Here I am at the Emperor's Palace. This is a pic of me outside the estate as no one is allowed to enter. Behind me is the moat and palace walls. There is a building as well that to my best guess is a "look-out" room. I have no clue if it used still but it's beautiful.
Anyway, thanks for tagging along and I hope you enjoyed the pics and posts. Right now im at the airport waiting for our plane. Cheers from Japan. What a life...
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Kazui's family
Upon popular request, I have been asked if I could post a pic of Kazui's fam. This is the only one I have on my phone (I have a bunch on my digital camera but I can put those online when I get home). The left 5 peeps are Kazui's father, mother, younger sister, younger brother, and Kazui herself. The other three her aunts and unkle. In this pic, we have come together to celebrate the lives of Kazui's late grandparents on her father's side. The grave is behind them and its very elaborate. They do things a little bit diferently here :)
We love to see you smile :)
Fast-food chains in America seem to be much better in Japan (and I'm guessing in other countries as well). Take Dennys for instance; they have a HUGE menu not seen in the US. Besides the norm, the menu includes a tasty assortment of Japanese foods and it even dips into other foods from around the world. If that's not enough, there two types of Dennys as well (one is the normal kind and the other is a step up in terms of price, menu offerings, and atmosphere).
Here we are at McDonalds. The burger I'm holding is called an "Ebi Burger" and it means shrimp burger. It tastes pretty good too! McDonalds here in Japan offers a new menu item every month. The last two times we came to Japan, McDonalds was promoting shrimp McNuggets and a cheese-stuffed crispy chicken breast sandwhich (I don't remember what kind of cheese and what the official name of the sandwhich was either).
I'm going to miss the food here. No matter where we ate, the food was outstanding.
Here we are at McDonalds. The burger I'm holding is called an "Ebi Burger" and it means shrimp burger. It tastes pretty good too! McDonalds here in Japan offers a new menu item every month. The last two times we came to Japan, McDonalds was promoting shrimp McNuggets and a cheese-stuffed crispy chicken breast sandwhich (I don't remember what kind of cheese and what the official name of the sandwhich was either).
I'm going to miss the food here. No matter where we ate, the food was outstanding.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Tsuruga-jo Castle
Sorry for not posting in quite some time. I have been sick (now I feel better) and there are not a lot of wi-fi connections here in Kazui's hometown (Aizuwakamatsu... Say that 3 times fast). Anyway lets get back to the subject matter.
This is the Tsuruga-jo castle here in Aizu. I have had the opportunity to visit and see this military castle everyday now because Kazui's family lives right outside one of its gates. When I describe its location, I tell people that its in their backyard. My wife has lived all of her younger life next to this piece of history and Im happy to share it with you. Here are some facts you should know about the castle:
*It was built in 1384 and was used as a military castle until 1868
*In 1611, the castle was badly damaged by an earthquake and was rebuilt
*In 1868, during the Boshin Civil War, the castle was confiscated by the "new government" and was completely torn down in 1874
*In 1934, the remains were declared and national historical site an exact replica of the original castle was built there in 1965.
During the Boshin Civil War, 20 young soldiers were made legendary for their devotion to the Shogun and the castle. These youngers, called the Byakkotai, were between the ages 16 and 17. On their way to the castle to help, they saw what looked like their beloved castle on fire. Automatically they thought they were to late and that they had lost the war. These young men were the offspring of the Samurai who were defending the castle so they thought they had lost their parents as well. Right there on that hill, they took their swords out and commited Seppuku (killing one's self by means of sword insertion into the abdomen and slicing from left to right). Out of the 20, only one of the young soldiers lived as he was taken care of by a passing peasant. When he got better, he learned that they had been wrong about the fire as the smoke that they had seen was not from the castle. Nevertheless, they are quite famous here and they will be honored for a very long time.
I have been inside the castle a couple times now and it's quite amazing. I have more pics and I will put them on my Flickr account when I get home. Thanks for reading :)
This is the Tsuruga-jo castle here in Aizu. I have had the opportunity to visit and see this military castle everyday now because Kazui's family lives right outside one of its gates. When I describe its location, I tell people that its in their backyard. My wife has lived all of her younger life next to this piece of history and Im happy to share it with you. Here are some facts you should know about the castle:
*It was built in 1384 and was used as a military castle until 1868
*In 1611, the castle was badly damaged by an earthquake and was rebuilt
*In 1868, during the Boshin Civil War, the castle was confiscated by the "new government" and was completely torn down in 1874
*In 1934, the remains were declared and national historical site an exact replica of the original castle was built there in 1965.
During the Boshin Civil War, 20 young soldiers were made legendary for their devotion to the Shogun and the castle. These youngers, called the Byakkotai, were between the ages 16 and 17. On their way to the castle to help, they saw what looked like their beloved castle on fire. Automatically they thought they were to late and that they had lost the war. These young men were the offspring of the Samurai who were defending the castle so they thought they had lost their parents as well. Right there on that hill, they took their swords out and commited Seppuku (killing one's self by means of sword insertion into the abdomen and slicing from left to right). Out of the 20, only one of the young soldiers lived as he was taken care of by a passing peasant. When he got better, he learned that they had been wrong about the fire as the smoke that they had seen was not from the castle. Nevertheless, they are quite famous here and they will be honored for a very long time.
I have been inside the castle a couple times now and it's quite amazing. I have more pics and I will put them on my Flickr account when I get home. Thanks for reading :)
Monday, October 20, 2008
Safe Sex
Here we are in Shibuya/Tokyo. This little store is neat and obscure (that's why it's going on the blog). Although nestled deep within the skyscraper department stores, this place is bright and colorful which helps it stand out like a sore thumb.
From the store's sign, you can see what it's all about. Besides the obvious, the store sells anything sex related but the selection of protection is astounding.
From the store's sign, you can see what it's all about. Besides the obvious, the store sells anything sex related but the selection of protection is astounding.
Friday, October 17, 2008
More toilets...
This one's a bit easier to handle :) Most of Japan's restrooms have this specific type. If it reminds you of something from the Starship Enterprise you are not far off as you have full control of every aspect; it's a very smart toilet.
The moment you sit down, you hear two sounds: first is the heating of the toilet seat (no more early-morning, ice-cold seat) and second is the sound of the electronics in the bowl scrambling around, trying to find out if you are male or female (which is very important so let it do its job). At first I was hesitant to start my "business" when I first heard these sounds but its ok to go ahead as the sensors are very accurate. By the time you're finished, the toilet is ready and is waiting for your next command. See the control pad there Captain Kirk? In terms of cleaning yourself, you have full control of temperature of water, amount of pressure, type of spray (straight stream, spread, swirl... similar to normal shower heads except for the swirl part) and amount of time the spray is active for (dont worry, there is an emergency stop button just incase). Once your finished, you then have an option to choose the amount of water you need to flush the toilet to save energy and water.
Although foreign to me before, I have gotten used to this system as it is quite convenient. I wouldn't mind seeing these in the US honestly. Less mess, and a more clean-feeling is a plus in my book. I guess there are less incidents of hemmroids(sp?) as well :)
The moment you sit down, you hear two sounds: first is the heating of the toilet seat (no more early-morning, ice-cold seat) and second is the sound of the electronics in the bowl scrambling around, trying to find out if you are male or female (which is very important so let it do its job). At first I was hesitant to start my "business" when I first heard these sounds but its ok to go ahead as the sensors are very accurate. By the time you're finished, the toilet is ready and is waiting for your next command. See the control pad there Captain Kirk? In terms of cleaning yourself, you have full control of temperature of water, amount of pressure, type of spray (straight stream, spread, swirl... similar to normal shower heads except for the swirl part) and amount of time the spray is active for (dont worry, there is an emergency stop button just incase). Once your finished, you then have an option to choose the amount of water you need to flush the toilet to save energy and water.
Although foreign to me before, I have gotten used to this system as it is quite convenient. I wouldn't mind seeing these in the US honestly. Less mess, and a more clean-feeling is a plus in my book. I guess there are less incidents of hemmroids(sp?) as well :)
Escort Service!?!?!?
Read this flyer from top to bottom before reading the rest of this blog entry (try to get past its poor grammer). I was just given this pamphlet when I exited the Ikebukuro train station's northern exit.
You may need to click on the pic to see a bigger version that you read the writing at the top. Now, I know that prostitution is taken lightly here in Japan but handing out flyers to everyone including kids is kind of rediculous don't you think? After further investigation (kazui translating the Japanese writing) I realized that this pamphlet is an advert for a local beauty salon's 8th anniversary. Fun stuff huh?
You may need to click on the pic to see a bigger version that you read the writing at the top. Now, I know that prostitution is taken lightly here in Japan but handing out flyers to everyone including kids is kind of rediculous don't you think? After further investigation (kazui translating the Japanese writing) I realized that this pamphlet is an advert for a local beauty salon's 8th anniversary. Fun stuff huh?
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Hole in the ground
This is a picture of a traditional Japanese public toilet. Going number 1 is a sinch; going number 2 is harder. Because the "squating" position is the technique used to accomplish this mission, the need for flexibility is a must. Notice there are no hand rails for stability. Good luck.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Japanese Pay-phone...
Subject says it all. I thought perhaps you would like to see what one looks like in Japan.
We made it!
For some reason im have trouble with posting from my account but it looks fixed now. Im keping my fingers crossed... Anyway, we took this pick yesterday. After an 11 hour airplane ride with only a few naps to hold us over, we made here to the Narita/Tokyo airport. It was cloudy and rainy with a temperature of about 72 degrees. We were waiting for a bus that took us to Ikebukuro/Tokyo where we then grabed a cab ride to our hotel. Basically Kazui and I were just starting our first day here in Japan and we had much to acomplish before dinner with Kazui's family. Considering we didn't have a proper night's sleep yet, we were a bit pooped :|
Monday, October 13, 2008
Funny Money
The currency exchange rate is shite this time. Two years ago when we went to Japan the rate from US dollars to Japanese Yen was $1.00 = ¥115. Today the rate is $1.00 = ¥88... :(
At the aiport...
That's our airplane there and we will board it within the hour. It will take about 10 hours and 45 minutes to get there. When we land, it will be 2:30pm Tokyo time which means it will be 10:30pm Pacific Standard time. Considering we have dinner plans with some of Kazui's family, we will be quite exhausted once the day FINALLY ends for us....
Sunday, October 12, 2008
So this is how it's going to work...
Ok, so tomorrow morning is when Kazui and I will be flying to Japan but I thought I'd take a little time to let you know how this blog is going to function.
While in Japan I will be taking pictures with my phone of anything and everything I think you should see (such as the picture you see above). When in the Wi-Fi areas of Tokyo, which are everywhere from what I'm told, I can upload them with text right away to this blog so you can see what I see in ALMOST real-time. If you click on the pic, it will take you to Flickr where you can view them in different sizes (please leave the close-ups alone... trust me) and you can even download them as well (Mom). Flickr will also show you the full picture as this blog tends to sometimes cut out small parts on some of these pics.
Something to point out; the date and time next to each post reflects Pacific Standard time. I put a clock widget on my blog so that you can see what the time is in Japan and it can help you calculate approximately when I posted these blogs. Japan is 16 hours ahead of us here on the west coast.
Anyway, until my trip officially starts I leave you with this pic of Seattle taken from our roof top this evening. I would have taken it tommorrow morning but I guess it's suppose to rain :P
John J :)
While in Japan I will be taking pictures with my phone of anything and everything I think you should see (such as the picture you see above). When in the Wi-Fi areas of Tokyo, which are everywhere from what I'm told, I can upload them with text right away to this blog so you can see what I see in ALMOST real-time. If you click on the pic, it will take you to Flickr where you can view them in different sizes (please leave the close-ups alone... trust me) and you can even download them as well (Mom). Flickr will also show you the full picture as this blog tends to sometimes cut out small parts on some of these pics.
Something to point out; the date and time next to each post reflects Pacific Standard time. I put a clock widget on my blog so that you can see what the time is in Japan and it can help you calculate approximately when I posted these blogs. Japan is 16 hours ahead of us here on the west coast.
Anyway, until my trip officially starts I leave you with this pic of Seattle taken from our roof top this evening. I would have taken it tommorrow morning but I guess it's suppose to rain :P
John J :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)