Down South...
I write now from Hiroshima, a city infamous for its WWII history as the first city to ever be hit with a nuclear weapon. After a short flight and a long bus ride (with no leg room - I am too tall for Japan!!) we arrived in Hiroshima. The plane ride was quite nice, with a view of the coastline and the Japanese alps on my right and Fuji-san looming to my left.
The air hangs heavy here down south with humidity and also the memories of lives lost and needless destruction wrought on a peaceful community. I am still fanning myself at 10:48 pm in an air conditioned room while the cicadas (Jpn. semi) take their rest so they can be loud as hell in the morning, escorting my every move near any sort of tree.
Our hotel faces the Memorial Peace Park, with my window allowing for a spectacular view of the river and also the A-bomb dome. I cannot yet express my feelings about this place; I can only reel at the extraordinary sadness that is hidden by this bustling, modern city. We spent all day today sightseeing. In fact, after morning meetings, we made the 1.5 hour trek to what is known as one of Japan's 3 most beautiful sights - Miyajima. The island sits just south of the city and is covered with steep hillsides. The island is known for the huge Tori gate that "floats" in the water right off the shore. A Heian period marvel, it rests near a shrine complex known as Itsukushima that is of equal beauty.
Oh, and there were deer everywhere! I've never seen anything quite like it. They were more like housepets, desperate for food.
Some were very skinny, but all in all they seem to thrive in such a unique environment largely I think from "soft cream" which is just ice cream that is sold every 10-15 feet. I am realizing how Japanese people deal with such humidity - parasols and ice cream. I spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the shrine and the tori, and also a Buddhist temple - Senjokaku - and pagoda that were right next to them. 
The temple was absolutely breathtaking - filled with amazing Buddhist art from medieval times. It gave us a nice break from the hot sunshine, as a great breeze blew through the open walls. The story goes that in 1587, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the ruler who unified Japan at that time, ordered the hall to be built so that people could chant Buddhist sutras to honor war dead. Construction was not completed before his death, and was actually never finished. In 1872, though, the hall was renamed Hokoku Shrine and was dedicated to the lost emperor. It was amazing, I think my favorite place thus far.
The rest of the time I spent shopping for "okurimono" - gifts for people. I also enjoyed a refreshing Kirin beer and ate a delicious mango soft cream. We took the ferry back and then headed (all 73 of us!) to this restaurant called Misasa, where we learned how to make "okonomiyaki" which translates something like "the stuff you grill that you like to eat!" It is basically a thin pancake filled with thinly sliced pork, cabbage, bean sprouts, tempura crunchy thingys and various dried fish and seaweed powders over a hot griddle type thing. After various flippings, you fry up some noodles (this is Hiroshima style) and crack an egg and make it all one big pancake pie thing that you top with sweet sauce and green onions and fish flakes (and a bit of mayo -sounds weird, actually great!) and eat up. YUMMMY! The picture is my friend Yuki making it with such enjoyment!!
The Kirin Beer company sponsored the "event" so we had free beer and tea, and two other companies sponsored the rest of the food. Us JASCers sure get treated great!
I am now getting ready for bed as many of my "colleagues" are getting ready to go out clubbing. I have not the energy. Tomorrow is a very busy day centered on nuclear issues. I want to be prepared for the seriousness I am sure will permeate the day.
Still loving Japan. More and more I am thinking it would be swell to live here. In many ways it is much more advanced and efficient than the US. Reasons so far: food is better and healthier, the people are soooo polite - I cannot stress this enough - customer service (without any tipping) is excellent and people in general are not rude like Americans. The toilets and bathrooms - ah, the toilets: heated seats, bidets and other strange bottom shower functions, loud music that comes on automatically so no one can hear any strange sounds, and automatic door, sink, and soap dispensers everywhere!! Public transportation is super efficient and always on time.
That being said, there are many ways that the Japanese society could perhaps improve. Women's issues are right up there. That's all I'll say for now.
Missing and loving all of you back home. Peace!
The air hangs heavy here down south with humidity and also the memories of lives lost and needless destruction wrought on a peaceful community. I am still fanning myself at 10:48 pm in an air conditioned room while the cicadas (Jpn. semi) take their rest so they can be loud as hell in the morning, escorting my every move near any sort of tree.
Our hotel faces the Memorial Peace Park, with my window allowing for a spectacular view of the river and also the A-bomb dome. I cannot yet express my feelings about this place; I can only reel at the extraordinary sadness that is hidden by this bustling, modern city. We spent all day today sightseeing. In fact, after morning meetings, we made the 1.5 hour trek to what is known as one of Japan's 3 most beautiful sights - Miyajima. The island sits just south of the city and is covered with steep hillsides. The island is known for the huge Tori gate that "floats" in the water right off the shore. A Heian period marvel, it rests near a shrine complex known as Itsukushima that is of equal beauty.
Oh, and there were deer everywhere! I've never seen anything quite like it. They were more like housepets, desperate for food.
Some were very skinny, but all in all they seem to thrive in such a unique environment largely I think from "soft cream" which is just ice cream that is sold every 10-15 feet. I am realizing how Japanese people deal with such humidity - parasols and ice cream. I spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the shrine and the tori, and also a Buddhist temple - Senjokaku - and pagoda that were right next to them. 
The temple was absolutely breathtaking - filled with amazing Buddhist art from medieval times. It gave us a nice break from the hot sunshine, as a great breeze blew through the open walls. The story goes that in 1587, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the ruler who unified Japan at that time, ordered the hall to be built so that people could chant Buddhist sutras to honor war dead. Construction was not completed before his death, and was actually never finished. In 1872, though, the hall was renamed Hokoku Shrine and was dedicated to the lost emperor. It was amazing, I think my favorite place thus far.
The rest of the time I spent shopping for "okurimono" - gifts for people. I also enjoyed a refreshing Kirin beer and ate a delicious mango soft cream. We took the ferry back and then headed (all 73 of us!) to this restaurant called Misasa, where we learned how to make "okonomiyaki" which translates something like "the stuff you grill that you like to eat!" It is basically a thin pancake filled with thinly sliced pork, cabbage, bean sprouts, tempura crunchy thingys and various dried fish and seaweed powders over a hot griddle type thing. After various flippings, you fry up some noodles (this is Hiroshima style) and crack an egg and make it all one big pancake pie thing that you top with sweet sauce and green onions and fish flakes (and a bit of mayo -sounds weird, actually great!) and eat up. YUMMMY! The picture is my friend Yuki making it with such enjoyment!!
The Kirin Beer company sponsored the "event" so we had free beer and tea, and two other companies sponsored the rest of the food. Us JASCers sure get treated great!
I am now getting ready for bed as many of my "colleagues" are getting ready to go out clubbing. I have not the energy. Tomorrow is a very busy day centered on nuclear issues. I want to be prepared for the seriousness I am sure will permeate the day.
Still loving Japan. More and more I am thinking it would be swell to live here. In many ways it is much more advanced and efficient than the US. Reasons so far: food is better and healthier, the people are soooo polite - I cannot stress this enough - customer service (without any tipping) is excellent and people in general are not rude like Americans. The toilets and bathrooms - ah, the toilets: heated seats, bidets and other strange bottom shower functions, loud music that comes on automatically so no one can hear any strange sounds, and automatic door, sink, and soap dispensers everywhere!! Public transportation is super efficient and always on time.
That being said, there are many ways that the Japanese society could perhaps improve. Women's issues are right up there. That's all I'll say for now.
Missing and loving all of you back home. Peace!
Thanks for writing this.
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