Decorative Language
![](http://d2k8htqlk8yn1a.cloudfront.net/img/flags-png/jp.png)
It is trendy in Japan to use English words not to communicate but to decorate, especially on clothing. One can see T-shirts here with the strangest English. I saw one with the inscription “TexasRead more
It is trendy in Japan to use English words not to communicate but to decorate, especially on clothing. One can see T-shirts here with the strangest English. I saw one with the inscription “TexasRead more
Beppu is the most active seismic area on the island of Kyuushuu. Two major fault lines run along the sides of this city. Downtown, amid spectacular mountains, you can see dozens of large pipes drivenRead more
We are docking in the port of Beppu. There’s something in the air. I can smell it. This place is an area of volcanic hot springs and geysers. Sulfur and hydrogen sulfide hang heavy in the air. ThisRead more
In the 16th century Itsukushima Island was considered to be divine. Only priests and monks could go there. Of course you know by now that the tori gate marked the entrance to a holy place, so theRead more
We are sailing by some beautiful islands in the Setonaikai Sea. Each one is about the size of a city block, and it looks as though some deity just scattered them over the ocean. Their verdant greenRead more
Today we landed in Osaka and received our most concentrated exposure to the historic traditions of Japan yet. An excursion bus took us to wonderful Kyoto, the capital of Japan from the seventh centuryRead more
Leaving a place you have come to love is always difficult. Although we have been in Shimizu/Shizuoka only two days, I still find this place remarkable. Back when we were in Tuscany I fell in love withRead more
Shimizu is the port to the thriving city of Shizuoka. With nothing pressing on the agenda today we simply took a lovely bus tour of the area. Perhaps this city’s major attraction is its gloriousRead more