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Hey everyone, it's been 7 weeks since my last blog but i've finally got around to blogging again. My last month in Korea was pretty quiet. They have an odd system where they have two main semesters - March - July and September - December, and then there is a third semester for a few weeks in February in which most classes seem to be cancelled, the kids go on trips or watch movies, the textbooks have already been covered and everyone is unsure what to do. Still, that meant I could relax a bit and I got a chance to attend my students graduation ceremonies. With me leaving Korea there were lots of saying goodbye's to friends I had made and packing. It was also Korean Lunar New Year in mid February so I had a few days off school to celebrate. I cooked some traditional Korean foods like rice cake soup and persimmon punch which turned out nice. Just before I left, there was the Daeboreum festival again (the first full moon after the lunar new year) which included a massive town bonfire, fireworks and food. It was a fitting way to end the year as I saw one the first few weeks I was in Korea too. Finally we had the interesting experience of trying to get vaccinations for South East Asia in Korea. The process was made easier by help from a co-teacher but boy did our arms ache after the injections.
So we finally left Korea on 25th February and took a 3 hour ferry from Busan to Fukuoka. Unfortunately we were unable to find accommodation within Fukuoka even two months before so we had to go straight up to Kokura in Kitakyushu for a few days first. Kokora was nice and we got to try udon noodles and sake. We visited a castle, samurai house, japanese garden and shinto shrine (where we learned how to do the rituals properly) and then on Saturday we went to Hiroshima.
In Hiroshima we stayed in the Peace Hotel and they had capsule hotel style personal beds which was really cool. We went to the Peace Park which was quite a moving experience. I learned a lot about the effects of the atom bomb on people and saw many memorials and the peace flame. Two things stood out to me - first was that 20,000 victims (10%) were actually Korean not Japanese, and secondly the words of many high level american military commanders who pointed out soon after the war ended that Japan was on the verge of surrender anyway so the atom bomb was almost certainly unnecessary. That raises major ethical concerns in my view.
We also went to Miyajima which is an island near Hiroshima. The Island has a Torii (gate to a shinto shrine) out in the water which is one of the three "views of Japan" and it was very scenic. When we got to the Island there were lots of deer roaming free and one insisted on eating the leaflets I had about the island! There were many temples and shinto shrines there and a big 5 story Pagoda. The island is famous because of the fact that a Japanese priest who founded the Shingon sect of Buddhism came there. We were also able to take a cable car up the mountain and after a further hour hike, reach the summit with amazing views of the surrounding bay and islands, as well as a flame that had been kept burning for 1200 years.
We also went on the electric tramway in Hiroshima and visited the Japanese style shukkeien gardens. On the Friday we traveled to Kobe to meet the owner of the next place we were staying - a traditional Japanese farmhouse in rural Japan. The owner was restoring it and, through the Workaway website, we were able to stay there free in return for a few hours volunteering each day. It was a long 5 hour journey on a variety of local trains but thankfully it went smoothly. On the Friday evening we stayed in his place in Kobe and went to a local Japanese onsen. This is basically a communal bathhouse similar to the Korean Jimjilbangs. It was interesting because it was also a place where the Japanese mafia frequented (you can tell who they are because they have lots of tattoos)....you haven't really experienced the true Japan till you hear an ultra polite Japanese mafia man say thank you to you for making room for him in the baths ;).
The next day we headed to a small village called Niino where the farmhouse was. It was a very beautiful area with mountain and rivers all around. We had a few days to relax and cycle to the supermarkets to get food, and then started digging on the Monday. I hate digging! We dug 19 long beds between us even though we didn't really have the right tools. After the first day I had blisters and bruises on my hands but at least by the end of the week we had done it and the owner seemed pleased. The house was cold and didn't have proper showering facilities which made it an interesting stay but it was really cool to see an authentic traditional side of Japan.
On the Saturday I decided to go to Himeji castle. This is one of the ones which have survived in tact, albeit with some restoration necessary. Most Japanese castles were destroyed by wars, political changes and American bombs. The castle is huge and beautiful but there was very little inside which annoyed me considering how expensive it was. After that I went to see another traditional Japanese garden and then a shinto shrine complex.
We decided not to stay the full two weeks at the farmhouse and on the following Tuesday we headed to Osaka. Unfortunately, as it was last minute, we were not able to get a decent hostel and so have ended up in a quite bad one where there is no wifi in our rooms and the other guests are extremely noisy at night and early mornings. Still, it's very cheap, has a green tea bath area and not a bad location so can't complain too much.
On Tuesday evening we went to the Dotonburi district which has a cool nightlife and lots of traditional looking restaurants, bars and side streets. We had an Okonomiyaki pancake which is a traditional food here and went to a Sushi bar where they have the Sushi coming round on plates on a revolving conveyor belt. Most of it didn't look appetising but I did like the grilled salmon and the tuna options. On Wednesday I went to the Museum of Housing and Living which had a lifesize reconstruction of 1830's Osaka. It was interesting to learn about the history and how people lived. Then we went to the Ramen Factory Museum where cup ramen noodles were invented. We got to decorate our own ramen cup and then put in our own ingredients to make unique flavours. Mine was a chilli-tomato soup with kimchi, pork, cheese and garlic. It was delicious. On Thursday I went to Sumiyoshi shinto shrine which is a major shrine complex and I saw shinto priests doing ceremonies. It is a beautiful and quiet place and it houses various Kami (spirits) of the sea built in the 3rd century CE.. Afterwards, we went to Shintennoji temple which is also really old (1400 years old), a complex of buddhist temples which was also really cool. And today, I went to Osaka Castle to take pictures of the outside (having paid to go into two other castles I decided not to pay to see the inside) which was very beautiful.
Tomorrow we move on to Kyoto, then to Mt Fuji and finally to Tokyo before we leave on 4th April.
My impressions so far are that Japanese people are very polite and helpful, bicycles are very popular and are everywhere, and most toilets have heated seats and flush themselves which is really cool. I love the capsule rooms in the hotels but I don't like the lack of English in most places - Korea was a much easier place to live in and get around for a tourist. Japan's 4 alphabets don't make learning the Japanese any easier either. Still, It's been a really good time so far and I'm looking forward to seeing getting to Kyoto.
I will probably do my next blog update when we get to Thailand in April. Bye
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