Day 2, Miyajima (Itsukushima)

This post is much happier than the last.

In the morning we went to 宮島　（みやじま）　Miyajima.  Miyajima is a small island south of Hiroshima that is pretty famous for the Itsukushima Shrine.  The weather started out a bit cold and overcast, but quickly became very sunny and warm :D

We left Hiroshima by ferry and rode for about 10 minutes to Miyajima.  There were many deer along the trail to the shrine and you could pet them.  If you had food, they would harass you which is actually a bit scary.  I just didn't feel comfortable with big deer stuffing their wet noses in my face.

What's cool about Itsukushima Shrine is that it interacts with the tide or the ocean!  I was there right before high-tide, which is when the water level reaches just under the shrine and the famous gate so that it looks like it is floating!  During low-tide all the water leaves and you can actually walk under the gate.  I wasn't there during low-tide so I could not go underneath the gate D:

Anyways here are some pics:

The mountains as we approach by ferry:

You can see the gate (Otorii)!

Next as we walked up to the shrine:

You could see the man made walkways underwater:

There were many deer but this one was posing for a picture:

Now some pictures from the shrine itself:

The awesome Miyajima Otorii (with the tide almost completely in):

When the tide goes down all the way, it looks like this (google pic since I wasn't there during low-tide):

After visiting the shrine, we went up to the mountains behind them!  It was a long way up by rope-way (cable-car).  There were some cool shops with masks and statues for sale, as well as a nice creek and pond alone the way:

From some of the shops:

On the rope-way:

And finally at the top!

Check out that little island off in the distance!  It looks like a giant turtle or something:

There were supposed to be monkeys around here, but I didn't see a single one :[

After that we went back down, on the ferry, on a bus, and went to 岩国　（いわくに）　Iwakuni.  Home of a famous bridge.  But this post is already so large.  I will post a rather small one after the weekend about my trip to Iwakuni.

I hope that you enjoyed these pictures!  Miyajima is so beautiful; I recommend you see it with your own eyes!

Day 1 - Hiroshima Peace Museum & Memorial Park

Today we all went to the Hiroshima Peace Museum and the Peace Memorial Park nearby.  It was a moving experience to say the least.

My family was in Hungary during WWII （「第二次世界大戦」 in Japanese) and so I like to think that my ancestors had very little to do with the bomb.  However that is not what's important and that is not the message of the Peace Museum. 

In my International Relations class here at Konan University （甲南大学） we had many arguments on whether or not the bombs were justified.  But the truth is, it doesn't matter.  What matters is that we learn from it and make sure we do our part to ensure a world where such weapons will never again be used.  That is the message.  Forgiveness, peace, education.

I wish I could have taken a picture or a video, but what happened to me right before going to the Peace Museum left me dumbstruck.

An old man, looked to be in his 80's walked up to Aaron, Buddy, and I on the streets of Hiroshima and asked us where we all came from.  Then he told us that he lost his father and brother to the A-Bomb and watched them both die in his arms.  --I was ready for a very mean session of "get out of our country foreign devil" ranting but what happened next just left me at a loss of words and frozen stiff.  The man shook our hands and told us about the pride of Hiroshima; how it went from nothing to a major city.  How we should go to the Peace Museum and learn better of what took place on that day many years ago. 

The man greeted us with love and forgiveness.  He watched his father and brother die in his arms by the A-Bomb and had no resentment towards us.  Instead he told us the importance of forgiveness and peace.  How Hiroshima is the ultimate symbol of peace, not destruction and hate.  The man left us with a smile of friendship.

That man is truly a saint.  I hope all the people that I meet in my life could be like him, even myself.

Here are some pics from the Peace Museum and Memorial Park:
(I left some photos larger so you can see the finer details)

A message from Pope John Paul II:

 Korea's Gift for Peace:

I would like to point out how much Hiroshima looks like Pittsburgh:

A wall stained with "black rain":

A tricycle and helmet:

Some glass bottles melted by the heat:

Some sheets of glass melted by the heat:

A pocket watch and wristwatch: (I left the wristwatch photo large so you can check the finer details)

And now the Peace Memorial Park:

Thousand Crane Memorial:

Memorial Dome:

Needless to say there were many disturbing photos and actual items on display that I could not bring myself to take a picture of.  I encourage you to go and visit the Memorial Museum and Peace Park on your own for the full experience, and to learn some things.  You won't regret it.


I hope you enjoyed this first post.  I will post Day 2's trip soon.

I'm working on editing the videos, that takes a while <.<

熱、下痢、吐き気

I'm happy to say that editing the videos and pictures will take a long time because I took over 500!~

However I must apologize that it will take even longer because last night I woke up with a fever of 100F and threw up many times :[ 

Today I'm not throwing up anymore but I am suffering on the other end, and still fighting my fever.

I'll let you know when I'm OK.  I can't wait to show you all my awesome trip!

New Post --BELIEVE IT!

So tomorrow I go to 広島（ひろしま）Hiroshima, then 宮島（みやじま） Miyajima.

I've been looking forward to this for a loooong time!  必ずにビデオも写真も撮るよ！ (I WILL MAKE A VIDEO AND TAKE SOME PICTURES WITHOUT FAIL)

Look forward to it!  I can tell you this trip will be the most beautiful trip I will take in Japan.  I'm gonna ride the 新幹線 (bullet train) for the first time in my life, and then a steam locomotive!  It's like 2 opposites in one trip!

for those that don't know about 広島 and 宮島 here are 2 pics that symbolize both:

広島　One of only 2 cities to ever be attacked by an atomic bomb:

I will be visiting the Hiroshima Dome, the only building to survive structurally because it was directly under the explosion of the atomic bomb.



宮島　Home to an awesome Gate and beautiful shrine:

The Gate seems to be floating on the water...but has a secret that I hope I will be able to show you!  (If not, I'll explain when I make my next post with pics and video)
-note to self- getting married in 宮島 would be awesome to say the least!

I hope you look forward to it as much as I do!

Good night, I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow  :D

Finally found a new watch!

For those that don't know, I love watches.

Something about them just intrigues me.  A fine watch not only brings out your taste and style, but somehow adds a level of maturity and finesse to a man.  And I think due to my great-grandfather and father, Seiko watches made it to the top of my list.

Here is what I was looking for in a Seiko watch (which is why it took so long):

Automatic winding / movement
Calendar
Japanese Kanji for the calendar
Working condition
Affordable
A style that I like <-- actually not the hardest part!

There are a few problems though, one being that only older Seiko watches produced locally in Japan have the Kanji-calenders (from what I've heard, and all the new one's that I've checked out are only in English).  Another being that old Seiko watches are pretty expensive and some models are quite rare!

Well I've been all over Kobe searching far and wide.  I've even been to some crazy pawn shops and some very shady looking places where I think the watches were stolen, and I realized that unless I'm buying from a real watch repairman, even if I find an awesome old Seiko, it might not work very well if it even works at all.  I had to get one that was old but "refurbished" so to speak by a man certified to do so.

Well I finally found one that I love and fits the other requirements as well!  I got it at "Ha Ru Na - Watches and fine Jewelry" shop in 三宮 （さんおみや） Sannomiya, a large district in 神戸 （こうべ） Kobe.

I'm so excited that I got a real (and rather rare) old Seiko in great condition, that I made a video instead of pictures of it to show it to you guys!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WciJphr3UZA


It is a Seiko 5 Actus with 25 Jewels, model number 6106-7600T.  Made in Japan and has both English and Japanese calendars (you can choose between the 2 with the push of a button)!  Not to mention Automatic Winding / Movement .  The Second Hand moves 4 times within the space / time of 1 second, a rather unique feature of Seiko.  (Their newest watch as of this year moves completely fluidly "like time itself.")

This watch, which is dated back to the 1970's is one of the first watches to move in this way.

Back in Japan!

Well I had the fine pleasure of going home for a few days and eating lots of beef---but now I'm back in Japan!

I know I have been neglecting this blog for my gleefully hedonistic lifestyle studies, but I will start carrying my camera around more and making more pictures and videos.

For those of you wondering if I'm already in gear again here in Japan, I offer you this one photograph today:

This is me at the 阪急 （はんきゅう） Hankyu Department Store in 西宮　（にしのみや）　Nishinomiya Gardens Mall.

Goin home!

Man I haven't posted anything new in almost a month!

I blame 2 large problems for this:

1.  I don't carry my camera around because it's not small enough to fit in my pocket without looking like I have a gun, or something big and pointy in my pocket.

2.  I haven't done much these past 30 days but take tests and drink.

But I'm going home to visit my family for the Christmas break!  I bought some cool things for you guys!  Even though Japan is a lot less about samurai and swords, and a lot more about sex and alcohol, I managed to find things both appropriate and useful  :D


and to finish this boring post, letting you know I'll be back in the states for 2 weeks, is a pic of some sweet graffiti I came across in 心斎橋 Shinsaibashi in 大阪 Osaka, as well as a funny Engrish sign and a very mysteriously awesome company all from the same area:

Bonus points if you can name the Star Wars character who looks very similar to the character in that graffiti!