Flat Friends getting to pose with the Maori warrior in front of the New Zealand pavilion 

In the Lao pavilion, this Japanese lady asked us to sign her book and made a picture of us, we asked her to do the same. 

On May 9th we sadly said goodbye to David and Osaka. What a wonderful 12 days we had there together. But we headed off for more adventures. First stop: Expo 2005 Aichi. We avoided lines by visiting the smaller pavilions and some that we could get into without much of a wait.

Nara

Mother's Day 2005, we went to Nara, the historical capital of Japan. The guys went to the museum while I wandered in the ancient forest looking for birds. David gave me some little watermelon jellies because he knew I would love the design on the wrappers. I did. The jellies were delicious.

It poured rain the day we went to the Maritime Museum, but we were high and dry inside the big dome.  

Forrest Gump's Bench outside Bubba Gump's Shrimp Co. cafe 

David introduced the flat friends to Marilyn 

USJ

Oh Lucy, the flat friends and I have been walking around USJ all day long. We have had our photo made with the "Blue's brothers", and even "Marilyn Monroe". We are so hungry! Do you want to join us at Bubba Gumps?

May 5, a day spent at Universal Studios Japan and dinner at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. 

May 4th, a visit to the Osaka museum of Science and dinner at the Osaka Hard Rock cafe. 

May 3 page in my paste book journal 

Bricolage! Another form of altered art?

May 3.
Bricolage: Construction or something constructed by using whatever materials happen to be available.

At the site of Osaka Expo 1970, we visited the museum of ethnology. The whole museum became a part of the exhibit, which was called "More Happy Everyday". It was based on the subject of Bricolage.

The English guide to the exhibit explains, "What we try to describe by an unfamiliar word, ‘bricolage art’ , are expressive activities in our daily life and artistic works produced through these activities."...

"A can for beer exists to be filled with beer. When the can becomes empty, it will be thrown out. On the other hand, performers of bricolage create hats, bags, and children's toys from those cans. Amazed by the unexpected outcome, we see possibility of a beer can and artistic power of the creator in it. "

"What constitute the exhibition hall are widely available materials, such as tube and coupler scaffolding and corrugated fiberboard. It presupposes that these materials will be returned to the distribution after the exhibition."

For more about the exhibition see
http://www.minpaku.ac.jp/english/exhibitions/special/brico/

Each day I made a little journal page of found papers that I collected during the day. This is the one for April 30. 

April 30, 2005

April 30th.
Early this morning I visited Tokyu Hands, an 8 floor version of Michaels or Hobby Lobby. In addition to craft and art supplies and decorative items they had accessories, and all kinds of do it yourself supplies. I spent my entire two hours on the top two floors: stationary, office supplies, scrapbooking and paper. We met David for lunch at the Namba Parks mall. An unusual mutilevel shopping mall with little outdoor parks on each level.
In the afternoon we all went to the Osaka history museum where some friendly volunteer docents helped me to dress up in the costume of the Imperial Fan Bearer. It is a wonderful museum, most of the captions were in Japanese with only a few English words thrown in now and then. From the windows we could see Osaka Castle below. Later we walked around the castle grounds in the cool of the evening.
I carried a small blank book with me to get it stamped wherever we went, attractions, train stations etc. In the history museum I got my book stamped at several different stations as we moved through.

On the first day of Golden week, lots of families were enjoying a day at the park. It was hot and the children were having fun wading in the little stream. 

Tennoji Park

The first Holiday of Golden Week. We join the families having picnics in the park at Tennoji. Teenage dance groups are performing Hip Hop on the stage in the noon day sun. Little kids are wading in a small stream. We get a close up view of the Koalas at the zoo (my reason for wanting to go to the park). Late in the afternoon we walk down to the Tsutenkaku Tower, where we queue up for the elevator to the top. Great views of the city in all directions. I pat the belly of the Billiken for good luck. I think it worked. Everything seemed to work out smoothly for the entire trip.
To learn more:
Billiken
http://www.e-z-smith.com/Billycan/
About the tower:
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/RTG/RI/kansai/osaka/shinsekai/shinsekai.html
Tennoji:
http://www.tourism.city.osaka.jp/en/area_osaka/tennoji/attraction/