Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [239]
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ELECTION DAY IN OBAMA Chris Rowthorn
Obama Japan is a sleepy little fishing town on the Sea of Japan coast. It’s a fair bet that citizens of the town generally didn’t usually pay much attention to American politics. That all changed in 2008, when it became increasingly clear that Barack Obama was going to become the next president of the USA. The town was swept up in Obama fever and citizens watched the campaign with great interest.
Several young ladies in the town formed a hula dance troupe and called themselves the ‘Obama Girls’ (I guess they were celebrating the fact that Obama had grown up in Hawaii). Local musicians formed a whacky Japanese band that included a character dressed in a Power Rangers outfit. Town bakers started turning out Japanese bean cakes bearing the likeness of Barack Obama (actually, the back of his head – it was considered bad luck to put his face on the cakes until he was elected). The town’s chopstick manufacturers even produced a limited series of Obama chopsticks.
On 5 November (Japan is 12 hours ahead of the States, where the election was held on 4 November), I took a train up to Obama from my home in Kyoto to watch the election returns with the citizens of Obama. The atmosphere was electric. As the Obama Girls danced, a squad of older Obama supporters waved placards in the air, and one of the town bigwigs kept up a running patter, trying his best to interpret the CNN reports for the assembled mass.
Around noon, as one of the bands was performing another Obama-inspired number, a shout suddenly emerged from a group of young American Democrats stationed near the TV: CNN had called the election for Obama. The place went mad. Caught up in the excitement, Obama housewives embraced joyous American English teachers, half-drunk ojisans (older guys) high-fived foreign reporters, and the Obama Girls jumped for joy, their grass skirts waving in the air. The crowd took up the chant: ‘Obama! Obama! Obama!’
We had a lot to celebrate.
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TŌJINBŌ
On the coast about 25km northwest of Fukui are these towering rock columns and cliffs, a too-popular tourist destination that’s also a place of legend: one says that Tōjinbō was an evil Buddhist priest who was cast off the cliff by angry villagers in 1182; the sea surged for 49 days thereafter, a demonstration of the priest’s fury from beyond his watery grave.
Visitors can take a boat trip (¥1010, 30 minutes) to view the rock formations or travel further up the coast to O-jima, a small island with a shrine that is joined to the mainland by a bridge.
The most convenient connection to Tōjinbō is by bus via Awara Onsen Station (from Fukui: tokkyū, ¥1560, 10 minutes). Futsū trains are less expensive (¥320, 16 minutes), but less frequent. Buses to Tōjinbō depart Awara Onsen Station at 40 minutes past the hour (¥730, 40 minutes). See opposite for information on the Free Pass that also covers Tōjinbō, and note that the Free Pass is not valid on trains.
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TSURUGA
Tsuruga, south of Fukui and north of Biwa-ko, is a thriving port and train junction. Shin Nihonkai ferry company (0770-23-2222; www.snf.co.jp, in Japanese) operates 11 sailings a week to Tomakomai, Hokkaidō (2nd class from ¥9300, 19¼ hours nonstop, 30½ hours with stops). Several of these stop en route at Niigata (¥5100, 13¼ hours) and Akita (¥6700, 22¾ hours). Buses timed to ferry departures serve Tsuruga-kō port from Tsuruga Station (¥340, 20 minutes).
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OBAMA
0770 / pop 32,000
Under two hours from Fukui or Kyoto, this little seaside town recently received a big PR boost when a certain world leader made history, but it’s got quite a history of its own. For centuries its close proximity to the capital (Heian-kyō, now Kyoto) and river-fed bay (Wakasa-wan) made it a primary source of fresh food, particularly saba (mackerel), to the imperial court. Locals still identify more with the Kyoto area than with the rest of Fukui-ken, in speech, manner and outlook. Obama