Blogs from Hiroshima, Japan, Asia - page 42

Tonight the Board of Education in Innoshima had a "welcome party" for Dana and I. This party was originally planned for the end of August, but it was cancelled the first time because people were too busy getting ready for the beginning of school, and then secondly because of the pending typhoon. So four months later, we were welcomed! The party actually ended up being a "Welcome Heather and Dana / End of the Year" enkai. Enkai translates to drinking party....which are very frequent among Japanese co-workers. It's an event where you get rip-roaring drunk, make a fool of yourself, and then completely ignore anything that was said or done that night when you return to work the next day! They took us to a Japanese restaurant in Fukuyama. Fukuyama is on the main island, and ... read more

It’s amazing how time has passed this semester. I’ve never had a semester of college move by with such speed and power. This is my fifth semester in college, so maybe this is just what happens when you start to fall into a grove. I was in the mindset a few months ago that when you spend time abroad it tends to move by at a more docile pace. I’m not complaining that I’ve almost already exhausted half of my time in this country because I feel that in such a short amount of time so many lucky events have happened to me. I’m usually adverse to complete change even though in my life I’m all so often presented with that task. It has gone remarkably well for me this semester quickly making friendships that I ... read more

Yesterday was a National Holiday. My calendar says it was "Labour Thanksgiving Day," but I'm not sure why they have it in Japan since there weren't really any pioneers here... hey.. and they don't even have turkeys in this country! Anyways, that's not the point.. I just happy to have had a paid day off! So, yesterday's adventure was to Miyajima to check out the autumn leaves, or the "kouyou" as they say in Japanese. I didn't take too many pics, but I thought I would share some of the ones I did take. One thing that I found quite amusing yesterday was taking the time to read the "English" on the information signs. I have posted some pics of the signs... makes me wonder if having English teachers in Japan is really worthwhile! Oh, ... read more

The last 2 Saturdays have brought a bit of adventure and sites of interest. Last Saturday, November 12th, I viewed Kagura in front of Hiroshima Castle with Heather, Jennifer, and Alexis. Kagura is a dance from ancient times that is performed in honour of the gods. It was thought that the dance could coax the sun goddess out of her cave. Nowadays, kagura is performed at shrines in autumn to give thanks for the local harvest and simply as entertainment. In front of the castle we watched a performance of Iwami style kagura, which originated in the neighbouring prefecture of Shimane. The performers wear colourful costumes, complete with interesting masks, and are accompanied on stage by drummers and flutists, creating hypnotic music. The kagura we watched, called Takiyasha-hime, was a story of a daughter who places ... read more

For the month of November on Saturday nights that are free Kagura performances near Hiroshima Castle, so I thought I would check it out. Kagura is a form of sacred Japanese dances that is performed in honour of the gods. It is a popular form of entertainment today, as well as a way of giving thanks for the harvest in autumn. The particular show I saw was in the Iwami-style which orginated in the mountains northwest of Hiroshima. The show is accompanied by a small group of drummers on stage that set the tempo for the performance (hachi-byoshi eight beat tempo). The performers wear fantastic, colourful costumes. Very few words are spoken, so the story is explained mostly through gestures. This made the performance even better, because I didn't have to struggle with figuring out the ... read more