, and sparklers, but there are fundamental differences. Like the traditional smashing of the watermelon, which involves blindfolds, a bat, a version of hot or cold, and then consuming smashed up watermelon bits. Or the way Japanese woman do everything possible to stay OUT of the sun, even resorting to sun visors reminiscent of Darth Vader‘s mask, huge floppy hats, and dark black arm guards that cover the whole arm and look amazingly stifling. Odd to me indeed, but the biggest, and most delightful difference, being the food itself.



It’s an array of grilled meats and vegetables that knock any hot dog out of the water. Steamed and grilled on a large charcoal pit, spices and sauces thrown over the entire heap, its like the ultimate stir fry. Then there’s the seafood, and the grilled rice balls, and everything else amazing you can think of. Men stoke huge grill pits with fans as they constantly switch the large assortment of grilled pork and beef with the sliced and sautéed vegetables.



Its an explosion of goodness in your mouth.



After my first one, I left very full and very happy. And despite the heat, I lounged by the lake in Shonai Ryokuchi Park with a beer in my hand, very content.



2. Fireworks



America has fireworks. They are pretty, light up the sky, give you a little thrill. A nice excuse to lay out a picnic blanket with friends and watch the night sky.



But nothing, I repeat NOTHING compares to the fireworks that Japan has.



The best fireworks displays I have seen back in the states compare only to the small fireworks displays in Japan. The big ones, the ones put on in the port of major cities, are fireworks displays the likes I have never seen before. Performances so long that the fireworks need to take an intermission. And the bright colors pack the sky throughout the entire show in a way that is only comparable to the actual finale of ones back home. And the finale? Its nearly overwhelming how awesome it is.



But the entire atmosphere of the event is worth it, even if it weren’t for the dazzling displays. Fireworks are seasonal, not privy to one holiday, so most weekends you will find a fireworks festival of some kind going on. Whether it be in a big city or a small town, the firework festivals has all the usual trappings of festivals in Japan, with the phenomenal food and traditional games. But these events have an extra special touch to it, for a majority of people attend dressed in yukata, or traditional summer kimono. Brightly colored garments with prints that range from the traditional to cutesy (I saw a fair share of Hello Kitty and leopard print ones), everyone walks around in them, a sea of color and texture, some girls with their hair styled just for the festival.



It is that nice extra element that makes the firework festivals just that more special.



3. Relaxing Outdoor Activities



Japan is a highly industrialized country, there is no denying that fact. Most greenery in cities are relegated to parks, and most suburbs look so much like the city that they bleed unnoticeably into each other. But Japan is also a country of beautiful mountains and breathtaking vistas, so when you can make your way out to get to it, they are absolutely worth it.



Being burned out on city life for such a reason, I decided to spend my summer vacation camping in the Japanese Alps. And as someone who is a professed lover of city life, I was amusingly surprised by the grand desire I had to see the mountains. But stressed from work and the heat, I was ready for a change of scenery. So, backpack in hand, I took the first train to Nagano and then a two hour bus ride out to Kamikochi, one of Japan’s national parks.



And as soon as we got there, I knew the trip was absolutely worth it.



Not only are the Japanese Alps snow and cloud capped peaks in breathtakingly rich greens, but the trails are still wild and fairly untouched. The air is clear and crisp, and the mountain streams that cut through are refreshingly cold and so amazingly blue it would not be out of place in the Caribbean. I spent a week of hiking and mountain climbing and attempting to wade in the freezing cold mountain water. We would walk all day, and then wander back to out tent and trade stories and grilled meat over our camp fire. And when I say walk all day, I actually mean it. One day we left our campsite at 10 am and didn’t come back till about 6 pm. I think we walked about 13 miles that day, but the mountains were so beautiful I never noticed the distance.



When we finally left Nagano, all the stress I almost didn’t know I had was melted away, and I was left feeling refreshed. It was so peaceful and rejuvenating that I cant even inject any snark into this section. All I know is that I cant wait for next summer to explore the rest of the mountains.

4. Beer Garden



The nomihodai, or all you can drink, is a popular concept in Japan. Bars do it very frequently, mostly because even though the Japanese are heavy drinkers, they don’t consume large quantities. But the gist of a nomihodai is what you would expect: all you can drink in a certain period of time for a set price.



The beer gardens take this to the next level. Set up on the roofs of large buildings all around Nagoya, it is really the only “outdoor seating” in Japan. But 30 stories up, its worth the view. You take the elevator up to the roof, play a flat rate of about 3000 yen, and get two or three hours of nomihodai (all you can drink) and tabehodai (all you can eat). You get lead to a table with a small grill for grilling your own meat, and after plopping down you bags, then proceed to the beer taps and buffet. You can get all you want of most Japanese beers (hence the name), and the buffet has every kind of rice and yakisoba and fried food you could want. There is also large sections for yakiniku of raw meat and vegetables, which you load up onto your plate and take back to your table. You then grill it yourself and enjoy fresh grilled meat and veggies dripping with sauce and still hot from the burner.



And if this sounds like something only for salary men and drunk gaijin, you are sadly mistaken. Despite being centered around drinking, I have seen so many families with children and elders at these things. They come as group and watch their parents drink, all while enjoying the large amounts of food or the cheesy entertainment of third rate JPOP wannabes.



But sitting on the rooftop in the sticky Nagoya heat, smoke from the small grills wafting around, a chilly mug of Asahi in my hand, and infectious JPOP blaring from the speakers, it’s the only place to be on a summer night in Japan.

6. Fans



I have to hand it to Japan. Keeping hand fans en vogue is one of the brightest ideas I’ve come across in the stifling heat. Though the thought to me evokes images of wraparound porches in the bayou, or ladies in Baptist churches with big hats, every man, woman and child in Japan uses a fan in the heat. In fact, most companies hand them out with advertisements on it, much in the way that they hand out tissues during allergy season (the Japanese are nothing if not excellent at marketing). And where at first I found it odd, I eventually became a full convert by the practicality of it.



Though its not necessarily something I will miss, fans are something I was very grateful to have this past season. It saved my hair, my makeup, and honestly, my sanity this summer. Sitting on long train rides in the high temperatures, or waiting in crowded areas, it relieved the heat in a way I thought nothing else could.



And for that I think I will for the rest of my life use hand fans.



So that is my final salute to Japan’s summer. The heat and the high cost of electricity from running my ac all the time may be gone, but the memories remain. And as with everything, hindsight only offers the good memories, as the bad ones fall away. So as we go full swing into fall, there are many things I will miss about Summer in the land of the rising sun.

But the humidity will definitely not be one of them.