"Five Minutes to Tomorrow" director's event at Tsuchiura Central Cinemas

As the family is a fan of Miura Haruma (三浦春馬), we decided to make a trip to Tsuchiura Central Cinemas (土浦セントラルシネマズ; official Twitter account here) when we heard that it was organising an event where Director Yukisada Isao will be speaking together with the screening of the movie Five Minutes to Tomorrow (Chinese title 深夜前的五分钟; Japanese title 真夜中の五分前) which stars Miura Haruma.

We left early in the morning to drive to Tsuchiura and got there before 10 a.m. (the first show was at 11 a.m.) but there was already a queue from the cinema on the second floor stretching out of the building.

While waiting, we decided to explore Mall 505, where Miura Haruma's mother used to own a shop.

Since our previous trip, a new eatery opened here at the mall, dedicated to Miura Haruma.

Anyway, Five Minutes to Tomorrow was scheduled to show twice, with Director Yukisada speaking at both screenings.

 

We managed to get tickets for the second screening, which was delayed by more than an hour because the first session with the director took longer than expected.

Director Yukisada talked about the production of the movie, the reason why the script was changed from the original work to make it appeal to an international audience because he could not get funding in Japan to film the movie. He talked about the cultural differences between film making in Japan and China, how the actors/actresses have a different way of working. He talked about how Miura Haruma went about preparing for his role, his adaptability, and other episodes from the filming. He also disclosed that he actually approached Miura Haruma for his next film, but was turned down because of scheduling issues. Oh, and the scene in the movie where Miura Haruma and Cecilia Liu were teaching each other Mandarin and Japanese before they kissed, that scene was actually unscripted.

Quite by accident, I managed to win a round of rock-paper-scissors to get an autographed copy of the movie's flyer.

By the time the movie ended, it was quite late in the evening, so we had a quick snack at the nearby McDonalds' before driving back home. It was a long day with quite a bit of driving, but it was worth it because we were able to hear the director speak about his experiences with Miura Haruma.

 

Tsuchiura is where Miura Haruma was born and raised, and Tsuchiura Central Cinemas will continue to air Miura Haruma's movies as long as there are fans. That is the owner's promise to fans. I didn't expect that my second trip to the cinema would be less than two months from the first, but I am looking forward to the next trip there!

Note: The cinema asks fans visiting the cinema to take proper measures against COVID-19.

Update 14 June, 2021: The owner of the cinema has announced that, for future events, filming for personal use will no longer be allowed, as there were people who filmed past events and uploaded them to social media. Someone even uploaded to YouTube and monetised the video. These events are organised by the owner and the guest speakers based on goodwill, so it is really disappointing that there are fans who did not observe the proper etiquette. 😞

Toward a scooter life: Placing an order for one

After going for a scooter refresher, the next step toward my new scooter life is to get a scooter. Well, it is probably one of the more important ones too.

I wanted something more cute, and the two choices were the Honda Giorno and the Yamaha Vino. For those who watch Laid Back Camp (Yuru Camp), the Vino is the one that Rin rides. However, hers is an older version; the current Vino is actually made by Honda, with the front customized by Yamaha to retain the Vino look.

In the end, I went with the Honda Giorno. The Vino definitely looks cuter. In fact, it is too cute for me.

Next was to find a store that actually sells the Honda Giorno. I wanted the Puco Blue one, and after calling a few stores in the area, promptly realised that COVID-19 has affected Honda's production, and the stores have no idea when they will get new Giornos next.

But I eventually managed to find a store in Chigasaki (which is like two cities away) that says it will have the Puco Blue Giorno coming in early June. All I need to do is to go down and place a deposit, fill in some paperwork, and when the scooter arrives, they will give me the details needed to register it at the local ward office, and ship it to my place.

So I planned my work schedule to keep this morning free for me to make the one-hour trip to the store. Except that it was raining heavily the whole day... and I ended up having to make this trip in the rain. The store was also a bit difficult to find because they actually have two parts of the same store in the same place, one on each side of the road.

I missed the bus and had to take a taxi there, and the taxi driver was going to drop me at Honda Dream (Honda's motorcycle dealership chain) until he realised his mistake. The store (U-Media Shonan Bike Mall) is actually on the opposite side of the road.

If I had taken the bus, this would be the bus stop to drop off at, coming from Hiratsuka Station.

Making my way into the store, I finally found the store owner, who was supposed to go through the paperwork with me. It took a while because I asked him questions about insurance and the delivery process. And because it is a delivery company that will be bringing me the scooter, no one will be able to explain the scooter's operations to me on the day of delivery. So, the store owner found another Giorno in the store (a black one) and used it to explain to me the various operations.

Then, it was time to make my one-hour trip back to Yokohama. But at least I got to read the pamphlet.

Next step, register the scooter. And get a helmet. I am thinking of getting the Yamaha Zenith YJ-17.

 

By the way, if anyone knows about a big bore kit (bore up kit ボアアップキット) for the Honda Giorno (AF77, which uses the AF74E engine), please leave a comment!

Adult men and high school girls

No, this is not about Matt Gaetz, although it may be up his alley. Rather, it is about two anime series airing this season (spring 2021). We are now about midway into the season, and I thought I would share some thoughts about these two series.

The first is Koi to Yobu ni wa Kimochi Warui (恋と呼ぶには気持ち悪い), or Koikimo. It is about an adult man who was saved from falling down a flight of stairs by a high school girl. He ends up falling for her instead of falling down the stairs.

The second is Hige o Soru. Soshite Joshi Kosei o Hirou (ひげを剃る。そして女子高生を拾う。 aka Higehiro: After Being Rejected, I Shaved and Took in a High School Runaway). It is about an adult man who found a high school girl alone in the streets at night and took her in, and they end up living together.

An adult man and a high school girl. In this day and age, this is obviously a disastrous combination. Even though the adult man in Higehiro took in the high school girl without the condition of "sex for shelter", an adult man taking in a high school girl, sex or no sex, is problematic. High school girls, or anyone underage, male or female for that matter, don't belong in the house of strangers. It is not about respecting her decision here. The right thing to do is get her home, and if she needs help because of a family situation, find the right agency to give her that help.

Koikimo is problematic in its own way. You have an adult man who relentless pursues a high school girl even though she has voiced her disinterest. What part about "no" does he not understand? His actions are downright harassment. Those are the things that get a person arrested for being a stalker. Yes, it seems that she is starting to develop feelings for him, but are those feelings a result of being harassed or really something that is true? We won't know because the entire relationship has been tainted from the start by the brute force harassment.

Anyway, I will watch both series to the end as I enjoy love comedy shows and I am interested to find out how the stories develop. Still, these are the kind of shows that need to be watched with parental guidance. Let's not give young boys the wrong ideas least they grow up into men who think it is okay to harass girls or take them in.

50cc scooter refresher course

In Japan, if you get a driving license for a car, you are also qualified to ride a 50cc scooter/motorcycle. The rules for these scooters, known as 原動機付き自転車 or 原付 in short, are covered as part of the lessons for getting a license. Actual hands on differ according to driving schools, but most don't really cover the practical part (except maybe like 10 minutes to tell you how to start and stop).

I thought I would put this license to use, and get myself a scooter. But first, it has been many years since I learnt to drive, and although the scooter was covered when I was learning to drive, hands-on was limited to that 10 minutes which I mentioned. I know how to ride a bicycle (I used to cycle to driving school) but something powered by an engine is very different from something powered by my legs. I decided to be safe and looked around to see if driving schools here offer refresher lessons for a scooter.

And realized that such refreshers are not common. There is a practical lesson at the license center when you get your scooter license (if you get it separately instead of with a driving or motorcycle license) but such lessons are not offered to those who already have a license. And driving schools usually don't offer them too. After some searching, I found the only driving school within commuting distance that offers scooter refresher course.

The place is the Futamatagawa Driving School. You can sign up for one or two periods (each period is 50 minutes). Of course, you can opt for more lessons, but most people go with one, at most two periods.

The nearest station to the registration/reception office is Futamatagawa Station on the Sotetsu Line. It is about 10 minutes walk. This is how the office looks like.

It is highly unlikely you can get a same-day lesson, so you will need to come back on another day for the lesson. The registration process includes paying 5,500 yen to become a student. This one-time fee is valid for a year, so if you decide to come back for other lessons in the future, as long as it is within a year, you do not need to pay this registration fee.

Each period costs 4,500 yen. So if you book one period, the total is 10,000 yen. If you need to rent a helmet, it is another 200 yen each time. You will need to tell the reception on the day of your lesson that you want to rent a helmet. Pay at the reception, and they will issue you a ticket. Bring that ticket to the driving course itself, and exchange it for a helmet. By the way, I was told that scooter refresher lessons are only available at night on weekdays. The earliest such slot is 17:10 to 18:00. The next period is 18:10 to 19:00, then 19:10 to 20:00.

On the day of your lesson, go to the reception at least 20 minutes before the start of the lesson. If you need a helmet, tell the reception and pay 200 yen for the ticket. Then wait for the shuttle to ferry you to the driving course itself.

This is how the driving course looks like.

It is actually a very simple course, with two long straights (about 60m each) and a shorting winding road, plus a slope.

For my 50-minute lesson, the instructor went through the basics of how to start and stop the scooter, accelerate and brake, and signal for turns. About 15 minutes was spent on this part, which was mostly the instructor talking and demonstrating.

Then came the actual practical, which was basically following behind the instructor on the scooter (I was assigned a Yamaha Vino). Accelerate on the straights, then slow down, turn, and keep doing this. Next was the actual practical for signalling turns, starting with right turns, then left turns. This was followed by a demonstration of how to do a two-step right turn. In Japan, 50cc scooters cannot make a direct right turn at intersections with three or more lanes. Such scooters need to make a two-step right turn, which is basically go straight, stop, then turn the scooter around to face the right, wait for the signal to turn green, then move straight in the new direction.

The instructor also went through how to start on a slope (uphill). This was followed by practice on a winding road. By then, time was almost up, so we did another round around the course before returning to the starting position.

I think 50 minutes was a bit short, but I don't think I need two periods. At least I got some practice and it helped to boost my confidence. Next would be to actually get a scooter, then practice in the neighbourhood before heading onto the main roads. Wish me luck!

 

Update August 1, 2021: It has been almost two months since I took delivery of my scooter, and I must really thank this scooter refresher. It was a short refresher, but it covered all the fundamentals, like how to move off from a slope, which proved to be very useful. I highly recommend this refresher to all new scooter riders.

Visit to Samukawa Jinja

I made a trip to Samukawa Jinja (link to Wikipedia entry) today. It is one of the most famous shrines in the region, and is said to have a history of 1,600 years.

 

A stone torii gate marks the entrance to the shrine's grounds.

The main shrine building itself has a huge courtyard in front of it. This place is probably filled with people on festive days like the New Year, but it was quite quiet today.

There is something like an astrolabe too.

I got myself a lucky charm for display in the house and another for traffic safety.

And dropped by the nearby Komeda Coffee for a cup of black coffee before heading home.

It is not that far from where I stay, so I guess I will be back again when I need some serenity and divine protection. 😀

Upgrading to Ubuntu 21.04 from the command line

Previously, I upgraded my Raspberry Pi 4 from Ubuntu 20.04 to Ubuntu 20.10 from the command line.

 

Ubuntu 21.04 has been out since April, but I did not upgrade because the upgrade path was not official yet. But it seems the upgrade option is now official, as I was prompted about the update when I did a reboot today.

 

So, I decided to take the plunge, and ran 

sudo do-release-upgrade
 

This started the upgrade process, which took a while (around 1 hour 15 minutes for me). There was one prompt along the way and I took the default option.
 
Once the upgrade was done, I did a reboot.
sudo reboot

To get my fan to work, I had to do

sudo pip3 install gpiozero

because the upgrade to Python 3.9 (from Python 3.8) removed the library.

Here's the result from neofetch after upgrading.

Hope this helps those who want to upgrade to Ubuntu 21.04 from the command line. Remember, upgrading a system always comes with risks, so do so at your own risk! I won't be responsible if anything fails. All I can do is share what worked for me.

Note: From the previous upgrade, it seems that third-party repositories may be disabled, and you can try to reenable them by:
sudo sed -i '/deb/s/^#//g' /etc/apt/sources.list.d/*.list
sudo sed -i 's/groovy/hirsute/g' /etc/apt/sources.list.d/*.list
sudo apt update 

(I did not test this as I do not have any such repositories.)

Cooking crispy roast pork

I have attempted to cook crispy roast pork before with varying degrees of success. It is best to cook with an oven, but I don't have a proper oven and so I cooked using the fish roaster that is found in most Japanese cooking ranges. The problem is that these roasters use gas and it can be hard to control the fire. I usually end up overcooking the meat, which becomes dry and the skin (which gives the crackle) becomes burnt.

Yesterday, I tried using an electric range, which has a roaster that uses heating elements like a toaster instead of fire. This allowed better control of the heat, and I must say, the result was quite good.

This is how dinner looked like.

First, the meat. I used a slab of pork belly with skin that was sold at the Chinatown in Yokohama. After defrosting the meat, I used an ice pick (but a fork will also do) to poke holes in the skin as well as the meat so that heat can better enter it.

Then, I used five-spice powder to season the meat. It was just a case of rubbing the powder onto the meat (not the skin). Then, to help draw water out of the skin (which makes the skin cook into a nice crackle), I rubbed salt onto the skin. Don't overdo it or you will end up with a very salty dish...

The pork belly is then wrapped in cooking wrap and placed into the refrigerator to season overnight. This seasoning process takes only about 5 minutes (plus the overnight in the fridge).

The cooking part is more time consuming.

First, I placed the pork belly with the skin facing down in the roaster and cooked using medium heat for 10 minutes. Then, I left it inside the roaster for about 5 minutes before turning the meat around, this time with the skin facing up. I then cooked again for 7 minutes at medium heat. The skin was not full cooked yet, so I left it in the roaster for another 5 minutes.

Then I turned the meat to its side, cooked for 7 minutes at low heat, simmer for 5 minutes, then turned over to the other side, cooked for 7 minutes at low heat again and simmered for 5 minutes.

Finally, to give the skin a proper crackle, I turned the meat with the skin facing up and cooked at medium heat for 7 minutes.

The end result was this.

The skin was nicely cooked to a crackle. The meat itself was not too dry. All that remained was to cut it and serve. It was my best attempt so far, but I can better improve it. First, the meat was not of even thickness, which is why some part of the skin got slightly burnt from being too close to the heating element. The best way to solve this is to cut the meat so that it is of even thickness. The excess meat can be cooked separately. Of course, the best way is to get a proper oven... 😅

Still, this is the best attempt so far. I will try my hand at it again when I have the time (need to travel to Chinatown to get the meat, and it takes quite some time and effort to actually cook).

KyoAni to release compendium of backgrounds used in Violet Evergarden

KyoAni announced that it will be releasing a compendium of backgrounds used in the Violet Evergarden series (TV, Gaiden movie, and 2020 movie).

KyoAni's online store will be taking orders from late May 2021. Looking forward to it!

『#ヴァイオレット・エヴァーガーデン シリーズ 美術背景画集』発売決定！
『TVアニメ』『外伝』『劇場版』全シリーズの中から、背景スタッフ選りすぐりの背景画、美術ボード、美術設定を一挙収録。5月下旬より予約開始予定です。

▼特設サイトhttps://t.co/MVunoBwQxP#violet_BG #VioletEvergarden pic.twitter.com/nCLRBVF85G

— 「ヴァイオレット・エヴァーガーデン」公式 (@Violet_Letter) May 5, 2021