Miyajima – Japan

Miyajima is an island located about 45 minutes away Hiroshima and is easy to get to by the local train. From the train stop, there is a ferry across the street that runs about every 20 minutes to take people to the island. There are several things to see at Miyajima, including the Itsukushima Shrine, famous for its tori gate placed out in the water. The shrine itself is like a series of docks and painted bright orange.

There are several hiking trails on the island, several of which lead to Mt. Misen, the highest point in elevation on Miyajima. One way to reach the top without hiking all day is by taking the cable cars to a lookout point. From this point you can hike for about an hour, enjoying small temples and man-made shrines, before reaching the summit. On a clear day you can see all the surrounding islands, while I was there it started to snow so I couldn’t really see much but it was still worth the hike.

*Mt. Misen

Published in: on April 17, 2012 at 8:49 am  Comments (1)  
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Temples in Kyoto

The Golden Pavilion – Rokuon-Ji Temple

One of the most famous temples in Kyoto, the Golden Pavilion is a must see if you are in the area. Although you can’t go in the temple it is still amazing to see such a beautiful building in person.

Kiyomizudera Temple

The Kitomizudera Temple is large wooden temple located on the hillside, surrounded by woods. A waterfall leads into part of the temple where you can drink to your health, love, or smarts.

Published in: on April 3, 2012 at 9:46 pm  Comments (5)  
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Osaka Castle

Osaka is located south of Tokyo and is made easily accessible by the high speed trains. On weekends it is best to book a ticket a day in advance but there are several departures throughout the day so it usually isn’t an issue getting a seat. One of the main tourist attractions is the Osaka Castle, located right off the metro line and surrounded by an enormous park. The entrance fee is about 600 Yen and allows you to work your way up to the top floor, which has an observation deck overlooking the entire city. Each floor of the castle has been converted into museum exhibitions showcasing historic artifacts from the 16th century. You can always skip walking the 8 flights of stairs and take the elevator straight to the top to enjoy the view.

The park surrounding the castle is a popular place to be for families, dog walkers and runners on the weekends. There is a large playground, several beautiful fountains and winding walkways with overhanging trees shading the paths. This is a great area to hangout on the weekends to see what people in Osaka like to do on the weekends or to go on an enjoyable jog during the week.

Published in: on March 15, 2012 at 7:48 pm  Comments (69)  
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Mt. Fuji – All Covered In Snow

Beyond the mountains in the foreground is where I should have been able to see Mt. Fuji, the tallest mountain in Japan. The climbing season is in the spring and summer so I knew I would not be able to do any hiking on Fuji, but I was still hoping to get some nice shots. The train ride up was beautiful but the mountains were covered by a veil of thick, gray clouds but I was still hopeful the skies would be more clear the next day. I checked into my hostel and then walked to a restaurant down the street to get some hot noodles since this was the coldest weather I had experienced in a very long time. As I left the restaurant to walk back, soft white snow flurries started to fall from the sky. By the time I got back to my hostel the ground was white and I knew I would most likely not see Fuji in the morning.

I awoke the next morning to find piles of snow covering everything and still more coming down. Despite the fact it was freezing cold outside, there was still a short hike I wanted to attempt as well as see the town. So I bundled up and prepared to head out into the freezing cold.

The hike I wanted to go on was about a mile and a half from my hostel and I had to walk by a lake in the middle of town. Despite the freezing wind and falling snow, there were still a few fisherman dotting the lake. It was difficult finding the trail because the snow covered all visible markers the map told me to look for, but after huffing it up a steep hill I finally found my way. As I walked down the road I noticed a small furry creature of some sort scurry behind the corner I was about to round. I got a little nervous because I was alone and as far as I could tell there wasn’t a person within earshot either. But my curiosity got the best of me and I decided to see what it was. It turns out there was  tribe of Japanese macaques, more commonly referred to as snow monkeys, living in the trees. I tried to get close enough to take a picture but they didn’t seem too pleased to see me so I kept walking before they felt threatened.

As I headed up the mountain I saw a sign warning me to watch out for bears, at least I think that’s what it said since it was in Japanese. With this thought lingering in the back of my mind I kept going, although every time I heard a noise my heart skipped a beat. I made it to a clearing near the top of the trail and decided after taking some pictures to head back down. The hike was much more arduous than it normally would have been because of the fresh layer of snow coming up past my ankles with every step I took.

Even though I didn’t get to see Mt. Fuji I enjoyed my time in the quiet mountain town and walking around in the snow, something I don’t see in Ho Chi Minh City. I plan on visiting again during the climbing season so I can see what I missed out on.

Published in: on March 8, 2012 at 9:44 pm  Comments (1)  
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Kamakura – Japan

Kamakura is a small town located about one hour outside of Tokyo and is easy to get to by train. It is a quiet town with a nice main street filled with shops selling authentic high end souvenirs. There are also several temples and shrines worth visiting that aren’t as crowded as the ones in Tokyo or Kyoto. The first shrine  we visited was the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine and is located at the very end of the main street. This shrine is great because it is free to visit which also makes it one of the most crowded in Kamakura. While there, my friend Ayaka got her fortune for the new year but unfortunately it was a bad fortune so she had to tie it to a wire with the others to get rid of its bad omens.

* Ayaka getting rid of her bad fortune

* So many bad fortunes.

* Charms like this are hung along with wishes for the new year in front of the shrines and temples.

Next we were off to one of the most famous attractions in Kamakura, The Great Buddha (Kamakura Daibatsu), which resides at the Kotokuin Temple. The Great Buddha was cast in 1252 out of bronze and for only 20 yen you can go inside of it.

Our final stop for the day was the Hasadera Temple. The temple grounds sprawled up a beautiful hillside that overlooked the ocean. We got in right before closing time so it wasn’t very crowded while we explored.

* It is traditional to wash your hands before entering the temple grounds.

* One of the most somber parts of this temple where the miniature Buddha statues that represented miscarried babies.

Published in: on February 26, 2012 at 7:22 pm  Comments (2)  
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The Sumo

The Sumo is an event very unique to Japan, one that demonstrates a very rich cultural history. The Sumo takes place every other month, drawing thousands of spectators to Tokyo. You can’t buy tickets in advance so you have to go to the ticket box in the morning if you to guarantee yourself a seat. If you are planning on attending a weekend match it is best to get there well before they start selling tickets at 8 am since it is not uncommon for the arena to quickly sell out. I chose to go on a weekday though to avoid some of the crowds and also purchase the cheaper tickets with hopes of being able to move down closer to the action without having to shell out any more yen. This proved to be a wise choice since my friend Ayaka and I were able to move down a couple sections without any difficulty. I also had a telephoto lens for my camera so I really felt like I was a part of the action.

Everything about a sumo match is ritualistic and made me feel like I was reliving something from the past. The matches begin early in the morning, but these are the little guys who are trying to improve their ranking to make it into the Grand Sumo, where they can make the big bucks. My friend and I started watching the matches around 3 pm, just when things start to get interesting. Before each round of fights, the wrestlers form a circle around the ring facing one another. They do a little arm raising and some clapping before filing back out. Then the matches begin. Each match starts with the fighters facing one another, they squat, raise their arms in the air, then go to the corner of the ring for a ceremonial sip of water. They then return the center of the ring for some more squatting before going back to the to get some salt to throw on the ground. This process continues for a while before they actually fight, which only lasts about 30 seconds.  The main objective is to either push the opponent out of the ring or onto the ground.

Surrounding the ring on all four sides are officials who coyly watch each match in case there are any discrepancies as to who the victor is.  For instance, during one match it was impossible to immediately determine which wrester hit the ground first. The officials then gathered in the middle of the ring to deliberate, ultimately determining the wrestler in black the winner.

 

Published in: on February 21, 2012 at 8:57 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Dan Deacon in Osaka, Japan

Before I left for Japan I checked to see if there were going to be good shows in town while I was there. Live music is something Saigon is seriously lacking. Dan Deacon is an artist I have only recently been introduced to since moving to Vietnam so I was really excited to see he was going to be in Osaka while I was there. I also decided to try and get a press pass since journalism is something else I miss from living in San Diego, there were always musicians and artists around to be interviewed. I able to get permission to cover the show and got to talk to Dan while I was there for a little bit too. I wrote a review for my friend’s website, Sack Magazine, so just click on the link below to read.

http://www.sackmagazine.com/music/dan-deacon-osaka-japan

Published in: on February 16, 2012 at 9:29 pm  Comments (1)  
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Asakusa Shrine and Meiji Temple in Tokyo

My first day in Tokyo I visited the Asakusa Shrine and the Meiji Temple. The Asakusa Shrine had a bustling market in front selling everything from souvenirs to tasty Japanese morsels. It was here I learned some of the Japanese traditions associated with the first visit to a temple or shrine of the new year.

Before entering the temple, there is usually a large metal bowl filled with ashes for people to place  bundles of burning incense. As you walk by the bowl, you wave the smoke over your head to symbolize gaining knowledge for the new year. The incense being burned is a prayer or wish made by people before entering the temple. There are also always two statues of guard animals protecting the entrance to the temple or shrine, to keep out the bad spirits. In the case of the Asakusa Shrine the protective animals are dogs.

As you enter the temple be sure to step over the raised step in the door frame of the doors, it is disrespectful to step directly on it. Since it was just a couple weeks after New Years, there were many people crowded around the alter so my friends and I joined the mass of people to work our way to the front. Once there you through a 5 cent coin into the collection box and then make your prayers and wishes for the new year.

The grounds surrounding the temple are filled with alters, smaller temples and koi ponds.

I also went to the Meiji Temple in Harajuku, it is one of the largest temples in Tokyo. There was a long, winding walkway through an surprisingly lush forrest in the middle of Harajuku, a neighborhood known for shopping. The New Year celebration calls for extra decorations all around the temples and Meiji was no exception. Dozens of elaborate ice sculptures had been carved earlier in the day  and lined the walkway to the temple. Since this year is the year of the dragon that was a common theme. However, there were others of mermaids, dolphins and even one very creepy clown. Thousands of white lanterns with messages for the new year in blue paint lined the pathway leading to the temple. The Meiji Temple seems a bit out of place with its serene  setting right in the heart of one of the busiest neighborhoods in Tokyo, you can’t even hear the hustle and bustle from the streets surrounding the property.

Published in: on February 6, 2012 at 5:39 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Current Location…Osaka, Japan

For the past week I have been traveling in Japan and am currently in Osaka. I started my trip in Tokyo, which had the big city feel of Chicago combined with the lights and madness of Las Vegas.

From there I headed to Mt.Fuji. Even though I knew it was too cold to hike the tallest mountain in Japan, I was still hoping to get some nice views from town. However, the weather had another idea and it snowed the entire time I was there. The sky was filled with dense snow clouds and the ground was covered in a fluffy white blanket. Despite the freezing temperature I had a great time since I rarely find myself in snow filled situations.

This brings me to Osaka, a city just as lively as Tokyo but on a much smaller, more manageable scale. Tomorrow I will take a day trip to Kyoto to see some temples and shrines since it is only a 20 minute train ride away. Then I have a friend coming down from Tokyo to hangout some more while I am in Japan. There will be more stories and pictures to come when I arrive back in Ho Chi Minh City.

Published in: on January 22, 2012 at 8:49 pm  Comments (2)  
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My Tet Vacation

In Southeast Asian countries, the biggest holiday celebration hands down is the Lunar New Year, Tet. This holiday is a time for people to return to their hometowns and visit their families. For me this means 2 weeks of vacation at the end of January and I don’t think words can describe how much I need this time off.

Deciding where to spend my Tet vacation has been a little challenging. Originally I planned on visiting Thailand and Singapore, however my travel buddy was unable to come out during that time and for some reason it didn’t seem like something I wanted to do alone. So I was back at square one. Then I got in touch with an old friend from Tokyo and posed the idea of me coming to visit Japan. She was extremely welcoming, which made me that much more excited to start planning my trip. Unfortunately, she will be going out of town shortly after I arrive but the trip I have planned for myself is starting to look very promising.

I will fly into Tokyo to visit my friend for a couple days and then I plan on taking a bus to Mt. Fuji for some hiking and hot springs. From there I will the train to Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima before flying back to Ho Chi Minh City. It will be a fast paced trip but I want to see as much of the country as I can before having to go home. Since I have never traveled alone before I am excited for the adventures and challenges ahead.

Published in: on November 17, 2011 at 9:18 pm  Comments (1)  
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