The following photograph-rich
article features fortune telling (and divination), fortune
teller’s shops in Coney Island, legal issues associated with
fortune tellers’ business practices, prediction of Islamo
fascists’ attack on America on September 11, 2001, criteria of
real seers, fraud of Global Warming cult, artworks of fortune
tellers & diviners, and other fascinating topics. Most of
photographs featured in this article were never shown in public
before. Yamada is one of the most active educators
and artists in New York City and has had over 450 fine art
exhibitions internationally with his paintings and sculptures.
The manuscript was produced by Dr. Eriko N. Bond, noted art
critic and New York City author, as told by Yamada.
TAKESHI YAMADA
ON
FORTUNE TELLING & DIVINATION
- CONEY ISLAND SIDESHOW AND BEYOND -
Article by Dr.
Eriko N. Bond as told by Takeshi Yamada
Chapter 18
The future has a way of arriving unannounced.
-
George
Frederick Will (born May 4, 1941)
George Will is a Pulitzer Prize-winning conservative American
newspaper columnist, journalist, and author.
Boy and coin-operated fortune teller.
(Circa 1909)
http://bp1.blogger.com/_bdtuKKCTCf4/RfYNSCHNSHI/AAAAAAAAB9Y/ZMz3FMKKy_8/s1600-h/The+Fortune+Teller+-+Circa+1909M.jpg
Takeshi Yamada, Seara (sea rabbit), and Grandma at Deno’s Wonder
Wheel Arcade in Coney Island.
(September 15, 2007)
Automatons
As an
internationally active educator, author, visual artist and a
passionate collector of oddities for his cabinet of curiosities
for over four decades, Takeshi Yamada was always fascinated by
the prototype automaton droid and sophisticate humanoid robots
before the advent of electricity. The culture of moving humanoid
robots to entertain people blossomed at courts in the 16th
century in Italy. Many artists with engineering skills of the
Renaissance era including Leonardo da Vinci (he was a military
engineer specialized in designing, inventing, and producing
weapons of mass destructions) also created automated moving
dolls and puppets for entertainment purposes.
An
internal mechanism of a very crude puppet (automaton) designed
by Leonardo da Vinci around 1495.
The replica of this toy-like simple internal mechanism was used
for the stage prop
of
one of the original episodes of the popular science fiction
television series, Star Trek.
Some of the
European-made humanoid robots were imported to Japan in the
early 17th century (in addition to complex Chinese mechanisms,
which have been imported for centuries, especially after 6th
century). By combining their technology and Japanese unique
creativity, and a series of very sophisticated new generation of
robots with complex motions were quickly created to entertain
people at fairs as one of sideshows (misemono). Not only that,
some of the automated robots were used proudly at the
prestigious tea ceremonies (developed with the Zen sect of
Buddhism) held by upper-echelon society such as nobles and upper
class samurai regularly in Japan.
Chahakobi Ningyo (Tea Serving Doll)
http://karakuriya.com/english/doll/tea_move.htm
Sesshu Toyo, "Winter landscape." Ink on silk, late fifteenth
century (Ashikaga-Muromachi period).
He
created the visual style of Zen painting. This is a kind of
painting displayed at tea ceremony room.
Chahakobi Ningyo
(Tea serving doll) is one of the most famous karakuri
dolls. Karakuri means mechanism. Setting the tea cup on the
doll's tray triggers its movement. The doll will carry the tea
to your guests, and automatically stop when the tea cup is
removed. If the cup is replaced, the doll will swivel around and
return to its original location. (The hand-made reproduction of
this type of traditional robot today is sold at about $5,000 to
$9,000 UD.)
In Japan, robots are
treated as a “life form”, and it is the reason why Shinto
priest’ performed “purifying religious rituals” when
computerized spot welding robots were introduced to the Toyota
automotive factory and many other major manufacturing factories
in Japan decades ago. (Shinto is the national religion of
Japan.) Conducting this type of traditional main stream
religious rituals when new robots are introduced to main stream
big corporations are not uncommon even in the modern and
contemporary Japan. In short, Japanese people (with Buddhism
faith or Shintoism faith) see divinity not only in humans but
also in robots. (Takeshi Yamada states this pantheistic
religious view point of Japanese culture -- everything has a
Buddha Nature or Kami within -- is one of the reasons why Japan
is the world leader of robot technology today.)
Development of the Japanese robot.
The latest model is Asimo (2007) is in the right .
These are created by Honda, one of the major automobile
companies in Japan.
http://gizmologia.com/2006/05/historia-visual-del-robot-asimo-de-honda/
Japanese government
has been preparing using advanced humanoid robots for taking
care of elderly people at medical facilities. Japan is an aging
nation today, and taking care of the increasing elderly
population will be a serious matter in a few decades.
“These human
size, human-like sophisticate robots, artificial intelligent
units, and modified human clones are mass-produced disposable
slaves for serving humans”, Takeshi Yamada says.
Robots of large and
small sizes were staple attraction in Japanese science fiction
manga and anime for many decades. Nevertheless, in recent
popular Japanese manga and anime, more human-like robots,
Artificial Intelligent humanoid female robots, or mass-produced
human clones with the human-like “mind” and “feelings” are
featured, and they become romantic partners of real humans
(often their owners). Recent notable examples of them in popular
Japanese manga and anime are Chobits (ちょびっツ,
Chobittsu),
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (涼宮ハルヒの憂鬱,
Suzumiya Haruhi no Yūutsu), Neon Genesis Evangelion (新世紀エヴァンゲリオン,
Shin Seiki Evangerion),
Koharu Biyori (こはるびより),
and To Aru Majutsu no Index (とある魔術の禁書目録),
etc.
(left) Chii is a Pasokon (personal computer) in Chobits.
Unlike other pasokon, she is self-aware and has feelings like
humans.
(right) Yui is a specialized Maid Robot with human-like feelings
in Koharu Biyori (OVA 1, 2, 3).
Yuki Nagato, Haruhi Suzumiya, and Mikuru Asahina in The
Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya,
performing the "Hare Hare Yukai" dance.
Yuki is a "humanoid interface," or an artificial human, created
by the extraterrestrial Integrated Data Entity.
Asuka
Langley Soryu, Shinji Ikari, Rei Ayanami
in
Neon Genesis Evangelion
(right) Rei Ayanami (artificial intelligent)
According to The Red Cross Book, Rei was created from the
"salvaged remains" of Yui Ikari
after Yui's absorption into Unit 01 in 2004. This is the only
Rei with “soul” unlike the rest of Rei in the production tank.
To
Aru Majutsu no Index (とある魔術の禁書目録,
lit. Forbidden Books’ Index of a Certain Magic)
“These Misaka here are all Misaka”, the clones of Mikoto Misaka
says in this manga.
“Sisters” were mass-produced (over 20,000 units) to be butchered
for the purpose of transforming the Accelerator to the Level
Six.
(All of the clones below No. 10032 were killed by the
Accelerator, a sadistic boy with the vector-reversing ESP
power.)
(left) Ren in DearS
Ren is one of artificially manufactured humanoid slaves of a
slave space ship accidentally crashed on the Eath.
She is “defected product”, thus to be frozen permanently, but
accidentally released to the generalpopulation in Japan.
(right) Rizel in
RizelMine
The government needs 15-year old Iwaki Tomonori to marry their
experimental new bio-engineered cutie named Rizel.
It is highly
expected to see more of this type (action comedy with a lot of
young, active, and attractive girls as main characters) of
television anime with the Artificial Intelligent, life-like
humanoid robots, and modified human clones romantically
involving with humans (with generous “fanservice” of tentacles,
“okaku”, “hentai”, “moe”, “ecchi” and “mappa” scenes) in the
next few decades in Japan, according to Takeshi Yamada.
Note: Japan has been
successfully producing a series of affordable singing robots
called “Vocaloid” such as Miku Hatsume (初音ミク.
Released August 31, 2007 in Japan),
Kagamine
Rin & Len (鏡音リン・レン),
Megurine
Luka (巡音ルカ)
for
years. Specifically speaking, the Vocaloid is a singing
synthesizer application software developed by the Yamaha
Corporation that enables users to synthesize singing by just
typing in lyrics and melody. Many songs (including many original
songs by amateurs) sang by Miki are posted in youtube.com.
(left) Japanese Vocaloid Miku Hatsume (初音ミク)
(right) Japanese Vocaloids
Kagamine Rin & Len (鏡音リン・レン)
Mellotron like this was used by an internationally famed
composer Isao Tomita to produce human-voice chorus in 1980’s
when Vocaloids were not invented yet. Tomita is one of the
favorite contemporary musicians of Takeshi Yamada.
http://www.isaotomita.net/images/technology/mellotron_400.jpg
Note: The copyright
of above shown character images, anime and manga are belonged to
respectable each anime production company and artist.
Vintage Automaton Gypsy Fortune Teller in Coney Island
In modern days, not
all the fortune telling was undertaken by living and breathing
homo- sapiens. There were multiple companies who manufactured
electric and non-electric fortune tellers and psychics in the
United States. The following two chapters feature examples of
such automated electric fortune tellers and electric psychics
seen at the amusement park district in Coney Island area of
Brooklyn, New York (photographed in 2007 and 2008).
The electric fortune
teller shown below is a very impressive-looking animated
life-size human-like fortune telling automaton presented inside
of a fortune teller’s booth. This gorgeous antique booth is
actually made of pieces of solid wood (not plastics, compressed
wooden chips, or multi-layered laminated wooden panels).
“Grandma’s Predictions” at the Deno’s Wonder Wheel Arcade
(left) Details of the Grandma. (September 7, 2007)
(right) The view of the entire unit. (August 18, 2007)
“Grandma’s
Predictions” as shown here is a classic life-size life-like
“state of the art” fiberglass-made prediction doll (moving head,
chest, hand). She sits quietly within this bright red booth
ready to entertain you at the Deno’s Wonder Wheel Arcade in the
amusement park district. The arcade is directly under the Dino’s
kiddy park. She can be activated with a mere quarter (25
cents). “This is absolutely my personal favorite in the
amusement park district here”, Yamada said.
Yamada says the
cheap new liquor bottle (fifth) in front of her and brand new
shiny American flag props here are grotesque- it seems they were
added later. A sheet of paper with a prediction comes out at
the bottom of the slit. It has your character analysis,
suggestions for your actions, and lucky numbers (manufactured by
Mike Munves Corporation in New York). (September 15, 2007)
Grandma’s pointing
finger was resting on a royal flush in spades of the popular
cardgame poker.
A royal flush,
strictly speaking, is just a glorified straight flush. A royal
flush in spades is considered the highest possible hand. The
chances of achieving it are only 1 in the 2,598,960 possible
hands. In plain English, when you get it, you are an ultimate
winner. (September 15, 2007)
One of the “Grandmother’s Prophesies”, front & back, ink on
thick color paper, March 29, 2008
Collection of Museum of World Wonders in Coney Island
Shown above is an
example of the printed “Grandmother’s Prophesies”, which you
receive at the bottom of this fully electric attraction. The
size of this prediction card is very small compared to the size
of the exit opening at the bottom of this booth, so, it is
somehow difficult to pull the card out once the tray, which
delivers the card to the front of the exit opening withdraws.
Therefore, make sure to take the prediction card immediately
when it is presented at the exit opening while the grandma is
still moving.
As you can see
clearly here, it is not endorsed by nor affiliated with any
particular religious denomination, church or temple. It is more
comprehensive than the simple single-line answer, which was
featured in an episode entitled “Nick of time” in the classical
twilight zone TV series. (William Shatner and
Patricia Breslin were
the main characters in the episode.) In the episode, a newlywed
husband is fascinated/obsessed by a fortune telling machine in a
cafe that makes uncanny predictions about his future.
(left) A still photograph from the episode “Nick of time” of the
TV series “Twilight Zone”.
(right) “Ask Swami”, Fortune telling napkin folder. This was
modified and used for the Twilight Zone.
http://thelope.com/archive/2006_02_01_archive.html
Wonder Wheel Arcade.
Grandma is at the right side by the entrance. Sadly, it still
has not been repaired yet for operation this year. The “Grandma”
sits at the front right entrance of the game center and she
looks so odd surrounded by all these light-flashing electric
games of today. (September 15, 2007)
(left) Sibille
(right) Zoltan.
Examples of electric automated fortune tellers. Historical
photos.
These are not seen in Coney Island today.
Indy.com free newspaper published in Indianapolis, Indiana
obtained by Takeshi Yamada.
November 13, 2008 issue.
Collection of Museum of World Wonders in Coney Island
Needless to say,
“Grandma’s Predictions” is not the only type of the fortune
telling machine of yester-years. There were many types of
well-crafted and popular vintage fortune tellers produced in the
past. Examples of them are “Gypsy Grandma”, “Horoscope Grandma”,
“Sibille”, “Zoltan”, etc. There are also passionate collectors
of coin operated electro-mechanical arcade games like these,
which were commonly found at penny arcades during the 1940s,
1950s, 1960s and 1970s. They do not make things like these any
longer today.
Since 2001 when
Takeshi Yamada first visited Coney Island (and his moving to
Coney Island in 2002), he has tried to locate other vintage
fortune teller machines in the Coney Island area. Unfortunately
he has not been successful so far.
Crews at the final preparation of Grandma for the new season.
(March 22, 2008)
Note: During the
late summer of 2007, “Grandma’s Predictions” experienced
mechanical problems and became out of order. Fortunately, in
this year 2008, the problem was fixed, the dress and accessories
were upgraded (the whiskey bottle and American flag were
removed), and her booth was relocated to the place by the
waiting line of Dino’s Wonder Wheel on March 22, 2008. Shown
above is a crew of five people working on the grandma. They also
installed a foot-tall deck of “prophesies” into the middle of
the installation. Yamada visited the grandma again on March 29,
and drop a quarter (25 cents coin) into the slot again this
year. (See the latest prediction Yamada received in the above.)
Fortune telling grandma.
Yamada, Seara (Sea Rabbit), and Grandma at her new site.
(March 29, 2008)
