G8 Meeting
There are some things you only realise after some disturbance occurs...
First: Kyoto is a city without tall buildings. That is enforced by law. It has lots to do with city planning, especially considering Kyoto is a traditional city with historical places. I occasionally hear an interesting story here or there about it, like the fact that Kyoto Univerisity Hospital actually don't comply with those rules.
Considering that I have some classes about architectural design I should know about it better... or not.
Anyway, recently I noticed another one...
Usually no aircrafts fly over Kyoto.
I don't know if it's also to preserve the city (roars of planes might damage historical buildings?) or if it's just lucky enough to be out of major flight routes. Still, hearing an airplane or anything similar is really unusual in Kyoto.
But last week I heard - and saw - some helicopters flying over the city. A good bunch of them.
What happened? And they seemed to be on patrol. Besides, there were lots of cops around the streets. In buses, blocking roads, lots of patrols here and there, some carrying guns or shields (in Japan it's unusual)...
Answer: G8 Foreign Ministers Meeting.
Since I'm in report season, that didn't bothered me much because my life now consists mostly of my lab, my home, the university's library, media center and classrooms.
Still, I couldn't help noticing a certain sign on campus...
For the Japanese impaired (I'm not exactly familiar with the vocabulary, so it may look a little strange):
"6/26 (Thu) 6/27 (Fri)
G8 Foreign Ministers Meeting
Smash!
Beat up the summit and general Kyoto University authorities and reactionary faculty
Go on strike/protest!
Regular meetings every Wednesday
(...)
Strike executive commitee
(e-mail address)"
So, even though it's said that Japanese youth is not politically engaged, there are still those who protest... I'd like to know against what though. That sign doesn't give any clue about the ideology they're following, and it's a minus for me. Just say that I don't agree is easy. What to do instead is the tough part.
I actually heard them going to protest. I was running some simulations in the library when I heard whistles, drums and some words of order. Still I couldn't see them, but it seemed a lot more orderly than my image of a protest rally. Talking to another Brazilian friend, she said the number was not so large either.
Maybe it's just that we have different standards...
First: Kyoto is a city without tall buildings. That is enforced by law. It has lots to do with city planning, especially considering Kyoto is a traditional city with historical places. I occasionally hear an interesting story here or there about it, like the fact that Kyoto Univerisity Hospital actually don't comply with those rules.
Considering that I have some classes about architectural design I should know about it better... or not.
Anyway, recently I noticed another one...
Usually no aircrafts fly over Kyoto.
I don't know if it's also to preserve the city (roars of planes might damage historical buildings?) or if it's just lucky enough to be out of major flight routes. Still, hearing an airplane or anything similar is really unusual in Kyoto.
But last week I heard - and saw - some helicopters flying over the city. A good bunch of them.
What happened? And they seemed to be on patrol. Besides, there were lots of cops around the streets. In buses, blocking roads, lots of patrols here and there, some carrying guns or shields (in Japan it's unusual)...
Answer: G8 Foreign Ministers Meeting.
Since I'm in report season, that didn't bothered me much because my life now consists mostly of my lab, my home, the university's library, media center and classrooms.
Still, I couldn't help noticing a certain sign on campus...
For the Japanese impaired (I'm not exactly familiar with the vocabulary, so it may look a little strange):
"6/26 (Thu) 6/27 (Fri)
G8 Foreign Ministers Meeting
Smash!
Beat up the summit and general Kyoto University authorities and reactionary faculty
Go on strike/protest!
Regular meetings every Wednesday
(...)
Strike executive commitee
(e-mail address)"
So, even though it's said that Japanese youth is not politically engaged, there are still those who protest... I'd like to know against what though. That sign doesn't give any clue about the ideology they're following, and it's a minus for me. Just say that I don't agree is easy. What to do instead is the tough part.
I actually heard them going to protest. I was running some simulations in the library when I heard whistles, drums and some words of order. Still I couldn't see them, but it seemed a lot more orderly than my image of a protest rally. Talking to another Brazilian friend, she said the number was not so large either.
Maybe it's just that we have different standards...
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