Hey guys, this time I travel to Lavender Town which in real life is Ushiku in Ibaraki-ken. Ushiku is famous for the Ushiku Joen, which contains the largest bronze statue of the Buddha in the world. It also functions as a tower with 4 floors which we can enter. Inside, we see many spiritual ornaments and items in relation to the Buddhist religion. In the actual game prior to the “Radio Tower” remodeling, the Pokémon Tower existed as a “Shinto-style” Ohaka (Japanese Shinto graveyard where the ashes of loved ones are kept and remembered). It is actually highly unusual for Ohaka to be in a tower, as I have never seen this before in Japan. Ohaka are mostly outdoors in an open field, much like graveyards in the West. It is also further unlikely to find an Ohaka for pets, much like the purpose of the Pokémon Tower. However, the Ushiku Joen features an Ohaka for deceased pets and animals. The Buddha itself does not contain Ohaka, but it contains various prayer points where one can meditate with a clear view of the Ohaka on the ground. Much like Lavender Town, Ushiku is a very somber and quiet place in Kanto. Although the game location contains the name-rather house, the memorial house, and Mr. Fuji’s house which contains an Pokémon shelter for those willing to adopt an abandoned or orphaned Pokémon, I am sure these also exist in the vicinity in some form. After all, Ushiku is surrounded by farmland and is devoid of cafes, convenience stores, and the next bus runs hourly… It is truly a quiet and lonely little place. RIP to all the souls that remembered in Ushiku Joen. RIP to all the lost Pokémon in the former Pokemon Tower (now in the Memorial House).
0:13 Purification zone
0:30 Pokemon Tower
1:42 Ohaka for the deceased
Disclaimer: The Grand PokéTour is in no way affiliated with Nintendo, GAME FREAK Inc, Creatures Inc, or the Pokémon Company in any way. Nor are we endorsed by them. All copyright belongs to the original rightful owners. This video is created under fair use for education purposes in order to teach foreigners about the history and beauty of Japan, by using Pokémon, a symbol of Japanese sub-culture to draw attention and illustrate in detail.
1 окт 2022
