Ueno Park

A few friends and I spent the entire day wandering Ueno Park. There are numerous museums, a park, a zoo, restaurants, shopping... lots to do and see.
I loved the contrast of the traditional Japanese architecture and the modern motorbike hidden behind the trees.

Tokyo has proven to be substantially warmer than Kanazawa, so it was a treat to walk around in just a thin coat, see the sun and to see the sun light up some of the Japanese maples- lovely

Lights (and Lettuce) in Tokyo

I came to Tokyo to meet a friend at the airport (yeah!) However, due to the snow, all flights have been delayed, so she canceled her trip (boo!). In the meantime, while waiting for e-mails and updates, I hung out and got to see some rather festive lights.

The lights below are outside of Tokyo Dome. My all-time favorite illuminations are of the lettuce! Please scroll down to see the lettuce dome!!

Bounenkai- Holiday Dinner

Every year our school arranges a night of relaxation at an Onsen (a hotel with hot springs).
There, we can relax with tea and piles of clementines while enjoying the views of the ocean. The service is amazing, the hotel is beautiful and the onsen, of course, is wonderful.

Later in the evening we are served an elaborate dinner resplendent with Japanese delicacies; crab, egg custard, sashimi, pickled fish bones, sea urchin and fish prostate glands... mmm-mmm!
My kanji is still sub-par, or rather non-existant, so I really did not know what ooey, gooey, slimy goodness was placed before me... time to start studying!

Miyajima

This was the highlight of my trip with Dad. Miyajima is quaint, little island-town with winding, narrow streets, vendors, deer running amuck and, of course, gorgeous shrines and views.

Miyajima is perhaps best known for Itsukushima Shrine, now an UNESCO world heritage site. This shrine was originally built in the 6th century, but was rebuilt as many times as it was destroyed; the last time it was rebuilt was in the 16th century!
While visiting the shrine, there was a traditional-style wedding. Dad was tickled to see everyone in their beautiful kimonos, to hear the music and to watch the ceremony.


Perhaps one of the most well-known views is the torii of the Itsukushima shrine. A torii is an arch which denotes a sacred place. We stayed the night (thankfully), so we had the opportunity to see the torri during high-tide, low-tide, during the evening, the sunset and at night.

Hiroshima City

I was leery to bring my dad to Hiroshima but it was a worthwhile trip. The city has been rebuilt, people lead lives as "normal" as anywhere, but the history gives this city perhaps more depth and energy. The citizens of Hiroshima are also strong advocates for peace; through our short trip we were moved, brought to silence, brought to tears and then we experienced the vibrancy of the city through its local fare and home baseball team- the Hiroshima Touyou Carps.

Okonomiyaki ("as you like it") is a popular dish made with seafood, veggies, noodles and meat, dipped in batter and then cooked like a pancake. Different regions of Japan have different ingredients. I had never liked okonomiyaki that much, until Hiroshima. It was OISHII!!

Later in the evening, we scored decent seats at the ball game. What a blast!! Big beers, greasy food, a wild crowd, different cheers for every batter, balloons, kids, screaming, shouting... and generally, people cutting loose!!
In the end, the Carps beat out the Tokyo Yakulto Swallows, 5-1. Sorry, Chris.

Trouble in Kanazawa

The trouble had, of course, started long before Dad got into town. It probably started with me thinking he would roll into Japan on the 18th... well he left the 18th and was supposed to arrive the 19th. But there was trouble from his first departure where he was delayed for 8 hours, thus he arrived on the 20th- a mere 36 hours later.

When he rolled off the plane, we promptly took him home so he could clean up and feel somewhat better. Then we hit a little sushi place, walked around my school and my neighborhood, went downtown, saw some live jazz being performed, hit the famous garden in Kanazawa, went to a light show, and a shrine all in the same area.

The first day was a precursor of what was to come! On the 21st, we hit the road and ran around for 6 days! Dad was a trooper!

(Below, pictures from the light show.)



(Below, how to cleanse/ purify yourself before entering a shrine).
(Below, a few shots from the famous garden, Kenrokuen).


Yep, trouble in Kanazawa- my old man. ;)

Nagano-Apple Orchards

After Hokkaido, I came back to Kanazawa and worked for a little bit. Mind you, I didn't have to teach the summer session, so I didn't have to be at school. So, while everyone else was hard at work, I got antsy and decided to take off for a few days. I joined WWOOF Japan, and through WWOOF, I hooked up with a really great family in Nagano.
They were the nicest host family ever and they had an apple farm. For about 8 hours a day, I hung out in the packaging section and worked my magic. On occasion, I got to cart around crates, clean, and pick apples. I had a great time meeting Takanobu and wife (pictured above). And it was wonderful to just hang out in the orchards. We worked hard by day and then did yoga, wnet the the onsen, chatted and hung out by night. What a nice way to live. So, much to the chagrin of my family (I'm assuming), it made me start to think of alternative life styles.



That's all for now! Stay tuned for a whirlwind trip with Dad!!

Hokkaido

Hokkaido is the gorgeous Northern most island of Japan. It's well known for its agricultural products, farms, wide-open/wild/rugged places, hip cities and good beer. Need I say more?

It started with a train ride... a "twilight express" 20 hour train ride. Our first stop was Hakodate, a port town famous for its European influences, kickin' sea food and its history. From boat rides, to museums, from brick warehouses to the Greek Orthodox Church, from sushi to caramel pastries, Hakodate proved to be a fun city full of awesome sites, a lot of history and great food. I also enjoyed being overcome by a certain Dorothy-ism; "Toto, we're not in Japan anymore."

(Above) The night view of Hakodate city. (Below) Masa chillin' on boat ride around Hakodate Bay. After Hakodate, Masa and I left for Sapporo. Sapporo proved to be a big, bustling city and for any of you folks who know me at all, you know that's not my cup of tea. With that said, I enjoyed the sites and there were a few things that really struck me. Sapporo is surrounded by what is called the "Green Belt," that is, the city is surrounded by parks, parks and more parks. We didn;t have time to get to many parks, but the one we did go to left an impression. I loved, loved, loved Morenuma park designed by the famous Japanese/American architect Isamu Noguchi. The shots below are just a few pieces of this sculptural museum/playground/park.






Sooooo, Sapporo is famous for its beer. The shots below are from the beer museum and the original factory, both of which I found to be fun, interesting... and tasty.


We took time to "get out of the city" by going to the botanical gardens in the city.


A famous site in Sapporo is the old clock tower pictured below.

After Sapporo, Masa returned to work, but I did not have to... Hell, since I had come 20 hours on a train, I figured I might as well have stayed a little longer. So what did I do? Hopped on a bus going east for another 7 hours. Hokkaido is HUGE! For about 5 days I hung out in Shiretoko National Park. Everyday I hiked, saw plenty of deer, hung out with cool people in the hostel and just had a good time surrounded by the forests and mountains. I didn't realize how badly I had needed a respite from the city until I had gotten there. Fantastic! Pictured below are my hostel friends from Canada, Japan and Germany. We had a great time sharing meals, snacks, stories, jokes, hikes... whew the list goes on. Needless to say, they were a great bunch of folks to meet!!






Stay tuned for pics of Nagano (apple farming), adventures with Daddy-O and most recently, the weekend get away in Noto.