Archive for the 'Travel' Category

A Rainbow of Peace
Originally uploaded by jasohill.

We got to Nagasaki at around 5:30pm on March 21st. The bus dropped us off near the station, right next to the streetcars so we decided to seek out our lodging and have an easy evening. We hopped on the next streetcar and rode it to the Peace Park. From there we located our Ryokan and enjoyed a lazy evening of eating and watching videos. We figured that we had earned a break. For dinner we went to “Joyfull(sic)”. Yes, they actually spell it with two l’s. It would be so bad if it weren’t a national chain.

On the 22nd we left our hotel and made our way across the public track and field track. The hypocenter of the blast was located on the other side of the track. The hypocenter marks the exact spot where the Atomic Bomb detonated in 1945. The blast damage and ensuing fire left 70 000 people dead and many more severely injured. Most buildings were instantly destroyed; however, there are still some remains of of one building right next to the blast center. It was a pretty haunting scene for me. I was standing at the very center of so must pain and terror. There were also a lot of paper cranes scattered about. These are universal symbols of peace around the world, and many schools send their cranes to either Hiroshima or Nagasaki. I felt very lucky to be able to see them in person. I was also lucky to see the memorial hall where the names of all those killed are inscribed. The building was simply amazing. There are twelve glass pillars that reach into ceiling. It was a truly solemn place and you can find it next to the museum and it is free of charge. The museum itself is hard to describe in words. The only way I can tell you about it is with my tears. The entire area is a place that you absolutely have to visit. You will never understand the impact of these bombings unless you understand the extent of the damage. Imagine having the entire area you grew up in completely obliterated in around thirty seconds.

Surprisingly, there is little indication that anything happened at all. There are so many new buildings, schools, and even love hotels near the museum. It’s crazy to think that this place was vaporized. From there we went to the peace park and gazed at all the amazing statues that were sent to Japan as a pledge for peace. The main statue is a beautiful fusion of Christian and Buddhist art and looms over the park. Don’t forget to check out the peace fountain as well. Tara thought that if I took a picture of her at the right angle then the jets of water would make her look like an angel. I’m not sure if it worked, but feel free to check out the picture and see for yourself.

In addition to all of the A-Bomb related scenery, there is the famous Urakami Tenshudo Cathedreal. A dazzling Catholic church on a hill close to the peace park. It was destroyed in the A-Bomb blast but it was rebuilt and still looks very beautiful. There is a cat that come out and to have its picture taken with you as well. I was surprised at this since cats in Japan are not usually very friendly. That pretty much wrapped up the sightseeing for the 22nd. We had another relaxing evening and decided to start a little earlier the next morning. We spent two days in Nagasaki. If we could have, I would have also considered a third day there. It’s just that beautiful.

Trip to Kyuushuu 2006
Originally uploaded by jasohill.

So we arrive at Kita-Kyushu station at around 5:10am. There really isn’t a lot to do in Kita-Kyushu from a tourist perspective, so we hop on the next train to Fukuoka. During the two hour ride Tara and I get into a heated debate over workers rights. I state that CEOs should be held criminally responsible should one of their employees kill themselves from overwork. Tara strongly disagrees with me and she attempts to take the side of the rich greedy bastards. “Oh, but they have feelings, too”, she says. Yeah, whatever. I’m sure she makes a few good points here and there, but it’s my blog and I say that corporate executives need to keep on a tighter leash. No one is going to make me work eighty hours a week. And if they try, I’ll have their head on stick in front of their cushy corner office. Anyways, we aren’t here to talk about my rage, so let’s continue with the story.

We arrive at Fukuoka at about 9am and proceed to McDonald’s for an artery hardening good time. After breakfast we head to the station and purchase a Fukuoka subway pass. These are 500yen and good for one day. You’d be an idiot not to buy one. We then head off to our first tourist spot. There is this doll museum in Fukuoka tower. Well, at least there used to be a doll museum. It seems that it’s no longer there. So for all of you reading Lonely Planet’s Japan guide, TURN BACK NOW. Fukuoka Towers also happens to be a disgrace to towers. They charge 1300yen to ascend a tower that is smaller than some Lego sets I’ve seen. If you really want to go up it, I’m not going to stop you, but I take no responsibility for your phallic cock-mongering fantasies. Before we leave, we check out the beach and grab some pictures. I’ve never been in a tropical looking place that was so chilly before. The pictures are not indicative of was the temperature was.

On the way back from the beach we stop at the Hawks Dome, home of the Daiei Hawks. Behind the stadium there is a neat little area where they have bronzed version of famous people’s hands. I suppose it’s better than a mold of their genitals. Or is it? There is also a mall with a store called “Brand Off’” that showcased Prada and Vuitton bags. Tara then proceeded to pretend like she wanted to buy something and had every guy in the place drooling with anticipation. I do admit that it was fun to watch them squirm, but I felt pretty bad for them. After that little fiasco, we go back to the subway and headed downtown.

Now at this point I’m not really sure what we did next. I know we went back towards the center of the city and that we ended up visiting a culture museum and a great wooden budda(largest in Japan). Both were breathtaking, and the large wood statue was free to visit. However, we also ran across the most obnoxious foreigner I’ve met in a long time. He wouldn’t shut his yap and it seemed like he was trying to pick up Tara the entire time. He just kept following us and talking about whatever came into his head. This guy was in creep land. I suggested to Tara that we head the opposite direction from where he was headed, and then we took off back towards out hotel. We had reserved a youth hostel and they were going to let us in early. Yay! But first we needed some food. So we made a little side trip.

This is where the adventure gets tasty. Lonely Planet suggested we try a ramen restaurant called Ichiran. Ichiran is famous for it’s “special sauce”, and the way that you can custom make your bowl of ramen. You can choose fat content, noodle thickness, the amount of onions, and the amount of sauce that goes in. You do all this by filling out a long request form. It reminded me so much of that Simpsons episode where the IRS control the burger place. When I finished, I had myself a “Newtype” ramen that was both artistic and delicious. After our bellies were appeased, we headed to the hostel for a quick rest.

At this point in the trip things start to go a little crazy for me. I notice that while I am napping that I start to feel feverish. Tara is also pretty exhausted, so we decided to call it an early night and went to a nearby restaurant for dinner. While we were eating we watched the final episode of Saiyuuki. We then went back to the hostel and I promptly fall asleep. We really tried to fit in a few episodes of Mai-Hime, but it was impossible. I was spent. The adventure continues tomorrow when we head to dazaifu. Stay tuned.

Kansai Adventures
Originally uploaded by jasohill.

I want to talk a little more about my trip to Kansai during New Year holiday. On January 3rd, I visited Universal Studios Japan with Shiho. The nice thing about that particular day was the lack of crowds. The bitter cold made things not so nice as we both got wind burn on our faces. Here are some of the wacky things I took note of when I was there:

The large number of American flags. Sure, the theme park is American, but I often felt like I was in the US.

As usual there were long three hour waits for 5-10 minute rides. You find this everywhere, but some of these rides seemed awfully short for the wait.

“Grease” as re-enacted by Hello Kitty.

The Snoopy area of the park was amazing. I felt like I was in a drug induced Charles Schultz wonderland. It was aimed at children but it was hard not to be drawn in.

There was this robot girl who made all sorts of crazy sounds that were customized for each person that approached her. I like her the best. Not once did I hear her re-use on of her effects on someone else. I’m not sure how she did it.

The overall feel of the park is amazing. It is pretty much a “Disneyland” for those who like Universal pictures. I give you fair warning that everything is very expensive, from the 5500yen entrance fee to the 1200yen lunch sets. Be prepared to spend money!