The Kamikaze (Japanese term for divine winds) have protected Japan and its unique culture from foreign invasions and imperialization since the beginning of time. The roots of this blog were of an idle mind which took place my final year in Japan, 2006-2007. I still continue this blog eventhough its roots came from my day-to-day experiences in Japan.
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Showing posts with label Places in Japan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Places in Japan. Show all posts
One day in November 2006, my in-laws and I traveled to Sendai. Now, as this region suffers from the largest earthquake in modern Japanese history, tsunamis, and aftershocks, I remember my time in this place.
Monday, November 06, 2006
This past weekend, we did a day trip to Sendai and before I forget the things that I learned from this trip, here goes:
1- Why they eat Cow tongue and cow's tail?
After WWII, the Tohoku region was the last region to be rebuilt from the war-torn bombings that Japan received and for whatever reason, was a low priority. Of course, Nagasaki and Hiroshima were tops on the list, as for Tokyo and other cities that took on all of the bombing.
With MacArthur at the helm, and Roosevelt`s "Ronins" by his side, Japan made the transition from a defeated, war-torn nation, to the economic power that it is today. But back in those early days, the poor people of Tohoku had to survive on anything that they could get their hands on. As the occupants of Japan were not keen on eating cow tongue and the cow`s tail, this is what the local people survived on.
Aside from the unusual parts of the cow that are popular in Sendai, Kamaboko is also popular there. I remember back in my Navy days, returning to the base in Yokosuka after a long night of singing and dancing up in Roppongi. I would have the munchies and outside of the main gate was a 7-eleven "konbeni". So, I would stop by and grab a few sticks of kamaboko and scarf it down as I made the mile trek back to my ship. The sight of me walking down the road all hung over and eating a stick of kamaboko with backpack full of empty bottles of cheap wine bought the previous evening must be amusing.
Another interesting dish eaten in Sendai was whale.
2- Tohoku-ben
Tohoku-ben is the regional dialect spoken amongst the locals of this region. Japanese is difficult enough not to throw in the regional dialects. Anyway, the shortest conversation in Japan is when a mother in Sendai tells her child to eat something. It goes like this:
Mother- Ke.
Child- Ku.
In Tokyo, it would go like this:
Mother- Tabenasai.
Child- Hai, tabete imasu.
English:
Mother- Eat (command form)
Child- Yes, I'm eating.
3- One interesting thing about this day trip was where we ate lunch. Around lunch time, we toured the local fish market. Every Japanese town near the sea has one, and for some reason, foreigners love going there. Tsukiji`s fish market in Tokyo is always swarming with foreigners the times that I`ve been there. Anyway, in Sendai, we bought some of the local seafood and ate it with the rice and miso soup that was provided by the staff. We ate a few feet from a shop owners refridgerated display. Customers would walk by and see a group of people eating some of the local goods. Not a bad way to get people to buy your stuff!
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-11
Written in 2007:
Hello everyone and sorry about the delay. The way that this blog works is that I will do something and then write about it then find some pictures and then post it on my blogspot. Now, my blogging host offers how to add web links to your blog entry so I plan on doing that for as many entries as I can while I have the time.
Anyway, I've been doing alot of interesting things the past two weeks (March 19th to April 6th). The day after tomorrow is the beginning of my last term as a JET teacher in Japan. The term will end on July 20th and my wife and I plan on making our way back to the US to settle down and start the next chapter of our lives shortly thereafter.
On March 19th, I met with my wife near her office in Tokyo for lunch. We dined at a Middle Eastern restaurant known as "Pita" managed by one person who acts as a cashier, cook, waiter and busboy. With Japan as expensive as it is, that is about the only way to go to keep afloat. The food was excellent and the big portions were appreciated. Afterwards, I did some reading and research at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan near the famous Yurakucho Station in the Ginza district of Tokyo. As long as I didn't make any trouble I could sit there and read the wealth of English publications that otherwise is for members only. After reading my fill, I returned back to Saitama to get ready for my main school's "Enkai" (dinner party/banquet). Prior to all of this I was telling my mother and she commented, "I like banquets since the food is usually good and it's a free meal!" I corrected her on the "Free" part of that since if you go, you usually pay it isn't anything to sneeze at. On this night's event, I ended up paying 7000 yen to dine and drink at a Italian restaurant and then spent another 1500 yen at the "Ni Ji Kai" (literally means the second time or second party) which would have been more but the quote from the first setting was a bit less that what we paid. From my experiences that usually is the case and the ni ji kai is often already paid for. So, if I don't go to these events, it is because I can't justify paying that kind of money or know that the following day is a day that I need to be fully alert not hungover ("Futsukayoi"- literally meaning the second day still drunk). I try to go at least once even if it is against my will since in most cases I am the lonely representative of foreigners, native English teachers, etc. and hope that my presence after I am gone is still felt by those I encounter in a postive and meaningful way. The banquets are alot of fun and interesting since I'm the only American and have a crowd of people who have been interesting in me for a long time but due to the office culture at school and just being plain busy, my colleagues have yet to get to know me. It helps if a team teaching person (Japanese Teacher of English) is nearby to keep me away from my electronic dictionary so that I can communicate better.)
From March 28-30, I was a volunteer teacher for a local high school that is a current participant in the new "Super English" program. To learn more about this program, please google the phrase. Anyway, this school has two teachers such as myself that are permananately assigned to the school and work with about six JTEs and basically team teach together the 1st year students (16-year-olds and the equivalant to 10th graders in the US). On this trip, we traveled from Urawa to Fukushima's British Hills resort. Fukushima is part of Japan's northern region, Tohoku (the most northern part of Japan's main island, Honshu). I went to this region for the first time in November 2006 when we traveled to Sendai (search this blog to read about it).
Upon my return to Saitama, my wife and I spent time with my father-in-law and his family on a day trip to Hakone of Kanagawa-ken. We rented a car and drove from central Tokyo (my father-in-law has an apartment there). Hakone is best visited by traveling by the famous "Romance Car" from Shinjuku Station on the Odakyu Line. The way provided us a chance to experience Tokyo's traffic (not so bad since it was on a weekend) but we also got to see Fujiya Hotel which was the place that John Lennon and other distiguished people stayed at while traveling in Japan. I have been told that it is the first western-hotel in Japan. For lunch we had soba (buckwheat noodles) and tempura (deep-fried seafood and vegetables) which are famous in this area. My wife and I noticed that famous tourist places in Japan over do it with soba and tempura restaurants since these Japanese dishes are friendly with pure gaijins such as my parents and the like. We had an interesting experience at a Japanese restuarant with my family back in 2005 at Kamakura.
After lunch we rode the ferry across the lake and then drove up to a viewing area for Mt. Fuji. After driving up to the place, we had to settle for the black eggs since it was too cloudy to see Mt. Fuji.
In general, Hakone is famous for Kamaboko (fish cakes packed like a hotdog is packed back home), kuro tamago (black boiled eggs that get their color due to being boiled in geysers in the ground), onsens (hot springs that the Japanese use for bathing) the Romance train line, Lake Ashinoko and viewing Mt. Fuji from Owakudani (the place that serves the black boiled eggs).
April 2nd was our 2-year wedding anniversary and we celebrated by having lunch near her office. Since it was a work day, that was all we could do.
Other than going to the Saitama Modern Arts museum near Kita Urawa Station, having dinner with my wife and friends near Ueno Station. One very nice thing was having dinner with my teacher friend and her family. Afterwards we had a Ni Ji Kai of our own by singing Kareoke. I still need to get better at singing some Japanese songs.
Today's picture was taken on March 31st at Tokyo's Yotsuya Station in Central Tokyo. Please note the cherry blossom's in full bloom.
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
A "Best of" for my blog, Divine Wind is being featured on the Japan National Tourist Organization blog. Please click on the link below to see what is being offered.
I am still dabbling as a freelance writer with emphasis on "free" as I have yet to get paid for my work. I'm still happy to answer the call when asked. Nevertheless, here's the latest installment of my travels to Central Japan for the World Expo in 2005. Enjoy!! Ambiance of Aichi
Please enjoy this "How to" video courtesy of Mizkan of Aichi.
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
A former colleague recently published some photos of our hike on Mount Fuji in July 2006. This happened on the three-day holiday and as a result, the place was packed.
The hiking stick was left behind when we moved back to the US in 2007. What a pity.
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
Miyazaki Prefecture is located in Japan's southern island, Kyushu.
Due to its location, this place was known as the honeymoon destination of Japan before it was affordable and fashionable for the Japanese to travel abroad.
It is rumored that Japan's most beautiful women are found in Kyushu. With J-pop idols Ayumi Hamasaki and Miki Imai coming from Kyushu, it is easy to see where Japan's beauty comes from. Ironically, my wife's ancestral roots come from Kyushu with her mother's hometown being Fukuoka and her father's hometown being in neighboring Saga Prefecture where he resides to this day.
While I have not been to Miyazaki, I've been to Kyushu a number of times. Kyushu is where Nagasaki is at as well as the Dutch resort, Huis Ten Bois which neighbors the US Navy's Sasebo base. One of Japan's active volcanoes, Mount Aso, is also in Kyushu. Near Saga, I first ate ika sashimi (raw squid) which was held captive in the store's front aquarium until it met its maker shortly before becoming our meal. The parts that could not be served as sashimi were later served as deep fried.
Destinations in Kyushu are easily accessible while traveling in Japan with Fukuoka as the hub for travelers making their way via air or rail.
When traveling in Kyushu, it is recommended to travel by car when outside of Fukuoka due to the spacious roads and abundance of parking.
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
Mount Aso, the largest active volcano in Japan is one of the largest in the world. Located in Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu.
I've been to Aso-san once. While the picture is from a calendar, the time that I went was similar. It was in January and after a recent snowfall. Kyushu, not known as Japan's Snow Country(yukiguni) does get snow in the higher elevations. The time that we went was also around the time when it was a bit active, therefore, we could not ride the sky tram over the top to look down into the volcano.
Mount Aso is a nice drive from Fukuoka's Hakata Airport. Once outside Fukuoka, the drive is normal with minamal toll booths. One of the biggest differences in driving between the U.S. and Japan are us Americans drive to and from anywhere at any length of distance and it is free, but in Japan, there is a fee.
Also, while in Kumamoto Prefecture, one should visit Kumamoto Castle which is known as being one of the top three castles in Japan.
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
Kyushu's Nagasaki, made famous in 1945 as the second and final Japanese city to receive an atomic bomb to end World War II is rich in history. As the largest city and capital of Nagasaki Prefecture, it was founded by the Portuguese in the 1500s. It is rumored that the first foreigner of African decent came around this time as a slave/bodyguard of one of the missionaries, not in the mid-1940s which had many African-American soldiers and sailors in occupied Japan.
Missionaries did what missionaries did of this era which was to introduce and convert the locals to Christianity. In the late 1580s, one of Japan's great unifier's, Toyotomi Hideyoshi's plan to unify Japan did not sit well with this outside influence in Southern Japan and as a result Hideyoshi ordered that the missionaries be thrown out of the country. This was not enforced and people in Nagasaki continued with Christianity. This changed in 1603, when another great unifer, Tokugawa Ieyasu took power. Japanese Christians were forced to renounce their religion, all foreigners were thrown out of the country and Japan spent 250 years in isolation, known as Sakoku aka the Edo Era.
Many elements of Japan's "Bible Belt" still exist in today's Japan. In the top picture, a church steeple is in the center with Japanese temples on the right.
I went to Nagasaki in 2005 and was moved by the sight of the ruins left behind from the atomic bombings. My wife reminisced of her time in Nagasaki as a 2nd-year high school student on a school trip from Tokyo and the time she rode the "Blue Train" from Tokyo. She was nine and since the "Blue Train" means "long-haul over night", my wife, her older sister and grandmother traveled to Nagasaki at night.
To get to Nagasaki can be done by ground or air. In '05 we flew from Tokyo's Haneda to Nagasaki, After seeing the sights in Nagasaki, we then traveled to Fukuoka where we met my father-in-law and his family. With my in-laws, we visited the Dutch resort, Huis Ten Bois in nearby Sasebo, the home of the American Navy base. We later returned to Fukuoka to see the sights and flew from Fukuoka Airport back to Haneda.
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
The start of 2007 began with my wife and I recovering from Christmas travel to Okinawa, Japan. New Years (shogatsu) was spent with my in-laws at our apartment in Saitama. Winter vacation was concluded by making a visit to the Urawa Culture Center and observing a tea ceremony and taking pictures of Japanese women in traditional dress (kimono). Later for my wife's birthday, we took in the Japanese language movie Letters from Iwojima at the Saitama Shintoshin theater. A few weeks later for my birthday, I took in the sights at Tokyo's electronic district, Akihabara and did some birthday shopping and attended Youkoso! Japan Weeks 2007 hosted by Japanese actress, Yoshino Kimura. After Kimura's presentation, a fashion show ensued where young and attractive Japanese models wore outfits ranging from kimonos, urban wear to cosplay. I later met with my wife who treated me to dinner at an Italian restaurant in Akasaka (red hill). After this, we met with friends for drinks at a Japanese pub (izakaya). A few days later, my in-laws treated me to a birthday feast consisting of roasted chicken, rolled sushi and yakisoba (sauteed noodles) . We concluded January by making one final trip to the American wholesale outlet, Costco Wholesale in Chiba and later visiting my wife's friend from college who lives in Kimitsu, Chiba.
February started with attending a one-day sumo tournament in Tokyo with other classmates and teachers from Bunkyo University in Koshigaya, Saitama. For Japan's National Foundation Day, we took a return trip to Hiroshima. Our flight from Tokyo's Haneda Airport was diverted to Fukuoka due to heavy fog in Hiroshima. We rode a bullet train from Fukuoka to Hiroshima. A few days later, we had a family outing at the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo. For Valentine's Day, we celebrated this day Japanese style when I received chocolate from my wife and enjoyed a quiet dinner at home consisting of catchatori chicken penne pasta and red wine. Also, around this time, we met with my wife's teacher from college who treated us to a wonderful lunch at a fancy Chinese restaurant in Tokyo. Towards the end of this month, I took a business trip to Yokohama and spent two nights in a capsule hotel. My first evening in Kanagawa prefecture was at a bar near the ocean called "Backas" (two fools?) and my second evening was at my old stomping grounds, Yokosuka. This month was concluded by saying farewell to some graduating teachers at Bunkyo.
In March, we returned to Kanagawa Prefecture on a family outing and spent a weekend in Mirukaigan. In this port town, we enjoyed delicious Japanese cuisine (washoku) and a tour of the harbor. Around this time, I returned to the US on bereavement leave and upon my return to Japan, I prepared for another business trip to Japan's Tohoku region, Fukushima. Here, with snow still on the ground, we worked in the calm environment with the British landscape as the back drop. Upon my return from Fukushima, I met with my in-laws for a day trip to Hakone, Kanagawa. We concluded this month by attending a soccer game in Urawa's Saitama Stadium (former venue for the 2002 World Cup) where the Red Diamonds were dominate in J-League action.
In April we attended our second Japanese baseball game where the Tokyo Yakult Swallows hosted the Nagoya Chunichi Dragons at Meiji Jingu Stadium which was founded in 1926. For Spring vacation, we traveled to Japan's Kansai region and took in the sights of Kyoto, Kobe and Osaka.
The months of May and June were the start of farewells with a party held by the English conversation lounge that I worked at for three years in Omiya, Saitama. In mid-June, I acted as a tour guide for an American visiting from my hometown. We did a day tour of Tokyo. I made my final lesson of introducing American culture and English at my friend's elementary school.
The start of July, we made international travel to Taipei, Taiwan. Upon my return to Japan, I concluded my farewells from Japan by attending a shrine only open once a month to the general public. Here, my mother-in-law and wife prayed for their deceased ancestors. I made a near teary-eyed farewell speech in Japanese at Bunkyo where I studied Japanese for almost three years. My wife and I parted ways with her two friends who came with her to the US in 1996 at a shabu shabu restaurant(hot-pot dish of thinly sliced beef cooked at the table by dipping in boiling broth). Honestly, more farewells that I could keep up with as I recall seeing a group of students as I was commuting from Warabi Station, on a different occasion seeing a different group of students on the train. One place that I was fortunate to take in and is some of the best sushi in Tokyo, is a place called Sushi Cho. This places is open only at lunch and provides unlimited chirashi sushi (rice dressed with vinegar and topped with egg and seafood and served in a box), two kinds of miso soup and a small dessert for 1500 yen. This month was concluded by returning to the US which was my third country for the month.
In August, we entertained my father-in-law and his family in the US by showing them the sights of Atlanta, Upstate SC and Western NC. In September, we traveled to nearby Charlotte, NC to witness rock n' roll magic with original vocalist returning to Van Halen at the Bobcat Arena. With focusing on starting our new life in the US, this concludes my travels and experiences with different cultures for 2007.
Video was taken when we attended a soccer match between the Urawa Red Diamonds and one other team. While J-league soccer trives in Urawa, the rest of the league has a weak turn out for their matches.
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-09
