Last Few Days in Japan

For the last three days, I have been back in Tokyo because my flight takes off from here. I have spent these last few days cramming in as many things as I possibly could. I visited Odaiba, Tsukiji Fish Market, the Toyota headquarters, and even took a late night trip to Yokohama. Last night, I met up with someone is friends with people that I know from back home.  We went to a world-class sushi restaurant because she was friends with the chef. After eating at this restaurant I think I can safely say that I will never look at sushi in the same way again. Unfortunately, I am leaving tomorrow but I wish that I can stay longer! My time spent in Japan has been really eye-opening and I have learned a lot about both my topic and Japanese culture as a whole.

My Last Ramen

The Sushi Chef

My Time in Japan's Kitchen

After leaving Hiroshima I made my way to Osaka where I have spent my last couple of days. I have to say, I'm pretty sure that I like Osaka more than Tokyo. Osaka is known as "Japan's Kitchen" as it is said that the best food in Japan is in Osaka. I have spent waaaaaaay too much money on food since I've been in this city. I've splurged on sushi, ramen, okonomiyaki, takoyaki, and even tried some Kobe beef. I explored Dotonbori multiple times and even ate under the famous Glico Man sign. There are so many really cool things to do in Osaka that I hope to come back one day again. While here, I took a day trip to Nara to see the deer park. In that city, deer just roam the streets alongside people and there is a temple that is enormous. It was definitely worth the day trip! While in Osaka, I visited the Osaka National Peace Center to do more research on my topic. This museum is specifically focused on Japan's experience with World War II with a focus on Osaka. This museum showed the conditions that the Japanese people lived under during the Second World War. Like us, the Japanese people utilized ration cards and had to adapt to wartime conditions. However, just like most of the museums, memorials, and parks that focused on World War II, this museum focused on the effects of war. The focus was again on peace and remembering the sacrifice of the Japanese people and soldiers during wartime. It was not as much remembering the specific events of the war. In my opinion, they view it as more of a lesson for the future than something that happened and should be glorified. Whether or not that is due to the outcome of the war, I don't know; however, some of the labels in the museum were not translated and there was no one that I could ask to translate. My time in Osaka has been enjoyable and eye-opening and I am starting to become sad that I only have a few more days here in Japan.

Dotonbori

Glico Man

Dotonbori

A deer in Nara

Entrance to the Temple in Nara

Hiroshima Peace Park and Museum

Today could not have been anymore bleak to visit the park and museum. It was a very rainy day and the general mood of the park is pretty depressing itself. Walking through the park and experiencing the A-bomb dome where the nuclear bomb dropped by the United States fell was a very eye-opening experience. We often talk about the importance of the bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II as a pivotal point in the war at gaining victory in the Pacific. There has been much debate over whether or not the bombs should have been dropped but visiting the site and experiencing it for oneself is very impactful. The bomb was indescriminitory with its victims, it killed men, women, and children whether a civilian or soldier. Seeing the objects that remain from the aftermath is a very sad sight and it is hard not to be emotional while visiting the park or the museum. The park and museum itself focus on peace and the abolishment of the use of nuclear weapons. The museum has melted tricycles, pictures of victims, first-hand accounts of what happened the day the bomb was dropped, and a recreation of what happened to Hiroshima when the bomb was dropped.  There is not a lot of mention of the war itself or what happened throughout the war. Instead, the park and the museum focus on the people that were affected by the dropping of the bomb and the destruction that nuclear weapons cause when used. Instead of making the United States a monster that caused such destruction, they focus on the harm that the atomic bombs caused. The overall message that I received visiting these places today is the pursuit of peace and a nuclear-free world. Today was an emotionally heavy day that will probably take some time and reflection to understand the tragedy of what happened.

Pictures of the aftermath of the nuke

Origami Cranes

A-Bomb Dome

Memorial in the Peace Park

Hiroshima and Miyajima

I arrived in Hiroshima in the evening yesterday and decided to go to bed early as I am only spending three days here and I plan to be out for most of them. While hanging out in the hostel, someone suggested that I should take a ferry to an island close to Hiroshima called Miyajima. I took their advice and decided to explore the peace park and museum tomorrow. I am glad that I took their advice because Miyajima is one of the coolest places that I have been while traveling. It is an extremely small island but is the home of Mt. Misen and the Itsukushima Shrine. So I kinda lied about not visiting any more temples or shrines!:) The Itsukushima Shrine extremely cool. When it is high tide, the gate of the shrine is completely submerged in water and by the time low tide occurs, you can walk out on the sand and go up to the gates. Also, since the island itself and shrine is seen as sacred, there are various wild deer that wander around that you can take pictures with and hang out with. They walk right up to you! After seeing the shrine and exploring the town itself, I decided to hike up Mt. Misen. It took me about an hour and a half to get up the mountain but the view at the top was spectacular! By the time I hiked back down the mountain, It was sunset and low tide. I took some cool pictures of the gate and got some Okonomiyaki for dinner. Tomorrow I am going to explore the Hiroshima peace park and the various museums and memorials at the site.

View from the top of Mt. Misen

Shrine at high tide

Shrine at low tide

Temples and Shrines, Temples and Shrines

The past couple of days in Kyoto has been dedicated to exploring the city and the various temples and shrines that are in it. Kyoto is known for their temples and shrines and there are thousands of them! There is no way that I could ever get to all of them but I tried to go to as many as I could in my couple days in Kyoto. After visiting many temples and shrines such as Kinkaku-Ju, Ginkaku-Ji, Fushimi-Ku, and even some random places that I just stumbled upon while exploring Kyoto. I even made my way back to the Bamboo forest to visit the temple that I was unable to visit my first time around. It was well worth the second trip! Amongst all of the temples and shrines, I also visited the Gion District and witnessed a rare Geisha sighting. I ate at various self-cooking barbeque restaurants that would put many of our restaurants to shame. After my time in Kyoto, my Goushinchou has gained many different stamps and I can honestly say I might not visit any more temples on my trip lol. I am all templed out. Tomorrow I am heading to Hiroshima to continue my research on how the Japanese remember World War II compared to the United States in the location of a huge event of the war.

Kinkaku-Ju

Fushimi-Ku