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Published: November 30th -0001
Pavillion in Winter
It was impressive when we were there, this is the view in winter!We were in Japan for 2 weeks at the beginning of July and what a 2 weeks it was!!!!
I know we have said it with all of the countries we have been to so far but
.................WE LOVED JAPAN.............................................. What a quirky, cultured and courteous country this is, steeped in history, culture and sushi !! From kimonos and sumo, to warm toilet seats that make bubble noises and vending machines that sell honey and ginger and maple syrup flavoured cigarettes, every corner was full of suprises and discovery of something that only the Japanese could do. Tommy and I have decided that the Japanese take everyday inventions and think "How can we have the
Asakusa at sunset
You dont get this in London! BEST one of these??? " Then redesign it and make it 10 times better than anyone else's!!!
TOKYO
We started in Tokyo for 3 days and stayed in Asakusa, which is out of the main city a little, but near one of the main temples and shopping areas. We booked a twin room for a bit of luxury, privacy and space after spending the 2 previous weeks in dorms in Canada and the rest of Japan in dorms!! We've never been so wrong in our lives!!! We stayed at a place call Khaosan Smile, probably called so because if you don't you'll cry!! Our twin room was a cupboard with a bunk bed and just enough room for one person to squeeze down sideways, one of us had to leave the room or climb on the bed for the other to pass, thank god we were only there for 3 nights!!Still we didn't go there for the hostel and Tokyo was very cool, albeit expensive, our purses certainly took a battering in Japan!!
TOKYO TOWER
We went on a city tour to see the Tokyo Tower, basically they wanted to beat the French (don't we all,
Imperial palace
A guard house outside the imperial palace some more violently than others :-) !!) Therefore, the Tokyo Government decided to erect its own Eiffel Tower in 1958 at a height of 333m it entered the record books as the world's highest self-supporting iron structure, taller than the Eiffel Tower by just thirteen meters, but only half the weight (4,000 tons versus 7,000). Yet again the Japanese do it bigger and better!! However as our tour guide told us they have finally been beaten by the Canadians who now have the Toronto tower 452 meters, that we have also seen. However the Japanese not wanting to be beaten apparently have plans to construct a new tower in Saitama - the Saitama New Metropolitan Tower - at a dizzying height of 500 meters!!
There was a great view from the top as well as an aquarium , a wax museum, the Mysterious Walking World, and Art Gallery.
IMPERIAL PALACE,TOKYO
We left to see the Imperial Palace or at least we thought we would see it, apparently the public can only see it twice a year on the Emperors birthday 26th December and 2nd January! So our tour parked up and we walked for 15 mins along
the palace wall before getting back on the bus, we were disappointed to say the least!
SENSOJI TEMPLE,TOKYO
We then went off to see the Sensoji Temple, The legend says that in the year 628, two brothers fished a statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, out of the Sumida River, and even though they put the statue back into the river, it always returned to them. Consequently, Sensoji was built there for the goddess of Kannon. The temple was completed in 645, making it Tokyo's oldest temple. We donated some money and had a go at the fortune telling, you have to shake a container and shake out a bamboo stick which corresponds to a drawer with a Japanese character, all of which Tommy and I are completely unfamiliar with, so after 5 mins of looking we eventually asked someone to help us!!! I got a bad fortune ....twice, luckily I got a good fortune with my last 100 yen....i wasn't leaving without it !!! It said that I would become famous, we would lose something and find it, that travel was good as would be my love life, thank goodness as the bad fortune said the
Tokyo by night
Taken from a bashi (bridge), this over looks the main watercourse through Tokyo complete opposite!!! Tommy got one bad and then one good fortune. You have to tie the bad fortune papers onto a special rack to make sure that the bad luck is taken away!!!
100 YEN FAME
It was surrounded with markets and stalls and we did actually lose our hostel key and then found it, see the fortune readings where true!!! As was the fame prediction...... Tommy and I could not believe it when we were wandering around the 100 Yen shop (our equivalent to the pound shop, 100 yen is about 40 p) buying toot, when suddenly a well spoken English guy began to talk to us, we turned round and he was accompanied by 3 Japanese guys, one holding a huge video camera and the other with one of those huge grey fluffy microphones they hang over your head!! The third guy was obviously the store owner or the public face for 100 yen shop!! Anyway they asked if they could interview us for an advert..... Of course we agreed, well I did flicking my hair, Tommy didn't really have a choice!!!
They proceeded to ask us in Japanese and then it was translated.... "What
Tokyo
A garden in the centre of Tokyo! we had bought, what did we think of the shop, did we think that Japan was expensive, how good value was the 100 yen shop, would we come here again blah blah blah" I couldn't believe that the 100 yen shop could be talked about so much!! They then asked if they could film us going round the shop, I was heartbroken that they were filming me from behind......my worst angle!!! Still we wandered around looking intently at items that were laiden on the shelves and picking them up for the camera, we didn't really want to buy anything else. So after they were following us for what seemed like forever, with my plastered smile, I whispered through my teeth to Tommy,"shall we just pretend to buy something else up?" he agreed and so I picked up a few plastic containers and threw them in my basket, but that still didn't deter them!! Eventually they stopped , only to catch us for one last shot us and the inside of our basket to see what we had bought!! Tommy and I thought it was hilarious and Hey we may well be the next faces of the 100 yen shop, not
Same garden
But a much better view exactly Chanel or Harrods, but still a little fame is better than none!!
HAMA RIKYU GARDENS,TOKYO
We took the ferry to Hama Rikyu Gardens with hundreds of little hills, which were named after little mountains, unfortunately it was raining, so we walked round under an umbrella!The gardens were stunning, with carefully trimmed plum, pine, and other bonsai-like shaped trees marking the little path around the garden, a pond with a beautifully restored teahouse marks the centre of this little oasis in the the centre of hustling bustling Tokyo City. This lovely garden was once a "playground" for the shogun, and later, the meeting place of the Emperor Meiji and US President Grant.
We didn't manage any real nightlife in Tokyo as we were so jetlagged from Canada and tired from the day activities!!
We departed Tokyo on one of Japan's high speed trains (bullet trains) which are called shinkansen, which were amazingly cool, so much better than anything we have in the U.K. We bought a 2 week Japanese Rail pass before we arrived which saved us an absolute fortune , it gives you unlimited travel for the period of 2-4 weeks.
If you ever plan to NIJO-JO
The wooden walkway inside, each board has a metal hinge under it to make it 'sing'. (squeak). This was to warn of intruders and Ninja! travel around Japan, this is a MUST HAVE, its really expensive without it!
There is a lady who wheels refreshments up and down for the entire journey, the seats can be turned around depending on which way the train is travelling and if you have a group of you, its possible to sit facing one another, ALL of the seats recline more than most airline seats and they are all air conditioned. Additionally they play music when you arrive in the station and give you a verbal and visual warning before you get into each station. Oh Yeah and they they reach speeds of over 300 km/h, so within a few hours we had arrived in Kyoto!
KYOTO
For those of you who know the book and film "Memoirs of a Geisha", or at least have heard of it, this is the city that it was set in. Kyoto was Tommy and one of our favourite places in Japan that we visited. It is Japan's 7th largest city and boasts 1600 Buddhist temples, 400 Shintō shrines, 3 palaces, and dozens of gardens and museums, Kyoto is Japan's cultural centre. Seventeen of Kyoto's ancient structures
NIJO-JO (JO=Castle)
Nijo castle home of the Tokugawa Shoguns in Kyoto! and gardens have been declared UNESCO World Heritage sites.
NIJO CASTLE,KYOTO
One of the highlights for us was going to see Nijo Castle. If you have read James Clavell's "Shogun" or seen the film, then this is the place where the events actually took place. The nightingale floorboards squeak as you walk around, they really do exist!! They were designed to detect the footsteps of ninja assassins.
Nijo Castle was built in the early 1600s by Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. The castle complex is surrounded by an outer moat and a high stone wall. Inside is the main complex of buildings, known as the Ninomaru Palace. This was the shogun's residence and it is here that we walked on the famous uguisu bari or nightingale floor.
Outside, the beautiful Ninomaru Garden is designed to display the best of the four seasons. In its centre there is a small lake containing islands connected by bridges.
It is on UNESCO's World Heritage List and it is said to truly be one of the world's great historical buildings. We walked around it slowly (in bare feet as shoes are not allowed) and could feel
NIJO-JO
Just one of the rooms inside the castle every grain in the wood beneath our feet, listening to our footsteps squeak, we treasured every moment, it was amazing! Some of the rooms have been renovated to their former glory and are truly magnificent. One room depicts the handing over the last Shogun to the Imperial family
ONSENS,KYOTO
We went to our first Onsen here, the Japanese public baths. That was an experience in itself.
They are single sexed baths where people of all ages bathe naked together !! At first I was really self conscious, thinking everyone will be looking at me, its going to be really embarrassing, but as soon as I went into the baths themselves, I realised that it is so normal and EVERYONE is naked, so all they seem to really notice is that your not Japanese , rather than your naked!!
The ritual is to first wash your whole bodies and rinse thoroughly before entering the hot water. They have showers that you sit beneath on stools for washing your body and hair.
They have a variety of baths, a selection of hot baths that vary in temperature, you are supposed to work your way up the temperature
Aint we sweet!
Me an Claire pose at theme park, Claire wasn't amused when the girl taking the photo didnt do it to her high standards! scale. The freezing cold one, that is a life saver to dip into between the hotties!! I felt light headed at times they were so hot, so gritted my teeth and immersed myself totally in the cold bath !!
BBBRRRRRRRR!!!! But they help you to stay in there for a little longer.
They also have jacuzzi baths to relax in. On my first visit i noticed that there seemed to be an electric current in part of the baths and decided to stay away from that one as it obviously was a little dodgy, only to discover on my second visit that they were actually electric baths, they send a small current through the water that is supposed to help with sore or stiff muscles! I got a few giggles off of the older women when I let out a bit of a shriek of shock when I tried it for the first time. I'm sure it was the metal key for the locker around my wrist that gave me a bit of extra voltage!!!! They also have great saunas both normal and herbal.
Apparently the Japanese talk of the virtues of:
"naked communion" (裸の付き合い, hadaka no tsukiai?)
for breaking down barriers and
Kyoto, a traditional street
The quintessential english gentleman..NOT getting to know people in the relaxed homey atmosphere of an onsen inn. Although as I spoke no Japanese we simply smiled and laughed at one another as each woman breathes in sharply as the initially just bearably hot water hits her skin. We loved them and all in all they are amazingly relaxing and a real insight into one of Japans older customs.
(Tommy) From the male point of view (and yes I know I sound a bit ignorant, but cant think of another way to put it!) at first it felt a bit gay! But to be honest there was definitely nothing gay about it. As everyone knows I have a large Japanese style Dragon tattoo. In Japan Tattoos are frowned upon and were traditionally a way of identifying criminals! Therefore the only men in the onsen besides me with Tattoos were decidedly un-gay Yakuza gangsters! Believe it or not you get used to it and the heat from the baths is awesome and leaves you totally relaxed!
GOLDEN PAVILION,KYOTO
The Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku) is literally covered in gold - gold leaf. The Golden Pavilion is World Heritage listed and surround by beautiful gardens. Yoshimitsu,
The Golden Pavillion
This is the most famous Buddhist temple in Kyoto... and yes its real gold! the 3rd Shogun of Ashikaga, abdicated the throne in 1394. After three years, he began to build Kitayamaden and he made a special effort to make it a breath-taking site. After Yoshimitsu’s death, Kitayamaden was made into a Zen temple in accordance with his will. It is beautiful (see the photos) we managed to get a picture of the Pavillion in the winter and it looks truly spectacular, like something from a Japanese fairytale!!
GION,KYOTO
We spent some time exploring Gion (again largely featured in Memoirs of a geisha)Home to many geisha houses and traditional tea houses. Geisha ( "person of the arts") are traditional Japanese artist-entertainers. Geisha were very common in the 18th and 19th centuries, and are still in existence today, although their numbers are dwindling.
Geisha were traditionally trained from young childhood. Geisha houses often bought young girls from poor families, and took responsibility for raising and training them. During their childhood, apprentice geisha worked first as maids, then as assistants to the house's senior geisha as part of their training and to contribute to the costs of their upkeep and education. This long-held tradition of training still exists in Japan, where a
Puppet master
Street entertainment in Kyoto student lives at the home of a master of some art, starting out doing general housework and observing and assisting the master, and eventually moving up to become a master in her own right . Modern geisha are no longer bought by or brought into geisha houses as children. Becoming a geisha is now entirely voluntary. Most geisha now begin their training in their late teens
The course of study traditionally encompasses a wide variety of arts, including Japanese musical instruments (particularly the shamisen) and traditional forms of singing, traditional dance, tea ceremony, flower arranging (ikebana), poetry and literature. By watching and assisting senior geisha, they became skilled in the complex traditions surrounding selecting, matching, and wearing precious kimono, and in various games and the art of conversation, and also in dealing with clients.
It was amazing to see the very traditional cultures of old and new Japan that merge together here. Out of all the cities we visited, we saw the most women and men dressed in traditional Kimono for women and Shaku for men, the photos will show women dressed in kimonos and there is one of Tommy by the bullet train dressed in his very
Two local ladies
Claire managed to get them to pose!!! own Shaku. I wanted to get a kimono, but for a decent on, they cost an absolute fortune and were out of our budget!!!
(Tommy) I loved this place. There are parts where it is obvious they were used for films and for the likes of Shogun (the series) and haven't changed in a century! Its also refreshing to see young people and married couples out and about in traditional clothing. Its nothing to do with tourism; they just seem to embrace their heritage rather than completely rebel and follow American fashion! Of course there are exceptions, mad Japanese punks, Harijuku girls, and bike gang members to name but a few!
Mount Fuji, Kawaguchiko
We left Kyoto on a train and then had to catch a bus to get to the nearest town to the mountain. We'd heard that the views were poor at this time of year, but thought we had to try and see it so off we trundled, however we'd heard correctly and couldn't see a single thing, not even the tip of it, we were gutted. However all was saved as we went to one of the best theme parks of our
The fastest coaster
This is another one, this thing shot us out of a tunnel at 172 KM/Hour!!! lives!!! Fujikyu highland
In 2006, on the 9th Season of The Amazing Race, the final 3 teams came here and rode 3 roller coasters, looking for a clue to their next destination.
Fuji-Q's most famous and downright terrifying roller coasters are:
Eejanaika, 249 feet/ metres, 78 mph, completed in 2006, according to Guinness World Records, this is the roller coaster with the most inversions (spins) with a total of 14, Eejanaika is a 4th Dimension roller coaster and only the second one of its kind in the world.
Unlike a traditional roller coaster where the trains run parallel to the track, the 4th Dimension coaster has passenger cars that can spin 360-degrees forwards or backwards.
This was more frightening than any bungee jump I have ever done. You start by ascending backwards and when you start to drop, you spin, the carts spin and to be honest my eyes were shut for the entire time and I was in too much shock to scream, even Tommy came off looking bewildered and a little white and he is a total adrenaline junkie!!! The photo when we came off was hysterical, I looked as though my life
Mt Fuji
Unfortunately it was to misty and we couldnt see it so we went to Highlands theme park instead. This was an absolutely terrifying rollercoaster was about to end!!!
(Tommy) I love coasters, and heights, and never get scared. BUT... I wont say I was scared, but I had to hang on, and breath-taking, exhilarating, fast and almost terrifying is a good description of this! Highly recommended. (Claire:- he SO
WAS scared, he told me he was "shitting himself" from start to finish)
Dodonpa, 170 feet/51 metres tall, 106.9 mph. Opened in 2001, it was then the world's fastest roller coaster. As of 2007 it is the 3rd fastest in the world, the shock of accelerating to that speed was amazing, i felt as though my skin was pealing off my face and flapping in the wind!! It didn't last for too long, but I don't think that human body would survive if it did!!!
Fujiyama, 259 feet/80 metres tall, 80.8 mph. Opened in 1996, it was once the world's tallest roller coaster. As of 2005 it is the world's 7th tallest and 5th longest roller coaster.
Well this one was comparable to a bungee jump, my stomach was out of my mouth and hitting the front carriage, it was the speed at which you drop, by far the
highest I have ever been on!!! Tommy was a little better than me, but said that the adrenaline was definitely flowing!!
We didn't stay too long, only long enough to get rather drunk on larger and Sake, the traditional Japanese spirit made from rice, but to be honest, rice tastes a whole lot better!! When it was warmed it was more tolerable as long as you did it in a shot, but we let some cool to much and it nearly made a repeat appearance for me!!!
HIROSHIMA
This was our other favourite place in Japan, some for obvious reasons, but others were more subtle. We've all heard of the devastation that the atomic bomb caused when the Americans dropped it at 08:15 on August 6, 1945. But to visit the museum and see the monuments and buildings still standing was overwhelming, humbling and incredibly soul destroying. At the same time the message in Hiroshima is one of hope, striving for a 21st century of peace and humanity free from nuclear weapons.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is a large park in the centre of Hiroshima, Japan dedicated to the legacy of Hiroshima as the
Hiroshima
On 06/08/1945 at 0815 an Atomic bomb dropped by the B52 Enola Gay was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan It exploded over this building, now known as the A-Bomb dome. It stands as it was after the explosion first city in the world to suffer a nuclear attack. There are a variety of monuments and buildings in the park, each dedicated to a different aspect of the bombing.....
The A-bomb Dome is the skeletal remains of the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, which was completed in 1915 and served as a facility to exhibit specialties of Hiroshima and to hold various events. Citizens began to call the remains the "A-bomb Dome" after the atomic bomb exploded in the air above the building. Since then, the A-bomb Dome has become known to the world as a symbol of "No More Hiroshimas"
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum has collected and exhibited articles left by atomic bomb victims and photos/data showing the horrors of the atomic bombing. The exhibits tell us not only about Hiroshima's history before and after the atomic bombing, but also about the situation with regard to the nuclear age. I was truly emotional walking around here and seeing the evidence of the atrocities that happened here. On several occasions I was tearful and in shock at the vivid photograph and written documents that informed us of the
A-bomb dome b4 the bomb
This is what it was before the bomb history so much more than we had ever heard about in the UK.
(Tommy) Having always wanted to come to Japan, I know a fair bit about the country, culture and history. This museum was an eye opener, we don't get taught the full story! Lets not beat around the bush, the Japanese committed atrocities in the 40's. The Rape of Nanking in China, The Slavery of Koreans and the treatment meeted out to out POW's. All disgraceful. But you have to understand the background to these actions as well. You also have to take into account Japans shame felt by all its citizens and the fact they have paid Koreans and built shelters and Hospitals, apologised to POW's and offered compensation (although don't know what's happened about that) and (belatedly) accepted responsibility and blame for Nanking. Pre war Japan was almost feudal. The Emperor had been given supreme power back by the Shogunate. The Emperor was seen as a direct descendant of the Sun Goddess and was therefore god-like. Emperor Hirohito was not a young man and grew up in a different world to us, even our parents. The Japanese psyche meant that they had to be militarily
Stopped - watch
This watch belonged to a school teacher who died, it stopped at exactly 0815 powerful.
The second world war was their opportunity to test themselves in combat. They may have even joined the right side (us) if they hadn't have felt threatened by the U.S. who had sailed a war ship into Tokyo harbour and threatened war unless Japan opened its ports for trade with the U.S. and ended Isolationism! Young males were taken as Children and put into a brutal military boot camp. Here they were brain washed - The Emperor is god, to die for him is the greatest honour, to not die in battle or by your own hand (i.e. be captured) was the greatest dishonour, The Chinese, they were told, were not people; they were lower than animals. All this was drilled and savagely beaten into the minds of the boys who grew into Japans WW2 fighting force. (I'm not excusing torture here but...) When POW's were mistreated it may have been due to them being viewed as cowards by there guards, and dishonourable. I believe many Japanese after the war found it difficult to believe their own soldiers were prisoners of war, and had not killed themselves. The normal people and children of Japan were forced to
A bomb memorial
This is a shrine for those who died, framed you can see the eternal flame and in the distance the A bomb dome. work in factories for the war effort. They did not want to, the conditions were harsh, and the work enforced by soldiers. The Japanese people were without food as this went towards the war effort! The people suffered and given a choice I doubt they would have backed this war. People need to understand, this was not a western culture, the people did not hold western beliefs, and therefore have to be held up to their own standards. Our own education (influenced by government doctrine) is woefully incomplete.
(Claire) Some of the documents that we read in the museum were shocking! For instance , the museum contains
copies of memos written by the US military and government. It stated that the USA had begun to develop the atomic bomb at the beginning of the war in secret and spend millions developing it and feared the technology that the Nazi's were working on. The decision to drop it was not only based on a "need" to end the war, it was also to justify the cost of developing the weapon.
They decided to drop in on Hiroshima as opposed to Tokyo, not because of the amount
The devestation of a bomb
This is the result of the A-bomb, the military were hardly touched, the victims were women, children and old men who were being forced to work for the war effort, they were innocent of casualties, but because Hiroshima was near a port and
should the bomb fail to go off and land in water, there should be sufficient depth for the bomb to be recovered, also the Japanese were selected as they would not be so apt to secure knowledge from it as would the Germans:
There was also a quote from an American military person that stated :
I did not want the US to get the reputation of outdoing Hitler in atrocities and second I was fearful that before we could get ready the Air Force might have Japan so thoroughly bombed out that the new weapon would not have a fair background to show its strength.... He laughed and said that he understood...
They did not test the weapon before hand and decided not to give any warning.............. Did you know the Japanese were trying to surrender
BEFORE they were bombed! They offered a virtually unconditional surrender to the USA. The only thing they wanted was the continuance of the Emperor dynasty, i.e. keep the emperor as a god and ruler, I don't see what the problem was with that. Bearing in mind what was said above about the psyche of the Japanese at the time this surrender would have been pretty much a first. The US for some reason (and in collusion with the UK war time Government) said "NO". Why? They could have ended the war early, there and then. Saving countless soldiers lives, but they refused.
Maybe they wanted to test the effects of their new bomb and justify its cost to Congress, or am I just a pessimist. The bomb killed and is still killing.
Its main victims were Women, Children and School teachers, Doctors and Nurses. Military casualties were minimal.
The peace bell
Claire rings the peace bell in Peace park, next to the A-bomb museum. Judge for yourself whether you think the U.S. can justify dropping the bomb at 0815 (the start of school) on a school day, over a primarily civilian area. Honestly you have to visit and spend time here to see and feel some of the devastation and you would definitely never support nuclear weapons!
Children's Peace Monument The Children's Peace Monument is a statue dedicated to the memory of the children who died as a result of the bombing. The statue is of a girl with outstretched arms with a crane rising above her. The statue is based on the true story of Sadako Sasaki, a young girl who died from radiation from the bomb. She believed that if she folded 1,000 paper cranes she would be cured. To this day, people (mostly children) from around the world fold cranes and send them to Hiroshima where they are placed near the statue.
Memorial Cenotaph Near the centre of the park is a concrete, saddle-shaped monument that covers a Cenotaph holding the names of all of the people killed by the bomb. The Cenotaph carries the epitaph, "Repose ye in Peace, for the error shall not be
Bullet train
These are the Shinkansen Hikari bullet trains, and they are faster, more spacious and better than anything weve got!!! Seen the size of the pack on me back! repeated." Through the monument you can see the Peace Flame and the A-Bomb Dome. (see the pic of Tommy bowing his head in respect at this monument)
Peace Flame and Bell The Peace Flame is another monument to the victims of the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima, but it has an additional purpose. The flame will remain lit until all nuclear bombs on the planet are destroyed and the planet is free from the threat of nuclear annihilation.
The Peace Bell stands near the memorial to the A-Bomb Children and consists of a large Japanese bell hanging inside a small open-sided structure. Visitors are encouraged to ring the bell for world peace.
The Recovery of Hiroshima
In the late 1950s, Japan entered a period of rapid economic growth. At that time, Hiroshima was redeveloping the area in front of Hiroshima Station. It had just completed Peace Memorial Park and related facilities, had constructed a baseball stadium and key government buildings, and tall buildings were going up in the downtown area known as Hatchobori. In 1958, the population returned to its pre-war level of 410,000. The people were actually feeling in the course of their
daily lives that the city had finally recovered from the bombing.
However since the war Hiroshima has become a city of hope, peace and to raise awareness of the importance of peace and a future without nuclear weapons. The Peace declaration signed on August 6th 2002 states:
In the "spiritual home for all people " that Hiroshima is building grow a an abundant Forest of Memory, and the River of Reconciliation and Humanity flowing from that forest is plied by Reason, Conscience and Compassion, ships that ultimately sail to the Sea of Hope and the Future
Hiroshima amazed us for so many reasons, it educated us, touched our hearts and also shamed us in the UK's role in supporting the USA's dropping of the bomb dubbed "Little Boy". We left feeling heavy with the emotion of the atrocities that occurred here, but the cities optimism, spirit and hope lifted some of that and inspired us to support their cause and hope that the future can be as they wish it to be.
For those of you who are interested to learn more about HIroshima and their work towards a nuclear free future and countries who have supported and who still owns weapons have a look at
www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/index_e2.html
OSAKA
So onwards from Hiroshima to Osaka, our final destination before leaving Japan (which we were not ready to do by a long shot, but we could only afford to
stay for 2 weeks!) .
We didn't do too much here as we only had 2 days , so we went to see Osaka Castle , which was much more like a castle-like than Kyoto, however we definitely preferred the later, Osaka castle ha been renovated to host a museum inside the castle compared to Kyoto that head been restored to try and match the original layout. Don't get us wrong it was really interesting to learn about the history, see the exhibits and great to see the copies of the folding screens depicting the Battle of Osaka, among others. However once you were inside you kind of forgot that you were inside a castle and although the view from the top was awesome, the view from the side with the added air conditioned units hanging outside, painted white for camouflage kind of ruined the ambiance!
A highlight however was an opportunity to get dressed up as a samurai warrior, which Tommy agreed to do reluctantly (men and their ego eh!!!) and we got some great pictures!!
Sumo ,Nagoya
We were lucky enough to be able to catch one of the 4 grand competitions in
SUMO
The Sumo banners at the grand tournamment were being taken down as there was a Typhoon coming!!! Japan each year and what a great time we had!! We missed out on the cheaper seats so had to fork out 40 pounds each per ticket,for a box of 4, but it was worth every penny!! In fact they accidentally gave us 3 tickets, which we seriously considered selling until we realised that if we kept hold of the ticket, they'd less likely to sell individual tickets! I hear the honest ones of you saying "why not give the ticket back". Well if you'd seen the "boxes" you'd realise what a shrewd decision it was!! I had visions of a royal box at the theatre, not even remotely similar!! We had a small square with a metal rail around it and 4 cushions to sit on (personally I think it was a bit of a cheek to charge 40 quid for it, but hey!!). It started off with the more junior wrestler and gradually progressed onto the famous and more elite wrestlers. Tommy and I had been sipping cans of Asahi beer and were getting rather tipsy, we had also begun speaking to 2 Japanese girls sitting next to us, one of whom spoke English. She was telling us
Sumo circle
Its very ritualised and at the start of the top division matches the big fellas parade round in these skirts which can cost over 400,000 yen! the names and we....well I was screaming them out along with the crowd, I even learnt how to say I love you in Japanese(though only for that night!!). The fighting was great, lots of GGRRRRRs and stares and ceremonies, like throwing salt, coming back and glaring some more, it was really funny and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The girl sitting next to us bided us farewell with the comment "well you certainly are interesting"!!!! I think she thought we were a little "off the wall". Check out the videos and pics too!!
O.K. I've finished sorry if you've got square eyes and if you have information overload, we just wanted to do this amazing country some justice. The history ancient and modern, the culture old and new, the stunning scenery, the eccentricities, the warm and courteous people and their customs. Thank you Japan, you've taught us so much . We will take the lessons with us and definitely come back to learn some more !!
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ellen and the boys
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just finished reading this blogg and its truly an eye opener lets all pray for world peace without any nuclear weapons. well keep safe and enjoy your travels. carn't wait to discover more places.