Osaka, Nara, Kyoto, Kobe, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Tokyo and more!

Tokyo Tower
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Happy Belated Easter to you all! I hope the Easter bunny was generous…..

Well I have just waved my family off and it sure was a hectic couple of weeks! We toured all the main cities of Japan and must have walked from 9am-9pm every day! I had a lot of fun with them though and got to see a lot of Japan that I had never seen before!

We first toured the Kansai region (Osaka, Kyoto etc) and did touristy things like Universal Studios, visited temples and shrines, ate Japanese food etc. I think Mark, Dad and Nicky liked most of the Japanese stuff but I don’t think anyone was a big fan of the eel sushi! Neither am I for that matter! I thought I would just briefly summarize what each city was like for you but don’t feel obligated to read the whole thing! Feel free and skim! I’ll try to keep it short I promise! Here’s a link to a map of Japan so you know where each city is -

Koshien stadium
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http://www.eltnews.com/guides/living/pix/cities.gif

I’ll also be uploading some photos on facebook/my blog soon (just waiting for them to be sent!) so you know what I’m talking about.

What I like about Japanese cities is that they are so varied and have their own distinct character. Although each one is heavily built up (which explains the very expensive housing), you can always find unique buildings/districts. I met them all in Osaka which is nearest to me. Osaka is called the ugly man of Japan which is to a certain degree true but there is so much interesting stuff to see/do such as walking around the Osaka castle grounds or wondering down Namba at night to see all the lights/crazy fashion.

Isn't this little girl so cute? She's wearing a Hanshin Tigers dress!
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Kobe was every bit the metropolitan city I’d expected it to be and am not surprised that so many ex-pats go to live there. The bay has been extensively renovated since the Great Hanshin earthquake in 1996 (think back to your GCSE case studies!) although there is a poignant memorial to people who died in the earthquake. They bay lit up at night and international feel is what makes it as a city. Now it is a major port and shopping area with lots of international cafes etc and home to Kobe beef of course!

The fans were crazy!
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Kyoto is a city that everyone knows and has to go to at least once. Kyoto was Japan’s original imperial capital so they are still many beautiful temples and shrines to walk around (there is even one made of gold) although they were crowded with people trying to catch a glimpse of the first cherry blossoms. I don’t see what the big deal is myself but the Japanese go crazy over it and even have cherry blossom parties where people go to parks and picnic under the stuff (hanami). One really impressive shrine was Kiyomizu temple which is actually trying to get elected as one of the NEW 7 Wonders of the World! My favourite shrine in Kyoto will always be Fushimi Inari (the one seen at the end of Memoirs of a Geisha) when she is running through all those torii gates. The thousands of orange torii gates are so cool. We also stopped by Nara (another ancient imperial capital) to say hello to all the deer and visit the world’s largest wooden structure – VERY impressive.

At one point everyone blew up balloons and let them go!
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Then it was time for the Shinkansen (the bullet train)! It really did live up to its reputation! It goes at 200mph and is powered electronically (at the cost of billions of dollars to the taxpayer!). Fukuoka isn’t as well established as Osaka or Tokyo but Down to Fukuoka, Japan’s new and upcoming city. The crazy nightlife, bright lights and impressive architecture is what Fukuoka is famous for. We even toured the brand new baseball dome for the Fukuoka Sea Hawks.

Then it was time for Hiroshima. Despite the bustling shopping arcades, the Peace Memorial Park and A-bomb dome serve as a reminder of how devastating the atomic bomb of 1945 was. The Hall of Rememberance and Flame of Eternal Peace (which will only be extinguished when the last nuclear weapon has been dismantled) were thought-provoking but the saddest had to be the Children’s Memorial which is draped in hundreds of paper (origami) cranes. This tradition was started by a little girl who believed that if she made 1000 cranes, she would be cured of leukemia (as a result of the bomb). She died before reaching her goal but her classmates made the remaining cranes. Also thought provoking was the Peace Memorial Museum complete with video archives, photos and items that were destroyed/partially damaged in the blast. Most surprising was the story of 1 man who was a mere 100m from the hypocenter of the blast yet managed to survive. Interestingly (and somewhat sad) was that the Memorials for the Korean and Chinese (many of whom were working in Hiroshima at the time of the bomb were not allowed inside the Peace Park for political reasons・ It’s a shame that even in death, they are excluded.

The stadium from the outside
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The following day in need of some cheering up, we headed to the nearby island of Miyajima, home to one of Japan’s three most beautiful sights: a floating torii gate. The wild deer and the monkeys (!) on the island also kept us amused and we even tried a traditional tea ceremony. Women dressed in beautiful kimono (the average kimono costs at least 1000 pounds) served us clumsy gaijin tea and made us sit on our knees. God, it really hurts! There was also a Hina Matsuri (Japanese doll festival) which was a lot more interesting than it sounds!

Getting beer - prerequisite at any game!
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Last stop…..TOKYO! I flew into Tokyo in August but didn’t really have any time to explore properly! We stayed right around the corner from the Imperial Palace which, rumour has it was worth more than the state of California at the height of the Japanese property boom during the 90’s! We also visited the infamous Yasukini Shrine was Korea/Chinese/Japanese relations as it honours Japanese war dead (Japan’s neighbours however see them as brutal war criminals). We did the usual stuff: Tokyo Tower, Park Hyatt (where Lost in Translation was filmed), government buildings, Shibuya (world’s busiest crossing), Harajuku (home to crazy fashion) and even Disneyland!

Unfortunately we were in the visitor section!
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All in all a very fun trip but it already seems like a distant memory!

This weekend I headed up to Kobe and saw my first ever baseball game! I had no idea what was going on but still enjoyed it! Unfortunately we lost to the Yokohama team but the atmosphere was amazing! The fans are so dedicated out here! EVERYONE wore team shirts and those things you bang together to make a noise. Even when the Hanshin Tigers were losing, they still kept up the chants etc. The day was rounded off with dinner and a night out in Kobe…such a great city!

Tristan, Kate and Lily demonstrating their loyalty
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Now it’s back to school with new teachers, students and even a new schedule. Luckily it means less time at work for me! Only 12 classes a week. I guess it sounds good but sometime you really do get sick of the internet! Ah well I had better make the most of while I can……

……Next stop Korea!

Love to you all,

Sara

Kobe by night
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xxxx