This weekend was the Paul Rusch Festival and Yatsugatake County Fair up here in our fair city. Unfortunately, the weather was kind of like the high moors of Scotland, rather than the fields of Kentucky. Let me back up first and let you know who Paul Rusch is. Paul Rusch was a man who came to Japan in the 20's after the Great Kanto Earthquake as a missionary. He stayed in Japan until the war started. He returned to Japan after the war and found the people of Kiyosato (the place I leave) eating potatoes and grains that were meant for livestock. He arranged the importing of Jersey cows to the area, which are especially good at high altitudes and cold weather. He started an organization here that teaches about high altitude farming and other environmental programs called the Kiyosato Education Experiment Project. Sometime in the 80's they started with the Paul Rusch Festival which is also a county fair.
That is a big old block of text...on to the pictures.
A giant picture of the man, the myth and the legend. Paul Rusch. People say I look like him...
I guess I see it...
Looks like a good old fashioned county fair...in the highlands of Japan.
Check out that super sweet archway made out of hay bales.
All sorts of different stuff. Unfortunately, most of the stuff is super boring (like crafts).
This was about as clear as it got all day.
Ah...this is more like it. Like where me ancestors be from on the ol' emerald isle.
These are the Japanese version of those rubber band guns. They are made of metal. I had to snap this picture all sneaky like. This was right across from the chopstick booth. They had chopsticks there that cost 900 dollars. Perhaps I am being culturally insensitive...but they are chopsticks. Two sticks that taper in size...that's an expensive stick.
No county fair would be complete without cheerleaders. What do they cheer for? Why our good friend Paul of course.
You may remember this organ truck from an earlier post. The organ was cranking out tunes like Stars and Stripes Forever and Dixie.
I challenge you to find something more adorable than these little children (who look too little to be real life) dancing to this song.
Food on a stick is common at fairs, but how often do you get the whole dang fish? Only in Japan.
They make their own ice cream from the fresh jersey cow dairy. I have it on good authority that this is the best ice cream in all of southeast Asia. The specialty flavor for this year was strawberry. So good!
Yeah. Turns out that I can't take normal pictures. I am just trying to show off these pork ribs (that were terribly expensive) and I look like a wizard that not only didn't find the rabbit in the hat, but managed to find rabbit poo in there.
Don't I look happy? Ribs will do that. Also that guy in the background was saying "Can you hear me now? Good!" in Japanese. Verizon has had 18 new spokespeople in the 4 years since that commercial, get with the times buddy.
It was quite a fun time, and I am glad for the opportunity to have some down home country food. Paul Rusch is also called the Father of American Football in Japan. Now, I haven't seen any Japanese playing football, but I guess he is the father of it. The speech contest for the second year Junior High students this year is about Paul Rusch and American football. The speech is kind of confusing when it outlines the life of Paul Rusch. Here is an excerpt from the speech that the students memorize:
But in the late 30s, Japan and the U.S. were ready for war. Paul really wanted to stop the war. On December the 7th, 1941, he spoke to the American people through the radio. "The friendship between our countries is growing. Let's stop the war!" But, it was no use. On the very next day, the war started. Many of his students had to go to war. Paul had to leave Japan too. He was very sad.
I find it intriguing how they frame this. Clearly it is written from the Japanese perspective. Interesting guy nonetheless. He doesn't have a Wikipedia page though, perhaps someone should get on that.
Comments should be working now, I hope. You still may not be able to login with your account, but post as anonymous, and mention who ya are.
It was quite a fun time, and I am glad for the opportunity to have some down home country food. Paul Rusch is also called the Father of American Football in Japan. Now, I haven't seen any Japanese playing football, but I guess he is the father of it. The speech contest for the second year Junior High students this year is about Paul Rusch and American football. The speech is kind of confusing when it outlines the life of Paul Rusch. Here is an excerpt from the speech that the students memorize:
But in the late 30s, Japan and the U.S. were ready for war. Paul really wanted to stop the war. On December the 7th, 1941, he spoke to the American people through the radio. "The friendship between our countries is growing. Let's stop the war!" But, it was no use. On the very next day, the war started. Many of his students had to go to war. Paul had to leave Japan too. He was very sad.
I find it intriguing how they frame this. Clearly it is written from the Japanese perspective. Interesting guy nonetheless. He doesn't have a Wikipedia page though, perhaps someone should get on that.
Comments should be working now, I hope. You still may not be able to login with your account, but post as anonymous, and mention who ya are.
4 comments:
I your number one Japanese follower, but now that you insult our chopstick, I stop follow today!
Wow Jeff, you really offended Anonymous. That was really insensitive of you to say. Also, now that you take pictures and video's of little asian kids, do you feel like you're becoming the new Josh?
Last thought--how exactly was our friendship growing when they had bombed us that day? Unless of course it was the U.S. government framing Japan, as I've heard some conspirators say. In that case it would make sense.
Crafts, food on a stick and cheerleaders. Heaven. Lu would die to cheer for anything-- as long as she got to wear the outfit. :-). I love that you go to that stuff.
Tell me you tried the "fish on a stick"... Did you buy a festival souvenir?
jmk
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