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October 2023

September 2023 - June 2024
Seattle to Japan! Read more
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  • TravelerOctober 2023
    Day 26

    The Bell of Nagasaki

    October 24, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F

    I’m not sure the full story behind this sculpture, but it’s called the Bell of Nagasaki, and is meant to symbolize a desire for peace.

    Every year on August 9th at 11:02, the time of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, churches and temples throughout Nagasaki ring their bells.

    It must be very moving!    Read more

  • TravelerOctober 2023
    1
    Day 26

    Temples in Nagasaki

    October 24, 2023 in Japan

    After visiting Nagasaki’s Peace Park, we spent the rest of the day wandering all over the city. Along the way, we passed several Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples.

  • TravelerOctober 2023
    Day 26

    Buddhist Cemetery in Nagasaki

    October 24, 2023 in Japan

    We visited a pretty Buddhist cemetery in Nagasaki. Often, Asian tombstones will feature either red or white lettering.

    Red lettering indicates that the headstone belongs to someone who is still living. After their death, the lettering is changed to white.

    This time, however, I saw only red and gold lettering throughout the burial ground. I presume that the gold is used here to indicate the deceased, but I’ll have to look into this more later.    Read more

  • TravelerOctober 2023
    Day 26

    Buddhist Columbarium

    October 24, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    I saw a building with a Buddhist wheel on it, so I stepped inside. Turns out it is a columbarium, where people’s ashes are stored.

    The cemetery had slippers for guests to wear, so I gave them a try. Some of the niches had little tables for family members could leave grave goods.Read more

  • TravelerOctober 2023
    Day 26

    Nagasaki Wanderings

    October 24, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F

    Our Nagasaki wanderings took us to the local arcade, a covered shopping area. As I was snapping a photo of Larry trying out some unusual seats, a group of schoolgirls approached and asked if they could interview us.

    They asked us where we were from, what our favorite Japanese foods were, and where we were going next.

    They were so cute. There was much giggling!

    In the tram, Larry towered over locals. He’s 6’ 1”, so hardly a giant by US standards, but over here, he’s easy to spot in a crowd.

    I’m not sure what the star represents for Nagasaki, but I saw stars on manhole covers all over town.

    When I saw “silk thread purple sweet potato ice cream” for sale, I had to give it a try. The machine that extruded the sweet potato reminded me of a Play Doh fun factory. Remember those?

    It was tasty enough, but I prefer a more savory sweet potato. Glad we tried it, though.

    We saw another Buddhist monk begging in the arcade, as well as an array of Buddhist swastikas at a shop selling incense, flowers, and religious items.

    After the sign forbidding camels in the cruise port, I had to pose with the local camel we came across.

    We could have spent several days exploring Nagasaki, but we enjoyed the many flavors this day offered!    Read more

  • TravelerOctober 2023
    11
    Day 27

    Kagoshima

    October 25, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    With an active volcano looming over the bay, it’s easy to see why Kagoshima’s nickname is “the Naples of the east.”

    We could even see some steam coming off of Sakurajima today!

    Kagoshima was originally known as Satsuma and is the home of Saigo Nakamura, aka “the Last Samurai.”

    Saigo Nakamura had a little dog, as you can see in the cartoon depiction of him. A more regal depiction of him stands over the local park.

    Bronze statues are tucked all through Kagoshima. Each one has a plaque explaining the history behind it. We even saw a monument dedicated to early astronomers right beside some mannequins at a secondhand shop.

    For fun, Larry talked me into trying some fancy lipsticks at a makeup counter. Yes, I love lipstick, but I never visit makeup counters. I was actually nervous to try it, but between his urging and the sweet sales person, I wound up having fun and found a nice shade of red.

    Like several other Japanese towns, Kagoshima has a covered shopping area called an arcade. These arcades always seems to have a zodiac theme along the ceiling panels. I wonder if astrology is a big thing here?

    Later in the day, we enjoyed coffee (for me) and ice cream (for Larry) at a cute little cafe. We snagged seats outside for some wonderful people watching.

    I love how Shinto shrines are tucked here in there in Japanese cities. We saw this one in a little alley full of restaurants.

    The strangest thing I saw today, however, was a vending machine selling gyoza.    Read more

  • TravelerOctober 2023
    1
    Day 28

    Kochi’s Romeo & Juliet

    October 26, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F

    A tragic love story surrounds a bright red bridge in Kochi, Japan. As the legend goes, a monk named Junshin fell in love with a beautiful girl named Ouma.

    This was in the 1800s, however, and at that time monks were not allowed to marry.

    When Junshin was caught buying a pretty hairpin for his beloved, the star crossed lovers were punished. Junshin was sent into exile, and Ouma was also sent far away.

    These days, the Harimayabashi Bridge is a popular tourist stop. The star crossed lovers never saw each other again, however their story captured local imagination. Images of Junshin and Ouma can be seen all over town, in statuettes, murals, and t shirts. There’s even a Hello Kitty rendition.    Read more

  • TravelerOctober 2023
    Day 28

    Kochi Wandering

    October 26, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F

    After catching a bus into Kochi, we were greeted by a cheery Darth Vader. As always, I snapped pics of fancy manhole covers around town.

    We’ve learned that in Japan, a raised yellow line leads you along pedestrian tourist routes. It’s a helpful feature.

    One of the funniest things I saw, was a t shirt proclaiming: “Peanuts Motorcyles Everyday Journey Gateway to Success”

    There’s a lot to unpack here… For starters, I hardly think of Snoopy as a badass biker dude, but here in Japan, such cutesyness is the norm.

    As for the slogan, the “gateway to success” bit sounds more like an inspirational poster than anything else.

    I also got a kick out of the Japanese luchador wrestling poster. Not sure what that’s all about.

    We never did find a cafe with outdoor seating today. Even so, the people watching was primo here in Kochi, Japan.    Read more

  • TravelerOctober 2023
    Day 28

    Kochi Castle

    October 26, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 75 °F

    When I think of a castle, I envision a stone building. In Japan, however, castles were often made of wood. For this reason, many are no longer standing, having succumbed to fire and other damage.

    In fact, Kochi’s historic castle is the only one in Japan with its tower still standing.

    Kochi Castle was in use from 1603 to 1871. It stands high on a hill, and we climbed plenty of stairs to get there.

    Visitors must leave their shoes in little lockers before entering the castle. This meant I was barefoot, but I found the tatami mats quite pleasant and cushy.

    As you can see, the castle interior is quite sparse. The wall panels were paper in many places, and secret rooms were tucked throughout for guards to hide.

    I’ve included a photo of the family crest for the Yamanouchi family, which later was adopted by a guy named Mitsubishi as a hood ornament for his line of automobiles.

    The higher we climbed, the steeper the stairs became. It nearly felt like climbing a ladder by the time we reached the sixth floor.

    I loved the views up there, not only of the mountains and city, but also of the
    “shachihoko.”

    Shachihoko are traditional Japanese roof ornaments that look like fish and are based upon mythical Chinese creatures. The top floor offered a good close up view of the shachihoko figures adorning Kochi Castle,

    Finally, I had to include a photo of some school children. Every time we pass a group, they call out, “Hello!” “Konnichiwa!” and/or “How are you?” The really brave ones will shout out their names. It’s pretty darn cute.    Read more

  • TravelerOctober 2023
    Day 28

    Fox & Chicken Shrine

    October 26, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 75 °F

    An old saying claims that, “Japanese are born Shinto, but die Buddhist.”

    As our destination lecturer explained, the two religions easily coexist because Shintoism is concerned with day to day matters, while Buddhism is primarily focused on the afterlife.

    That’s why Shinto shrines are tucked everywhere, but most cemeteries are Buddhist.

    Kochi seems to have a special connection to poultry. We saw rooster and hen statues all over town.

    A Shinto shrine we passed in the city center even had an active chicken coop housing a dozen or so birds.

    The main gate at a Shinto shrine is called a “torii.” Followers bow before stepping inside, left foot first. You are also supposed to enter through the left side. This leaves the right side free for spirits, aka “kami” to pass.

    Next, you stop at the “tsukubai” to wash your hands in a ceremonial fashion. The shrine in Kochi even had an illustration explaining the cleansing process.

    Kochi’s shrine featured numerous fox statues along with a few maneki neko, Japan’s “good luck cat.” From what I’ve read, the red bibs stand for children who died before their parents.

    I’m sure the arrows, paper and rope ornamentation all have symbolic significance, too, but I’ll have to learn about this later.    Read more

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